The Media Should Stop Pretending Marijuana's Risks Are a Mystery -- The Science Is Clear

[madokie]

We now know as much about cannabis as we know about alcohol, tobacco and many prescription drugs.


Kleiman’s allegation—that the marijuana plant and its effects on society still remains largely a mystery—is a fairly common refrain. But it is far from accurate.

Despite the US government's nearly century-long prohibition of the plant, cannabis is nonetheless one of the most investigated therapeutically active substances in history. To date, there are over 20,000 published studies or reviews in the scientific literature referencing the cannabis plant and its cannabinoids, nearly half of which were published within the last five years according to a keyword search on PubMed Central, the US government repository for peer-reviewed scientific research. Over 1,450 peer-reviewed papers were published in 2013 alone. (By contrast, a keyword search of "hydrocodone," a commonly prescribed painkiller, yields just over 600 total references in the entire body of available scientific literature.)

What information do these thousands of studies about cannabis provide us? For starters, they reveal that marijuana and its active constituents, known as cannabinoids, are relatively safe and effective therapeutic and/or recreational compounds. Unlike alcohol and most prescription or over-the-counter medications, cannabinoids are virtually nontoxic to health cells or organs, and they are incapable of causing the user to experience a fatal overdose. Unlike opiates or ethanol, cannabinoids are not classified as central nervous depressants and cannot cause respiratory failure. In fact, a 2008 meta-analysis published in the Journal of the Canadian Medical Association reported that cannabis-based drugs were associated with virtually no elevated incidences of serious adverse side-effects in over 30 years of investigative use.

Studies further reveal that the marijuana plant contains in excess of 60 active compounds that likely possess distinctive therapeutic properties. One recent review identified some 30 separate therapeutic properties—including anti-cancer properties, anti-diabetic properties, neuroprotection, and anti-stroke properties—influenced by cannabinoids other than THC. While not all of these effects have been replicated in clinical trials, many have.

http://www.alternet.org/drugs/marijuana-one-most-scrupulously-researched-drugs-known-humanity-media-likes-pretend-pots

[solarhydrocan]

1. One might think that an article like this would point out that the Feds own a patent

on the use of cannabinoids.

It's bizarre, that so many ignore it.

United States Patent 6,630,507
Hampson , et al. October 7, 2003
Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services (Washington, DC)

Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants

Abstract

Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and HIV dementia...>


http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6630507.PN.&OS=PN/6630507&RS=PN/6630507

Also fails to mention that a piece of this patent has been awarded and cannabinoid medicine is being sold by a company called Kannalife

Cannabinoid Patent Exclusivity Only Applies To One Condition
(The Company Just Awarded An Exclusive Cannabinoid License By The Federal Government)

http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2011/12/cannabinoid_patent_exclusivity_only_applies_to_one.php

At some point one just has to conclude that basic reasoning doesn't exist anymore. People are just too dumbed down.

What jury would convict someone for growing a medicine that the government has found so effective that they have patented the use of?

Of course, the "War On Drugs" has brought the government many benefits and they wouldn't want to lose any.

[wildbilln864]

2. k & r & thanks!

[Cha]

3. Almost a century.. trying to figure it

out, huh? Man, they're slow.

[panader0]

8. Yeah, it only took me about ten minutes (back in '65)

[Cha]

10. LOL.. My revelation was not until

1971..

[Isoldeblue]

4. Kick n/m

[DeSwiss]

5. K&R

Endo-Cannabinoid-System (ECS) The Body's Regulator(s)

Our lifestyle of consuming a number of forms of petroleum-based pollutants through air, water and food sources and the introduction of 90,000+ chemicals almost none of which were ever tested for their impact upon human health, is the cause of our poor health as a society. As is the case in all others who duplicate our mistakes.

In particular in the introduction of such endocrine disrupting chemicals like BPA and Phthalates which are ubiquitous and which are known to cause our cell's DNA programming to become scrambled and/or to replicate imperfectly. The result: diseases involving metabolism (obesity and diabetes), immunity (allergies, Attention-Deficit-xx, MS, Peripheral Neuropathy) and cellular function (fatigue, Fibromyalgia, energy storage and regulation, cancers, apoptosis).

Cannabis is the Master Regulator plant because it incorporates at least 82 known cannabinoids (called phytocannabinoids) found within the THC(s) resin of the flowering female tops, and CBD(s) found primarily in the male (hemp plant) concentrated mostly in the leaves, stems and root system. These phytocannabinoids do precisely the same job that our own system once did before it became impaired.

Cannabinoids can correct many health problems as I can attest to personally. It is mostly a matter of having a sufficient volume and access. Those lucky ones living where cannabis is legal can usually deal with both issues easily. And if you're lucky enough to live in Colorado, even income is no bar to access.

For the rest of us, the volume and access issues can be dealt by using a legal derivative of cannabis -- CBD that is obtained from the Hemp (male cannabis) plant. Since the federal marijuana prohibition relates to ''smoked'' cannabis, Hemp Oil (as it is sometimes referred to) or CBD Oil is legal and available online as a food supplement. It ain't cheap. At least right now. Still, it's usually a better option than becoming fodder. Literally. Of course you could consider moving to Colorado though.

- And synthetic CBD is one of the cannabinoids that the federal government now holds the patent for and who is issuing patents to others, while at the same time stating that cannabis has no medicinal value.





Cannabis Science - How Marijuana Affects Health - Educational Documentary

Evidence That Cannabis Contains Unique Dietary Essential Nutrients

[TeamPooka]

6. Prohibition is a failed public policy. nt

[tridim]

7. Cannabis' effect on society, is society as it is.

And legal Cannabis' effect on society would be society as it is, minus classifying all Cannabis users as criminals.

[MindPilot]

9. I am the only remaining male on my father's side...diabetes killed them.

I also have used cannabis nearly every day since I was about 14. My only real medical problem approaching sixty is a little hypertension.

I come from the generation that ran outside to look at the mushroom cloud. My mother smoked and drank before during and after pregnancy (especially after!) I've been exposed to everything from Agent Orange to DDT and asbestos, some of it in fairy substantial quantities.

I have been convinced for some time that pot is the reason I do not have diabetes despite it being pretty much guaranteed in my DNA.

[EOTE]

11. I, too, think cannabis is responsible for my mostly good health.

I SHOULD be in pretty awful health. Diabetes and heart disease is rampant in my family. I was amazed in my last physical that I wasn't pre-diabetic, especially as it was a time I was off my diet for quite a while and my diet had been pretty awful. I started smoking when I was 18 or so. I used to suffer from fairly awful bronchitis at least once a year as well. Now, whenever I feel that tickle in my throat that tells me bronchitis is on the way, I'll have a few puffs. A few minutes later, I'll have an easy and productive cough and I never have to worry about getting bronchitis or some other lung infection. The stuff is good for so many things. I can't wait until we have a full list of the applications for cannabis.

[truedelphi]

12. The media is paid to deliver a specific message.

The advertising dollars from Big Pharma let the media know what the message is regarding marijuana: this substance is a dangerous gateway drug and there has not been a single shred of evidence that it helps with any disease out there.

Never mind that the above is a lie. You can look at medical tracts written by the Chinese from 5,000 years ago and see it helps menstrual cramps.

Or you can look into the various cancers that it is now curing. The depression it is alleviating. The people who would be bi polar except for what it does for them.

Migraine headache sufferers. Asthma sufferers. Relief of pain for those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Relief from wasting disease. Some say that marijuana cured them of Diabetes II.

Every day another illness is shown to be cured or helped with by use of marijuana. It is no wonder that Big Pharma wants to have this miracle drug slandered. Especially given that when people unite on the issue, it is legalized, and there is very little in the way of cost. A person can grow their own remedy and leave the Big pharma people and their obscene profits to fall by the wayside.

[Flippertygibbit]

13. Free the Weed!!!