Why do liberals ignore the inherent dangers of marijuana use?
Question:
Well, one day, during his senior year, he went to a party. Apparently some liberal parents had gone out of town, and left their child unattended (why am I not surprised by the irresponsible parents) so he decided to throw a party. Well when my cousin arrive the other kids were drinking, and smoking, and behaving pretty poorly.
Since most of these kids were passing around a marijuana cigarette, my cousin felt a little bit out of place. At first, he refused to smoke. But the kids kept putting peer pressure on him by saying things like, "just take a puff", "all the cool kids are doing it" and "nobody has ever died from smoking marijuana." Finally, my cousin succumbed to the pressure, and he took a puff.
Well, on that fateful night, his heart gave out. Another overdose on MJ!
Answers:
Er. Wow. I'm very very sorry for your loss on that day, but I seriously doubt that your family has uncovered a medical first: the marijuana overdose. There's no such thing. Marijuana has no lethal dose. Look it up. Really. Anywhere. Try WebMD.
Other Answers:
a marijuana overdose? come on ypou can't be serious. Perhaps the marijuana may have been "laced" with something else, but a quick google and yahoo search does not produce any support for your MJ OD claim.
Lacing is exactly why drugs should be legalised and regulated. Many people smoke pot and are drawn toward other drugs as a result of lacing techniques. People are going to do drugs regardless of the law and they should have the peace of mind to know they are doing the actual drug they chose with no other additives.
Consider the possibility that the drug laws, in and of themselves, are the actual gateway to other drugs.
Well people are user and don't want to stop I sure hope you are not speaking of ALL liberals out there. I am a liberal and I am well aware of the dangers of marijuana. Do keep in mind that plenty of Republicans & Democrats smoke marijuana. Don't just narrow it down to the liberals. That's ignorant if you ask me.
First of all, are parents crazy liberal for leaving a 19 year old home while they go away? Are you kidding me?
Secondly, he didn't overdose on pot. Sorry. Didn't happen.
I'm very sorry to hear about the loss of your cousin, that's really sad. But I wouldn't say the parent's are irresponsible, if your cousin was 19 then I'm guessing the kid that threw the party was about the same age?? At 18 you are considered an adult, so I wouldn't put the blame on the parent's for trusting their child while they wern't at home. Peer pressure is very tough and it's sad the way some teens are put on those spots. But, once again I'm very sorry to hear about your loss, it's tragic and should never have happened. Health Risk Myths & Realities
Marijuana Overdose
There is no existing evidence of anyone dying of a marijuana overdose. Tests performed on mice have shown that the ratio of cannabinoids (the chemicals in marijuana that make you high) necessary for overdose to the amount necessary for intoxication is 40,000:1.
For comparison's sake, that ratio for alcohol is generally between 4:1 and 10:1. Alcohol overdoses claim approximately 5,000 casualties yearly, but marijuana overdoses kill no one as far as any official reports.
Brain Damage
Marijuana is psychoactive because it stimulates certain brain receptors, but it does not produce toxins that kill them (like alcohol), and it does not wear them out as other drugs may. There is no evidence that marijuana use causes brain damage. Studies performed on actual human populations will confirm these results, even for chronic marijuana users (up to 18 joints per day) after many years of use.
In fact, following the publication of two 1977 JAMA studies, the American Medical Association (AMA) officially announced its support for the decriminalization of marijuana.
In reality, marijuana has the effect of slightly increasing alpha-wave activity in your brain. Alpha waves are generally associated with meditative and relaxed states, which are, in turn, often associated with human creativity.
Memory
Marijuana does impair short-term memory, but only during intoxication. Although the authoritative studies on marijuana use seem to agree that there is no residual impairment following intoxication, persistent impairment of short-term memory has been noted in chronic marijuana smokers, up to 6 and 12 weeks following abstinence.
more marijuana myths
Heart Problems
It is accepted in medical circles today that marijuana use causes no evident long-term cardiovascular problems for normal persons. Marijuana smoking, however, does cause changes in the heart and body's circulation characteristic of stress, which may complicate preexisting cardiovascular problems like hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, and coronary atherosclerosis. Marijuana's effects on blood pressure are complex and inconsistent as of yet.
Hormones
Chronic marijuana use has not been found to alter testosterone or other sex hormone levels. In contrast, heavy alcohol use is known to lower these same testosterone levels.
Reproductive Damage
No trustworthy study has ever shown that marijuana use damages the reproductive system, or causes chromosome breakage. Studies of actual human populations have failed to demonstrate that marijuana adversely affects the reproductive system. Claims that marijuana use may impair hormone production, menstrual cycles, or fertility in females are both unproven and unfounded.
The Immune System
Studies in which lab rats were injected with extremely large quantities of THC (the active compound in marijuana) have found that marijuana (in such unrealistically huge quantities) does have an "immunosuppressive effect" in those lab rats, in that it temporarily shuts off certain cells in the liver called lymphocytes and macrophages. These macrophages are useful in fighting off bacterial, not viral, infections.
But this is only for the duration of intoxication. There also exists some evidence that marijuana metabolites remain in the lungs for up to seven months after smoking has ceased, possibly affecting the immune system of the lungs (but not by turning the cells off).
This said, doctors and researchers are still not sure that the immune system is actually negatively affected in realistic situations since there are no numbers to support the idea. In fact, three studies showed that THC might have actually stimulated the immune system in the people studied.
Cancer
Smoking marijuana has the potential to cause both bronchitis and cancer of the lungs, throat, and neck, but this is generally no different than inhaling any other burnt carbon-containing matter since they all increase the number of lesions (and therefore possible infections) in your airways.
The Gateway Effect
Marijuana use has not been found to act as a gateway drug to the use of harder drugs. Studies show that when the Dutch partially legalized marijuana in the 70's, heroin and cocaine use substantially declined, despite a slight increase in marijuana use.
If the stepping stone theory were true, use should have gone up rather than down. In reality, it appears that marijuana use tends to substitute for the use of relatively more dangerous hard drugs like cocaine and heroin, rather than lead to their use.
Thus, oftentimes strict marijuana laws themselves are the most significant factor involved in moving on to harder drugs like cocaine. Such is the case in Nevada and Arizona, the states toughest on marijuana use.
the potential benefits
Because smoked marijuana contains a variety of combustion compounds, it can damage the lungs and possibly the immune system. Several health committees recommended the development of an inhalation device that delivers pure THC -- the active ingredient in marijuana -- to the lungs. Such a device has not yet been created.
There is some evidence -- but no scientifically valid studies -- that marijuana is useful in treating some forms of epilepsy and spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis.
Some studies show that smoked marijuana is effective for some patients in relieving nausea caused by cancer and chemotherapy.
There is evidence that marijuana may improve the appetite and help patients gain weight. This could be lifesaving for AIDS patients who develop wasting , a severe weight-loss condition.
Smoking marijuana is effective in lowering pressure inside the eyeballs of some patients with glaucoma. A word of caution, however: the drug also drops blood pressure, and this could compromise blood flow to the optic nerve and damage vision.
So there you have it. For additional information on the benefits of marijuana, I highly recommend the book The Benefits of Marijuana : Physical, Psychological, and Spiritual by Joan Bello.
Article Suggested By:Bill Greig, Newark, NJ
General Reference (not clearly pro or con)
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's report Mortality Data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network, 2001 (released in 2003) stated:
"[M]arijuana is rarely the only drug involved in a drug abuse death. Thus . the proportion of marijuana-induced cases labeled as 'One drug' (i.e., marijuana only) will be zero or nearly zero."
2003 SAMHSA
(see the government report "Mortality Data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network" in PDF format)
PRO (Yes) CON (No)
Thomas Geller, M.D. et. al, "Cerebellar Infarction in Adolescent Males Associated with Acute Marijuana Use," Pediatrics, April 2004, (Vol. 113, No. 4, pp. e365-e370): "Each of the 3 cannabis-associated cases of cerebellar infarction was confirmed by biopsy (1 case) or necropsy (2 cases). Brainstem compromise caused by cerebellar and cerebral edema led to death in the 2 fatal cases."
4/04 Pediatrics
Liliana Bachs, M.D. et. al, "Acute Cardiovascular Fatalities Following Cannabis Use," Forensic Science International (2001, Vol 124(2):200-3): "Cannabis is generally considered to be a drug with very low toxicity. In this paper, we report six cases where recent cannabis intake was associated with sudden and unexpected death. An acute cardiovascular event was the probable cause of death. In all cases, cannabis intake was documented by blood analysis. . Further investigation of clinical, toxicologial and epidemiological aspects are needed to enlighten causality between cannabis intake and acute cardiovascular events."
2001 Forensic Science International
Dr. Bachs told ProCon.org in an 11/28/05 email:
"Causality is a difficult assessment in forensic toxicology. It is often an 'exclusion diagnosis,' and so it is in our cases. I'm therefore not sure about how to classify those deaths.
At the time I published that study I would probably not classify [the cannabis] as primary causation because it was not broadly accepted that [a death from cannabis] could occur at all. Today I see reports coming all the time that acknowledge cannabis cardiovascular risks, and the situation may be different."
11/28/05 L. Bachs
Stephen Sidney, M.D., British Medical Journal (9/20/03, Vol. 327, pp. 635-635): "No acute lethal overdoses of cannabis are known, in contrast to several of its illegal (for example, cocaine) and legal (for example, alcohol, aspirin, acetaminophen) counterparts."
(9/20/03) British Medical Journal,
Joycelyn Elders, M.D. (former U.S. Surgeon General), editorial, Rhode Island's Providence Journal; "Unlike many of the drugs we prescribe every day, marijuana has never been proven to cause a fatal overdose."
3/26/04 Joycelyn Elders, M.D.
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