cannabisnews.com: Cancer Warning Put on Smoking Joints 





Cancer Warning Put on Smoking Joints 
Posted by CN Staff on November 11, 2002 at 15:24:18 PT
By James Meikle, Health Correspondent
Source: Guardian Unlimited
Smoking three joints a day might do as much damage to the lungs as do 20 cigarettes, the British Lung Foundation says in a report today. Tar from cannabis cigarettes has 50% more cancer causing chemicals than a cigarette, and smokers inhale deeper and hold their breath longer, the charity warns in a report on Britain's most popular illegal drug, says the charity. 
It fears young people are unaware of the medical consequences of smoking the drug, far more powerful than in the 1960s due to a higher ratio of tetrahydro-cabinol (THC), the ingredient associated with its mind-affecting properties. The foundation wants a government campaign to warn of the heightened risks of chest infections and cancers. It also wants more research into increased risk of nicotine addiction, and whether cannabis smoking leads to more emphysema and chronic bronchitis. The report, A Smoking Gun?, comes as the government prepares to reclassify cannabis as a less harmful drug and endorse a more relaxed attitude to policing its use. Mark Britton, the charity's chairman, believed it would surprise those who smoked cannabis rather than tobacco, in the belief it was safer. "The report is not about the moral rights and wrongs of cannabis, but making sure everyone is completely clear about the respiratory risks involved." It concludes that there is strong evidence cannabis smoking increases the risk of lung cancer, which kills more than 34,000 Britons a year. Benzopyrene, a constituent of tar in cannabis cigarettes, alters a gene that normally suppresses tumours. It accepts that evidence is less conclusive on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, thought to kill another 32,000 a year. Special Report: Drugs in Britain: http://www.guardian.co.uk/drugs/0,2759,178206,00.html Source: Guardian Unlimited, The (UK)Author: James Meikle, Health CorrespondentPublished: Monday, November 11, 2002Copyright: 2002 Guardian Newspapers LimitedContact: letters guardian.co.ukWebsite: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Related Articles & Web Sites:British Lung Foundationhttp://www.lunguk.org/BLF - Report on Cannabishttp://www.lunguk.org/news/index.htmlBritish Study Warns of Health Danger of Cannabishttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14715.shtmlCannabis Smoking 'More Harmful' Than Tobacco http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14714.shtmlMarijuana Doesn't Cause Lung Cancer http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10025.shtml
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Comment #9 posted by RavingDave on November 11, 2002 at 18:32:48 PT
The Voice of Idiocy
As usual, they are struggling to place blame for something on cannabis. They briefly mention the fact that the cannabis of today has more THC than in the 60's, and imply that that makes it more dangerous - two facts which have been stoutly refuted by many studies. In fact, if we were to assume that they are correct about the higher THC content, this would make it less dangerous than tobacco, in that less raw plant matter would need to be smoked to get high. The plant matter is where the tars and carcinogens come from, not the THC, as they would have you believe. Thus, the more THC, the smaller the joint that gets you high.In addition, whereas I know plenty of people who smoke 20, 40, even 60 cigarettes per day, I can't name one person I know who smokes 3 joints per day. Sure, there are people, especially medical patients, who smoke this much, but they are few compared to the number of people who smoke tobacco products.Lastly, after reading the full article, I noticed the implication that people are "trading" cigarettes for cannabis, ostensibly based on the false assumption that cannabis is less dangerous. This is a ridiculous statement, made to sound as if the two are literally interchangeable. It's as if they want people to believe that Joe Blow is trading his coffee-break smoke for a joint, before heading back to work. Riiiiight.This is just another bunch of old fogies spewing nonsence about things about which they know absolutely nothing. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - things would be a lot simpler if these people would just shut up and smoke a joint before passing judgement upon those of us who do it regularly.
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Comment #8 posted by The GCW on November 11, 2002 at 18:12:42 PT
results w/ 20 votes
Should the DEA seize medical marijuana plants in Oregon? 
55.0% No - Legalize marijuana use! 15.0% No - The feds should stay out of state searches 20.0% Yes - National law supersedes state law 10.0% Yes - Drugs ruin lives 0.0% Don't know? 0.0% Leave me alone! total votes: 20 
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Comment #7 posted by The GCW on November 11, 2002 at 18:03:33 PT
POLL
http://www.dailyemerald.com/Should the DEA seize medical marijuana plants in Oregon? 
 
No - Legalize marijuana use! 
 
No - The feds should stay out of state searches 
 
Yes - National law supersedes state law 
 
Yes - Drugs ruin lives 
 
Don't know? 
 
Leave me alone! 
  
  
 
  
 
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Comment #6 posted by The GCW on November 11, 2002 at 17:27:18 PT
Nicotine / Tobacoo also has radioactivity.
Don't have the links handy...But a big killer in nicotine is the radio. factor...If nicotine farmers were allowed to grow the Superplant, what would it do to the PLANT CANNABIS, with its radioactive dirt and land?A Glowing green bud, but still the right bud.
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Comment #5 posted by Patrick on November 11, 2002 at 16:51:10 PT
I suppose
The kids are fat today because mickey d's french fries have more fillamerican-tummies (FAT) the ingredient associated with its body-affecting properties than they did in 1969. 
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Comment #4 posted by 420toker on November 11, 2002 at 16:43:24 PT
Oh, I get it
I see, Brits roll their cannabis and tobacco together. So therefor this entire study is flawed. The whole increased cancer risk could (and probably does) come from holding the tobacco smoke as long as cannabis smoke is held. Damn Liars
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Comment #3 posted by 420toker on November 11, 2002 at 16:38:43 PT
Nicotine?
Cannabis doesn't contain nicotine, wtf are they talking about?
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Comment #2 posted by gloovins on November 11, 2002 at 16:34:33 PT
smells n looks like Brit Right propaganda to me...
I cant believe how BAD they want to tie cancer to cannabis. 1st now Docs, type in yr computer (  google.com) medical cannabis vapoizer. Do a study on vaporization -- the new "gizmo" that contains little or no cancer causing actives.If anything, the schag the feds grow here in Ole Miss, well, I would only vaporize that shhh-eat, yeah. BUT well, if we ADULT (ahhh, 18-21 I'd say, let the state decide) "free" citizens of the USA had access to ORGANICALLY GROWN CANNABIS well, all these toxins, cancer-causing agents would be all but eliminated. People will greatly turn to vaporization although smoking will always survive becasue of it's immediate nature. Remember there is the under-the-tounge spray that we can go into later, very promising though, that spray, esp. for MS.Also many people smoke tobacco their whole lives & live to 80 to 90. Go explain that. There was an excellent conference by NORML in Wash DC several months back where they released the study findings of their vaporizer study -- it was on POT tv - don't have time to post linked but after it was announced that vapor contains no cancer known causing elements as oppposed to bongs/joints there was a long applause. I may be wrong, but they also stated that water bongs filter out some THC too.Ya'll its 2002 & the whole world laughs then cries when they see how inefficent & hypocritical our US guuuverrnment is.It's sad we still cage growers of a sacred herb, that are only growing to help others. George W Bush YOU should get yr administration on the band wagon of HELP like, with GW Pharmasuticals in the UK. I think thats the only pharmalogical co. I could support now.Anyway sorry for a long ramblin post but Damn that DEAth machine. They are only human I know but a quadroplegic in cuffs really man/woman, how can you live with yourself & do a job like that. Quit yr job DEA agents on the med cannabis club raids, they are KILLING SICK PEOPLE, don't you care that they are US citizens and brethren of you as well as I, a proud US citizen?
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on November 11, 2002 at 15:28:35 PT
Copy of Full Report in PDF Format
http://www.lunguk.org/news/a_smoking_gun.pdf
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