Marijuana vs. Aspirin

When Bayer introduced aspirin in 1899, cannabis was America’s number one painkiller. Until marijuana prohibition began in 1937, the US Pharmacopoeia listed cannabis as the primary medicine for over 100 diseases. Cannabis was such an effective analgesic that the American Medical Association (AMA) argued against prohibition on behalf of medical progress. Since the herb is extremely potent and essentially non-toxic, the AMA considered it a potential wonder drug.

Instead, the invention of aspirin gave birth to the modern pharmaceutical industry and Americans switched away from cannabis in the name of “progress.” But was it really progress? There can be no doubt that aspirin has a long history as the drug of choice for the self-treatment of migraines, arthritis, and other chronic pain. It is cheap and effective. But is it as safe as cannabis?

History:

·\tMarijuana has been used for over 5,000 years.
·\tNo one has ever overdosed on marijuana.
·\tAspirin has been used for 108 years.
·\tApproximately 500 people die every year by taking aspirin

The Law:

·\tMarijuana is a Schedule 1 drug, meaning the US government believes it is extremely dangerous, highly addictive, and of no medical value.
·\tAspirin is available for pennies and can be purchased by children at any drug, grocery, or convenience store. Often they are just handed out free by people with no medical education.

Marijuana side effects and dangers:

·\tThe dangers of marijuana include possible respiratory problems caused by the deposition of burnt plant material on the lungs. This danger can be eliminated with alternate forms of consumption such as eating or vaporizing the medicine.
·\tFor two to four hours, marijuana causes short-term memory loss, a slight reduction in reaction time, and a reduction in cognitive ability. These conditions DO NOT persist after the herb wears off.
·\tHunger
·\tParanoia
·\tLaughter
·\tIntrospection
·\tCreative Impulse
·\tEuphoria
·\tTiredness
·\tForgetfulness
·\t0 Mortality Rate

Aspirin side effects and dangers:

·\tWhen taken with alcohol, aspirin can cause stomach bleeding.
·\tReye Syndrome in children: fat begins to develop around the liver and other organs of the child, eventually putting severe pressure on the brain. Death is common within a few days.
·\tPeople with hemophilia can die.
·\tPeople with hyperthyroidism suffer elevated T4 levels.
·\tStomach problems include dyspepsia, heartburn, upset stomach, stomach ulcers with gross bleeding, and internal bleeding leading to anemia.
·\tDizziness, ringing in the ears, hearing loss, vertigo, vision disturbances, and headaches.
·\tHeavy sweating
·\tIrreversible liver damage
·\tInflamation and gradual destruction of the kidneys
·\tNausea and vomiting
·\tAbdominal pain
·\tLethargy
·\tHyperthermia
·\tDyspepsia: a gnawing or burning stomach pain accompanied by bloating, heartburn, nausea, vomiting and burping.
·\tTachypnea: Abnormally fast breathing
·\tRespiratory Alkalosis: a condition where the amount of carbon dioxide found in the blood drops to a level below normal range brought on by abnormally fast breathing.
·\tCerebral Edema: Water accumulates on the brain. Symptoms include headaches, decreased level of consciousness, loss of eyesight, hallucinations, psychotic behavior, memory loss and coma. If left untreated, it can lead to death.
·\tHallucinations, confusion, and seizure.
·\tProlonged bleeding after operations or post-trauma for up to 10 days after last aspirin.
·\tAspirin can interact with some other drugs, such as diabetes medication. Aspirin changes the way the body handles these drugs and can lead to a drug overdose and death.
·\tIt is used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains.
·\tUsed as an antipyretic to reduce fever.
·\tUsed as an anti-inflammatory medication.
·\tAspirin is used in long-term, low doses to prevent heart attacks, strokes, and blood clot formation in people at high risk for developing blood clots.
·\tIt has also been established that low doses of aspirin may be given immediately after a heart attack to reduce the risk of another heart attack or of the death of cardiac tissue.
·\tFor 50-year-old men, taking an aspirin every day to prevent heart disease and stroke carries a risk of 10.4 deaths per 100,000 men per year over and above their overall death risk.

If you think that cannabis is actually safer than aspirin, you are not alone. In October 2000, Dr. Leslie Iversen of the Oxford University Department of Pharmacology said the same thing.
In her book, ‘The Science of Marijuana,’ Dr. Iversen presents the scientific evidence that cannabis is, by-and-large, a safe drug. Dr. Iversen found cannabis had “an impressive record” when compared to tobacco, alcohol, or even aspirin.
“Tetrahydrocannabinol is a very safe drug,” she said. “Even such apparently innocuous medicines as aspirin and related steroidal anti-inflammatory compunds are not safe.”

So if safety is your concern, cannabis is clearly a much better choice than aspirin. If you eat it or vaporize it, it just might be the safest painkiller the world has ever known.

Article I picked up floating in some torrents.

 

Wow, it must have sucked when you first realized you had such allergies?

 

Suggestion taken, I've added positive side effects to Aspirin.

 

Doing so ^^

I've got it, prefer to improve on the article.

Suggestion taken.

 

No problem. ^-^

 

Nice, I'll throw in that statistic.

"For 50-year-old men, taking an aspirin every day to prevent heart disease and stroke carries a risk of 10.4 deaths per 100,000 men per year over and above their overall death risk."

 

is exactly right.

 

Nice. Information = beautiful.