cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Smoking Public Health Hazard Marijuana Smoking Public Health Hazard Posted by CN Staff on July 18, 2003 at 10:31:28 PT By Dr. Brian Graham Source: Leader-Post In the Health Canada news release announcing the provision of marijuana for medical purposes, Health Minister Anne McLellan admits that the effectiveness of marijuana therapy is unknown, but fails to mention that adverse health effects of marijuana smoke inhalation have already been demonstrated. Marijuana smoke contains many of the same respiratory irritants and carcinogens found in tobacco smoke -- many in higher concentrations. Will marijuana smokers be warned of both the known harmful effects and the risk of further harmful effects that continue to be found as research progresses? Will Health Canada be liable for the lung damage that will be caused by breathing marijuana smoke, whether directly or as second-hand smoke?The Lung Association has seen all too many cases of lung disease caused by tobacco and is working hard to reduce the carnage through denormalization of tobacco use. It is ironic that although McLellan claims to have taken this step for compassionate reasons, she has begun the process of normalization of marijuana smoking, which has an incredible potential for damage to the respiratory health of Canadians.For those who can only achieve pain relief from marijuana use, alternate pharmacological preparations of cannabis, which do not inflict lung damage, which have been duly proven to be safe and effective, and which are approved for medical use by prescription, could be used instead.The Lung Association regards marijuana smoking as a public health hazard. Health Canada should not be supplying marijuana in a form that will be inhaled into the lungs with dirty, irritating, toxic, carcinogenic smoke. The minister of health should never condone smoking of any substance.Dr. Brian GrahamGraham is president and CEO of the Lung Association of Saskatchewan.SaskatoonSource: Regina Leader-Post (CN SN)Author: Dr. Brian GrahamPublished: Friday, July 18, 2003Copyright: 2003 The Leader-Post Contact: letters leaderpost.comWebsite: http://www.canada.com/regina/leaderpost/Related Articles & Web Site:Chronic Cannabis Use http://freedomtoexhale.com/ccu.pdfToronto MD Quits Medical Marijuana Committeehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16873.shtmlMD Resigns From Health Canada Over Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16870.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #7 posted by FoM on July 18, 2003 at 20:24:04 PT Thank You The GCW! http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread16893.shtml [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by The GCW on July 18, 2003 at 19:57:22 PT Anything that rocks, rocks. Team Rock Has this news been made available?Summer Freedom Tour comes to the Maritimes http://www.hempbc.com/articles/3029.htmlWhere after being released from being put in a cage for using cannabis IN PUBLIC, Marc Emery will be smoking up Canada's East Coast from July 19-26.420 - 420 - 420 - 420 - 420 - 420 - Emery is a good person. I believe He has enough dough to sit back in blissed out comfort privately using cannabis, and forget about Us. But He doesn't. He is right there going to the cage for Me and My family, then gets out of the cage and heads right back to the front lines.I applaude His work. I associate Marc Emery with Truth.Thank You Marc. Thank You, Canadians.There will likely come a day when America will come out as a nation and publically thank You Canada, for ending the global practice of caging humans for using a plant. Emery will get the prestegeous Green Heart medal for His efforts in the war against the spirit of error.And it wont be the 1st time Canada has bailed Us (as in U.S.) out.May Truth bless You. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by i420 on July 18, 2003 at 13:54:05 PT Lets rock... Weird Al Yankovic said it best...."just eat it". [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on July 18, 2003 at 12:47:10 PT Vaporize it Why does he mention "alternate pharmacological preparations of cannabis" but not vaporization, which has none of the harms he associates with smoking? Because vaporization doesn't come prepackaged from a pharmacy, probably... [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Jose Melendez on July 18, 2003 at 11:41:28 PT gasp from:http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1081/a11.html?397Although Jackson's speech was billed as focusing on U.S.-Africa policy, he primarily delivered a rousing sermon exhorting the NAACP to focus again on the South, where the civil-rights movement had its greatest victories. Black Americans, he said, still face discrimination in business, banking and the justice system. "We're coming South. We can't win unless we regain the South," he said. He said he would participate in a demonstration Friday in Montgomery, Ala., to protest Gov. Bob Riley's veto of a bill that would automatically have restored voting rights to felons who have completed their prison sentences. Jackson also took swipes at state and federal drug-sentencing laws. "You tell me someone who got caught with marijuana and crack cannot get their rights back?" Jackson said. "Unless you're Gov. Jeb Bush's daughter." Noelle Bush, the governor's daughter, was ordered to attend drug treatment after she was arrested in 2002 for allegedly trying to use a fake prescription to buy the anti-anxiety drug Xanax. Eight months later, she reportedly was found with a piece of crack cocaine in her shoe while at an Orlando treatment center. In October, a judge sentenced her to 10 days in jail. She remains in drug treatment. Jackson's comment first drew gasps, then loud applause. "Noelle Bush should not be in jail today. But our daughters should not be in jail either," he said. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by afterburner on July 18, 2003 at 10:57:42 PT: Send this Man Some Studies He obviously thinks Marinol is as effective as whole plant cannabis, is unaware of cannabinoids, vaporizers, canna-choc, and GW Pharmaceuticals sublingual spray. "Show me the bodies." The assumed damage from smoking cannabis has Not been scientifically proven.ego transcendence follows ego destruction, we have the way, let's get with the will. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by paulpeterson on July 18, 2003 at 10:56:18 PT THC IS NOT LIKE NICOTINE! True, smoke has harmful particles (from any source). However, nicotine and it's cousins cause angiogenesis (tumors increase their own blood supply), retard apoptosis (programmed cell death), retard flagella movement, cause the skin to sag & wrinkle & blood vessels to clot up!Those good ol' cannabinoids, on the other hand, tend to do JUST THE OPPOSITE! They retard angiogenesis, encourage apoptosis (and actually KILL SKIN CANCER CELLS and 5 other cancers), encourage the ciliated cells to move, loosinging gunk, repair skin structure & discourage those clotting reactions.At least the guy did suggest non-smokable forms, etc. Oh well. PAUL [ Post Comment ] Post Comment