City's straight talk on pot to keep the teenagers off the weed

[Sitbcknchill]

As a federal medical marijuana license holder, I resent the fact that the media continues the propaganda and misinformation about marijuana.

This will make things even more confusing for teens. Why can't anyone just tell the truth when it comes to pot?

Kids should not be using pot, alcohol, or tobacco - period! I think caffeine should be in there too. But misinforming them, as history has shown, will lead to more problems. If we lie to kids about pot, and they find out we have lied to them, they won't listen to a word adults say about meth, heroin, crack, safe-sex, or impaired driving. Once bitten, twice shy, as they say.

As a medical marijuana license holder and activist, my life depends on me keeping up to date on this medical and legal information. In an effort to clarify, but not criticize, I would like to offer some corrections.

"Its psychoactive ingredient, THC, has increased in potency boasting an average of 9.6 per cent compared to the 1970 levels of 2.0 per cent."

- - The main reason pot is "more potent" by weight, is because growers are trimming out the leaves and twigs and seeds that were ubiquitous in the pot of the 1970s. It isn't magic, it is just botany. Furthermore, the more potent the marijuana, the less one needs to get the "desired effect" - whether that is a "buzz" or symptom relief. Strong pot is safer because it means less smoking. Hashish is better still, because most of the tar is absent.

"Tar content of marijuana is high. It is estimated that 3 to 4 joints a day causes the same damage as 20 or more tobacco cigarettes."

- - This is an exaggeration at best. There simply has not been enough research to substantiate these claims. The fact of the matter is, in 5,000 years of recorded history, there has never been even one single case of lung or throat cancer diagnosed in a cannabis-only smoker. Recent science suggests that the active ingredients - called cannabinoids - may actually protect the body from the harmful effects of tar... and THC has shown to cause brain tissue growth and reduction in brain cancer in lab rats.

Furthermore, cannabis has no nicotine, which is not only a carcinogen itself, it is also a "facilitator" for the litany of other carcinogens in tobacco.

"Researchers are starting to find physical withdrawal symptoms in smokers who use the drug regularly."

- - The physical withdrawal from cannabis is about one tenth as difficult as the withdrawal from caffeine.

A few days of rest and/or exercise, and a lot of water, and the symptoms pass. I have suffered the withdrawal of codeine, and I would take a lifetime of "pot withdrawal" over one hour of codeine withdrawal - any day!

"Marijuana is the number one drug for which youth seek addictions treatment."

- - Actually, kids get caught using pot, and the judge offers them the choice of "jail" or "treatment". They obviously choose "treatment".

"Marijuana is currently being tested and has not yet been classified as a pharmaceutical drug in any country in the world."

- - That is because Big Pharma has been lobbying government to prevent this for about 80 years. They know full well that legalized and tested marijuana might prove to be stiff economic competition.

There is actually a cannabis-based medication called Sativex, which is recognized, and used in Canada for MS.

"Although Health Canada runs a strict medicinal marijuana access program..."

- - The program has been ruled "unconstitutional" by a few courts, and the pot they grew in Flin-Flon has been widely criticized as "garbage". The program is a fiasco. California has over 100,000 registered medical marijuana users, Canada has barely 1100.

"Currently, research has been launched to learn more about this drug and its medicinal qualities." Not enough research is being done, because the government and Big Pharma don't want anyone to know the benefits.

Every time the government or some Big Pharma company tries to find the "dangers" of cannabis, they inadvertently find new benefits. Imagine the drop in Big Pharma Profits if people started growing their own medicine for anxiety, pain, depression, nausea, appetite moderation, and hundreds of other aliments.

The losses worldwide could run into the trillions!

"Teach your children how to say no."

- - How about "Teach your kids the truth - and hope they make sensible choices.

I recommend everyone check out the following websites to get the actual truth about marijuana, and how to teach kids.

Educators For Sensible Drug Policy www.efsdp.org

www.Med-pot.net

www.medicalmarihuana.ca

Russell Barth

Federal Medical Marijuana License Holder

Former Federal Marijuana Party Candidate ( Ottawa West-Nepean, 2004 )

( We know full well that legalized tested marijuana might prove to be stiff economic competition for Big Pharma )

[bcStoner420]

Thats a much more straightforward, unbiased talk than what i got in highschool. The only part i think is pretty funny is about the codeine withdrawal, anyone who uses enough opiates to get a withdrawal doesnt usually use the weakest one out there, being codeine. Also i would take the 1 hour of opiate addiction over pot withdrawal for the rest of my life, I have been there when i quit and the first 3-4 days were the most boring sleepless days of my life.

[Sitbcknchill]

TEENS SMOKING LESS, SURVEY SHOWS

WASHINGTON - Cigarette smoking is at its lowest level in a survey of teenagers and use of illicit drugs has been declining, but continuing high rates of abuse for prescription painkillers remain a worry, the government reported Monday.

The decline in drug use is "quite remarkable news," Dr. Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said in issuing the agency's annual survey of drug use by children in grades eight, 10 and 12.

But she added that "prescription drugs are very powerful medicines that are effective when used properly and with a doctor's supervision. Using these drugs without a prescription is dangerous. It's imperative that teens get this message."

She also raised concerns about increased use of inhalants and Lloyd Johnston, director of the study, noted that declines in smoking seem to have stopped among 8th graders, a finding that could raise concerns in the future, he said.

Karen Tandy of the Drug Enforcement Administration warned of the increased availability of drugs.

"The drug dealers that used to be in the back alley are now in the bedrooms of our children because they come to them through the internet," she said.

In the study, 9.5 percent of 12th-graders reported using the painkiller Vicodin and 5.5 percent reported using OxyContin in the past year. Long-term trends show a significant increase in the abuse of OxyContin from 2002 to 2005 among 12th-graders.

Also of concern is the significant increase in the use of sedatives and barbiturates among 12th-graders since 2001.

Overall, however, the report had good news, particularly about cigarette smoking.

It cited a 19 percent decline over the past four years in the use of any illegal drug in the month before the survey was done.

"Teens are getting the message. Drugs are harmful and will not only hurt their brains and bodies, but also damage their futures," said John P. Walters, director of the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy.

In the survey, teens were asked about use of drugs, tobacco and alcohol in their lifetime, in the month before the survey and in the year before the survey.

Lifetime use of cigarettes declined 2 percent among eighth-graders, decreased 1.7 percent among 10th-graders and declined 2.8 percent among 12th-graders, according to the Monitoring the Future survey done by the University of Michigan. The study surveyed 49,347 students in 402 public and private schools.

Smoking is a concern because cigarette use is often seen prior to use of other drugs.

Other findings included:

_Use of alcohol during the year before the survey was down 2.7 percent among eighth-graders; down 1.5 percent among 10th-graders; and down 2.1 percent among 12th-graders.

_Use of methamphetamine during their lives fell 1.2 percent among 10th-graders and fell 1.7 percent among 12th-graders.

_Between 2001 and 2005, lifetime and last-year use of steroids declined for all grades.

_Lifetime use of marijuana fell from 2001 to 2005 for all grades and past-month use declined for 8th- and 10th-graders.

ON THE NET

National Institute on Drug Abuse: http://www.nida.nih.gov

Monitoring the Future: http://monitoringthefuture.org

Source: Miami Herald (FL)
Copyright: 2005 The Miami Herald

[Sklander]

Marijuana simply isn't damaging. Its a wonderful drug that SWIM loves.