Comments on: Sensitive to Pot?

By: Louis S.

Louis S. — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 02:26:45 +0000

“I believe eating THC is just as dumb as eating tobacco ” is the kind of statement that mixed in with facts taken out of context from studies set out to prove hypthesis through slim statistical analysis is not only misleading but dishonest. Don’t try to eat tobacco. Relatively low amounts of tobacco can kill you. Another study shows that the gene for lefthandedness causes or indicates a slightly greater chance for schizophrenia. Many of the studies that rely on statistical analysis now come with warnings; that being said, there is much to be gained from personal experience stories. Many people who have trouble with alcohol abuse use marijuana to help quit drinking. Many asthmatics use marijuana to alleviate the symptoms of acute asthma attacks; this is a choice which makes sense as it decreases the risk of heart attacks caused by the steroid drugs and epinepherine type drugs which are the choices of the current medical system practitioners. I know this from personal experience. Many tobacco smokers are dying every year while they are linked up to machines to help them breath easier. Many young people are dying in car accidents due to excessive drinking. Many people are dying because of overdoses of prescription and non prescription drugs. Many diabetics are dying because of too much sugar. These are facts that we don’t need to argue about. But keeping marijuana illegal makes as much sense as making apple pie and coca cola illegal. Taking or doing anything to excess can be dangerous for some people, but as long as the state seeks to impose questionable and illogical laws on citizens, citizens have not only a right but also an obligation to resist these laws. We don’t need more state control, we need less state control and more self control. Growing marijuana is good for the economy, good for the ecology, good for morality and good for Canada. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

By: Des Emery

Des Emery — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:57:42 +0000

Ethan — I certainly appreciate the “Cheers” you send as a pot enthusiast. As you say, temptation touches everyone at one time or another. My son knew that his pot-smoking as an elementary school student would eventually lead him into using stronger substances as his body became accustomed to plain pot. By his own admission, the decrease in sensation took him to stronger and stronger THC sources, then to other drugs, then to various mixtures, then to hard drugs and on to anything that would give him some sort of high. He consorted of course with other similar kids who became similar adults, and some of them have died too. Naturally not everyone who tokes will automatically become an addict. But some will, and personally I think that anything that promotes addiction, including the pop children drink, or the oxycontin that pill poppers like, should be negatively advertised and willful misuse should be discouraged in every way. By the way, though I suggested throwing your joint into the cookie dough, I believe eating THC is just as dumb as eating tobacco and from personal experience I know the drug of choice for ex-psych patients is primarily pot but they take nicotine because they get a tobacco allowance.

By: Ethan Erkiletian

Ethan Erkiletian — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 15:43:08 +0000

I have stated twice (possibly three times) that inhaled smoke is harmful to the airways. I have simply balanced that statement by saying that I don’t believe it to be overtly harmful. Harmful? Not really but not benign either.

I have no doubt that fires are caused by smokers, hair curlers, bad electrical wiring and so on. This type of mention is nearly needless in my opinion because we could mitigate the risk of death in our lives if only we decided to live in white sterilized boxes. Yes Saskboy, smokers of cannabis, tobacco or whatnot can cause fires but I must admit that I don’t see how that’s relevant. It is an odd tangent to jump from direct health effects of smoked marijuana to the possibility of a careless smoker causing fires. I believe this to be a separate issue of responsibility.

Cheers

By: Saskboy

Saskboy — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 06:01:04 +0000

Ethan, you can’t disregard the dangers that smoking brings. No only is inhaled smoke of any type a bad thing for the lungs (or mouth in the case of cigars), it also carries the risk of accidental fires. Many children and homes are burnt every year due to the presence of a smoker’s paraphernalia in the home. Countless more forest fires that destroy property and lives are caused by careless smokers too.

By: Ethan Erkiletian

Ethan Erkiletian — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 05:44:22 +0000

It’s unfortunate that you perceive your close relative succumbing to temptation as proof of thee gateway theory. Once again, I would suggest that you call temptation for what it is. Bandying about with such nonsense as the “gateway theory” does no one any good and serves only to make a very serious topic that much less understandable. While it’s incredibly unfortunate that you have a story of sadness that is connected to drug use, I could present you with a number of success stories. The stories have nothing to do with drugs but if these people had died off or become social wrecks, I would bet good money that you and others like you would blame their failures or rotten luck on their choice to use drugs.

Lots of people die of tobacco use it’s true…no one dies as a result of cannabis use. My condolences for your losses.

This most recent study making mention of the idea that smoking just one joint is like smoking five cigarettes. It was funny that the study conclusion included the mention that cannabis smokers did not develop emphysema as tobacco smokers did…but cannabis is so much more harmful for some reason? Sounds like total rubbish to me. As stated earlier, smoked cannabis certainly does contribute to minor damage of the airways and the worst of the worst is chronic bronchitis. This “one joint is equal to a bazillion ciggies” garbage is confusing to the public and incredibly misleading. no wonder people still think joints can cause cancer.

I don’t know where you get the idea that legalizing cannabis won’t work because regulators would not allow current levels of THC. Current levels of THC are incredibly varied. As well, you might want to fire off an e-mail to Jack Daniels and tell them that the product they are producing is far too strong for alcohol regulators so they should tone it down a tad. I would do it but well…i don’t want to sound silly.

If I were a regulator and I was looking at cannabis, I would fine very little issue with allowing high content THC products to be sold to our adult population. I would look at one hand on the shelves of a liquor store and find that some beverages contain very small alcohol content and some contain very high alcohol content. The higher the content, the more direct the risk of having something horrible happen to you like alcohol poisoning. Further, these products with higher alcohol content will most certainly bring about a quicker onset of horrible illness such as cirrhosis of the liver. Of course these high potency products are in demand and it is better to tax and regulate these substances rather than hand their regulation over to the black market where we will not be able to collect money which will help us support those who get themselves involved with this substance.

As the ever vigilant cannabis regulator. I would then look to cannabis products. I would find myself concluding that cannabis will not kill anyone via overdose. I would find that a greater concentration of THC does not seem to effect this fact. I would also find that a higher concentration of THC will not contribute to any long term illnesses. I may find some theory about potential mental illness but I would not be successful in finding anything concrete as I would with alcohol. My end conclusion would be that it would probably even be just fine and dandy to allow the sale of what is commonly referred to as “honey oil” which is of course simply exceptionally highly concentrated THC based liquid. If I were smart enough, I would even look into history books and find that THC tinctures were sold in pharmacies in and around 1910.

All in all, as the tireless regulator, I would probably ask myself why we were even taxing it if these consumers aren’t going to end up being battered by the substance unlike alcoholics.

Finally I would like to address combustion Des Emery. If anyone were to ask me how they should consume marijuana, I would tell them that they should vapourize it, brew it or eat it. I would never recommend smoking anything but truth be told, I wouldn’t worry about the smoking thing. It’s kind of like picking plumbs over nectarines. Why would you eat a plumb when you could have a nectarine? If you eat the plumb though…is there really any reason to worry?

Cheers

By: Des Emery

Des Emery — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 04:29:30 +0000

Well, well, well. I didn’t think my comments would arouse the bloggers so much. But here’s a few more morsels to chew over. I know from personal experience that pot is a gateway drug. Oh, of course it doesn’t have to be in all cases. But it was for my son, who graduated from pot, to pills, to needles, always looking for ‘himself,” for another good time, for company’s sake, and who eventually came home, dried out, looked for work, found it, and started again on ‘just pot, this time,honest, just to ease the pain in my back from lifting 50-pound loads.’ He died with a needle in his arm. Just to ease the pain in his life.

My dad smoked a pipe all his life. Coughed a lot. Died in hospital. Couldn’t eat. Couldn’t breathe. Tobacco.

While I am writing this email, the midnight news on the radio reports that scientists and medics in New Zealand have stats to prove that one pot joint provides the same effect on the smoker as five regular cigarettes smoked consecutively.

Legalizing the stuff will not work, since it would become subject to regulators who would not allow the current levels of THC and everybody would object to the govt receiving tax money from it and the illicit growers would advertise their product at even higher levels than now.

And again, any product of combustion, including barbeques, and exhaust pipes from vehicles, and coal-fired electricity generators, and matches, lighters, charcoal burners, fireplaces, I could go on and on, does not, repeat not, belong in any animal lung. Contribute to the elimination of Global Warming in every small way you can, throw your joint in the cookie dough.

By: Ethan Erkiletian

Ethan Erkiletian — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 14:30:35 +0000

I’m not sure we “need” more studies. I think we can always benefit from further studies but I honestly believe we are beyond a point which would necessitate that we find out enough to be comfortable with legalizing pot. Study away I say but let’s not fool ourselves. We already know plenty about pot. We already know that the theoretical lethal dosage exceeds body weight, we know that it does not cause cancer and we know that pot is a fairly innocuous substance overall. I wouldn’t say it’s harmless but it’s certainly not as scary as some of the drugs readily available to our children in the form of soft drinks.

Cheers

By: Louis S.

Louis S. — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:19:16 +0000

Toxicity of tobacco is well known. I believe that the LD50 of Nicotine used as a pesticide in greenhouses is about 50, which is quite low and therefor toxic. I have never heard of THC being used as a pesticide or insecticide. With the possibility that global warming is contributing to the mountain pine bark beetle pandemic, perhaps some of the devestated forests could be planted with marijuana. Prairies may be a very good source for fibre and edible seeds.
There are some very large problems with the treatment of depression as the medicines vary and the success rate is questionable. The suicide related deaths among the younger people treated for depression with these labeled and approved drugs is a tragedy. While pot is not a panacea, it is a food and has been often used as a recreational drug. Long after the debates over the use of marijuana have been forgotten, people will still be smoking it. It has a longer history than tobacco and it isn’t taxed. Perhaps we need more studies about the use of marijuana, but when we label pesticides, we use straighforward analysis and it is in comparison with other pesticides that toxicity can be understood. Try putting a pan of pot leaves outside overnight along with a pan of beer. If you have slug problems, the beer will kill the slugs, but they will only get fat on the pot. This debate is great; we need reasonable comments and rational debate, but the debate will always be lopsided because of the threat of fines or of jail. Without the threat of fines and jail, perhaps we would even get some research and studies that the politicians would actually pay attention to and without laws against marijuana, there would be a lot more lawyers freed up so they can have another royal commission and continue to live in the style to which they have become accustomed. I certainly don’t want anyone smoking pot against his or her will; stick to your principles Saskboy, and leave the pot to people who want to smoke it. It is probably a better choice, but not mine. Just legalize it.