NationStates Jolt Archive

http://www.slate.com/id/2140503/?nav=ais

"Last week, the Food and Drug Administration reported (http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01362.html) that it had definitively established that marijuana has no medical use or value."

But...

"In 1999, the Institute of Medicine, the medical arm of the National Academy of Sciences (an organization chartered by Congress to provide independent, nonpartisan scientific and technological advice) examined this same question in considerable depth and published a 288-page report of its findings. Put together by 11 distinguished scientists and physicians, the IOM report examined the known and potential harms of marijuana use and the known and potential medical benefits. The report is broad in its vision and thoughtful and cautious in its interpretations and recommendations. Its authors acknowledged that the medical uses of marijuana entail some risk of harm—for instance, it's pretty clear that inhaling marijuana smoke can't be good for the lungs, and who knows if there are significant psychological side effects for some users. But the authors concluded that these risks were not terribly high. They also found that other putative risks often attached to this drug—the potential for addiction, for instance, or for marijuana serving as a "gateway" to further drug abuse—were much overstated. The report urged further study to determine the real level of risk."

My conclusion: The agency in charge of our (Americans') health is either lying through its teeth, or is subject to political pressure from anti-marijuana lobbies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marijuana#Lethal_dose - Nobody has ever died from smoking marijuana. Therefore, it has a much better safety record than almost all legal drugs approved by the FDA.

<snipski>
My conclusion: The agency in charge of our (Americans') health is either lying through its teeth, or is subject to political pressure from anti-marijuana lobbies.

.
Why not both?

My conclusion: The agency in charge of our (Americans') health is either lying through its teeth, or is subject to political pressure from anti-marijuana lobbies.

The two are not mutually exclusive. ;)

Nobody has ever died from smoking marijuana. Therefore, it has a much better safety record than almost all legal drugs approved by the FDA.

I have also pointed this out in a thread, and had this remark as a reply.

It went something along the lines of "nobody has ever died directly of marijuana such as cocaine overdose or drink driving accidents but long term effects kill some/more (cant remember which) people (such as lung cancer)".

I do agree with your point though, marijuana is by no means as deadly as other drugs, such as cocaine. However, it should be noted those figures are most probably direct deaths, as such alcohol figures exclude drink driving deaths.

Just curious:

Who would lobby against marijuana use?

I have also pointed this out in a thread, and had this remark as a reply.

It went something along the lines of "nobody has ever died directly of marijuana such as cocaine overdose or drink driving accidents but long term effects kill some/more (cant remember which) people (such as lung cancer)".

I do agree with your point though, marijuana is by no means as deadly as other drugs, such as cocaine. However, it should be noted those figures are most probably direct deaths, as such alcohol figures exclude drink driving deaths.

Nobody HAS ever died a marijuana related death.

Annual American Deaths caused by drugs:

TOBACCO ........................ 400,000
ALCOHOL ........................ 100,000
ALL LEGAL DRUGS ................ 20,000
ALL ILLEGAL DRUGS .............. 15,000
CAFFEINE ....................... 2,000
ASPIRIN ........................ 500
MARIJUANA ...................... 0
----------------------------------------
Source: United States government...
National Institute on Drug Abuse,
Bureau of Mortality Statistics

Just curious:

Who would lobby against marijuana use?



<sniptastic>
The Robert Wood Johnson foundation does, as well as drug companies and I think I remember some liquor distillers were also funding anti-marijuana advertizing and lobbying.

Here's a page detailing who funds the "Partnership for a drug free America", an organization that has lied quite a bit in it's melodramatic anti-drug ads.

http://www.pdxnorml.org/Nation030992.html

The FDA is more so run by lobbyists than any other government institution.

I love marijuana.

I used to go to Bennington College, and I knew at least two people who had hydroponics built into their college-issued wardrobes. Sometimes, you'd drive by the security booth and the guard on duty would be tokin'. It was very laid back.

I like to say that I've never been scared by a stoned person, but I've had the hell scared out of me by drunks.

My conclusion: The agency in charge of our (Americans') health is either lying through its teeth, or is subject to political pressure from anti-marijuana lobbies.


Uh, yeah, cos it's not like the USA govt. are known for hiding or misrepresenting information or anything... [/sarcasm]
;)

No one really new how dangerous opium was until years after it had been spread all over Europe, and, in fact, the stuff was regarded as a cure-all by its advocates with vast amounts of research to back up how it could cure anything and should be used everywhere.
Just sayin'.
On the other hand, I'm against the government being in the morality business anyway, and I should have the right to buy/do anything that doesn't somehow hurt other people.

It's more of the fact that chronic would completely annihilate the tobacco industry, more likely.

It's more of the fact that chronic would completely annihilate the tobacco industry, more likely.

Doubt it. Many people smoke both MJ and tobacco.

Nobody HAS ever died a marijuana related death.

If you factor in driving while impaired, I doubt that very much.

Still, I agree it's not very dangerous. Probably less so than alcholol for example.

The whole "gateway drug" idea is what gets me more than anything else. As someone I know pointed out, 100% of marijuana users tried orange juice before they tried marijuana.

Can we start burning down the citrus fields yet?

The whole "gateway drug" idea is what gets me more than anything else. As someone I know pointed out, 100% of marijuana users tried orange juice before they tried marijuana.

Can we start burning down the citrus fields yet?

The gateway effect is a product of the illegal nature of the drug. Citing it as a reason for prohibition is as stupid as saying "but it funds criminals".

So the Republican government likes to control our lives. What else is new?

Annual American Deaths caused by drugs:

TOBACCO ........................ 400,000
ALCOHOL ........................ 100,000
ALL LEGAL DRUGS ................ 20,000
ALL ILLEGAL DRUGS .............. 15,000
CAFFEINE ....................... 2,000
ASPIRIN ........................ 500
MARIJUANA ...................... 0
----------------------------------------
Source: United States government...
National Institute on Drug Abuse,
Bureau of Mortality Statistics


Anyone else read that as "Bureau of Morality Statistics"?

So the Republican government likes to control our lives. What else is new?

And so do the governments under the Democratic, Communist, Socialist, Christian Democratic, Liberal Democratic, Conservative, Liberal, Labour, and any other parties you can think of.

And so do the governments under the Democratic, Communist, Socialist, Christian Democratic, Liberal Democratic, Conservative, Liberal, Labour, and any other parties you can think of.Libertarian

Libertarian
They'd find a way. Don't ever trust the government. The minute you fall for one of their ideologies, they've got you.

Libertarian

Yes. ALL governments are about control. Libertarians may want to put as much control, but they still want to control some behaviors - the initiation of the use of force and fraud, to take two examples.

Nobody HAS ever died a marijuana related death.Nobody HAS ever died a marijuana related death.

Annual American Deaths caused by drugs:

TOBACCO ........................ 400,000
ALCOHOL ........................ 100,000
ALL LEGAL DRUGS ................ 20,000
ALL ILLEGAL DRUGS .............. 15,000
CAFFEINE ....................... 2,000
ASPIRIN ........................ 500
MARIJUANA ...................... 0
----------------------------------------
Source: United States government...
National Institute on Drug Abuse,
Bureau of Mortality Statistics

Last time I checked, marijuana was an illegal drug. I also noticed that you did not provide a link, so we could check for ourselves that the website does indeed list marijuana at 0, rather than that being something you added yourself.

Last time I checked, marijuana was an illegal drug. I also noticed that you did not provide a link, so we could check for ourselves that the website does indeed list marijuana at 0, rather than that being something you added yourself.

Considering that it is impossible to OD on marijuana without injecting it (which *nobody* does) and most stoners sit around, munch on something, and watch TV while high, it isn't an outrageous statistic.

Being illegal doesn't make it uber-bad - it just means that someone successfully lobbied against it once upon a time.

My conclusion: The agency in charge of our (Americans') health is either lying through its teeth, or is subject to political pressure from anti-marijuana lobbies.

Accurate conclusion.

"Reefer madness!" Government's changed it's tune, but the song is the same. Marijuana's bad... it's known to cause fun.

heh, this forum is funny. It's mostly a bunch of stoner liberals making thousands of posts about how the US government is putting them down. Last time I checked, Marijuana has been illegal throughout many administrations. The government isn't just suddenly "changing its tune." Liberals without any real arguments piss me off... :headbang:

Edit: Oh, and for the thousands of posts thing, look up a post or two. Who has time to make 7000 posts about jack shit?

heh, this forum is funny. It's mostly a bunch of stoner liberals making thousands of posts about how the US government is putting them down. Last time I checked, Marijuana has been illegal throughout many administrations. The government isn't just suddenly "changing its tune." Liberals without any real arguments piss me off... :headbang:

Oh, you're pissed off? I'm sorry. Really I am. Have you considered crying about it?