Dem Gov.: Legalizing Pot in Colo. Was ‘Reckless.’ A New Study Proves Him Right.

[bonnie]

Dem Gov.: Legalizing Pot in Colo. Was ‘Reckless.’ A New Study Proves Him Right.

Cully Stimson

October 08, 2014  

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The top Democrat in Colorado, Gov. John Hickenlooper, said Monday during a gubernatorial debate that legalizing marijuana in Colorado was “reckless.” His Republican opponent, Bob Beauprez, agreed.

According to The Huffington Post, Hickenlooper said that, “I think for us to that that [legalize recreational use] without having all the data, there is not enough data, and to a certain extent you could say it was reckless.”

Hickenlooper is right and wrong. He is certainly correct, and gets credit for admitting that,legalizing the recreational use of marijuana in Colorado was reckless. As we have shown here,here, here and here, the negative social costs are proof positive that this radical experiment is not only reckless, but dangerous.

But Hickenlooper is wrong that there is “not enough data.” As former Obama administration drug policy expert Kevin Sabet has said, the trope that marijuana is harmless and non-addictive is a myth. His book “Reefer Sanity: Seven Great Myths About Marijuana,” is a must-read for anyone who actually wants “the data.”

But now there’s even more “data.” A definitive studypublished this week by the Journal of Addiction by Professor Wayne Hall of Kings College London, shows that marijuana is highly addictive, causes mental health problems and is a gateway drug to other illegal dangerous drugs.

Hall’s research, conducted over the past 20 years, confirms what other studies have shown: that regular adolescent marijuana users have lower educational attainment than non-using peers, that they are more likely to use other illegal drugs, that adolescent use produces intellectual impairment, doubles the risk of being diagnosed with schizophrenia and that, not surprisingly, increases the risk of heart attacks in middle-aged adults.

Hickenlooper’s warning to other states should be heeded. Legalizing marijuana is reckless, no matter what the pot pushers say to the contrary.

 

[JoeMo]

Yes, abuse of marijuana  is dangerous.  So is alcohol abuse.  So is smoking cigarettes.  So is walking alone is walking alone in a dark alley after midnight.  People still do these things.  People who smoke weed or tobacco, drink alcohol, or wander around by themselves after midnight are willing to take that chance.  I've lived in Colorado half of my life; and I see no difference in the urban environment between before legalization of weed and afterwards.  If anything, arrests are up to prevent people from smoking weed in public.

 

People who smoke weed could care less whether or not it's officially legal.  It's been tacitly legal for a long time because it is so ubiquitus here in Colorado. 

I can pretty much guarantee that more people here die from acute alcohol poisoning, being mugged in dark alleys, and tobacco-related lung cancer than overdoses of cannibis.

 

The Cully Simpson stuff you reference in your post is quite dated (2010 - 2012) - before pot was ever legal in Colorado (2014).  Data posted in the Denver newspaper shows that over half of the people buying pot at recreational outlets are from out of state.  Tax data show that the weed tax is running about 40% below expectations.  Legal weed has not changed the "fitness for duty" policies in any companies here that I am aware of.  If you show up to work stoned, drunk, or high on prescription pain meds or overdosed on Nyquil, you're fired.

 

Just my opinion, but I don't think posting this kind of biased propoganda is gonna stop people from smoking any more than posting biased pro-pot propoganda is going to convince people to start smoking it.  People will smoke it (or tolerate those who do) based on the demographic of their social group and their own set of values.  People will stop smoking it when we as Christians bless them by introducing them to things better than pot (the joy and peace of the Lord) rather than condemning them (directly or indirectly) for smoking it.

[bonnie]

This doesn't concern the other issues you brought up.

 

Probably so. This is not about alcohol poisoning. Or should pot be legalized because of the dangers of alcohol poisoning?

 

 

 

How is it that any that think pot is not a dangerous drug is guilty of biased propaganda and those that think it isn't a big deal are unbiased and accurate? I don't consider your biased opinion anymore valid than I do those that oppose the use of pot.

Just to put your mind at rest,I don't personally go around as the "pot police" condemning anyone. Their choice,just as being a drunk is.

I do find the different opinions interesting. 

[Bravus]

Here's the original paper: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/add.12703/pdf

[joeb]

JoeMo,

 

I've seen a few news stories that differ with your report on Colorado.  CBS, Fox, a Denver newspaper, etc... have all put forth stories saying homelessness is increasing due to the legalization of pot.  It seems that homeless shelters are seeing a large increase in usage, and that informal surveys of shelter users are saying a lot of it due to pot.  

 

I don't know if it's all true or not, but during my days of active addiction I knew quite a few people who would have gone there whether they had a job or not.  I might even have done it, so I don't really have any reason to doubt the accuracy of the informal surveys.  

[Bravus]

So you're not saying pot is causing people to become homeless, but that it is causing people who are already homeless to move to a new state?

[Liz]

At the homeless shelter I'm associated with, they will buy a one way bus ticket anywhere the person wants to go. And if that just happens to be a state where pot is legal then...

[Neil D]

Oh good night......the myths of cannibus among people who are not  prejudiced is indeed rare....

 

Notice the studys says that cannibus is addicting to ADOLESENCE youth....or in laymans language, those whose brains have not finished developing [that is around ages 23/24] are subject to greater risk of addiction...those after that age, tend to NOT get addicted.

Another fact that most do not want to admit to, according to my research over the internet,  nobody has EVER ODed [overdosed] on cannibus...and yes, there are car, train, airplane accidents caused by marijuana..Like alcohol, marijuana slows the reflectes...so don't smoke it and drive....stupid stupid stupid thing to do...

 

Marijuana smoked on a daily basis will contribute to emphysema and Bronchitis and bronchietisis, however studies do show that smokers of cigarettes AND marijuana have less lung cancer than those who just smoke cigarettes.....

Other interesting data from the internet,

 

January 2008 Special Issue British Journal of Pharmacology

Despite the clear evidence (reviewed above) indicating that the endocannabinoid system plays an important role in modulating inflammatory response in a variety of liver disorders, the exact mechanisms remain largely elusive.  For example, liver contains a large number of immune cells representing the innate immune system (e.g., NK cells, NKT cells, γ/δ T cells, and Kupffer cells), which play a key role not only in the host defenses against invading microorganisms and tumor formation, but also in the pathogenesis of various inflammatory liver diseases (6).  Further studies should determine how the endocannabinoid system interacts with these immune cells to design better therapeutic approaches for the treatment of inflammatory liver diseases based on CB1/CB2 agonists or antagonists or their combinations.

 

Role of Cannabinoids in Chronic Liver Diseases
The role of the endocannabinoid system in hepatic physiology and pathologic conditions has been studied recently. Unquestionably, influencing endocannabinoid signaling may have a beneficial effect on delaying or even reversing hepatic fibrosis.

Beneficial Paracrine Effects of Cannabinoid Receptor 2 on Liver Injury and Regeneration
CONCLUSION: CB2 receptors reduce liver injury and promote liver regeneration following acute insult, via distinct paracrine mechanisms involving hepatic myofibroblasts. These results suggest that CB2 agonists display potent hepatoprotective (ability to prevent damage to the liver) properties, in addition to their antifibrogenic effects.

 

from the American Cancer Society- conclusion of studies of marijuana-

.....and finally, the studies discussed below may have been done on marijuana extracts (which would contain multiple compounds in variable amounts) or on one or more purified components of marijuana such as THC or CBD.

A number of small studies of smoked marijuana found that it can be helpful in treating nausea and vomiting from cancer chemotherapy.

A few studies have found that inhaled (smoked or vaporized) marijuana can be helpful treatment of neuropathic pain (pain caused by damaged nerves).

Smoked marijuana has also helped improve food intake in HIV patients in studies.

Smoked marijuana did lower intraocular pressure in some studies from the 1970s and early 80’s. However, this effect only lasted about 4 hours. One expert reasoned that patients would have to use marijuana around the clock in order to effectively treat glaucoma. Other medicines are generally more useful for people with glaucoma.

There are no studies in people of the effects of marijuana oil or hemp oil. [an yet, this is where 'the miracles" in herbal medicines come from anadoctally-nd]

Studies have long shown that people who took marijuana extracts in clinical trials tended to need less pain medicine.

Oral cannabis extracts have been studied in multiple sclerosis. In 2014, the Guideline Development Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology examined the evidence and found that oral cannabis extract is effective in reducing spasticity (using patient-centered measures) and in treating central pain or painful spasms in patients with multiple sclerosis.

 

 Brain cancer-

Previous studies have suggested that cannabinoids, of which tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is one, have anti-cancer properties. In 2009, researchers at Complutense University in Spain found that THC induced the death of brain cancer cells in a process known as "autophagy."

A study published in the British Journal of Cancer, conducted by the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Complutense University in Madrid, this study determined that Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other cannabinoids inhibit tumour growth.

 A study published in The Journal of Neuroscience examined the biochemical events in both acute neuronal damage and in slowly progressive, neurodegenerative diseases. They conducted a magnetic resonance imaging study that looked at THC (the main active compound in marijuana) and found that it reduced neuronal injury in rats. The results of this study provide evidence that the cannabinoid system can serve to protect the brain against neurodegeneration.

 A study published in The Journal of Pharmacology And Experimental Therapeutics already acknowledged the fact that cannabinoids have been shown to possess antitumor properties. This study examined the effect of cannabidiol (CBD, non psychoactive cannabinoid compound) on human glioma cell lines. The addition of cannabidiol led to a dramatic drop in the viability of glioma cells. Glioma is the word used to describe brain tumour.  The study concluded that cannabidiol was able to produce a significant antitumor activity.

 A study published in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics outlines how brain tumours are highly resistant to current anticancer treatments, which makes it crucial to find new therapeutic strategies aimed at improving the poor prognosis of patients suffering from this disease. This study also demonstrated the reversal of tumour activity in Glioblastoma multiforme.

 

Breast Cancer

 A study published in the US National Library of Medicine, conducted by the California Pacific Medical Centre determined that cannabidiol (CBD) inhibits human breast cancer cell proliferation and invasion. They also demonstrated that CBD significantly reduces tumour mass.

A study published in The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics determined that THC as well as cannabidiol dramatically reduced breast cancer cell growth. They confirmed the potency and effectiveness of these compounds.

A study published in the Journal Molecular Cancer showed that THC reduced tumour growth and tumour numbers. They determined that cannabinoids inhibit cancer cell proliferation, induce cancer cell apoptosis and impair tumour angiogenesis (all good things). This study provides strong evidence for the use of cannabinoid based therapies for the management of breast cancer.

A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) determined that cannabinoids inhibit human breast cancer cell proliferation.

Lung Cancer

A study published in the journal Oncogene, by Harvard Medical Schools Experimental Medicine Department determined that THC inhibits epithelial growth factor induced lung cancer cell migration and more. They go on to state that THC should be explored as novel therapeutic molecules in controlling the growth and metastasis of certain lung cancers.

 A study published by the US National Library of Medicine by the Institute of Toxicology and Pharmacology, from the Department of General Surgery in Germany determined that cannabinoids inhibit cancer cell invasion. Effects were confirmed in primary tumour cells from a lung cancer patient.  Overall, data indicated that cannabinoids decrease cancer cell invasiveness.

A study published by the US National Library of Medicine, conducted by Harvard Medical School investigated the role of cannabinoid receptors in lung cancer cells. They determined its effectiveness and suggested that it should be used for treatment against lung cancer cells.

Prostate Cancer

A study published in the journal Molecular Pharmacology recently showed that cannabinoids induce growth inhibition and apoptosis in matle cell lymphoma. The study was supported by grants from the Swedish Cancer Society, The Swedish Research Council and the Cancer Society in Stockholm.

 A study published in the International Journal of Cancer also determined and illustrated that cannabinoids exert antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects in various types of cancer and in mantle cell lymphoma.

 A study published in the US National Library of Medicine conducted by the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology by Virginia Commonwealth University determined that cannabinoids induce apoptosis in leukemia cells.

Oral Cancer

18. A study published by the US National Library of Medicine results show cannabinoids are potent inhibitors of cellular respiration and are toxic to highly malignant oral Tumours.

Liver Cancer

19. A study published by the US National Library of Medicine determined that that THC reduces the viability of human HCC cell lines (Human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell line) and reduced the growth.

Pancreatic Cancer

20. A study published in The American Journal of Cancer determined that cannabinoid receptors are expressed in human pancreatic tumor cell lines and tumour biopsies at much higher levels than in normal pancreatic tissue. Results showed that cannabinoid administration induced apoptosis. They also reduced the growth of tumour cells, and inhibited the spreading of pancreatic tumour cells.