FDA To Evaluate Marijuana For Potential Reclassification As Less Dangerous Drug

originally posted by: PurpleHorizon
Totally agree. By it's own definition alcohol should be class A.

All way round it causes the most destruction.

Not true, in fact MJ is more destructive than alcohol.

...
What are the long-term effects of marijuana use?

Findings so far show that regular use of marijuana or THC may play a role in some kinds of cancer and in problems with the respiratory and immune systems.

Cancer. It’s hard to know for sure whether regular marijuana use causes cancer. But it is known that marijuana contains some of the same, and sometimes even more, of the cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco smoke. Studies show that someone who smokes five joints per day may be taking in as many cancer-causing chemicals as someone who smokes a full pack of cigarettes every day.

Lungs and airways. People who smoke marijuana often develop the same kinds of breathing problems that cigarette smokers have: coughing and wheezing. They tend to have more chest colds than nonusers. They are also at greater risk of getting lung infections like pneumonia.

Immune system. Animal studies have found that THC can damage the cells and tissues in the body that help protect against disease. When the immune cells are weakened you are more likely to get sick.
...

uodos.uoregon.edu...

The claim that MJ does not have toxic chemicals is false.

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

Well, aside from not really addressing my points about freedom and privacy, why do you think more people would use mj if it were legal? All that would happen is that formerly illegal users would be legal and not have to dread jail for their evening giggle.

How will it be different than any legal substance now? In that if you drive while impaired, you go to jail. Go to work stoned? Fired. No difference at all as it works that way now.

You represent a large (but thankfully shrinking) demographic of people thinking their values should be everyone's and are willing to jail people and ruin lives for some moral high ground (pun intended).

I happen to live in a very Red state that just legalized medical mj and is moving to full legalization...why? Because when it was legalized the sky didn't fall... the only difference is less mj arrests.

ETA- and just to stress my question, why do you think more people would try mj if it were legal? It is completely, easily available right now anywhere it's illegal... if we legalized pedophilia would everyone run out and molest children? My guess would be "no."

ETAx2 And mj more destructive than alcohol??? That is a whopper... as in very, very wrong. It's not harmless, but it's the closest thing to harmless that is psychoactive. I've lost several friends and loved ones to alcohol... and not a single solitary one to mj... and any real study or real source for stats back up that small sample.

AND there were two studies done that implied mj use was a prophylactic against cancer... go figure.

originally posted by: Baddogma
a reply to: ElectricUniverse

Well, aside from not really addressing my points about freedom and privacy, why do you think more people would use mj if it were legal? All that would happen is that formerly illegal users would be legal and not have to dread jail for their evening giggle.
...


You represent a large (but thankfully shrinking) demographic of people thinking their values should be everyone's and are willing to jail people and ruin lives for some moral high ground (pun intended).

I happen to live in a very Red state that just legalized medical mj and is moving to full legalization...why? Because when it was legalized the sky didn't fall... the only difference is less mj arrests.

....

AND there were two studies done that implied mj use was a prophylactic against cancer... go figure.

First of all, if you want to legalize MJ why stop there? Next stop legalize heroin?...
As to what difference does MJ has to other drugs?... Which drugs are you talking about?... If MJ only damaged the person using it, hey it's your choice. It's your choice to shoot up heroin if you want as well... but guess what? Legalizing MJ would be as bad as legalizing methadone in high doses, which is why methadone is a controlled substance because it alters your motor skills, your judgement and memory.

Like I said, if it is for medical reasons that's one thing, but people should always be careful because MJ can become very addictive and it does have some very nasty side effects. However those people with a medical condition who want to use it should be able to, but I believe people should also know the bad side effects this drug has.

Again, my question to you is, if you want to legalize MJ, why not legalize methadone as well?... Heck you will probably get the same high without the side effects that can cause you cancer...

BTW, I do not believe methadone should be legalized either. It should stay as a controlled substance because it's use can severely impair your judgement, your memory and your motor skills just like MJ can. Hence MJ should be a controlled substance only available through certified doctors, and if you truly have a need of it for a medical condition not for "entertainment".

BTW, I noticed that you completely ignored the evidence that fatal car crashes caused by the use of MJ has tripled in U.S... That is just a taste of one of the many bad side effects that would happen if MJ is legalized nationwide.

BTW, to tell you the truth if you want to use MJ for "recreation" I wouldn't care at all, except for the fact that it doesn't just hurt you, but it's use will increase nationwide and there will be an increase in fatal car crashes as well as on the job accidents involving a user of pot causing the accident and hurting or even killing other people.

MJ should be a controlled substance, just like methadone.

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

An what rights do you have to dictate what ones puts into there body's?

Why is it the governments job to tell you and me?

Plus those study s are for MJ smokers?

What about MJ users that eat or use vaporizers? Those risk dont exist then.

But the key question is why do we need the government to tell us what we can and cant do to our own person?

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

The fact you use heroine and methadone interchangeable shoes you have no idea what the hell your talking about.


The government should not be dictating what a person does with there body's and certainly not locking people away for personal use.

Ok jail drug dealers but drug users? The prison and criminal records do more damage to the drug user than the the drugs!

But the key point is the government should not be telling me what to do in regards to my own personal life.

originally posted by: crazyewok
a reply to: ElectricUniverse

An what rights do you have to dictate what ones puts into there body's?

Why is it the governments job to tell you and me?

Plus those study s are for MJ smokers?

What about MJ users that eat or use vaporizers? Those risk dont exist then.

But the key question is why do we need the government to tell us what we can and cant do to our own person?

MJ doesn't just affect you... It directly affects others...

BTW, learn to understand what people are trying to tell you... I wrote that if you want to legalize MJ, why stop there? Legalize all illegal drugs right?... After all it should be up to each person to decide what to put into their bodies...

But like I said, if you want to shoot up poison into your veins, or your lungs, that's your choice. But the problem is that all those drugs, including MJ AFFECTS OTHERS, not only yourself.

Stop trying to dismiss the fact that drugs like MJ are part of the cause why fatal car crashes have been on the rise.

With MJ still being an illegal drug fatal car crashes caused by the use of MJ/cannabis has TRIPLED in the U.S. alone.

That's without mentioning the fact that making that drug legal would make it easier for drug dealers to sell to kids.

The claim that "it is being sold all over" is not true... That happens in some areas, but it is not happening all over. However the legalization of MJ would certainly make it more available all over.

There are a lot of people who would also want to make legal other drugs such as heroin. After all it is their right to put whatever poison people want into their bodies right?...

I know those of you who already use, or want to use MJ for recreation are not going to budge. But there are enough problems to add more by the legalization of MJ, which despite claims to the contrary will make it a precedence to legalize other illegal and controlled drugs/substances.

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

Okee dokee... I'll address the (possibly flawed) info about car crashes and mj... as in people are stupid and do stupid things all the time... as in getting high, either legally or not, and driving... it is already illegal to operate a vehicle while impaired... so? How does making mj legal change anything?

Another point ... legality won't affect how many people use mj ... maybe a few people will try mj because of a new legal status, but so? A few won't try it because the naughty factor will be gone... evens out. And so what either way, as long as they act like responsible people and don't drive when impaired, or hurt/bother other folks- why should anyone get upset about it?

No matter how hard you try, your stance lacks logic.

It boils down to: you don't approve and (falsely) believe it is dangerous, so people who use "it" should be punished... for their own good.

My stance is that the punishment is FAR WORSE than any possible dangers... can't you see the problem in hurting people so they don't get hurt?

With that logic, we might as well kill everyone so they won't jaywalk sometime in the future...

originally posted by: Baddogma
Okee dokee... I'll address the (possibly flawed) info about car crashes and mj... as in people are stupid and do stupid things all the time... as in getting high, either legally or not, and driving... it is already illegal to operate a vehicle while impaired... so? How does making mj legal change anything?

Another point ... legality won't affect how many people use mj ... maybe a few people will try mj because of a new legal status, but so? A few won't try it because the naughty factor will be gone... evens out. And so what either way, as long as they act like responsible people and don't drive when impaired, or hurt/bother other folks- why should anyone get upset about it?
...

Wrong, you keep twisting what I have written which clearly explains I would have no beef if it only affects you, but it affects others as well because MJ impairs judgement, memory and your motor skills alongside other bad side effects which increase the chance of car crashes, on the job accidents and other accidents.

Not to mention that you are just making up claims without backing them up with any real evidence, while proclaiming the evidence I have provided is wrong...

Like I said, MJ has some of the same side effects of methadone, yet methadone is a controlled substance, hence MJ should also be controlled like other medications and substances that impair memory, motor control and judgement. If it is made completely legal to be use as a recreational drug it will increase the use of the drug by minors, since the "law would claim it is ok to smoke MJ".

BTW, alcohol in moderation does not cause the same effects as smoking a joint every day for recreation.

originally posted by: Baddogma

With that logic, we might as well kill everyone so they won't jaywalk sometime in the future...

How the hell does anyone in their right mind equates controlling a substance/drug like MJ and methadone to killing people who jaywalk?...

Keep twisting what I write, it just shows how irrational people who use mj really are.

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

I would like to see the source on the addictive nature of MJ. As far as I have been able to determine, through quite a bit reading and research btw, it is not physically addictive. Psychologically, possibly but then these same people would be smoking two or more packs of cigarettes a day, drinking like a fish, and most likely using other drugs. If someone is suseptable to psychological addiction, the substance is irrelevant.

I have a 'friend' who smokes on a daily basis, will quit for months at a time, then resume sometime in the future. The worst of his 'withdraw' from this terrible horribly 'addictive' plant is a bit of insomnia for the first night or two. He's a complete and total a**hat when he doesn't self-medicate though. All in all I like him and trust him MORE when he is imbibing. I work with him and have to say, I have yet to meet a worker as dedicated as he is to completing his work to the absolute best of his abilities. When he shows up sober, he doesn't get much accomplished. I'll take his 'self-medicating' over pharmaceuticals any day of the week. JMHO.

peace

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

I was merely using hyperbole to point out the underlying flaws in your arguments for keeping the status quo regarding drug laws, as in my example was ridiculous... as ridiculous as jailing someone to keep them from hurting themselves (or offending/scaring someone else).

I didn't suggest you wanted to kill folks for jaywalking, I... eh, never mind... perhaps some day you'll come around to the idea that people have equally valid ways of experiencing the world, and if that view hurts nobody, then letting it be won't end the world.

Kindness, relativism, education and tolerance might not work for all cases of human behavior, but they sure would for how society approaches drugs.

And equating methadone to mj is ...just wrong. And methadone has enabled many opiate addicts to live normal lives, exactly because it is legal and regulated ... and long lasting so that the addict can think about other things than feeding their monkey. It's actually quite amazing... read about the first Ft. Leavenworth trials where they realized its potential for helping addicted veterans.

People have many, many wrong, fear based views about psychoactive chemicals... and because of those misconceptions and quarter-truths (I don't think they are even half truths), they have ruined more lives than just leaving it all alone would have.

originally posted by: ElectricUniverse
MJ doesn't just affect you... It directly affects others...

Only the people who care what others are doing and putting into their bodies.

BTW, learn to understand what people are trying to tell you... I wrote that if you want to legalize MJ, why stop there? Legalize all illegal drugs right?... After all it should be up to each person to decide what to put into their bodies...

Good idea, the war on drugs should be ended. It is a huge money sink and our tax money would be better spent getting help for people on hardcore drugs not throwing them in jail to rot and learn how to be a better criminal (not to mention ruin their lives if they aren't ruined already).

Though thinking how government works, it's probably a good idea to smart small with drugs like cannabis that aren't harmful to the people taking it before moving onto the more hardcore drugs.

But like I said, if you want to shoot up poison into your veins, or your lungs, that's your choice. But the problem is that all those drugs, including MJ AFFECTS OTHERS, not only yourself.

No they don't. You are just trying to insinuate that because someone gets high and does something that isn't advisable to do while intoxicated that it is the drug's fault. That's not true, it is the fault of the person taking the drug. If they don't have enough self-control to not do whatever it is they are doing while high, the drug they are taking won't matter.

Case in point, people drink and drive all the time even though they aren't supposed to. There are countless amounts of promotionals and programs to get people NOT to drink and drive, but they do it anyways. If other drugs were legal, they'd drive and do those drugs as well. But just like there are people who drink and drive despite not being allowed to, there are people who can practice responsible drinking and call a cab. In other words, it is the person's fault, not the drug's fault.

Stop trying to dismiss the fact that drugs like MJ are part of the cause why fatal car crashes have been on the rise.

With MJ still being an illegal drug fatal car crashes caused by the use of MJ/cannabis has TRIPLED in the U.S. alone.

Have you seen the figures of marijuana use over the years? Marijuana use has SKYROCKETED over the last 20 or so years. You think that MAYBE just MAYBE that the increased car crashes being attributed to marijuana has something to do with that?

Also there is this quote from the following article Drugged Driving: Study Finds That Fatal Car Crashes Involving Marijuana Use Have Tripled:

"Currently, one of nine drivers involved in fatal crashes would test positive for marijuana," co-author Dr. Guohua Li, director of the Center for Injury Epidemiology and Prevention at Columbia

Do you know how long the particles that people test for marijuana stay in your system? Anywhere from 15 to 45 days after the last smoke depending on rate of use. That quote alone suggests that this study is flawed in that someone could test positive for marijuana but hadn't smoked in like a week.

That's without mentioning the fact that making that drug legal would make it easier for drug dealers to sell to kids.

Drug dealers selling to kids? The only thing that will happen is that people over the age of 21 will buy weed for the kids inside of dispensaries like what already occurs with alcohol. Drug dealers will be unnecessary with legalization. This is just blatant fear mongering here.

You know what IS true though? Since marijuana is largely illegal in the United States, there is no regulation to PREVENT minors from buying marijuana (besides the existing blanket regulations for everyone), so there are no laws preventing said drug dealers (who already exist) from selling to these kids. At least with legalization, a dispensary, just like a liquor store, could be shutdown if the police discover they are selling to minors.

The claim that "it is being sold all over" is not true... That happens in some areas, but it is not happening all over. However the legalization of MJ would certainly make it more available all over.

No, you can literally buy marijuana in ANY neighborhood in America. If you think you can't buy it in a certain neighborhood, you just don't know the right people who live there.

There are a lot of people who would also want to make legal other drugs such as heroin. After all it is their right to put whatever poison people want into their bodies right?...

You're right, but why is this being used as a counterpoint to legalizing marijuana?

I know those of you who already use, or want to use MJ for recreation are not going to budge. But there are enough problems to add more by the legalization of MJ, which despite claims to the contrary will make it a precedence to legalize other illegal and controlled drugs/substances.

Again, the war on drugs NEEDS to be ended. Heroin, coc aine, meth, ecstasy, acid, mushrooms, and others all need to be legalized. Having the drugs being illegal creates more problems and just destroys the persons life. NO ONE should be put in jail for putting a substance, no matter how personally damaging it is, into their bodies. If it is such a damaging substance, it makes more sense to invest in programs to HELP these people not lock them away from society. You are clearly brainwashed by the 80's anti-drug propaganda, most of which was lies or exaggerations about the drugs they were "educating" you about.

Oh yeah, how do you account for the fact that pain pill overdoses are on the rise? You know drugs that are LEGAL with a prescription?
Policy Impact: Prescription Painkiller Overdoses

These are not isolated events. Drug overdose death rates in the United States have more than tripled since 1990 and have never been higher. In 2008, more than 36,000 people died from drug overdoses, and most of these deaths were caused by prescription drugs.4

You really need to put things into perspective, marijuana being legal is the LEAST of our worries.

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

Strawman argument, backed with excessive quotes from one single study that do NOT come close to 'proofing' your claim.

The FACT is the plant certainly has great medical value.

It is time for cannabis to be reclassified.

Clearly it does not meet the criteria for a schedule 1.

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

Thank GOD people like you are now the minority. What an utter load of rubbish, every single point you make smacks of your desire to control other people lives out of pure ignorance.

Wow, I am lost for words, to be honest. You'd rather have people in prison for smoking a plant, than able to choose their own vices.

just wow.