cannabisnews.com: Pot's Social Dangers Unknown, Say Researchers










  Pot's Social Dangers Unknown, Say Researchers

Posted by CN Staff on May 17, 2004 at 15:28:25 PT
By Sid Kirchheimer, WebMD Medical News   
Source: WebMD 

You've probably seen the commercial: an egg frying in a pan. It's not breakfast being served but a strong warning about the dangers of recreational drug use: "This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?" Yes, say British researchers. Can you prove it? After reviewing 48 previous studies from around the globe -- including 16 they deem of higher quality and involving more than 81,000 young people -- the University of Birmingham scientists conclude that the much-touted dangers resulting from marijuana may be overstated.
"The evidence that cannabis use in itself causes psychological and social problems is not strong," lead researcher John Macleod, MRCGP, PhD, tells WebMD. "This does not mean that cannabis is harmless, it means the evidence is weak." Macleod's research only included studies investigating behavior issues among teens and children, not pot-smoking effects on physical health. Macleod says the data clearly show that teens who smoke pot are also more likely to display psychological and social problems such as poor school performance, violent and antisocial behavior, and a tendency to use other drugs. But his new report in The Lancet indicates there's little proof that marijuana is the reason why. In other words, children and teens with problem behavior may be more inclined to smoke pot but there's little to suggest it makes them become problem kids. "We need better research to clarify whether cannabis use causes problems or is merely a marker of problems caused by other things," Macleod explains. He says that previous studies suggesting marijuana caused behavioral problems were often flawed -- showing bias in the selection of study participants, little consideration for other factors that could skew the result of studies, or relying too much on uncorroborated, self-reported surveys. Relaxed Laws Elsewhere Igor Grant, MD, a psychiatrist and noted marijuana researcher at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, says he is not especially surprised by Macleod's findings. Last year, he did his own review of previous research on how marijuana use affects thinking and other neurological abilities, and found even long-term and daily use causes little permanent brain damage in adults (his data did not involve children). Grant was not involved in Macleod's research. "What this paper does is put things more into perspective, but that doesn't mean that marijuana is not harmful," Grant tells WebMD. "We need to separate between the effects drugs may have on a child versus an adult. It could be that certain substances that are not harmful in adults may have harmful effects in kids. But overall, these researchers are finding what others are finding anecdotally in Europe and elsewhere." Macleod's research -- funded by the United Kingdom Department of Health -- comes just after the British government relaxed its marijuana possession laws, and it's already been decriminalized in Spain, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Canada is also considering decriminalization for amounts less than a half-ounce, and this fall, pharmacies in British Columbia will begin selling marijuana for medicinal purposes -- without a prescription -- under a national health service plan. In the U.S., where some 700,000 arrests are made each year for marijuana use and possession, the debate on its impact continues. Two weeks ago, federal health officials reported in The Journal of the American Medical Association that over the past decade, more American adults have abused or become dependent on pot even though overall use rates have remained steady. "The results of this study underscore the need to develop and implement new prevention and intervention programs targeted at youth, particularly minority youth," write researchers from the National Institutes of Health. That same week, another study in the American Journal of Public Health reported that neither the severity nor leniency of current marijuana laws seems to influence whether experienced users continue to smoke pot. States vs. Feds Other countries have decriminalized marijuana largely because studies show that its use can reduce chronic pain, nausea, and muscle spasms and lower rising eye pressure that causes glaucoma. Marijuana has been used -- legally or not -- to treat some 30 conditions, including AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and cancer. In fact, until the 1930s, marijuana was legally available in the U.S. as a medicinal treatment. Nine U.S. states have laws allowing for the use of medical marijuana under a doctor's recommendation -- Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. But the Justice Department contends that federal drug laws that make its use and possession illegal take precedent over state laws. Last month, officials from two state medical boards were accused by a House Criminal Justice subcommittee of ignoring federal drug laws in favor of their state's statutes by allowing doctors to promote the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, despite a potential for abuse. Weeks later, a judge ruled that federal prosecutions of medical marijuana users in permitting states are unconstitutional if the pot isn't sold, transported across state lines, or used for non-medicinal purposes. The judge ordered the federal government to stop prosecuting a sick California woman smoking pot under doctor's orders, and not to raid or prosecute a group in that state -- where medical marijuana use is allowed -- that grows and distributes it to patients. SOURCES: John Macleod, MRCGP, PhD, primary care physician and epidemiologist, University of Birmingham, England. Igor Grant, MD, professor of psychiatry, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine; director, UCSD Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research Center. Macleod, J. The Lancet, May 15, 2004; vol 363: pp 1579-1588. Compton, W. The Journal of the American Medial Association, May 5, 2004; vol 291: pp 2114-2121. Reinarman, C. American Journal of Public Health, May 2004; vol 94: pp 836-842. WebMD Medical News: "States Defend Medical Marijuana Policies." Associated Press. Grant, I. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, July 2003. Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD on Monday, May 17, 2004 Note: Little Evidence That Marijuana Causes Behavioral Problems, Study Shows.Source: WebMDAuthor: Sid Kirchheimer, WebMD Medical News  Published: May 17, 2004Copyright: 2004 WebMD Inc.Contact: news webmd.net Website: http://www.webmd.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Santa Cruz - Dutch Study in PDFhttp://freedomtoexhale.com/amsterdam.pdfCannabis Use Not Linked with Psychosocial Harmhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18868.shtmlBaby Boomers are Going To Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18800.shtmlMaking Pot Legal Does Not Boost Use http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18791.shtml

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Comment #16 posted by Jose Melendez on May 20, 2004 at 05:10:03 PT
book explores high THC cannabis 
http://www.hempembassy.net/hempe/MFP.htm A new book which brings together the relevant science regarding the beneficial effects of cannabis for identified medical conditions and explains many harmful side effects has been launched at Australia's Southern Cross University today. Its author, Andrew Kavasilas, the founder of the Medical Cannabis Information Service and a noted researcher in the field, has stressed that the publication – “Medical Uses of Cannabis-Information for Medical Practitioners” - is a reference tool and not a manual for treatment. This publication is a summary of peer reviewed literature and international reviews concerning the potential therapeutic uses and harmful effects of cannabis. Currently cannabis is being used by patients suffering from diseases and illnesses including HIV, multiple sclerosis and arthritis as well as those suffering from chronic pain or undergoing chemotherapy. It is being used to counteract the side effects of some drugs, as an appetite stimulant, muscle relaxant and to promote a general sense of wellbeing. The book includes the results of the recent NSW Government-approved high THC cannabis trials, the results of the first comprehensive Australian medical cannabis users survey and the recommendations of the NSW Government Working Party on the Use of Cannabis for Medicinal Purposes, 2000. “The information provided is designed to help people make relevant and informed decisions about their health care and should not be viewed as necessarily advocating for the medical use of cannabis,” Mr Kavasilas said. “Instead it brings a substantial amount of research together in a way that introduces medical practitioners to the varied applications of studied cannabinotherapies. “What I would say to any patient is that if you intend using cannabis for medical purposes, consult your regular doctor first and for patients who currently use cannabis for medical purposes should ensure that their regular doctor is informed.” Mr Kavasilas was asked by the NSW Government to submit the preliminary report on the medical cannabis users survey, which he wrote and sourced the 50 respondents. The same questionnaire, including some of the same respondents, is now being used by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre for further analysis of current medical cannabis users. In an Australian first, Mr Kavasilas also worked under permit to grow high THC cannabis and study it at the SCU. Further cannabis samples were outsourced to do a range of comparative analysis against street cannabis used by recreational and medical users. His research has sought to establish long-term procedures for the future analysis of high THC cannabis see also: http://www.news-medical.net/view_article.asp?id=1677 
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Comment #15 posted by global_warming on May 18, 2004 at 16:50:12 PT
The Guilty
..."previous studies suggesting marijuana caused behavioral problems were often flawed -- showing bias in the selection of study participants, little consideration for other factors that could skew the result of studies, or relying too much on uncorroborated, self-reported surveys..."The world, us, we, are in trouble, we cannot live with such different views, some are correct and some are wrong. Who will pay for this trouble? Who must die?The ancients had a way of dealing with this problem, they had a "scapegoat", a ritual by which they unleashed all there anger against this unjust world onto a scapegoat.Lev 16:10 `And the goat on which the lot for a goat of departure hath gone up is caused to stand living before Jehovah to make atonement by it, to send it away for a goat of departure into the wilderness. It is "we", us, that must change, for the sacrifice's to the unknown, the shadows, the thunders that shake our world, these powers cannot take from us, the gift of life and the blessings that we inherit. Life, the miracle that defies all mysteries, has proven to mortal and sentient creature, that the light of the Holy, God, is promised to all.It is better to die with understanding, for darkness holds fast the ignorant and childish minds, the path in life is lighted by the faith of the past, and with each breath, we should know, that God has plans for all of us, plans that defy our understanding, plans that will illuminate our journey, towards sublime ecstasies...As we continue to deny life to those that we blame, for our sufferings, we hasten our departure into the darker realms.The continued efforts to cage and incarcerate the victims of this war in our country, will fill our bellies with such poison, for which, there is not an antidote.Peace
 
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Comment #14 posted by Agog on May 18, 2004 at 12:25:41 PT
Appropriate to this article
The following fits here well........"I began to study marijuana in 1967... I had not yet learned that there is something very special about illicit drugs. If they don't always make the drug user behave irrationally, they certainly cause many non-users to behave that way."-- Harvard medical professor Lester Grinspoon, author of "Marijuana: The Forbidden Medicine."Agog
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Comment #13 posted by potpal on May 18, 2004 at 11:24:29 PT
Double digits...
Nine U.S. states have laws allowing for the use of medical marijuana ...make that 10 states...Maryland.
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Comment #12 posted by Jose Melendez on May 18, 2004 at 11:10:58 PT
Amnesty to Prohibitionists
We should give them an out, I agree:http://pipepeace.com/vote/jose_s_way.shtml#amnesty
Out Prohibitionists
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Comment #11 posted by Hope on May 18, 2004 at 07:58:19 PT
fear
A week or so ago, Kaptinemo was mentioning the fear he saw in the anti's eyes...especially Barthwell. The fear means they know that we have a chance.It struck me then, "Oh no. Things could take a definite turn for the worse”, as it always does when they get scared. Whether you grew up in the open country or in the city, everyone knows that when something, animal, man, or mouse (just recently had a mouse cornering experience) gets cornered and fear takes over...he or it becomes even more problematic than when he or it was bold and fearless. Finally we've got the rabid bear in the corner. But dang...it could be hell from here on out. I guess the best move…since we can’t shoot it…is to keep it there until it dies or gets used to the idea of not killing us all.
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Comment #10 posted by Jose Melendez on May 18, 2004 at 06:52:06 PT
thanks kapt!
You all rock.Please, someone go to http://dvdeland.com/vote/jose_s_way.shtmland scroll down to the part that starts with:"Criminal antitrust enforcement continues to be a core priority of the Antitrust Division . . . "I think everyone here, pro and anti, can benefit from the hyperlinks in that paragraph, especially the linked words, 'tremendous harm'.
'tremendous harm'
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Comment #9 posted by kaptinemo on May 18, 2004 at 05:52:27 PT:
Unrelated: US Troops guarding Colombian oil
I am only posting this here for one reason: proof that CNEWS is the bleeding edge of DrugWar news. Many years ago, exactly this kind of scenario was posited here, while many in the regular news media lambasted the idea that the so-called 'War on Drugs' would be used as a means of doing precisely this. And just as predicted, 'mission creep' has taken place just as those here predicted it would.The politics of petroleum: US troops protect Colombian pipeline for Big Oil. (Subtitle)
Riding Shotgun on a Pipeline: Going beyond the war on drugs, the U.S. backs Colombian troops in a campaign against rebels that protects an oil company's operations.
 
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/article.php?sid=16213&mode=thread&order=1
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Comment #8 posted by rchandar on May 17, 2004 at 20:55:52 PT:

no, they don't....
...many people think that going to jail isn't all that harmful; that's what my lawyer told me years ago when I got caught....no, there are really, really brainwashed people out there, sincerely believing they're doing the right thing, on and on and on...God save us. The government certainly won't.
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on May 17, 2004 at 17:50:12 PT

Off Topic: Good Article from National Review
No Friends of Bill WilsonWinning the war on drugs, losing the battles.By Radley Balko May 17, 2004On May 3, the Washington Post's David Von Drehle wrote a Style Section profile of Susan Cheever, biographer of Alcoholics Anonymous founder Bill Wilson. In the article, we learn that as Wilson was dying of emphysema, he — the man who has inspired millions to kick the bottle — asked his caretakers for three shots of whiskey. Over his last days, he asked three more times for a drink. He was never given one.Cheever says she was "shocked and horrified" that Wilson would want whiskey on his deathbed, and confesses that her "blood ran cold" when she read of his request in the nurses' logs of the last days of his life. Though she doesn't say so explicitly, the implication is that Cheever — and I would imagine a good percentage of people who read Drehle's article — took relief in the fact that the man who founded Alcoholics Anonymous remained clean and sober to the very end.I don't know why Bill Wilson was denied those three shots of whiskey. Perhaps alcohol would have reacted poorly with the medication he was on. Perhaps it was against the policy of the hospital or medical center where he was staying. Whatever the case, I'm not at all shocked or horrified that Bill Wilson asked for whiskey as he was dying. But I am saddened that a dying man was denied one of the few things that may have given him some comfort. And I find it even sadder that anyone would be relieved to hear he was denied that final drink.Complete Article: http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/balko200405170730.asp
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Comment #6 posted by mayan on May 17, 2004 at 17:46:03 PT

Truth Vs. Lies 
The truth will win every time...although it may take a while! We are getting close to our goal so expect to see more absurd lies spewed by the desperate prohibitionists. The way out is the way in...Moore's new anti-Bush film ignites Cannes:
http://Cannes.notlong.comDirector Moore Launches Anti-Bush Tirade at Cannes:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=5163201Moore film 'could bring down Bush':
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/05/17/1084783455987.htmlMichael Moore responds to Wall Street Journal smear:
http://www.michaelmoore.com/20 mins standing ovation for FAHRENHEIT 9/11:
http://www.drudgereport.com/
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on May 17, 2004 at 16:37:55 PT

Put a Warning Label on Cannabis
Seriously just like they do on drugs. Let the user decide then if they want to risk any side effects that would be listed. My opinion is that prohibition of Cannabis is hard on a person. Jail is unhealthy. Everyone knows that these days.
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Comment #4 posted by Dark Star on May 17, 2004 at 16:31:54 PT

How it is---
You can examine the evidence and be convinced, or, you can choose to ignore the evidence and believe what you want.The government can not be swayed.
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Comment #3 posted by Virgil on May 17, 2004 at 16:29:31 PT

Go to Jamaica
There studies show that 60 years of cannabis consumption might kill you with old age. Cannabis does not bring eternal life, therefore it is not worth a damn. If these guys would demonize on tobacco they might save millions of lives. As it is prohibition is making a lot of people cough more than they should. Why not study the harms of prohibition where the real harm is done? The first step in harm reduction in regards to substance abuse is to make cannabis free.The people could have studied a million volunteers in prison anytime they wanted. But no. Things are to corrupted.
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Comment #2 posted by cloud7 on May 17, 2004 at 16:07:59 PT

What?
"48 previous studies from around the globe ""16 they deem of higher quality and involving more than 81,000 young people"""This does not mean that cannabis is harmless, it means the evidence is weak."????????????
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on May 17, 2004 at 15:33:08 PT

Are We In The Home Stretch Yet?
Can we let this herb off the hook soon? It sure seems like it's time. I'm at a point if I hear "we need more studies" I might just need to scream a little.
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