Care to help me with a response?
Where do I start.
I think we need a new bill that requries all agencies to update their facts on a regular basis.




Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. A dry, shredded green/brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, it usually is smoked as a cigarette (joint, nail), or in a pipe (bong). It also is smoked in blunts, which are cigars that have been emptied of tobacco and refilled with marijuana, often in combination with another drug. Use also might include mixing marijuana in food or brewing it as a tea. As a more concentrated, resinous form it is called hashish and, as a sticky black liquid, hash oil. Marijuana smoke has a pungent and distinctive, usually sweet-and-sour odor. There are countless street terms for marijuana including pot, herb, weed, grass, widow, ganja, and hash, as well as terms derived from trademarked varieties of cannabis, such as, Northern Lights®, Fruity Juice®, Afghani #1®, and a number of Skunk varieties.

The main active chemical in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). The membranes of certain nerve cells in the brain contain protein receptors that bind to THC. Once securely in place, THC kicks off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the high that users experience when they smoke marijuana.
Extent of Use

There were an estimated 2.6 million new marijuana users in 2001. This number is similar to the numbers of new users each year since 1995, but above the number in 1990 (1.6 million). In 2002, over 14 million Americans age 12 and older used marijuana at least once in the month prior to being surveyed, and 12.2 percent of past year marijuana users used marijuana on 300 or more days in the past 12 months. This translates into 3.1 million people using marijuana on a daily or almost daily basis over a 12-month period(1).

The percentage of youth age 12 to 17 who had ever used marijuana declined slightly from 2001 to 2002 (21.9 to 20.6 percent). Among adults age 18 to 25, the rate increased slightly from 53.0 percent to 53.8 percent in 2002. The percentage of young adults age 18 to 25 who had ever used marijuana was 5.1 percent in 1965, but increased steadily to 54.4 percent in 1982. Although the rate for young adults declined somewhat from 1982 to 1993, it did not drop below 43 percent and actually increased to 53.8 percent by 2002(1).

Forty-two percent of youth age 12 or 13 and 24.1 percent age 16 or 17 perceived smoking marijuana once a month as a great risk. Slightly more than half of youth age 12 to 17 indicated that it would be fairly or very easy to obtain marijuana, but only 26.0 percent of 12- or 13-year-olds indicated the same thing. However, 79.0 percent of those age 16 or 17 indicated that it would be fairly or very easy to obtain marijuana(1).

Prevalence of lifetime, past year, and past month marijuana use declined among students in 8th, 10th, and 12th grades in 2003. However, the declines in 12-month prevalence reached statistical significance only in 8th-graders; past year use has declined by nearly one-third since 1996(2). All three grades showed an increase in perceived risk for regular marijuana use. This finding represents a welcome turnaround in this perception, which has been in decline in all grades over the past 1 or 2 years(3).

In 2002, marijuana was the third most commonly abused drug mentioned in drug-related hospital emergency department (ED) visits in the continental United States. Marijuana mentions rose significantly (24%) from 2000 to 2002, but showed no significant increase since 2001. Taking changes in population into account, marijuana mentions increased 139 percent from 1995 to 2002(4).


Effects on the Brain


Scientists have learned a great deal about how THC acts in the brain to produce its many effects. When someone smokes marijuana, THC rapidly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream, which carries the chemical to organs throughout the body, including the brain.

In the brain, THC connects to specific sites called cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells and influences the activity of those cells. Some brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors; others have few or none. Many cannabinoid receptors are found in the parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thought, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement(5).

The short-term effects of marijuana can include problems with memory and learning; distorted perception; difficulty in thinking and problem solving; loss of coordination; and increased heart rate. Research findings for long-term marijuana use indicate some changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term use of other major drugs of abuse. For example, cannabinoid (THC or synthetic forms of THC) withdrawal in chronically exposed animals leads to an increase in the activation of the stress-response system(6) and changes in the activity of nerve cells containing dopamine(7). Dopamine neurons are involved in the regulation of motivation and reward, and are directly or indirectly affected by all drugs of abuse.


Effects on the Heart


One study has indicated that a user’s risk of heart attack more than quadruples in the first hour after smoking marijuana(8). The researchers suggest that such an effect might occur from marijuana’s effects on blood pressure and heart rate and reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of blood.


Effects on the Lungs


A study of 450 individuals found that people who smoke marijuana frequently but do not smoke tobacco have more health problems and miss more days of work than nonsmokers(9). Many of the extra sick days among the marijuana smokers in the study were for respiratory illnesses.

Even infrequent use can cause burning and stinging of the mouth and throat, often accompanied by a heavy cough. Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers do, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, a heightened risk of lung infections, and a greater tendency to obstructed airways(10). Smoking marijuana increases the likelihood of developing cancer of the head or neck, and the more marijuana smoked the greater the increase(11). A study comparing 173 cancer patients and 176 healthy individuals produced strong evidence that marijuana smoking doubled or tripled the risk of these cancers.

Marijuana use also has the potential to promote cancer of the lungs and other parts of the respiratory tract because it contains irritants and carcinogens(12, 13). In fact, marijuana smoke contains 50 to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke(14). It also produces high levels of an enzyme that converts certain hydrocarbons into their carcinogenic form—levels that may accelerate the changes that ultimately produce malignant cells(15). Marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, which increases the lungs’ exposure to carcinogenic smoke. These facts suggest that, puff for puff, smoking marijuana may increase the risk of cancer more than smoking tobacco.


Other Health Effects


Some of marijuana’s adverse health effects may occur because THC impairs the immune system’s ability to fight off infectious diseases and cancer. In laboratory experiments that exposed animal and human cells to THC or other marijuana ingredients, the normal disease-preventing reactions of many of the key types of immune cells were inhibited(16). In other studies, mice exposed to THC or related substances were more likely than unexposed mice to develop bacterial infections and tumors(17, 18).


Effects of Heavy Marijuana Use on Learning and Social Behavior


Depression(19), anxiety(20), and personality disturbances(21) have been associated with marijuana use. Research clearly demonstrates that marijuana has potential to cause problems in daily life or make a person’s existing problems worse. Because marijuana compromises the ability to learn and remember information, the more a person uses marijuana the more he or she is likely to fall behind in accumulating intellectual, job, or social skills. Moreover, research has shown that marijuana’s adverse impact on memory and learning can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off(22, 23).

Students who smoke marijuana get lower grades and are less likely to graduate from high school, compared with their non-smoking peers(24, 25, 26, 27). A study of 129 college students found that, for heavy users of marijuana (those who smoked the drug at least 27 of the preceding 30 days), critical skills related to attention, memory, and learning were significantly impaired even after they had not used the drug for at least 24 hours(28). The heavy marijuana users in the study had more trouble sustaining and shifting their attention and in registering, organizing, and using information than did the study participants who had used marijuana no more than 3 of the previous 30 days. As a result, someone who smokes marijuana every day may be functioning at a reduced intellectual level all of the time.

More recently, the same researchers showed that the ability of a group of long-term heavy marijuana users to recall words from a list remained impaired for a week after quitting, but returned to normal within 4 weeks(29). Thus, it is possible that some cognitive abilities may be restored in individuals who quit smoking marijuana, even after long-term heavy use.

Workers who smoke marijuana are more likely than their coworkers to have problems on the job. Several studies associate workers’ marijuana smoking with increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers’ compensation claims, and job turnover. A study of municipal workers found that those who used marijuana on or off the job reported more “withdrawal behaviors”—such as leaving work without permission, daydreaming, spending work time on personal matters, and shirking tasks—that adversely affect productivity and morale(30). In another study, marijuana users reported that use of the drug impaired several important measures of life achievement including cognitive abilities, career status, social life, and physical and mental health(31).


Effects on Pregnancy


Research has shown that babies born to women who used marijuana during their pregnancies display altered responses to visual stimuli, increased tremulousness, and a high-pitched cry, which may indicate neurological problems in development(32). During infancy and preschool years, marijuana-exposed children have been observed to have more behavioral problems than unexposed children and poorer performance on tasks of visual perception, language comprehension, sustained attention, and memory(33, 34). In school, these children are more likely to exhibit deficits in decision-making skills, memory, and the ability to remain attentive(35, 36, 37)</FONT>.


Addictive Potential


Long-term marijuana use can lead to addiction for some people; that is, they use the drug compulsively even though it interferes with family, school, work, and recreational activities. Drug craving and withdrawal symptoms can make it hard for long-term marijuana smokers to stop using the drug. People trying to quit report irritability, sleeplessness, and anxiety(38). They also display increased aggression on psychological tests, peaking approximately one week after the last use of the drug(39).


Genetic Vulnerability


Scientists have found that whether an individual has positive or negative sensations after smoking marijuana can be influenced by heredity. A 1997 study demonstrated that identical male twins were more likely than non-identical male twins to report similar responses to marijuana use, indicating a genetic basis for their response to the drug(40). (Identical twins share all of their genes.)

It also was discovered that the twins’ shared or family environment before age 18 had no detectable influence on their response to marijuana. Certain environmental factors, however, such as the availability of marijuana, expectations about how the drug would affect them, the influence of friends and social contacts, and other factors that differentiate experiences of identical twins were found to have an important effect.


Treating Marijuana Problems


The latest treatment data indicate that, in 2000, marijuana was the primary drug of abuse in about 15 percent (236,638) of all admissions to treatment facilities in the United States. Marijuana admissions were primarily male (76 percent), White (57 percent), and young (46 percent under 20 years old). Those in treatment for primary marijuana use had begun use at an early age; 56 percent had used it by age 14 and 92 percent had used it by 18(41).

One study of adult marijuana users found comparable benefits from a 14-session cognitive-behavioral group treatment and a 2-session individual treatment that included motivational interviewing and advice on ways to reduce marijuana use. Participants were mostly men in their early thirties who had smoked marijuana daily for more than 10 years. By increasing patients’ awareness of what triggers their marijuana use, both treatments sought to help patients devise avoidance strategies. Use, dependence symptoms, and psychosocial problems decreased for at least 1 year following both treatments; about 30 percent of users were abstinent during the last 3-month followup period(42).

Another study suggests that giving patients vouchers that they can redeem for goods—such as movie passes, sporting equipment, or vocational training—may further improve outcomes(43).

Although no medications are currently available for treating marijuana abuse, recent discoveries about the workings of the THC receptors have raised the possibility of eventually developing a medication that will block the intoxicating effects of THC. Such a medication might be used to prevent relapse to marijuana abuse by lessening or eliminating its appeal.



Percentage of 8th-Graders Who Have Used Marijuana:
Monitoring the Future Study, 2003
1994 1995 1996 19971998Ever Used 16.7% 19.9%23.1% 22.6%22.2%Used in Past Year13.0 15.8 18.3 17.7 16.9Used in Past Month 7.8 9.1 11.3 10.2 9.7Daily Use in Past Month 0.7 0.8 1.5 1.1 1.1
19992000200120022003Ever Used 22.0%20.3% 20.4%19.2%17.5%Used in Past Year 16.515.615.414.612.8Used in Past Month 9.79.19.28.37.5Daily Use in Past Month 1.41.31.31.21.0
Percentage of 10th-Graders Who Have Used Marijuana:
Monitoring the Future Study, 2003
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998Ever Used 30.4% 34.1% 39.8% 42.3% 39.6%Used in Past Year 25.2 28.7 33.6 34.8 31.1Used in Past Month 15.8 17.2 20.4 20.5 18.7Daily Use in Past Month 2.2 2.8 3.5 3.7 3.6
19992000200120022003Ever Used 40.9%40.3%40.1%38.7%36.4%Used in Past Year 32.132.232.730.328.2Used in Past Month19.419.719.817.817.0Daily Use in Past Month 3.83.84.53.93.6
Percentage of 12th-Graders Who Have Used Marijuana
Monitoring the Future Study, 2003
1979 1991 1992 1993 1994 19951996Ever Used 60.4% 36.7% 32.6% 35.3% 38.2% 41.7%44.9%Used in Past Year 50.8 23.9 21.9 26.0 30.7 34.7 35.8Used in Past Month 36.5 13.8 11.9 15.5 19.0 21.2 21.9Daily Use in Past Month 10.3 2.0 1.9 2.4 3.6 4.6 4.9
1997 1998 19992000200120022003Ever Used 49.6% 49.1% 49.7%48.8%49.0%47.8%46.1%Used in Past Year 38.5 37.5 37.836.537.036.234.9Used in Past Month 23.7 22.8 23.121.622.421.521.2Daily Use in Past Month 5.8 5.6 6.06.05.86.06.0

These data are from the 2003 Monitoring the Future (MTF) Survey, funded by National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, and conducted by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research. The survey has tracked 12th-graders’ illicit drug use and related attitudes since 1975; in 1991, 8th- and 10th-graders were added to the study. The latest data are online at www.drugabuse.gov.


1 NSDUH (formerly known as the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse) is an annual survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Copies of the latest survey are available from the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at 1-800-729-6686.

2 These data are from the 2003 Monitoring the Future Survey, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, and conducted by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research. The survey has tracked 12th-graders’ illicit drug use and related attitudes since 1975; in 1991, 8th- and 10th-graders were added to the study. The latest data are online at www.drugabuse.gov.

3 These data are from the 2003 Monitoring the Future Survey.

4 These data are from the annual Drug Abuse Warning Network, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, DHHS. The survey provides information about emergency department visits that are induced by or related to the use of an illicit drug or the nonmedical use of a legal drug. The latest data (2002) are available at 1-800-729-6686 or online at www.samhsa.gov.

5 Herkenham M, Lynn A, Little MD, Johnson MR, et al: Cannabinoid receptor localization in the brain. Proc Natl Acad Sci, USA 87:1932-1936, 1990.

6 Rodriguez de Fonseca F, et al: Activation of cortocotropin-releasing factor in the limbic system during cannabinoid withdrawal. Science 276(5321):2050-2064, 1997.

7 Diana M, Melis M, Muntoni AL, et al: Mesolimbic dopaminergic decline after cannabinoid withdrawal. Proc Natl Acad Sci 95:10269-10273, 1998.

8 Mittleman MA, Lewis RA, Maclure M, et al: Triggering myocardial infarction by marijuana. Circulation 103:2805-2809, 2001.

9 Polen MR, Sidney S, Tekawa IS, et al: Health care use by frequent marijuana smokers who do not smoke tobacco. West J Med 158:596-601, 1993.

10 Tashkin DP: Pulmonary complications of smoked substance abuse. West J Med 152:525-530, 1990.

11 Zhang ZF, Morgenstern H, Spitz MR, et al: Marijuana use and increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention 6:1071-1078, 1999.

12 Ibid ref 10.

13 Sridhar KS, Raub WA, Weatherby, NL Jr, et al: Possible role of marijuana smoking as a carcinogen in the development of lung cancer at a young age. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 26(3):285-288, 1994.

14 Hoffman D, Brunnemann KD, Gori GB, et al: On the carcinogenicity of marijuana smoke. In: VC Runeckles, ed, Recent Advances in Phytochemistry. New York. Plenum, 1975.

15 Cohen S: Adverse effects of marijuana: selected issues. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 362:119-124, 1981.

16 Adams IB, Martin BR: Cannabis: pharmacology and toxicology in animals and humans. Addiction 91:1585-1614, 1996.

17 Klein TW, Newton C, Friedman H: Resistance to Legionella pneumophila suppressed by the marijuana component, tetrahydrocannabinol. J Infectious Disease 169:1177-1179, 1994.

18 Zhu L, Stolina M, Sharma S, et al: Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol inhibits antitumor immunity by a CB2 receptor-mediated, cytokine-dependent pathway. J Immunology, 2000, pp. 373-380.

19 Brook JS, et al: The effect of early marijuana use on later anxiety and depressive symptoms. NYS Psychologist, January 2001, pp. 35-39.

20 Green BE, Ritter C: Marijuana use and depression. J Health Soc Behav 41(1):40-49, 2000.

21 Brook JS, Cohen P, Brook DW: Longitudinal study of co-occurring psychiatric disorders and substance use. J Acad Child and Adolescent Psych 37:322-330, 1998.

22 Pope HG, Yurgelun-Todd D: The residual cognitive effects of heavy marijuana use in college students. JAMA 272(7):521-527, 1996.

23 Block RI, Ghoneim MM: Effects of chronic marijuana use on human cognition. Psychopharmacology 100(1-2):219-228, 1993.

24 Lynskey M, Hall W: The effects of adolescent cannabis use on educational attainment: a review. Addiction 95(11):1621-1630, 2000.

25 Kandel DB, Davies M: High school students who use crack and other drugs. Arch Gen Psychiatry 53(1):71-80, 1996.

26 Rob M, Reynolds I, Finlayson PF: Adolescent marijuana use: risk factors and implications. Aust NZ J Psychiatry 24(1):45-56, 1990.

27 Brook JS, Balka EB, Whiteman M: The risks for late adolescence of early adolescent marijuana use. Am J Public Health 89(10):1549-1554, 1999.

28 Ibid ref 22.

29 Pope, Gruber, Hudson, et al: Neuropsychological performance in long-term cannabis users. Archives of General Psychiatry.

30 Lehman WE, Simpson DD: Employee substance abuse and on-the-job behaviors. Journal of Applied Psychology 77(3):309-321, 1992.

31 Gruber, AJ, Pope HG, Hudson HI, Yurgelun-Todd D: Attributes of long-term heavy cannabis users: A case control study. Psychological Medicine 33:1415-1422, 2003.

32 Lester, BM; Dreher, M: Effects of marijuana use during pregnancy on newborn cry. Child Development 60:764-771, 1989.

33 Fried, PA: The Ottawa prenatal prospective study (OPPS): methodological issues and findings—it’s easy to throw the baby out with the bath water. Life Sciences 56:2159-2168, 1995.

34 Fried, PA: Prenatal exposure to marihuana and tobacco during infancy, early and middle childhood: effects and an attempt at synthesis. Arch Toxicol Supp 17:233-60, 1995.

35 Ibid ref 33.

36 Ibid ref 34.

37 Cornelius MD, Taylor PM, Geva D, et al: Prenatal tobacco and marijuana use among adolescents: effects on offspring gestational age, growth, and morphology. Pediatrics 95:738-743, 1995.

38 Kouri EM, Pope HG, Lukas SE: Changes in aggressive behavior during withdrawal from long-term marijuana use. Psychopharmacology 143:302-308, 1999.

39 Haney M, Ward AS, Comer SD, et al: Abstinence symptoms following smoked marijuana in humans. Psychopharmacology 141:395-404, 1999.

40 Lyons MJ, et al: Addiction 92(4):409-417, 1997.

41 These data from the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) 1992-2000: National Admissions to Substance Abuse Treatment Services, November 2001, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, DHHS. The latest data are available at 1-800-729-6686 or online at www.samhsa.gov.

42 Stephens RS, Roffman RA, Curtin L: Comparison of extended versus brief treatments for marijuana use. J Consult Clin Psychol 68(5):898-908, 2000.

43 Budney AJ, Higgins ST, Radonovich KJ, et al: Adding voucher-based incentives to coping skills and motivational enhancement improves outcomes during treatment for marijuana dependence. J Consult Clin Psychol 68(6):1051-1061, 2000.
__________________

yeah i didnt read most of that... but... i'll tell you aclu recently stated...(not really recently-few months ago) that smoking marijuana is not linked with lung cancer...theyre now saying it helps the growth of new brain cells, and can eliminate cancerous tumors... it might increase heart rate..but yeah... helps with asthma... nausea, physical pain, insomnia.... the theory that marijuana actually is an addictive substance is absurd... IF they can say marijuana is addictive, they can say anything and every thing is addictive- because all theyre saying is that it can be mentally addicxtive...anything can be mentally addictive... people are being put into rehabs for this because it is misconstrued as a harmful substance that has no positive effect whatsoever... if you see the anti drug commercials...you'll understand what i'm saying
... i happen to know someone who used marijuana often while they were pregnant... they have a great kid ( young still) absolutely brilliant. i really think thats bullshit there... that sums it up... theres always a way to debate against what they threw at you... check out erowid.org... thery have great info on drugfs that even doctors in the emergency rooms use when in a bind to figure out how to treat certain drugs they dont have info on in their hospital data base

On average a person does not use I think one quarter of their lung capacity. When someone smokes Mj that number increases to almost 100%. This means that there is actually more oxygen in the blood of some that smokes Mj because they tend to take deeper breaths of air when they breath. Also marijuana smoke actually opens the airways rather than constrict them as does cigarette smoke, which explains why it can be used in the event of a asthma attack.

There is a ton of data that suggest the medical benefits of Cannabis, and like always our goverment will debunk it. Their blind faith followers will believe them no matter what the data says.

Respond by sending them to https://www.norml.com

Then I would refer them to Nazi propaganda programs introduced in the 30's and draw the parralells to the current anti-marijuana campaigns spewing out of this administration's bible belt.

[I.M. Boggled]

on a mission from god to save the world from the madness of marihuana addiction.

I'm familar with the above information, it is the official party line in this country (Goverment misinformation Hacks very slanted and biased interpetations of various studies).
The above stated disnformation is from The "National Institute on Drug Abuse", who are well known as "the propaganda experts".

Lying to them is justified as long as your involved in a righteous cause (saving the worlds potheads from themselves.)
With links included like "Drugabuse dot Gov" , I wonder if they have an antidrug agenda or what. (sarcasm)


Try this sites information for starters for true and correct cannabis research data interpetation...

10 THINGS EVERY PARENT, TEENAGER & TEACHER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT MARIJUANA
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=16077
original link...
https://www.fcda.org/tenthings.html

Heres a link to extensive PDF links on "The Science of Medicinal Cannabis":
https://www.thc4ms.org/science.php?mu...&lw=468&lf=jpg

I'll try to add a few more quality relevent informative links as they occur to me.
They're right, your wrong, is the prevailing opinion in that family discussion, I can tell.
Hope this helps.

We have been lied to about cannabis

Mr. President; we have been lied to about cannabis.

For years, politicians seeking headlines, misinformed medical practitioners and over zealous drug czars have made misleading and false statements that have contributed to a false view of the benefits and risks of cannabis.

• “Reefer makes darkies think they're as good as white men." Federal Bureau of Narcotics Chief Harry J. Anslinger, 1929

• Marihuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men's shadows and look at a white woman twice." Hearst newspapers nationwide, 1935

• “Marihuana leads to pacifism and communist brainwashing" Federal Bureau of Narcotics Chief Harry J. Anslinger, 1948

• “Permanent brain damage is one of the inevitable results of the use of marijuana." Ronald Reagan 1974

• “Marijuana leads to homosexuality ... and therefore to AIDS." - White House Drug Czar Carlton Turner 1986

• "Marijuana is more dangerous than all the other drugs combined" White House Drug Czar John Walters 2004

These statements would be laughable were it not for the fact these lies have caused so much damage. As a concerned American, humanitarian, father, medical user and fellow Christian, I am compelled to share my views and knowledge on the medical, industrial and recreational use of cannabis.

Medial Treatment
Marijuana has been effectively used for years to treat patients suffering from a wide range of maladies; medical journals and research have repeatedly concluded that marijuana is a highly effective treatment for some types of illnesses. The Lancet, a highly respected medical journal recently reported that the “evidence of the therapeutic value and limited toxicity of marijuana in the treatment of various symptoms and syndromes is rapidly accumulating and advances in cannabinoid science have given rise to a wealth of new opportunities for the development of medically useful cannabinoid-based drugs. (1)

Prior to 1930, a large % of all the medicines produced in the world were made from some form of cannabis with at least 27 of them made in the USA by companies such as Pfizer & Eli-Lily. Since the U.S. government has sought to restrict use of cannabis for medical treatment, valuable time has been lost when scientists could have been carefully studying the benefits and risks of this drug.

The DEA’s chief administrative law judge, Francis L. Young ruled in 1972; “Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known and it would be unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious for the DEA to continue to stand between those sufferers and the benefits of this substance. (2)

Marijuana has been shown effective at treating diseases like, cancerous tumors, glaucoma, wasting disease, epileptic convulsions and multiple sclerosis. Many patients also report that marijuana is useful for treating chronic pain, arthritis, migraine, menstrual cramps, alcohol and opiate addiction, as well as depression, PTSD and other debilitating mood disorders. (3)

The world's leading medical journal The Lancet has repeatedly called for legalization and rebuked the government for exaggerated claims about health risks & in a 1997 editorial, the editor in chief of The New England Journal of Medicine called the federal ban on the medical use of marijuana "misguided, heavy-handed, and inhumane." The "British Medical Journal" another leading medical journal has also taken a similar position

Organizations that support some form of supervised use of Medical Cannabis include; The World Health Organization, The American Academy of Family Physicians, American Nurses Association, American Society of Addiction Medicine, American Public Health Association, British Medical Association, Heath Canada and many others. (4)

A CNN/Time poll published November 4, 2002 found that 80% of Americans believe that “adults should be allowed to legally use marijuana for medical purposes if their doctor prescribes it. ...” Over the last decade, polls have consistently shown between 60% and 80% support for legal access to medical marijuana. Ten states, along with Rhode Island poised to become number eleven, have passed medical marijuana laws often with an overwhelming margin. Yet, the Drug Enforcement Administration has sought to undermine states rights and circumvent the will of the people. The recent court action in California that sought to limit the use of marijuana on grounds of interstate commerce was ludicrous.

Mr. President, you were quoted in the Dallas Morning News on 10-20-99 as supporting states' rights to decide whether to allow medical use of marijuana: "I believe each state can choose that decision [regarding medical marijuana] as they so choose." The states have spoken but your administration has not listened. In the meantime, patients continue to suffer while your administration spends millions of American tax dollars in a war on cannabis users. A war that sends hurting American's to jail, destroys lives, and causes families to break up. This is beyond my comprehension; and does not align with how I believe God works in the lives of his people and how a country should govern its people.

With your leadership, Congress can change federal law to recognize the state of current science and allow further research and proper use laws so seriously ill people can use marijuana for medical purposes without fear of arrest and imprisonment.

Science has proven, the people have spoken – it's time for action.

Industrial Use
Hemp is a fiber product of the Cannabis plant. Prior to 1880, a large % of all fiber products produced in the world was made of hemp. Hemp is an easy crop to grow and will yield from three to six tons per acre on any land that will grown corn, wheat, or oat. It has a short growing season, so that it can be planted after other crops are in. It can be grown in any state of the union.

Hemp's long roots penetrate and break the soil to leave it in perfect condition for the next year's crop. The dense shock of leaves, eight to twelve feet above the ground, chokes out weeds and eliminates the need for chemicals or pesticides. By comparison, cotton plants require more insecticides and produce clothing products that are inferior to hemp clothing in terms of softness, thickness and durability. Two successive hemp crops are enough to reclaim land that has been abandoned because of Canadian thistles or quack grass

Hemp can be used for anything from fish nets, bow strings, canvas, strong rope, fine bed linen garments, towels, paper, clothing, building materials to car manufacturing and oils used by industry and body care. All of these products, and thousands of other everyday items now imported, can be produced from home-grown hemp and can be grown on American farms; in fact, anything made out of wood, cotton or petrochemicals can be made out of hemp.

After many years of sanctioning the growth of hemp crops, the U.S. government began a prohibition on research, use and production of hemp. This prohibition has had a tremendous impact on American business. Hemp prohibition has led to un-told numbers of American job losses and had a devastating effect on the American farming and textile industries. During the 1980s, imports of yarns, fabrics, and clothing rose 184% seeing foreign competitors take 40% of the market share in the U.S., at a cost of 800 closed textile mills and 1 59,000 jobs. (5)

As crop, hemp will not compete with other American products. Instead, it will displace imports of raw material and manufactured products produced by underpaid peasant labor and it will provide thousands of jobs for American workers. (6)

Under your leadership, Congress can support the American workers and farmers by changing laws to encourage the industrial production and use of hemp.


Cannabis/Hemp as a healthy food source;
The United States leads the fight in the world for giving to poor under-developed countries, yet the pressure and influence the American government has on countries and farmers to ban cannabis as a healthy foods source has me baffled even more.

Hempseed extracts, like soybeans, can be spiced to taste like chicken, steak, or pork and can be used to make tofu-type curd and margarine, at less cost than soybeans. Hempseed can be ground and used like flour, or cooked, then sweetened and combined with milk to produce a nutritional breakfast cereal - like oatmeal or cream of wheat.

Hempseed can also be pressed for its highly nutritious vegetable oil, which contains the highest amount of essential fatty acids in the plant kingdom. These essential oils are responsible for our immune responses and clear the arteries of cholesterol and plaque. These essential fatty acids were used by Dr. Joanna Budwig (nominated repeatedly for the Nobel Peace Prize) to successfully treat "terminal" cancer patients, as well as those suffering from cardiovascular disease, glandular atrophy, gall stones, kidney degeneration, acne, dry skin, menstrual problems and immune deficiency. (7)

Experiments conducted at the National Institute of Health (Bethesda MD) in 1998 showed Cannabidiol to be a potent anti-oxidant, even more effective than Vitamins C or E. The researchers induced ischemic strokes in rats, and then treated them with CBD to neutralize free radicals which cause much of the damage associated with such strokes. The Israeli company Pharmos is conducting human clinical trials with the synthetic cannabinoid Dexnibinol to treat damage from strokes. CBD potentially offers an optional treatment (and possible prevention) of stroke, heart attacks, and neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
(8)

We are well aware there are starving people in this world and an Aids epidemic in South Africa. According to the CDC, in December of 2003 somewhere between 1.04 million and 1.19 million people in the US alone are living with HIV. We now have studies with positive results; that cannabis hemp produces a healthy foods source that contains essential oils that help support and protect the immune systems of persons with the H.I.V. virus, and that cannabis helps the suffering of those infected by this horrible disease. (9)

These insane prohibitions against one of the most valuable plants on Earth must yield to public demand. The promise of better health and the possibility of feeding the world are at our fingertips.

Renewable cheap energy

Hemp has long been used as an energy source. Prior to 1850, a large % of all energy produced in the world was made from hemp products. Hemp as a biomass resource is capable of producing 10 tons per acre in four months; this biomass can be converted to methane, methanol or gasoline at a fraction of the current cost of oil, coal, or nuclear energy; especially when environmental costs are factored in. Things like plastics can easily be derived from plant cellulose. In fact; anything made from a hydrocarbon can also be made from a carbohydrate. (10)

Cannabis/Hemp oil can be a benefit to American farming industry, the industrial nation and our planet as a whole providing an alternative cheaper renewable fuel source. This in-turn will reduce the world’s dependence on Oil rich Arab countries that starve their people and the spreading of democracy.

Recreational use

Cannabis has proven to be a far safer alternative than alcohol for people who want to recreationally express themselves. Removing marijuana from the criminal market will make our communities safer and would free up police so officers can focus on violent crimes, property crimes, and people who drive under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, or any other substance. (11)

In an open letter put forth to you and other public officials by a group of more than 500 distinguished economists led by Nobel Prize-winner Dr. Milton Friedman; called for an open and honest debate about ending marijuana prohibition. The report contains a report just released by Dr. Jeffrey Myron a visiting professor of economics at Harvard University & estimates that replacing marijuana prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation similar to that used for alcoholic beverages would produce combined savings and tax revenues of between $10 billion and $14 billion per year. That's real money that could be used to address real problems like gaps in homeland security, failing schools, and growing budget deficits.

We know that prohibition hasn't kept marijuana away from kids, since year after year 85% of high school seniors tell government survey-takers that marijuana is ‘easy to get’. Conservatives, especially, are beginning to ask whether we're getting our money's worth or simply throwing away billions of tax dollars that might be used to overhaul our shipping ports security & protect America from real threats like the still yet unsecured Soviet-era nukes.


Summary;
"Can any policy, however high-minded, be moral if it leads to widespread corruption, imprisons so many, has so racist effect that it destroys our inner cities, wreaks havoc on misguided and vulnerable individuals and brings death and destruction to foreign countries?" - Milton Friedman

It is not enough for us to pray and ask God to heal the nations; we must combine our prayers with the hard work of seeking justice. As Christians and people of all faiths; we have been sent to "bring good news to the oppressed to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners " (Isaiah 61:1) i.e. we are called on by God to speak a prophetic word of judgment and hope to the present situation.

Our diverse nation is full of people from all levels of life. There will always be people who succumb to addictions that can cause harm to themselves and others. Drugs are a tragedy for addicts, but criminalizing their legitimate use converts that tragedy into a larger disaster for society. Prohibition has demonstrated it does not deter the supply or the abuse of illegal drugs. Anyone who really wants them gets them now. The "War on Drugs" has not only failed in its efforts to make America free of "illicit drugs" but in the process has constructed laws that are highly unjust, racist in application, a threat to individual freedom and a danger to our public health.

We have been lied to; There is overwhelming evidence of the benefits of Cannabis/Hemp.

We have a sacred obligation to comfort the sick, feed the hungry, and promote the general well being of society. Please listen to your people and correct the injustices of our present drug laws that condemn drug related offenders to harsh penalties and indeterminate prison sentences.

It's time for the church, government and people to put down the rocks being tossed at medical, industrial and recreational cannabis use.

In 2004 over 800,000+ cannabis users in America; “the land of the free” went to jail; I do not believe for one second… God would approve. https://mpp.org/arrests/arrests.html

As a fellow Christian and a voting American, your position baffles me. Your administrations current position does not reflect current scientific research, the will of the people nor the heart of God for his people. As the leader of this great country, you have the power to make a difference. It’s my prayer you will let God touch your heart so that you may do the strong and courageous thing for our country.

Mr. President;
You & your family are in my daily prayers, thank you for your time.
Take care and may God bless



(1) Source: The therapeutic potential of cannabis, Lancet Neurol. 2003 May; 2(5):291-8 https://www.cannabis.net/therapeutic...na/index_e.html

The New England Journal of Medicine; 1876 JAMA, June 21, 1995 -- Vol. 273, No. 23 - https://www.druglibrary.org/olsen/MEDICAL/nejm.html

(2) US Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Agency, "In the Matter of Marijuana Rescheduling Petition," [Docket #86-22] (September 6, 1988), p. 57.

(3) Tumors:
* Haris, L.S., et al.: "Anti-Tumor Properties of Cannabioids" in Braude & Szara: Pharmacology of Marihuana;

*Cancer: Pot Shrinks Tumors; Government Knew in '74
https://www.hempfarm.org/Papers/Pot_Shrinks_Tumers.html

*Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Vol. 55, No. 3, September 1975, pp.597-602

*The New England Journal of Medicine--Sept. 7, 1995, and Jan. 17, 1980, page 135 of the 1980 issue.

*The journal 'Nature' ("Physiology: A hunger for cannabinoids" Vol. 410, No. 6830, p.763, 4/12/01)

*January 2003 issue of the Journal of the American Society of Clinical Investigation

*March 2003 issue of The FASEB Journal

*October 2003 issue of the prestigious journal Nature Reviews

*November 2003 issue of the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics

*December 2003 issue of the journal Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Targets

*Multiple Sclerosis: (Multiple sclerosis is the leading cause of neurological disability among young and middle-aged adults in the United States.) https://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm?fus...gory/13625.html

*2001 CSA reports - Medical Marijuana (A-01)
*Journal of Neurology, Volume 236. On page 120, you'll find a 1989 study, "Effect of Cannabinoids on Spasticity and Ataxia in Multiple Sclerosis." It footnotes 21 additional research reports

*Epileptic Convulsions: Journal of the American Medical Association for Oct. 20, 1975, page 306,

*Wasting Disease:The New England Journal of Medicine pages 670 and 671 of the 1995 issue.

*Glaucoma/intraocular pressure:
Institute of Medicine Report
https://www.nap.edu/html/marimed/

https://www.gwpharm.com/


(4) https://www.thelancet.com/
https://bmj.bmjjournals.com/

The American Academy of Family Physicians
https://www.aafp.org/afp/991201ap/2583.html
Marijuana: Medical Implications
JOHN R. HUBBARD, M.D., PH.D.,
SHARONE E. FRANCO, M.D., and
EMMANUEL S. ONAIVI, PH.D.
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee

American Nurses Association
https://www.druglibrary.org/olsen/medical/pot/ana.html
Effective Date: March 19, 2004 Status: Position Statement Originated by: Congress on Nursing Practice & Economics Adopted by: ANA Board of Directors Related Past Action: 1. 2003 HOD Action Report: Providing Patients Safe Access to Therapeutic Marijuana/Cannabis

American Society of Addiction Medicine
https://www.asam.org/news/news10.htm
July/ August/ September 1997 Volume 12, Number 4

American Public Health Association
https://www.druglibrary.org/olsen/MEDICAL/apha.html
American Journal of Public Health
March 1996, Vol. 86, No. 3, pp. 441-442

World Health Org.
https://www.cannabislegal.de/studien/who/approach.htm

British Medical Association
https://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/cont...ll/316/7126/239
Therapeutic Uses of Cannabis - BMJ 1998;316:239 (17 January)

(5) https://www.ncto.org/index.asp

(6) Feasibility of hemp as fiber crop studied
https://oregonstate.edu/dept/ncs/news...998/May98/hemp.
https://www.rawganique.com/

(7) Fats and Oils: The Complete Guide to Fats and Oils in Health and Nutrition Udo Erasmus, Alive Books 1986.
Life and Energy: An Exploration of the Physical and Chemical Basis of Modern Biology. Isaac Asimov, Avon Books 1962.
The Nervous System: Circuits of Communication, Marshall Editions (editorial group); Dr. John J. Caronna, Dr. Samuel J. Potolicchio, consultants, Torstar Books Inc. 1985.
Textbook of Medical Physiology, Arthur C. Guyton, MD., W. B. Saunders Company 1971.
Textbook of Organic Chemistry, E. Wertheim, The Blakiston Company 1945.
Hemp Line Journal, July-August 1992, pp. 14-15, Vol. I No. 1
https://curezone.com/letters/dr.Johanna_Budwig.asp
https://www.rawganique.com/whyhemp5.htm
https://www.ratical.org/renewables/hempseed1.html

(8) Vol. 95, Issue 14, 8268-8273, July 7, 1998 https://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/95/14/8268
Recent Advantages in Cannabinoid Research
R. Mechoulam - Hebrew University, Jerusalem – Vol.6 Suppl. 3 1999Current Medisinal Chemistry - Volume 10, Number 24, December 2003, pp. 2719-2732(14)
(9) https://www.pazienticannabis.org/HIV.html
https://www.cdnaids.ca/web/position.nsf/cl/cas-pp-0021
https://www.druglibrary.org/olsen/MEDICAL/nejm.html
Molecular Neurobiology

Originally Posted by I.M. Boggled

on a mission from god to save the world from the madness of marihuana addiction.


I'll try to add a few more quality relevent informative links as they occur to me.
They're right, your wrong, is the prevailing opinion in that family discussion, I can tell.
Hope this helps.

LOL!!!
Yeah that about sum's it up.

Thanks all for you info.
I will be sending them this link..

[I.M. Boggled]

Whatever that really means...
oh, oh I sound like a Jerry Seinfeld observation now.

I think No Where-Man got me/us covered on the additional quality links, Thank You Sir.
Their is now lots of reality based information linked in this thread..

Ya'll be happy, I'll see ya later.

[OXOSSI]

What a bunch of BS that first article!
I remember a study on the effects of pot on long term users - shivaites (sadhus). They r ascetes who smoke as much as they can in their lifetime, hang around funeral pires and push their bodies to the limits. No detrimental effect compared to the control group.
Just like the NAZI expedition to tibet in 37/38. They went knowing alredy what the furher wanted and what kind of data to bring back.
There was the case of a (not so much anymore) "respectable government scientist" who reported and amazingly high neurotoxicity in rats after a single dosage of mdma (extasy). He later had to apologize for using the wrong sample in the experiment. To this day it is not known what the fkr used but it was probably amphetamine or meth.
The same gentleman was the first to report neurotoxicity in chronic mdma users by pet scan. He took brain scans of a couple X-heads - people who really abused the drug. They had taken it more than 500 times sometimes up to a gram on a weekend and of course he found brain damage. The study did not mention any other drug history.
Being a scientist in the medical/chemical field this type of research outrages me!
In most neurotoxicity studies, the dose of drug admisitired is about 10-100 fold of the usual dose taken by humans! think about that?

There is no proven neuroxicity for psychodelics (excluding mdma and mda - which r somewhat contraversial) and from my reading it seems that pot has a neuroprotective effect on the brain, besides stimulating neuronal growth. It does however mess with short term memory

I like the one - makes a negro look bravely into white mans eyes. yeah.

Pancho Villa, Zapata and their guerillas (mainly indians) would take mescaline and smoke up quite a bit before going to battle. US still can't swallow the fact that they never caught him!

[I.M. Boggled]

The use of hemp as a source of methanol was known to the Nazis, revealed in the pamphlet "The Humorous Hemp Primer," published in Berlin, also in 1943. This document, recently re-published in the 1995 edition of "Hemp and the Marijuana Conspiracy: The Emperor Wears No Clothes," by veteran hemp conspiracy researcher Jack Herer, states that:

"Crops should not only provide food in large quantities, they can provide raw materials for industry. . . . Among such raw materials of especially high value is hemp . . .

"The woody part of this large plant is not to be thrown out, since it can easily be used for surface coatings for the finest floors. It also provides paper and cardboard, building materials and wall paneling. Further processing will even produce wood sugar and wood gas. . . .


"Anyone who grows hemp today need not fear a lack of a market, because hemp, as useful as it is, will be purchased in unlimited amounts." (18)

The Nazis obviously considered hemp a vital war material that could be used to produce methanol, or "wood gas," at the same time, in 1943, that Du Pont-controlled General Motors in Switzerland was "converting from gasoline to wood-gasoline production."
This, taken into consideration along with the (fact) that Standard Oil-I.G. Farben had "restricted production of methanol" and the GM-Standard Oil-I.G. Farben joint venture, Ethyl, Inc., whose profitability depended on the production of lead-tetraethyl for oil-based petrochemical gasoline - in direct competition with the alternative methanol, or "wood gas," certainly opens new avenues of investigation into the existence of a conspiracy against hemp as an alternative, and competing, industrial raw material, by these very same corporations which sold America out to the Nazis for profit and control of world resources and markets.



SHADOW OF THE SWASTIKA:
The Real Reason the Government Won't Debate Medical Cannabis and Industrial Hemp Re-legalization.
Documented Evidence of a Secret Business and Political Alliance Between the U.S. "Establishment" and the Nazis -Before, During and After World War II - up to the Present.

Previous investigations by hemp researchers have been limited to the suppression of free-market competition from the hemp industry, and focused on the activities of three prominent members of America's corporate, industrial and banking establishment during the mid- to late-1930s:
https://www.sumeria.net/politics/shadv3.html