Hehe, I had a good laugh when reading this one in the english section of the german online news mag "Spiegel" ....

THE IRONY OF HOLLAND'S SMOKING BAN
You can Still Have Your Joint, but Only if it's Pure

By Frederik Hartig

In July, the Dutch government will introduce a nationwide smoking ban in bars, cafes and restaurants, aimed at protecting workers. But it will also make life a lot harder for the country's infamous coffee shops, where customers will only be allowed to smoke pure cannabis.

More...

It's very nice to make a trip to the netherlands once in a while... hope I don't get caught in illegal behavior next time though

In my book, this crystallizes the opinion that smoking bans are based more on fad and popular whim than any rational decision making policy. Marijuana smoke is significantly more harmful and carcinogenic for all concerned, and here we have a policy stating that smoking is okay, but only in a more harmful form. The goal is not to improve public health, nor is it to make sound and sensible policy - the goal is to cater to something that is currently trendy, but will eventually go away when people start saying, as they did about bell bottoms or perms, why the hell did we want that, again?

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"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

double post

UNTRUE.

Marijuana has never been proven to cause cancer and has even shown in several studies to shrink certain types of tumors.



Study Finds No Cancer-Marijuana Connection

By Marc Kaufman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, May 26, 2006; A03

The largest study of its kind has unexpectedly concluded that smoking marijuana, even regularly and heavily, does not lead to lung cancer.

The new findings "were against our expectations," said Donald Tashkin of the University of California at Los Angeles, a pulmonologist who has studied marijuana for 30 years.

"We hypothesized that there would be a positive association between marijuana use and lung cancer, and that the association would be more positive with heavier use," he said. "What we found instead was no association at all, and even a suggestion of some protective effect."

Study Finds No Cancer-Marijuana Connection - washingtonpost.com

Marijuana Extract Shrinks Brain Tumors

A team of Spanish researchers has discovered that cannabinoids, the active ingredients in marijuana, make brain tumors shrink by halting the growth of blood vessels that feed the tumors, reports New Scientist. The researchers have successfully tested the effect of this cannabis extract on thirty mice which were given a cancer similar to the human brain cancer (glioblastoma multiforme). More importantly, they also successfully tested the procedure on two human patients who had glioblastoma multiforme and had not responded to chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery. Of course, these results are encouraging, even if larger studies need to be done to be sure that these cannabinoids are really effective on human brain cancers, and possibly other forms of cancers.

Marijuana Extract Shrinks Brain Tumors

Cannabis extract shrinks brain tumours - 15 August 2004 - New Scientist

The ABOVE STUDY was published in 2000.

It was published in the Journal "Nature Medicine".

Virtually no major U.S. newspapers carried the story, which ran only once on the AP and UPI news wires, on Feb. 29, 2000.

Then, 4 fucking years later, the study is mentioned in a US magazine.

In 1974 researchers at the Medical College of Virginia, who had been funded by the National Institute of Health to find evidence that marijuana damages the immune system, found instead that THC slowed the growth of three kinds of cancer in mice -- lung and breast cancer, and a virus-induced leukemia.

Further study on marijuana was almost impossible after this.

So, do any mass media outlets even mention the 1974 government study?

No.

It takes an internet news site to do the work.........

[i]In an email interview for this story, the Madrid researcher said he had heard of the Virginia study, but had never been able to locate literature on it. Hence, the Nature Medicine article characterizes the new study as the first on tumor-laden animals and doesn't cite the 1974 Virginia investigation.

"I am aware of the existence of that research. In fact I have attempted many times to obtain the journal article on the original investigation by these people, but it has proven impossible." Guzman said.

In 1983 the Reagan/Bush Administration tried to persuade American universities and researchers to destroy all 1966-76 cannabis research work, including compendiums in libraries, reports Jack Herer, who states, "We know that large amounts of information have since disappeared."

Guzman provided the title of the work -- "Antineoplastic activity of cannabinoids," an article in a 1975 Journal of the National Cancer Institute -- and this writer obtained a copy at the University of California medical school library in Davis and faxed it to Madrid.

WTF?

Why does an internet journalist have to be the one to find a copy of a government study and send it to a medical researcher?

How can anyone not ask themselves wtf is going on?

One newspaper article did report on the 1974 study.........

in the Local section of the Washington Post on August 18, 1974. Under the headline, "Cancer Curb Is Studied," it read in part:

"The active chemical agent in marijuana curbs the growth of three kinds of cancer in mice and may also suppress the immunity reaction that causes rejection of organ transplants, a Medical College of Virginia team has discovered." The researchers "found that THC slowed the growth of lung cancers, breast cancers and a virus-induced leukemia in laboratory mice, and prolonged their lives by as much as 36 percent."

Guzman, writing from Madrid, was eloquent in his response after this writer faxed him the clipping from the Washington Post of a quarter century ago. In translation, he wrote:

"It is extremely interesting to me, the hope that the project seemed to awaken at that moment, and the sad evolution of events during the years following the discovery, until now we once again Œdraw back the veil‚ over the anti-tumoral power of THC, twenty-five years later. Unfortunately, the world bumps along between such moments of hope and long periods of intellectual castration."

Pot Shrinks Tumors; Government Knew in '74 | AlterNet

intellectual castration.

Sickening.

I can only hope just one person sees this information and actually cares about the truth.

Norrin, even if the studies are true, smoking pot is still dangerous to the lungs. COPD is an undeniable and deadly side effect seen in habitual smokers.

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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride!"

Why do people choose to smoke pot? Why not just use water bongs?

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I read that while pot doesn't have the nicotine, one joint has the same amount of "bad stuff" that 19 cigarettes would have.

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Want government run healthcare? Join the military.

An aside: In California (of all places), you can get kicked out of a "head shop" if you refer to it as a "bong". Apparently, the proper teminology is "water pipe".

A "bong" is drug paraphenalia, which is illegal to sell...

While it is true that marijuana has more carcinogens than tobacco, there appears to be something in the cannabanoids which helps protect against the carcinogens. People also smoke less pot than tobacco and marijuana smoke doesn't block the small airways in the lungs like tobacco does.

A great piece on marijuana myths can be found here...

Myths and Facts About Marijuana


Myth: Marijuana is More Damaging to the Lungs Than Tobacco. Marijuana smokers are at a high risk of developing lung cancer, bronchitis, and emphysema.

Fact: Moderate smoking of marijuana appears to pose minimal danger to the lungs. Like tobacco smoke, marijuana smoke contains a number of irritants and carcinogens. But marijuana users typically smoke much less often than tobacco smokers, and over time, inhale much less smoke. As a result, the risk of serious lung damage should be lower in marijuana smokers. There have been no reports of lung cancer related solely to marijuana, and in a large study presented to the American Thoracic Society in 2006, even heavy users of smoked marijuana were found not to have any increased risk of lung cancer. Unlike heavy tobacco smokers, heavy marijuana smokers exhibit no obstruction of the lung's small airway. That indicates that people will not develop emphysema from smoking marijuana.

*
Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. “Legalization: Panacea or Pandora’s Box.” New York. (1995): 36.

*
Turner, Carlton E. The Marijuana Controversy. Rockville: American Council for Drug Education, 1981.

*
Nahas, Gabriel G. and Nicholas A. Pace. Letter. “Marijuana as Chemotherapy Aid Poses Hazards.” New York Times 4 December 1993: A20.

*
Inaba, Darryl S. and William E. Cohen. Uppers, Downers, All-Arounders: Physical and Mental Effects of Psychoactive Drugs. 2nd ed. Ashland: CNS Productions, 1995. 174.

///////

Myth: Marijuana's Harms Have Been Proved Scientifically. In the 1960s and 1970s, many people believed that marijuana was harmless. Today we know that marijuana is much more dangerous than previously believed.

Fact: In 1972, after reviewing the scientific evidence, the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse concluded that while marijuana was not entirely safe, its dangers had been grossly overstated. Since then, researchers have conducted thousands of studies of humans, animals, and cell cultures. None reveal any findings dramatically different from those described by the National Commission in 1972. In 1995, based on thirty years of scientific research editors of the British medical journal Lancet concluded that "the smoking of cannabis, even long term, is not harmful to health."

*
United States. National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse. Marihuana: A signal of misunderstanding. Shafer Commission Report. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1972.

*
“Deglamorising Cannabis.” Editorial. The Lancet 356:11(1995): 1241.

////////

I have seen one study which showed that HEAVY use of marijuana can lead to bronchitis, but that is the only severe health effect I have seen from a respected study.

Now, the WHITEHOUSE has their own MYTHS ABOUT MARIJUANA PAGE.

Here is one part.

http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/...acts/myth1.pdf

This piece mentions how marijuana can affect learning, memory, can lead to anxiety, panic attacks and depression, as well as "other" mental disorders.

While I believe there is "some" truth to this, in my opinion, marijuana is more often used to self medicate people who already have these problems and is not the cause of such problems. There are always exceptions to every rule, but if marijuana was half as dangerous as the government tells us, we would have major problems in this country from marijuana users, since there are millions of them.

In the next piece from the Whitehouse on marijuana and health, they claim that marijuana decreases lung function, but they don't mention cancer, emphyzema, or any particular diseases.

If you look at the piece I posted on Marijuana myths and then compare it to the Whitehouse list, it shows how much of a joke the Whitehouse list is.

The piece from DRUG POLICY actually lists studies and links to references, whereas the Whitehouse piece only mentions a few studies.

Another great MYTH page...

Marijuana Health Mythology

A GOVERNMENT STUDY FROM CANADA.....

Marijuana is a not a serious health risk. "Cannabis may have some negative effects on the health of individuals, but considering the patterns of use, these effects are relatively benign."

Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs - S


More....

In fact, the oldest continuously published pediatric journal in the country, a Journal of the American Medical Association called the "Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine", released new information in November '07 (see: Study Shows Surprisingly Few Negative Impacts on Kids Who Use Marijuana) indicating that pot smoking teens tend to function at better levels than teens who also smoke tobacco, and better in some ways than kids who abstain from both.

New Federal Report on Marijuana Use is Misleading, Groups Say - Salem-News.Com

Study after study show that marijuana is not even close to as harmful as we have been told for the last 80 years.

Most of what the government told us has been proven false, even though the government made it very difficult to even do marijuana research.

If you do your own research, I think everyone here will find that almost everything the government has told us about marijuana is a LIE.

IF you do your own research, it is important to NOT neglect the Reefer Madness campaign from the 1930s.

"Marihuana more dangerous than heroin or cocain" - By H. J. Anslinger - May 1938

Here is a collection of articles which can be looked up, if one wishes....

Pulp Fiction Magazines / reefer madness / anti- medical marijuana <META NAME="KEYWORDS" CONTENT="museum,hemp,marijuana,marihuana, Reefer Madness,harry j Anslinger,Federal Narcotic Bureau,pulp fiction magazines,True detective, true crime, american his

A few examples of quotes........

1910: “Marihuana is the most frightening and vicious drug ever to hit New Orleans.” —New Orleans Public Safety Commission

1920s: “Makes darkies think they’re as good as white men.” —H.J. Anslinger, Bureau of Narcotics

1930: “Marihuana is responsible for the raping of white women by crazed negroes.” —Hearst Newspapers Nationwide

1932: “Hasheesh goads users to blood lust.” —Hearst Newspapers

1935: “Marihuana influenced negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men’s shadows, and look at a white woman twice.” —Hearst Newspapers

1937: “Marihuana is the most violent drug in the history of mankind.” —Congressional Testimony, H.J. Anslinger, FBN

1938: “Marihuana is more dangerous than heroin or cocaine.” —Anslinger, Scientific American, May, 1938

1938: “If the hideous monster of Frankenstein came face to face with marihuana, he would drop dead of fright.” —Anslinger, FBN, quoted in Hearst newspaper

Appendix — Historical

NOW, thinking people might ask themselves, why were such OUTRAGEOUS LIES told about marijuana?

There is some evidence that marijuana contributes to COPD for tobacco smokers, but I have not seen a shred of evidence which suggest marijuana causes COPD.

Ever see this?

Heavy habitual marijuana smoking does not cause an accelerated decline in FEV1 with age -- Tashkin et al. 155 (1): 141 -- American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine

You're still smoking it, wheter it's a joint, a pipe, or a bong. I think bongs may reduce some of the bad stuff from the smoke, but it's still smoke.

That's how it is in pretty much every head shop I've been in, no matter the state.

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“If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.” - Carl Sagan

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Wasn't like that back in the good ol' days...

They're okay, but they make me stupid. I love my one-hitter or just an old-fashioned joint; I can still appreciate music or a movie on that, but when it comes to bongs I just end up a vegetable.

I'm like, uhhhhhhhhhhh........

Over a period of eight years???? Hell, I didn't even develop COPD in my first 20 years of smoking cigarettes so I surely don't trust their half-ass study.

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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride!"