San Francisco Medical Examiner Issues Marijuana Warnings

[OvergrowDaWorld]

Definetly do not mix with alcohol. I smoked some x-mas tree after drinking all night and blacked out.
Came too, and I was spittin blood in my sink. I guess me and another dude got jumped by 10 guys and I dont remember a thing. LOL I hate drinkin anyways.
Ive never liked it after I got alcohol poisoning when I was 16. Im in my late 40's and my stomach still hurts from that night. LOL

 

[OvergrowDaWorld]

"Analysis of the smoke contents of marijuana and tobacco reveals much the same gas phase constituents, including chemicals known to be toxic to respiratory tissue...






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Many among the medical marijuana community state that smoking weed is good for asthma...

As someone with asthma I know for a fact that it is bad for asthmatics. I would go so far as saying that I have marijuana induced asthma... I am fine and never need my inhaler unless I am puffing out hardcore on weed and/or extracts.


Honestly, "Smoking is good for asthma?"... I can't believe anyone ever believed that.

But I still hear it repeated all the time.

Liars! Even the Hemperer "Wears No Clothes"

I agree and disagree. Its strain dependant. I have asthma.
Blueberry makes me asthmatic while other strains help me breath better.
But anything smoked, is not healthy for the lungs, no matter how you slice it.

 

[stihgnobevoli]

i know a lof ot people with asthma who smoke weed. it's actually AWESOME for asthma. it's an expectorant, aka makes you cough, aka clear mucus from lungs aka that's what asthma is, lungs blocked by mucus in response to an irritant. marijuana also open the small airways and capilaries to allow better blood flow

 

[bobblehead]

smoking or smoke inhalation reduces oxygen saturation in the blood, causing the heart to pump harder to get oxygen to the body's cells. When a muscle works harder than normal, it grows...


But yeah... The doc is a quack...

Keep your heads in the sand.

 

[rsteeb]

"Analysis of the smoke contents of marijuana and tobacco reveals much the same gas phase constituents, including chemicals known to be toxic to respiratory tissue...

With regard to the carcinogenic potential of marijuana, it is noteworthy that the tar phase of marijuana smoke contains many of the same carcinogenic compounds contained in tobacco smoke, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, such as benz[a]pyrene, which was recently identified as a key factor promoting human lung cancer...

Bronchial immunohistology revealed overexpression of genetic markers of lung tumor progression in smokers of marijuana.
Preliminary findings suggest that marijuana smoke activates cytochrome P4501A1, the enzyme that converts polycyclic hydrocarbons, such as benz[a]pyrene, into active carcinogens."

"The evidence concerning a possible link between cannabis smoking and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) has not yet been conclusively established. A number of studies indicate a causal relationship between the two whereas others contradict these findings.

Research linking cannabis smoking to the development of respiratory cancer exists although there have also been conflicting findings. Not only does the tar in a cannabis cigarette contain many of the same known carcinogens as tobacco smoke but the concentrations of these are up to 50% higher in the smoke of a cannabis cigarette. It also deposits four times as much tar on the respiratory tract as an unfiltered cigarette of the same weight. Smokers of cannabis and tobacco have shown a greater increase in cellular abnormalities indicating a cumulative effect of smoking both."

"Marijuana (MJ) smoking produces inflammation, edema, and cell injury in the tracheobronchial mucosa of smokers and may be a risk factor for lung cancer...

We conclude that MJ [marijuana] smoke containing Delta-9-THC is a potent source of cellular oxidative stress that could contribute significantly to cell injury and dysfunction in the lungs of smokers."


source: http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/


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Many among the medical marijuana community state that smoking weed is good for asthma...

As someone with asthma I know for a fact that it is bad for asthmatics. I would go so far as saying that I have marijuana induced asthma... I am fine and never need my inhaler unless I am puffing out hardcore on weed and/or extracts.

I knew the first time I read that in Jack Herer's book that many in the cannabis community are a bunch of liars. In many cases the medical marijuana authors state information with no medical basis to back it up. And we take them on their word because they are supposedly "experts".

Honestly, "Smoking is good for asthma?"... I can't believe anyone ever believed that.

But I still hear it repeated all the time.

Liars! Even the Hemperer "Wears No Clothes"

Wow. Tashkin study found heavy tobacco smokers to exhibit over 20x the lung cancer rate of non-smokers, while heavy cannabis smokers enjoy just slightly lower lung cancer rates than NON-smokers.

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When I commenced daily enjoyment of pot in 1968, my own disabling asthma, which had caused my medical excuse from PE class in high school, pretty much disappeared. [Have you ever played Ultimate Frisbee? :]

 

[Some old dude]

anti pot witch hunt

anti pot witch hunt

Sounds like another anti-pot witch hunt. Have not seen anyone studying the large warehouse commercial grows for carcinogenic neuro toxic pesticide ppms...? The natural effect of cannabis use is appetite increase this would go a long way in explaining large heart as is associated with lack of activity as age increases. And like already stated the high carb and sugar that is a staple of the western diet is way more cause of concern IMHO.

 

[high life 45]

Whoa buddy!!!

Whoa buddy!!!

TP i had asthma for years, I couldn't play soccer anymore as a kid around 4th grade. I was the wheezy kid everyone made fun of.

I had two inhalers that were steroids, and two pills I took. It screwed up my studies big time, I couldn't sit still and if I ran around and tried to get rid of the energy I often ended up with an asthma attack. I used my inhalers every hour or so..

About twice a month I would end up in the emergency room in Kaiser in Redwood City. (Ive got 5 generations of family in the bay) Id end up ingesting or inhaling all kinds medications they tried, nothing actually worked. They just flooded my body with roids and made me feel horrible. I hated taking my meds, the roids made me feel weak and often sick. My legs would give out on me. My mom spent thousands on hepa filters, Hypoallergenic bedding, the whole nine. None of it cured my asthma, just prevented dusty triggers..

I started smoking when I was 15 and have had two asthma attacks since then, the last one is when I stopped smoking for a couple weeks four or five years ago, I took two hits and intsantly it went away.. Other than that its been nearly 15 years...

The only thing I changed was I started smoking cannabis.

Cannabis is loaded with expectorants just ask anyone who winterizes their oil..

Oh yeah anyone out there, if you have bad asthma, you shouldn't eat dairy. Your not a baby cow, are you? Dairy promotes mucus, mucus that will end up clogging your lungs.

I didnt know that cannabis can help with asthma, until it cured mine. That is the only thing that changed in my life, consumption of illegal marijuana. I used to have two inhalers on me, running was something I could do for a minute. I nearly became a track star after smoking herb. None of my friends are faster than me anymore, I use to be the slow one.. Seriously it was a LIFE CHANGER.. and

Do these guys have cardiomegaly?



I guess the doctor has to say something after trying to find anything to link cannabis with death..it must be annoying when only 8% of the sample population were users, especially considering this study took place in the bay area over a decade, where cannabis is very popular and widely used. One square mile area between castro and misson in sf had over 16 dispensaries last time i lived there..There are a ton of smokers...

8% of 1338 over a decade

10 years in a decade,
so lets say 121 months because thats one month more than a decade,... thats not even one dead body per a month to study? and thats being conservative of only one month more than a decade...

Cmon bobble? Whos heads in the sand?

We all know smoking is not as good for ya as breathing air, but do you really find merit in this study as its presented? Id love to hear your view. Diversity is key for a healthy ecosystem..

Heres what I see..
In over a decade, less than one dead body a month tested positive for cannabis, and an unknown percent of those that tested for cannabis were shown to have cardiomegaly, and the doctor thinks its a "significant statistical difference"...
but maybe even the person who printed the article didnt... and I think thats why the mystery number was never printed. Those are the numbers I see.

I recently went to a lecture given by a european scientist with a PHD who profiled terpenes in medical cannabis. The most exciting cutting edge research done in our field IMO.. For a good ten minutes he explained why just about all american cannabis studies were poor studies, with little to no validity at best.


-uses pot and no longer has asthma, and Ill race you Thomas Paine

HL45

 

[bobblehead]

The paper isn't conclusive, it makes suggestions for further research. Vape and eat medibles all you want, smoke inhalation will starve your body of oxygen and cause a plethora of issues. All I'm saying is the doc isn't wrong. A premature natural death is what the doc was saying, from an enlarged heart. Slapping a sticker on the body and calling the death heart disease doesn't give us direction for how to prevent heart disease, which is at the top of the list for health related deaths.

I'm not saying cannabis is bad... But smoke inhalation is. Comparing recreational use to habitual use isn't the same either. The blood levels should be an indicator of habitual smoking.

 

[high life 45]

exactly!

Then im sticking with my previous statement...

Do a study of Rastas and see if they have enlarged hearts compared to the average american. Their use would be considered habitual, no?

Ive seen the abyssinians, and toots and the maytals. Those old dudes blaze tough and they are still performing..

Ive sat at a stop sign or two waiting for them to turn green but the most dangerous thing about cannabis IMO, is eating junk food when you get the munchies...

MSG
hi fructose corn syrup,
natural flavors,
red #whatever
aspartame

the poisons that doctors in the fda approve as safe...so who do ya trust?

 

[bobblehead]

Lol... Bad food will kill you faster than smoking weed... I agree 100%.

 

[RetroGrow]

A note to all you guys with asthma:
I suffered from asthma for many years. Always had an inhaler with me. Almost died once from it. Then, purely by accident, I took some diflucan (fluconazole) for a skin fungal infection. After a couple days taking it, my asthma was gone, permanently. I have never had another attack or single wheeze. It's easy to get a fungal infection in your lungs, and this causes asthma. If you have asthma, it can't hurt to try this. A week of fluconazole and you could be rid of asthma forever. Most doctors are not hip to this. I was staying at my doctors house when I had an almost fatal asthma attack. Shortly after that, I took the diflucan, and the asthma was gone forever. My doctor was totally surprised by this, but said I must have had a fungal infection in my lungs.

 

[supermanlives]

Shot to death with kyrponite bullets by a jealous bull dyke is how u gonna go naturally. Naturally

No disrespect to our sisters who like cooter as much as I do.

ooh shit I just met an angry one today. got to watch my back now lol she wasn't mad at me so I am prob ok for now

 

[supermanlives]

I don't trust too many studies their results or whatever is flawed. so many ways to sway the results by screening the patients and not an big enough or diverse group.i could pick a bunch MIT {mass institute of tech for those that don't know} potentials/students that smoke pot an then say smoking pot makes you a genius. DAVESNOTHERE

 

[Thomas Paine]

Maybe it is because I am an ex-junkie and recovering alcoholic, but I don't view cannabis with "googly-eyed" abandon through rose-colored glasses anymore.

The article was written poorly, but I know what it was trying to say. The SF examiner posted his findings, and it's not like he is the Boise, Idaho official medical examiner, this person is the San Francisco medical examiner, and he is saying that he has noticed a trend amongst deceased people that had cannabis in their systems. He found that the majority had enlarged hearts, so enlarged he would diagnose them with cardiomegaly.

To me - as a person with a history of heart disease in his family - that finding is alarming.

I grow it, have been a medical card holder for over 10 years, have been involved in the legalization movement since the 90's, and I am deeply involved in the medical cannabis industry.


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When Heroin was first marketed it sold across the US as "safe, and non-addictive". There are bottles you can still see today that say "non-addicting pain killer". Heroin, morphine and other opiate derivatives were unregulated and sold legally in the United States until 1920...

We all know how that turned out.

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The smoke of Cigarettes was not thought of as "dangerous" in the US until the late 80's, when it started to be banned in public places.

Sure, back in the 40's in Nazi Germany Hilter had a ton of studies conducted and found out nicotine was bad for you, but most people ignored his findings. And it wasn't centered on the smoke, just the nicotine.

I distinctly remember being in the hospital in the mid 80's, and the hospital beds has ashtrays built into them, the nurses all smoked, and the patients could smoke in their rooms. When the doctor would come in, he would often be smoking.

Even after that, in the early 90's when you couldn't smoke in the rooms themselves, you could smoke in the hallways of hospitals and in the waiting rooms.

We know NOW that cigarette smoke, and even second hand smoke is bad for you.

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Cannabis has not been legal until now. That is why we haven't heard much in the way of real scientific studies yet. As a "Schedule 1" drug scientific research into human health effects were stifled.

They are starting to appear, and with legalization coming nationwide cannabis will be studied and looked at extremely close for any health effects - be them bad or good.

And I am pretty sure we are going to be finding out some harsh realities about our "medicine" that we, as healthy minded adults, need to be aware of if we don't want to be on breathing machines or burdens to our family in old age.

I am not against weed. I love it. I am against things that damage my health.

 

[RetroGrow]

The fact they had cannabis in their systems means nothing. Cannabis can remain in the system for 6 months or more, in which time they may have smoked only one joint. In addition, a percentage of those people may/probably have used alcohol and possibly other drugs, substances, any or all of which may have been contributing factors in his "findings".
There is nothing scientific about his findings, and we don't know what his bias is.
And doctors knew long before 1980 that cigarettes were harmful. Perhaps the harm didn't become "official" until later when the surgeon general's report came out, but doctors and everyone else knew cigarettes were harmful. I remember being told many times as a youth not to smoke because it's bad for your health.

 

[Weird]

as i mentioned previously they did not tell us which percentage of those cannaibs smokers are cigarette smokers

there is a big overlap as you know between the two population segments

smoking cigarettes enlarges the heart

my guess is that the people with enlarged hearts also smoked cigarettes for a fair amount of time in their lifeimes

 

[high life 45]

Cannabis has not been legal until now. That is why we haven't heard much in the way of real scientific studies yet. As a "Schedule 1" drug scientific research into human health effects were stifled.

They are starting to appear, and with legalization coming nationwide cannabis will be studied and looked at extremely close for any health effects - be them bad or good.
.

TP, the sf examiner only posted "significant statistical differences", unless you found something I didnt.

As for the legality of cannabis.. I am pretty sure that you have things mixed up here.
We as a species have been safely using cannabis for thousands of years. The very first link, which is in the very first sentence of the article you posted..brings you here..
Prescription Drug Overdoses Killed 23,000 Americans in 2010; Cannabis – 0

"http://blog.sfgate.com/smellthetrut...es-killed-23000-americans-in-2010-cannabis-0/

Heres the first two sentences.


"Drug overdose deaths rose for the eleventh straight year in America, fueled by legal prescriptions for OxyContin and Valium. Medical cannabis, meanwhile, continued its 10,000 year-long streak of not killing anyone by overdose."


Then hop over to wikipedia;
Legal history of cannabis in the United States



Regulations and restrictions on the sale of Cannabis sativa as a drug began as early as 1619. Increased restrictions and labeling of cannabis as a poison began in many states from 1906 onward, and outright prohibitions began in the 1920s. By the mid-1930s Cannabis was regulated as a drug in every state, including 35 states that adopted the Uniform State Narcotic Drug Act

So a few hundred years vs more than a few thousand...


Have you seen this video, this stuff is an essential daily supplement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xPmR8j4plw





TP I was against all drugs completely. They scared the shit out of me. I started my research with "Marijuana Deaths"...type in anything else and youll find one, even drinking to much water = hyperhydration, which can kill ya.


Im not googly eyed about cannabis, shes changed my life and several of my patients lifes as well. Seizures, Cancer, HIV/AIDS, Agent Orange, this is the nonbiological family that I take care of, and its the miracle I see it perform in them, sometimes daily that fuels me to tear apart this poorly written article and any unwarranted fear it may incur.