Political Crossfire Forums

[CountryGuy]

www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/10/05/pot.alzheimers.reut/index.html

Hmm... I'll be honest, I've been steadfastly against recreational use of marijuana (but for medicinal use if proven). Here is a study showing use has beneficial effects. In this case, its not medicinal -- You don't know if you're going to get Alzeimers (sp), so it cant be prescribed.

I'm starting to re-think my position on marijuana. The question I have is, if marijauna is permitted, would that open the legal floodgates to other drugs, like heroin and meth? That's really the last stumbling block in my mind.

[Rankor and Pissing]

The chemical in maryjane certainly does help cancer patients, MS patients, alzheimers... certainly there are some benefits. As with anything the abuse of things is the problem - all things in moderation.

[Casualtie]

i'm thinking if we did legalize marijuana that they would draw the line at just that. most other drugs, in my opinion, seem to be very addictive. i have a friend who started doing other things besides marijuana and he just keeps pushing and pushing it until..

anyway, i don't think we want that to happen, and i don't think the government wants that either.

also, marijuana has been considered the "gateway" drug because it seems to lead to use of other drugs and i support that accusation because, hell, if marijuana is ok, then why shouldn't cocaine me ok?

[Richard Owl Mirror]

Marijuana may stave off Alzheimer's
Quote: New research shows that the active ingredient in marijuana may prevent the progression of the disease by preserving levels of an important neurotransmitter that allows the brain to function.

Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in California found that marijuana's active ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, can prevent the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from breaking down more effectively than commercially marketed drugs.

THC is also more effective at blocking clumps of protein that can inhibit memory and cognition in Alzheimer's patients, the researchers reported in the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics.

The researchers said their discovery could lead to more effective drug treatment for Alzheimer's, the leading cause of dementia among the elderly.

Those afflicted with Alzheimer's suffer from memory loss, impaired decision-making, and diminished language and movement skills. The ultimate cause of the disease is unknown, though it is believed to be hereditary.

Marijuana is used to relieve glaucoma and can help reduce side effects from cancer and AIDS treatment.


I for one welcome this news and hope that further studies go forward.
As for the question of 'Gateway Drugs', mankind has always experimented
with various plants and chemicals that alter the mind.

There would be no reason or rationale for legalizing other drugs IF the law were changed to allow cultivation of naturally occurring plants with the stipulation that manufacturing, distilling those plants would remain outlawed.
Cocaine and Heroin are distilled components which become more potent than the raw material.
The Coca plant can not even be grown in North America unless under a controlled environment.
Poppies can grow on this continent yet, even for personal consumption it would take acres of land to grow enough for one years supply. (which would be quite evident visually)

I say, keep the manufacturing and/or distilling of drugs illegal and allow cultivation (outdoors) of all plants.
I firmly believe usage of other harmful drugs would drop off dramatically if citizens were allowed to legally grow and harvest marijuana for personal consumption. Why take the chance of going to prison for using an illegal substance when a legal substance is available?

I propose a Federal Tax-stamp, registered to an individuals property be allowed. (only one stamp per parcel)
If the Federal Government charged $250 or $500 a year for outdoor cultivation of up to 2 pounds of dry weight marijuana for personal consumption and kept the selling of marijuana illegal not only would crime be decreased and the jails be less full of non-violent offenders but, the Federal Government could have between 1 Billion and 5 Billion in revenue.
Also the creation of many small businesses would be beneficial to our economy.

Who knows, even our Medical costs might go down due to the health benefits attributed to usage?

[Peace420]

Casualtie wrote: i'm thinking if we did legalize marijuana that they would draw the line at just that. most other drugs, in my opinion, seem to be very addictive. i have a friend who started doing other things besides marijuana and he just keeps pushing and pushing it until..

anyway, i don't think we want that to happen, and i don't think the government wants that either.

also, marijuana has been considered the "gateway" drug because it seems to lead to use of other drugs and i support that accusation because, hell, if marijuana is ok, then why shouldn't cocaine me ok?

Actually if Marijuana was legalized for this purpose(Medical) wouldnt it just move its drug class into another bracket with Cocaine and Opiates that have medical benefits. Not exactly legalized. I believe alcohol and tobacco are gateway drugs, I dont have the right to tell people what to do with themselves.

[ubikk]

There is a lot of buzz (no pun intended) these days around cannabinoid receptors in the brain. Now that they've discovered that these do in fact exist and that they control all sorts of things, the research communitiy is actively working on drugs that will work on these receptors, and we're likely to see whole new classes of medications that will effectively treat all sorts of things.

The sad thing is that all the negative marijuana politics prevented this kind of research from going on decades ago. Millions of people have suffered because of it.

We should never carelessely dismiss any medical clues that are found in nature. If some plant or animal has some effect on people, there is probably a reason for it, and some benefit that gain be gained.

[melchizedek22]

The question is should the government be telling an adult what they can or can not do with a plant!
Marijuana is not made by Pfiser,its a plant!
the biggest benefit of marijuana is the trillions of tax dollars it could generate.Not to mention it could mellow out some of the violent people
on the streets!

[micfranklin]

Do the benefits of marijuana outweigh the risks? Yes they do and who knows, maybe somewhere down in the future marijuana might be known to cure AIDS or something. You never know.

[Peace420]

micfranklin wrote: Do the benefits of marijuana outweigh the risks? Yes they do and who knows, maybe somewhere down in the future marijuana might be known to cure AIDS or something. You never know.

They can synthesize THC so you dont have to smoke it, further reducing the risks involved with smoking. It can also be cooked and mixed into almost anything you can bake, also reducing the risks involved with smoking. Other than the risks of smoking and intoxication its really not all that dangerous

[Mighty Oak]

Peace420 wrote: micfranklin wrote: Do the benefits of marijuana outweigh the risks? Yes they do and who knows, maybe somewhere down in the future marijuana might be known to cure AIDS or something. You never know.

They can synthesize THC so you dont have to smoke it, further reducing the risks involved with smoking. It can also be cooked and mixed into almost anything you can bake, also reducing the risks involved with smoking. Other than the risks of smoking and intoxication its really not all that dangerous No thanks on the synthetic.

[Shuya Nanahara]

Mighty Oak wrote: Peace420 wrote: micfranklin wrote: Do the benefits of marijuana outweigh the risks? Yes they do and who knows, maybe somewhere down in the future marijuana might be known to cure AIDS or something. You never know.

They can synthesize THC so you dont have to smoke it, further reducing the risks involved with smoking. It can also be cooked and mixed into almost anything you can bake, also reducing the risks involved with smoking. Other than the risks of smoking and intoxication its really not all that dangerous No thanks on the synthetic.

naturelment sil vous plait.............

[Shuya Nanahara]

am i the only one seeing the the funny side of the REVELATION that

"Marijuana has Beneficial Effects..."

............................ :hip:

[NovaPacifica]

Rankor and Pissing wrote: The chemical in maryjane certainly does help cancer patients, MS patients, alzheimers... certainly there are some benefits. As with anything the abuse of things is the problem - all things in moderation.

"all things in moderation"
Exactly! 100% ... its only bad for you if you overdo it and that applies to everything ... even breathing! (Even though i cant stand any form of drug .. even medicine, so it would not really bother me.)

[Divinity11]

Richard Owl Mirror wrote: Marijuana may stave off Alzheimer's
Quote: New research shows that the active ingredient in marijuana may prevent the progression of the disease by preserving levels of an important neurotransmitter that allows the brain to function.

Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in California found that marijuana's active ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, can prevent the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from breaking down more effectively than commercially marketed drugs.

THC is also more effective at blocking clumps of protein that can inhibit memory and cognition in Alzheimer's patients, the researchers reported in the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics.

The researchers said their discovery could lead to more effective drug treatment for Alzheimer's, the leading cause of dementia among the elderly.

Those afflicted with Alzheimer's suffer from memory loss, impaired decision-making, and diminished language and movement skills. The ultimate cause of the disease is unknown, though it is believed to be hereditary.

Marijuana is used to relieve glaucoma and can help reduce side effects from cancer and AIDS treatment.


I for one welcome this news and hope that further studies go forward.
As for the question of 'Gateway Drugs', mankind has always experimented
with various plants and chemicals that alter the mind.

There would be no reason or rationale for legalizing other drugs IF the law were changed to allow cultivation of naturally occurring plants with the stipulation that manufacturing, distilling those plants would remain outlawed.
Cocaine and Heroin are distilled components which become more potent than the raw material.
The Coca plant can not even be grown in North America unless under a controlled environment.
Poppies can grow on this continent yet, even for personal consumption it would take acres of land to grow enough for one years supply. (which would be quite evident visually)

I say, keep the manufacturing and/or distilling of drugs illegal and allow cultivation (outdoors) of all plants.
I firmly believe usage of other harmful drugs would drop off dramatically if citizens were allowed to legally grow and harvest marijuana for personal consumption. Why take the chance of going to prison for using an illegal substance when a legal substance is available?

I propose a Federal Tax-stamp, registered to an individuals property be allowed. (only one stamp per parcel)
If the Federal Government charged $250 or $500 a year for outdoor cultivation of up to 2 pounds of dry weight marijuana for personal consumption and kept the selling of marijuana illegal not only would crime be decreased and the jails be less full of non-violent offenders but, the Federal Government could have between 1 Billion and 5 Billion in revenue.
Also the creation of many small businesses would be beneficial to our economy.

Who knows, even our Medical costs might go down due to the health benefits attributed to usage?

Richard, would you consider running for office? You'd get my vote.

[Divinity11]

ubikk wrote: There is a lot of buzz (no pun intended) these days around cannabinoid receptors in the brain. Now that they've discovered that these do in fact exist and that they control all sorts of things, the research communitiy is actively working on drugs that will work on these receptors, and we're likely to see whole new classes of medications that will effectively treat all sorts of things.

The sad thing is that all the negative marijuana politics prevented this kind of research from going on decades ago. Millions of people have suffered because of it.

We should never carelessely dismiss any medical clues that are found in nature. If some plant or animal has some effect on people, there is probably a reason for it, and some benefit that gain be gained.

At one time, it was illegal to conduct research on the positive effects of the plant. The government had the right to confiscate your possessions (house, car, et al...).

However, if the research was conducted to discover and promote negative effects of the plant, not only was it legal, but it was also sponsored and funded by said government.

What was our government afraid of, hmmmmm?

[ZeroTolerance]

The fact that the legalization of marijuana is a widely discussed issue amongst American people and not American representatives of these people illustrates the disconnect of Washington to the issues that everyone is talking about. But if you look at the bills they pass and the laws they support, in their eyes, it makes perfect sense to evade the marijuana issue. It's not in their political interest to address issues that actually matter to Americans.

Some wars aren't meant to be won, and the drug war is certainly no exception. It's good business. And business wouldn't be near as brisk if marijuana wasn't the #1 used illicit drug in the US.

Let's cut to the chase: This isn't about the use of medical marijuana or hemp. It's about logic and common sense, and the fact is that marijuana causes far less damage to users and the people in their environment than nicotine (in which addiction resembles that of a heroin junkie and kills mass amounts of people) and alcohol (which also has addictive properties, lowers inhibitions unlike marijuana, and also kills people). Not only is marijuana less harmful than nicotine and alcohol, it's not even in the same ballpark. If marijuana is a "gateway drug", then so are cigarettes and alcohol, because a cigarette smoker or alcohol drinker is statistically far more likely to use other drugs.

Most people who call for the legalization of marijuana aren't calling for the legalization of cocaine and other commonly used illicit drugs. When you lump marijuana with other drugs such as cocaine, younger users are going to think "marijuana has caused no serious harm, so I'll try cocaine." In other words, if the "just say no" campaign can't tell it straight to the kids, then why would the kids take them seriously when dealing with harder drugs? As I said, it's common sense.

[ChuckBerry]

Red wine apparently also helps.

Notice that things that baby boomers like to do seems to prevent Alzheimer's. What's next, driving Volvos will reduce Alzheimer's?

I think marijuana's clinical benefits are overhyped. If you want it legalized, just say so.

[Divinity11]

CCD wrote: Red wine apparently also helps.

Notice that things that baby boomers like to do seems to prevent Alzheimer's. What's next, driving Volvos will reduce Alzheimer's?

I think marijuana's clinical benefits are overhyped. If you want it legalized, just say so.

I think marijuana's clinical benefits are just being realized as actual alternatives, and with the hundreds (if not thousands) of chemical compounds in the plant, the sky is the limit.

Quote: Marijuana has hundreds, if not thousands, of chemical compounds (as does nearly every other plant). Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is considered the main active chemical in marijuana, and from which the U.S.’s only existing marijuana-based drug, Marinol, is derived. However, science is only just beginning to understand how natural marijuana works. Several other compounds in natural marijuana are being examined for their effects on the human body, and it is believed that marijuana in plant form creates combinations of these compounds that are greater than the sum of their parts. In other words, the many chemicals in marijuana are thought to work together to produce optimal results with minimal negative effects. Much more research is needed, but simply extracting one of the chemicals from natural marijuana does not provide all of the benefits of the whole plant.

http://www.mpp.org/site/c.glKZLeMQIsG/b.1146183/k.AE54/FAQ.htm

I've said for years now that the very plant that has been demonized for nearly a century could one day save our planet. God knows I love good irony.

[Kt]

Quote: Marijuana has Beneficial Effects...
WOW REALLY?!1!

[wayne]

couggggggggggggh....whoa....hack, spit, cough. Good sh_t. I knew it had good.....what were we talking about?