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There is so much bull$h!t being thrown around in this thread it is beginning to smell like a farm!
My entire academic career has been spent in behavioural toxicology, a branch of biological psychology, particularly in effects of prenatal exposure to marijuana on cognitive functions in children. We followed the same cohort from the perinatal period through young adulthood. We are now looking at at effects in the same subjects as young adults. A sample of our research can be found at Current and former marijuana use: preliminary findings of a longitudinal study of effects on IQ in young adults -- Fried et al. 166 (7): 887 -- Canadian Medical Association Journal - you can follow the bibliography from there if interested.
1 & 2. The nicotine and alcohol industries who wanted to eliminate a competing recreational substance.
3. The pharmaceutical industry who objected to a medicine with a record some 12000 years long. After all, they didn't want people growing their own medication for free - cuts into corporate profits don't you know.
4. The pulp and paper industry wanted to eliminate hemp paper because it lasted much longer and could be recycled more times. Also paper made from trees was cheaper than paper made from hemp if you do not count the cost of replacing tree. Hemp/marijuana, of course can be re-grown on an annual basis - trees take years. It escapes me why this isn't a carbon issue.
It is also true that there is limited evidence as to the harm that may be attributable to marijuana. And what evidence there is is characteristically poorly interpreted in the public media. In all my years of research and reading in the field, IMHO (I am not alone in this), there is no case to prohibit marijuana as long as nicotine and alcohol are legal. As to possible positive effects, the classic case is as an anti-nausea treatment in cancer therapy, but there is evidence of positive effects against chronic pain and as a therapy for MS, as well as other areas. The literature exists should one actually want to know the truth rather than knee jerk along with the crowd. There is good and bad in everything. Cigarettes kill, but nicotine may have a role in ameliorating memory loss in early Alzheimer's and as a treatment for ADD and its relatives. Alcohol is arguably the single biggest drug problem in all of society, but a drink a day can have a very similar positive therapeutic effect to aspirin in heart attack and stroke prevention without the danger of damage to stomach lining and other side effects of aspirin. Certain alcohol preparations, namely dark ales and red wines, contain antioxidants and flavinoids which have been shown to be useful to the body. BTW, marijuana also has antioxidant properties.
This quote is from The American Council for Drug Education which is a lobby group not a research organisation. They wouldn't know truth if it jumped up and bit them in the eye. Much like DARE they exist on half-truth and innuendo and the money of the uncritical. DARE programs cost communities money that could be used for real teaching efforts. DARE exposed children show no difference from unexposed children by the middle to end of high school - the money spent is completely wasted. Police do themselves a disservice in their support of DARE because when the children find out that most of the program is bovine fesces their faith in authority is diminished.
I could go on....
Prohibition has never solved anything. It just serves to make criminals rich.
My entire academic career has been spent in behavioural toxicology, a branch of biological psychology, particularly in effects of prenatal exposure to marijuana on cognitive functions in children. We followed the same cohort from the perinatal period through young adulthood. We are now looking at at effects in the same subjects as young adults. A sample of our research can be found at Current and former marijuana use: preliminary findings of a longitudinal study of effects on IQ in young adults -- Fried et al. 166 (7): 887 -- Canadian Medical Association Journal - you can follow the bibliography from there if interested.
By itself, so what? So is caffeine and sugar.
The gateway theory has been pretty much discredited in research. It remains the province of lobby groups and other non-critical types who have little regard for the truth.
True. Specifically, marijuana was prohibited due to lobbying by four interests:
1 & 2. The nicotine and alcohol industries who wanted to eliminate a competing recreational substance.
3. The pharmaceutical industry who objected to a medicine with a record some 12000 years long. After all, they didn't want people growing their own medication for free - cuts into corporate profits don't you know.
4. The pulp and paper industry wanted to eliminate hemp paper because it lasted much longer and could be recycled more times. Also paper made from trees was cheaper than paper made from hemp if you do not count the cost of replacing tree. Hemp/marijuana, of course can be re-grown on an annual basis - trees take years. It escapes me why this isn't a carbon issue.
It is also true that there is limited evidence as to the harm that may be attributable to marijuana. And what evidence there is is characteristically poorly interpreted in the public media. In all my years of research and reading in the field, IMHO (I am not alone in this), there is no case to prohibit marijuana as long as nicotine and alcohol are legal. As to possible positive effects, the classic case is as an anti-nausea treatment in cancer therapy, but there is evidence of positive effects against chronic pain and as a therapy for MS, as well as other areas. The literature exists should one actually want to know the truth rather than knee jerk along with the crowd. There is good and bad in everything. Cigarettes kill, but nicotine may have a role in ameliorating memory loss in early Alzheimer's and as a treatment for ADD and its relatives. Alcohol is arguably the single biggest drug problem in all of society, but a drink a day can have a very similar positive therapeutic effect to aspirin in heart attack and stroke prevention without the danger of damage to stomach lining and other side effects of aspirin. Certain alcohol preparations, namely dark ales and red wines, contain antioxidants and flavinoids which have been shown to be useful to the body. BTW, marijuana also has antioxidant properties.
I second that challenge.
This quote is from The American Council for Drug Education which is a lobby group not a research organisation. They wouldn't know truth if it jumped up and bit them in the eye. Much like DARE they exist on half-truth and innuendo and the money of the uncritical. DARE programs cost communities money that could be used for real teaching efforts. DARE exposed children show no difference from unexposed children by the middle to end of high school - the money spent is completely wasted. Police do themselves a disservice in their support of DARE because when the children find out that most of the program is bovine fesces their faith in authority is diminished.
I could go on....
Prohibition has never solved anything. It just serves to make criminals rich.
