Some people are very skeptical about the medical uses for marijuana. They shouldn't be.
But then the industrial aspects of hemp growing, which was done by, among others, many of our farming founding fathers for rope, paper, and textile use is also something that we should bring back to agricultural practice in this country.
Not everyone who is pro cannabis is in favor of seeking an altered state of reality or recreational escapism.
But then the industrial aspects of hemp growing, which was done by, among others, many of our farming founding fathers for rope, paper, and textile use is also something that we should bring back to agricultural practice in this country.
Not everyone who is pro cannabis is in favor of seeking an altered state of reality or recreational escapism.
"Some people are very skeptical about the medical uses for marijuana. They shouldn't be."
ReplyDeleteI disagree. They have every right to be skeptical. There has never been any study of long term side effects, or damage. Medically speaking, neither side has a valid argument.
That is incorrect; there have been studies done. What they have discovered is that different kinds of marijuana have different effects on the brain with long term use, some of them good, some of them not.
DeleteThose factors are taken into consideration when prescribing marijuana; I don't think you can name me any medication that isn't a placebo that doesn't have some offsetting side effects which can in some cases be a risk.
Given the long history of marijuana use going back over centuries, this is not exactly an unknown quantity. The benefits for patients who use marijuana for problems like cancer and glaucoma are important.
As to recreational use, again, we have legal use of cigarettes despite their clear dangers, and alcohol, which causes horrific damage to the lives and bodies of at least some users. More than that we are just beginning to understand the extent to which certain food items, like the addition of some preservatives, colorings, and especially sweeteners - principally sugar and high fructose corn syrup products are both addictive and physically harmful.
There is always a balancing between risk and benefit; this deserves to be in the mix, and I would argue that people should research all of these things they ingest in some way to make sure they understand what those risks and potential benefits are before use, but not that we should be denying all use to everyone.
If we can get the funding of more studies to give us more information on which to base decisions, so much the better. But lets not pretend that we don't have any proven benefits or possible safe use available to people.
Meant to add - happy New Year JOB; we've missed your comments recently.
DeleteDOG, sorry sweety. Been dealing with some demons. A Happy New Years to you. But I still disagree with the substance of the post. I will need proof of these studies.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion is that no justified study has been done, since weed is an illegal substance. In my opinion, we can not argue the adverse effects of marijuana because the studies have not been done. Give me a link for these tests, and I will gladly research them.
Here you go:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/07/11/study-finds-no-long-term-negative-cognitive-effects-from-marijuana/
http://healthland.time.com/2011/07/19/study-marijuana-not-linked-with-long-term-cognitive-impairment/
and this one is especially pertinent:
http://healthland.time.com/2011/07/11/u-s-rules-marijuana-has-no-medical-use-what-does-science-say/
a 1999 report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the branch of the National Academy of Sciences charged with answering complex medical questions for Congress. Way back in 1999, the IOM said:
Scientific data indicate the potential therapeutic value of cannabinoid drugs, primarily THC, for pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation; smoked marijuana, however, is a crude THC delivery system that also delivers harmful substances.
Of course, not everyone smokes marijuana for the therapeutic benefits; some people eat it in food.
I haven't got another study at my fingertips, but it found there were two primary operative chemicals, not just THC, that affected the brain. One provided the beneficial effects, and the other was responsible for the harmful neurological effects. Different varieties of marijuana apparently have very different proportions of those two chemicals. So it is entirely possible that if we had adequate research into the varieties of marijuana doing a bit more to understand how those drugs work, and what varieties are more beneficial and less harmful, we could potentially make the use of marijuana more safe and beneficial.
There is also some conflicting data on how marijuana affects the maturing teen brain which has significant physical differences from mature adult brains. Just as cigarette producers increased the nicotine content of tobacco, we could take that negative lesson, and alter the characteristics of marijuana as part of making it more widely available both medicinally and recreationally, for those who insist on altering their experience of reality.
Indications are that marijuana potentially could be less physically harmful than alcohol. both have been around and in use for a similar amount of time.
I don't want to alter my experience of reality, so I'll leave that for other people to evaluate and compare. I even carefully limit my intake of caffeine, never mind anything more regulated.