cannabisnews.com: Union's Anti-Stress Policy Goes To Pot 





Union's Anti-Stress Policy Goes To Pot 
Posted by FoM on January 21, 2002 at 22:07:13 PT
By Kevin Maguire
Source: Guardian Unlimited 
Cannabis is being promoted as a calorie-free alternative to a glass of wine or a bar of chocolate by women in Britain's biggest trade union. Female public service workers believe the weed offers a healthier and less fattening way to chill out. Unison's eastern region is presenting pot as as a "women's issue". Calling for legalisation of cannabis, a joint motion to be debated at the union's women's conference in Cardiff next month, when delegates will represent 900,000 women, says it is crucial that women can escape the growing tensions of working life. 
"Cannabis can be used for women to relax without calories, in contrast to alcohol or chocolate," says the motion. The Chelmsford-based region even proposes a solution for those who do not smoke. Non-smokers can use cannabis by incorporating it into recipes and cooking with it," adds the motion, in possible contradition of the calorie-free argument. Unison's women's committee has asked the eastern region to remit the call so as to allow the matter to be considered more fully before the union adopts a formal position. Newshawk: puff_tuffSource: Guardian Unlimited, The (UK) Author: Kevin MaguirePublished: Tuesday, January 22, 2002Copyright: 2002 Guardian Newspapers LimitedContact: letters guardian.co.ukWebsite: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Related Articles & Web Site:Medical Marijuana Information Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/medical.htmCannabis: The Facts - BBC Newshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11744.shtmlA History of Debating Marijuana Legalization http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11738.shtmlCannabis a Medical Miracle - It's Official http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11254.shtml 
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #16 posted by CorvallisEric on January 23, 2002 at 16:08:08 PT
Yahoo news
This morning on "Oddly enough" - similar to the Guardian article but adds the following:
A spokesman for Unison dismissed the motion on Tuesday, saying it was unlikely to be passed.
``Of course it is up to the members,'' she said. ``But it is not exactly one of the more serious items on the agenda. It is tongue-in-cheek, so to speak.'' 
Yahoo article
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #15 posted by SpaceCat on January 22, 2002 at 13:48:57 PT
What's wrong with that study
Is the same thing that's wrong with most obesity studies, the fact that they rely in self-reporting. Study participants filled out "questionaires" about their eating habits. Self-reporting has been consistently shown to be unreliable, especially when it comes to reporting negatives.What I conclude from the results (25-40% more calories consumed, but lower BMI) is that the Cannabis users were more honest about their consumption when they filled out the questionaire.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #14 posted by idbsne1 on January 22, 2002 at 13:13:35 PT
better life!
I'm glad Art that you are better....I am wondering why cannabis is not used more in terms of psychiatric meds. Instead of all those BS meds that have incredibly bad side effects, why are we not looking at cannabis more? Art, you mentioned that some of the experiences from Vietnam are now seen in a different light.... I find that cannabis helps me cope with quite a few stresses in everyday life! Not just a physical medicine, but a "mental" medicine....it works for me and others. How many times have I seen the praises of cannabis in this fashion, especially from LEO's (in other countries, of course)? A high person is almost always easier to deal with than a drunk person...I must say that although the US still has their head up their asses on cannabis, it is quite exciting to see the rest of the world coming to their senses. When the rest of the world makes a killing off of mj AND Hemp, the US will suffer and eventually come to their economic senses. Maybe we can save our farmers? God knows, the Government doesn't do sh*t to help them now....idbsne1
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #13 posted by E_Johnson on January 22, 2002 at 13:05:51 PT
Something is very wrong with this study
Regular marijuana smokers consume up to 40 percent more calories than non-users -- mostly through alcohol, salty snacks and cheese -- and are more likely to smoke tobacco cigarettes, researchers said Monday. But they are also no more likely to be overweight than non-users, researchers found.It is inconsient with the general physical principle of energy conservation for a person to consume 40% more calories and not be more likely to be overweight.Nobody has ever noticed that marijuana is capable of increasaing the overall rate of human metabolism by a factor of 40%. That's what would be necessary to explain 40% more calories without any increase in weight.So what they say is not physically possible.Maybe they gathered their entire sample population from a pub. That's what you might find if you limited your study participants to people you'd met in a pub.But how do they manage to explain their violation of energy conservation? Are they alleging that marijuana opens up a hole in the spacetime continuum and gets rid of the calories by dumping them into an alternate universe?Seriously, how can this study be taken seriously? 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #12 posted by QcStrt on January 22, 2002 at 11:50:58 PT
                  A new LIFE
I have been on marijuana for about 31 days as of know 
and what I have seen is this is one hell of a good medication.1) the heart has stabilize and have use less med. then the Dr.
has prescribed and she said that's a good thing.2) the Lungs have gained a 7 % increase in volume in the last 30 days 
from what she said.3) hypertension has diminish a lot all so.4) I all so have seen that my appetite and the type of food has change. 5) the smoking of cigarettes has drop a full pack a day so far.6) and for the ulcer this is the first relief I have really had in 25 yr.
with out all the med.7) Some of the B S from Vietnam is seen in a new light which make
for a better live at home.So let the Donkeys in Washington D C say other wise...I my self not being a Doctor have seen a lot of good changes in this
live of mine, form what little time I have been smoking God's plant 
( marijuana ) Cannabis, hemp or the drug that they say that's so BAD.and people should come together! 
Calling for legalization of Marijuana, Cannabis.ART.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #11 posted by CorvallisEric on January 22, 2002 at 11:19:39 PT
Cannabis and weight
Regular marijuana smokers consume up to 40 percent more calories than non-users -- mostly through alcohol, salty snacks and cheese -- and are more likely to smoke tobacco cigarettes, researchers said Monday. But they are also no more likely to be overweight than non-users, researchers found.
http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/10/thread10020.shtml
Some discussion here:
http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/11/thread11183.shtml
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #10 posted by FoM on January 22, 2002 at 09:36:20 PT
I agree EJ
I am 5 feet 2 and weigh 105 pounds. I don't have any problem controlling my appetite but I sure did years ago. I felt lousy when I went up to 150 pounds! I had quite a waddle! LOL! I could barely move and I had no energy. Excessive weight is not good at all. Thin is much healthier. I wish I could speak more freely but it's hard to do. I'm sure you understand.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #9 posted by E_Johnson on January 22, 2002 at 09:26:44 PT
FoM -- misguided breast cancer politics
FoM, the prevailing politically correct version of breast cancer awareness that is popular now in groups like NOW and Feminist Majority has as its primary issue the issue of free mammogram screening for women.At the same time, there has been a movement for a long time to promote what is called "body acceptance" i.e. moving away from this oppressive need to be thin, and moving towards an acceptance of womanly curves.There are all good causes BUT there are two little factual flies in the politically coherent omelet:1. The most strikingly effective preventative factors in breast cancer rates seems to be controlling one's weight and getting a lot of exercise. So encouraging women to accept being overweight and flabby as part of a feminist political statement against a social pressure to be thin seems to be working against the cause of fighting breast cancer!2. Early detection of breast cancer through mammography has been widely touted as saving lives because cancers detected early enough can be cured.But recent studies have challenged this idea. The death rates from breast cancer were undrestimated in the past because many of the women who died from the side effects of their breast cancer treatments were not listed as having died from the disease itself, but from whatever the nasty chemo did to them at the end.When you correct the death rates for the women who died from the side effects of aggressive cancer treatment, the case for frequent mammography and aggressive early treatment diminishes quite a lot.But now here is another marijuana question:Is it possible that the preventative effects of exercise and physical activity on breast cancer rates has something to do with the cannabnoid system?I say this because I swear, I never had such an easy time controlling my weight and my fitness level before I started using marijuana every single day as a medicine.And I'm wondering about the probabilities down the road...
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #8 posted by FoM on January 22, 2002 at 09:14:01 PT
What is feminist politics? EJ
I am far from a feminist I think. I am an activist that I know. I have no idea what they believe. I'm stuck in a time before there were different political groups. Are feminist's groups helping us reform Cannabis laws? I'm not kidding. I don't know.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #7 posted by E_Johnson on January 22, 2002 at 09:08:13 PT
Some research that needs to be done
1. Does marijuana make people fat by increasing their appetite, or does it actually act as a regulator keeping the body at a more stable healthful weight by making their appetite match more closely their actual physical hunger as opposed to the false hunger induced by modern marketing campaigns for all of the unhealthul fattening food promoted by modern ideologies of convenience in our soulless modern homo economicus economy? I have experienced the latter, I lost that last ten pounds I needed to lose but never succeeded at losing, and it seemed to happen as if by magic, while I was feeling very appreciative of food thanks to marijuana. 2. Marijuana and working out go together really well for me. It really seems like my workouts became more effective after I started using pot. And I seem to get more pleasure from exercise than I did before. Are cannabinoids involved in the so-called "exercise high"? Everyone says endorphins but when they found the endorphins, they did not really know much about cannabinoids. But I could swear right now that the high from working out is more like pot and not at all like an opiate. Since when does a brisk run make someone feel like they've taken a hit of morphine? It's ridiculous. That wonderful post-exercise feeling has to have some cannabinoids involved in there somewhere. Now everyone help test this for me. Go out right now and run around the block. How does that feel? Like morphine or weed?3. Just how much excess weight can a woman lose by switching from booze to pot? Is there some synergistic effect where pot makes you drink less, makes you eat in a less unnatural modern manner, and makes exercise have a bigger mood-boosting and calorie-burning effect, so that the net effect is measurable?I would swear from my own life that this is true, but then I'm not a universe of one so why not test other people?
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #6 posted by E_Johnson on January 22, 2002 at 08:49:24 PT
Breast cancer is a lifestyle issue not a crime
The easiest way to prevent breast cancer is to stop buying this ridiculous argument that getting fat makes you a better feminist. Get off that big fat butt and work out a little, eat vegetables and stay away from fast food.This is one area where I really think that feminist politics has been killing women. Women have been encouraged by the rebellion against the fashion industry to believe that there are no health consequences for being fat and lazy.There are health consequences for being fat and lazy. There just are, and pointing a political finger won't make them go away.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #5 posted by E_Johnson on January 22, 2002 at 08:45:27 PT
And it aids recovery from sexual violence
 Female public service workers believe the weed offers a healthier and less fattening way to chill out. And a less mind-dulling option over the standard psychiatric medications for anxiety and post traumatic stress.But the pseudoscietific hysteria over the feared so-called marijuana "high" is a such a high level that even scientists who should know better are advancing themselves by pandering to it.So I guess the makers of Xanax are safe for now.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #4 posted by Ethan Russo MD on January 22, 2002 at 08:41:22 PT:
Read, Read, Read
CC, your goals are admirable. The first requirement is good grades. I would add that you should have outside activities that remind you to be a good person.Any medical school will do, and I really can't recommend many as having much to do with this field, especially. There may be better opportunities in CA, esp. UCSF.The main thing is to read, read, read. A JCANT subscription will help, and lead you to more info. Do a lot of searches on PubMed (Natl. Library of Medicine), get abstracts, and search out the source articles. Read, read, and read some more. Best of luck.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #3 posted by Cannabis Crusader on January 22, 2002 at 07:38:41 PT
Well...
The BBC news is basically a British news cast. In the UK everyone calls cannabis, well, cannabis. If Dr. Russo is out there, I have a question. I am currently enrolled pre-med at a local university. Dr. Russo, what would you suggest I do to get into the best med school possible. I want to go into neurology. Is there a good tract to take in order to eventually be able study the endo-cannabinoidal(?sp) system in depth. Also, what is a good school for this type of study? By the time I finish my undergrad degree in Biology(pre-med), I will have a Computer Science(with research expience) and a Mathematics degree. Will these degrees help me in any way?Any information you could give will be extremely helpful.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #2 posted by potpal on January 22, 2002 at 06:57:29 PT
Pun-ishment
I'm so sick and tired of these little worn out pot puns...goes to show what little imagination most of these journalist have. I say we put them all in a punitentary. (I could use the company.)I wonder where did the original 'gone to pot' originate? Surely not from cannabis.BBC news usually refers to cannabis as cannabis these days, that's a start. It's remains marijuana here in the USA.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #1 posted by Lehder on January 22, 2002 at 03:08:38 PT
fantastic!
I hope this catches on in the US. Promote mj legalization as a women's issue. It's a fantastic idea that appeals to half the population in a breath. And if the women of the British trade union find that mj offers special health benefits peculiar to females, then I hope that women everywhere will unite on this issue. Women do remain terribly oppressed in many ways, and I want to mention the infliction of breast cancer upon them as one of the ugliest. See a recent issue of Harpers to learn why there is a growing realization in that this awful affliction - which many years ago crippled my mother's arm - is a state and corporate crime more than it is an individual misfortune. And beyond all the oppressions that can be represented by the giving dolls instead of chemistry sets for Christmas, women don't bear sons to have them sent to war and they don't bear sons and daughters to populate prisons. A mother's instinct for her children in many cases may be the only force strong enough overcome the terrible instilled bigotries that feed and excuse this drug war. It's far more problematic in general trying to reason with men who gotta be tough on drugs, tough on crime, tough and stupid on everything. So I really think a feminist approach to the drug war can offer hope and simplification.Unison's women's committee has asked the eastern region to remit the call so as to allow the matter to be considered more fully before the union adopts a formal position. Go for it. Imagine - the unions working against the drug war.
[ Post Comment ]


Post Comment