Marijuana's health effects LATimes / Itai Danovitch / 10,5,2010 Proposition 19 would legalize marijuana in California, but voters should be aware of the health risks associated with using the drug. In the debate on legalizing marijuana, which Californians will vote on in November in the form of Proposition 19, the health risks of marijuana are often overlooked. Legalizing marijuana will almost certainly lead to a decrease in its price and an increase in its use, according to a recent Rand Corp. study. And because no drug or medicine is without side effects, increased marijuana use will mean increased health risks. But what kind of risks? Supporters of legalization say marijuana is no more harmful than caffeine, whereas advocates of criminalization suggest that marijuana is highly toxic. Like other complex health issues, the truth lies somewhere in between. The California Society of Addiction Medicine is an association of physicians specializing in the treatment of alcoholism and other addictions. Though neutral on the issue of marijuana legalization itself, the society is concerned that Proposition 19 spreads misinformation about marijuana by stating: "Cannabis is not physically addictive, [and] does not have long-term toxic effects." Unfortunately, this statement ignores a large body of national and international scientific research over the last four decades that proves marijuana can be addictive. Addiction levels lower than caffeine About 9% of adults who use marijuana develop an addiction to it. Among people who begin smoking before the age of 18, this number is as high as 17%. Although addiction to marijuana does not cause dramatic physical dependence, it can lead to substantial problems in education, work and relationships. In fact, addiction to marijuana is defined by the inability to stop using despite recognition of harmful consequences. Without harmful consequences, there is no diagnosis of addiction. The short-term effects of marijuana intoxication are well established. As part of the high produced by marijuana, intoxication impairs memory and learning. Marijuana use also impairs driving, causing a twofold to threefold increase in accidents. Though not as dramatic as the fifteenfold increase in accidents caused by alcohol intoxication, marijuana's impact on traffic safety does have significance. Statistics and source please! The long-term effects of marijuana are not often recognized because they are subtle, but they can have a cumulative impact over time. In people with preexisting vulnerabilities, marijuana use can unmask psychiatric problems such as schizophrenia. Many people with anxiety and depression use marijuana to soothe their symptoms; however, there is evidence that over time it may actually make these problems worse. The latest studies point out that marijuana is not a causation for schizophrenic behavior. Smoked marijuana irritates the linings of the respiratory passages and can lead to inflammation and bronchitis. Although marijuana has not been definitively shown to cause cancer, smoked marijuana has been linked to precancerous changes in the lungs. Source please These long-term effects of marijuana are not as dramatic as those seen in other, "harder" drugs of abuse, but they do take a toll, and that toll appears to be greatest among people who begin smoking marijuana during adolescence, before the brain and body are finished maturing. Duh,maybe that is why the proposition does not legalize marijuana for under 21. Long-term marijuana use has not been shown to reduce general measurements of intelligence; however, there is evidence that the processing of highly complex information is slowed. Even after 28 days of abstinence, brain scans of long-term marijuana users show less activity in regions serving memory and learning. Less activity,,,,less activity means nothing about intelligence,it could designate that people that smoke marijuana regularly are more settled in their mind. The bottom line is that although marijuana is less hazardous to health than many other legal or illegal drugs, it is not without risk, and voters and potential users need to fully understand this. We do understand the risks and accept them. Among treatment professionals, there is widespread consensus that incarcerating people for marijuana use or possession is wrong, and therefore, an alternative policy is long overdue. If we are to promote the public health, however, we need to anticipate and deal with the consequences of our policy decisions. California already does an abysmal job of making treatment resources available to people addicted to marijuana and other drugs, including adolescents. In the advent of legalization, there will be an increased need for prevention programs, education and treatment services. Translation: give the addiction treatment industry a guaranteed source of income. The decision to legalize marijuana is in the hands of California voters. It is vital that they make their decision on the basis of accurate facts. And if Californians do legalize marijuana, they should insist that revenue from its taxation be applied toward any problems that arise from its increased use. Sounds like a good idea,but if no problems arise because of legalized marijuana,the money should go back to the people! Itai Danovitch is an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He is a member of the California Society of Addiction Medicine's Committee on Public Policy. Translation: Just as with the dispensaries,police organizations and green market dealers,they lose money on court ordered rehab for marijuana users.
It actually does increase the likelihood of developing schizophrenia BUT only in those predisposed to it. Otherwise, for the general population, you are absolutely correct.
An increase is an increase. But you can bet on the prohibitionists will blow the statistic out of proportion.
Of course it isnt without risks. Nothing is without risks. I will give them everything to my name if they could come up with something without risks. Its not like society would come crumbling down. This is already a drug ran nation. Whats one that doesnt have such seriously side effects? (anal leakage people. How is THAT legal?!)
Why are we even posting stuff like that here? All it does it give the other side more ammunition. They are always looking for stuff like this to quote. I don't see how posting articles like this are going to help get Cannabis legalized. Isn't that what we (well most of us) want to accomplish? ETA: Oh. I see now you were debunking it... Never mind. I should stick to Sativa during the day...
The health benefits Of Cannabis, not Marij/huana can be better appreciated through a basic regimen of a gram a month (if you can imagine how a gram should be spread out during that month). The only bad part about "having too much of a good thing" is when you have to combine hash oil, patties, and keefy (however you spell that word) greens to feel ANYTHING. Look at Eric Roberts! Why is he going on Celebrity Rehab? Because he "got lost in heaven" and didn't want to come down. Your supposed to give yourself limits, that's the whole point of being an adult.
Why is scitzophrenia an issue? Especially if one of the only negative effects(If not combusted) is that 1% increase(Mentioned above) in minors. Why is this being brought into question for adult users? And why are we even worrying over the health effects of marijuana for adult users? Just because they used the justification of protecting the public, why do we have to play along with their game? This only creates an enviroment where future generations will have to justify the personal use of a substance, based solely on wether or not it is healthy for them to use. In my opinion the goverment misinterpreted its authority to make marijuana illegal in the first place, for adults. Based on the reason it was illegalized I would argue that the only authority the federal goverment has on marijuana laws, is the taxing of marijuana commerce and the passing of legislation to prevent use in minors. But who knows? Maybe I'm the idiot who is incabable of making decisions for himself. I think I might need a guard at every street corner to tell me when to cross the street. I might get hit by a car one day.... And it could be my own fault.... What a shame it is that our goverment still allows us to make these life or death decisions that could impact our personal safety.
The whole "schizophrenia" link is tenuous at best and for the most part has already been debunked. In the end, the only real correlation is that kids with emotional problems tend to self medicate. So really no real evidence there as usual. Besides, Prop 19 isn't for kids. It's for adults over 21. Making Pot legal isn't going to have any effect on those kids except to make it harder for them to get weed. I don't see the downside.