Marijuana_plant

Mainstream Media Botches Marijuana Stories

Opinion by NORML
(December 29, 2009) in Society / Drug Law

By Paul Armentano

For anyone who missed the worldwide corporate media’s hysterical anti-pot headlines last week, here’s a sampling:

Cannabis more damaging to adolescent brains than previously known
via Emax Health
“New research shows that teens who consume cannabis daily can suffer anxiety and depression. Smoking marijuana can have long-term irreversible effects on adolescent brains, and is more harmful to teens than previously known.”

Teen marijuana use affects brain permanently: study
via CBC News
“The findings suggest daily marijuana use by teens can cause depression and anxiety, and have an irreversible effect on the brain.”

Pot damage on teens worse than thought
via UPI wire services
“Daily consumption of marijuana in teens can cause depression and anxiety, and have irreversible long-term effect on the brain, Canadian researchers say.”

Cannabis brain damage worse in teens than thought: study
via The Canadian Press
“The effects of daily cannabis use on teenage brains is worse than originally thought, and the long-term effects appear to be irreversible, new research from McGill University suggests.”

Sounds scary, huh? It’s meant to. Only there’s three serious problems with the mainstream media’s alarmist coverage.

1) No adolescents — or for that matter, any human beings whatsoever — actually participated in the study.
2) No actual cannabis was consumed in the study.
3) No permanent brain damage was reported in the study.

Don’t believe me? Well then, check out the actual source of the headlines yourself.

Chronic exposure to cannabinoids during adolescence but not during adulthood impairs emotional behaviour and monoaminergic neurotransmission
via PubMed

“We tested this hypothesis by administering the CB(1) receptor agonist WIN55,212-2, once daily for 20 days to adolescent and adult rats. … Chronic adolescent exposure but not adult exposure to low (0.2 mg/kg) and high (1.0 mg/kg) doses led to depression-like behaviour in the forced swim and sucrose preference test, while the high dose also induced anxiety-like consequences in the novelty-suppressed feeding test. … These (findings) suggest that long-term exposure to cannabinoids during adolescence induces anxiety-like and depression-like behaviours in adulthood and that this may be instigated by serotonergic hypoactivity and noradrenergic hyperactivity.”

To summarize: Investigators administered daily doses of a highly potent synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN,55,212-2 to both adolescent rats and adult rats for 20 days. Days following their exposure, researchers documented altered serotonin production in younger rats. (Why investigators presumed that the change in serotonin production would be permanent I have no idea. After the initial 20-day waiting period, researchers do not appear to have tested the rats’ serotonin levels ever again.) Researchers also documented supposed depression-like and anxiety-like behavior in certain rats, based on various elaborate animal models and preference tests.

Yet somehow based on this speculative preclinical evidence, the mainstream media — in unison — proclaimed:

Reefer badness
via San Diego Tribune

“A study of Canadian teenagers … found that smoking the illicit drug is harder on young brains than originally thought. Writing in the journal Neurobiology of Disease, researchers at McGill University in Montreal said daily consumption of cannabis in teens can cause significant depression and anxiety and have an irreversible long-term effect on the brain.”

In truth, the purported ’study’ never said anything of the sort!

So why the does the MSM consistently get the story wrong when it comes to pot? You can check out my previous thoughts on the issue here.

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  • chmmrx
    Marijuana is the flame, heroin is the fuse, LSD is the bomb

    It is important to note the original instances that created our current problem. A racist push for department finances and special interests were the original reasons for marijuana prohibition. Alcohol prohibition had ended. The head of what equaled the DEA 70 odd years ago, needed tax revenue. This is the original mindset and process that criminalized marijuana.

    Harry J. Anslinger - most direct founder of marijuana prohibition:

    "There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing, result from marijuana use . This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others."
    "…the primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on the degenerate races."
    "Marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality, and death."
    "Reefer makes darkies think they’re as good as white men."
    "Marihuana leads to pacifism and communist brainwashing"
    "You smoke a joint and you’re likely to kill your brother."
    "Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind."

    William Randolf Hearst - H.J.Anslinger’s Yellow Journalism partner, San Francisco Examiner:

    "Marihuana makes fiends of boys in thirty days - Hashish goads users to bloodlust."
    "By the tons it is coming into this country - the deadly, dreadful poison that racks and tears not only the body, but the very heart and soul of every human being who once becomes a slave to it in any of its cruel and devastating forms…. Marihuana is a short cut to the insane asylum. Smoke marihuana cigarettes for a month and what was once your brain will be nothing but a storehouse of horrid specters. Hasheesh makes a murderer who kills for the love of killing out of the mildest mannered man who ever laughed at the idea that any habit could ever get him…."

    Other nationwide columns:

    "Users of marijuana become STIMULATED as they inhale the drug and are LIKELY TO DO ANYTHING. Most crimes of violence in this section, especially in country districts are laid to users of that drug."
    "Was it marijuana, the new Mexican drug, that nerved the murderous arm of Clara Phillips when she hammered out her victim’s life in Los Angeles?… THREE-FOURTHS OF THE CRIMES of violence in this country today are committed by DOPE SLAVES - that is a matter of cold record."

    Furthermore:

    "Hearst and Anslinger were then supported by DuPont chemical company and various pharmaceutical companies in the effort to outlaw cannabis . DuPont had patented nylon, and wanted hemp removed as competition. The pharmaceutical companies could neither identify nor standardize cannabis dosages, and besides, with cannabis, folks could grow their own medicine and not have to purchase it from large companies. "

    After completing a two year plan to brainwash society using these sensationalist reports fostered by racist ideology and funded by special interest, all these guys needed was evidence.. They of course did find their evidence - A two year campaign of manipulated media -opinion coverage was presented as documented evidence to a government committee..

    The committee passed the legislation on. And on the floor of the house , the entire discussion was:

    Member from upstate New York: "Mr. Speaker, what is this bill about?"
    Speaker Rayburn: "I don’t know. It has something to do with a thing called marihuana. I think it’s a narcotic of some kind."
    "Mr. Speaker, does the American Medical Association support this bill?"
    Member on the committee jumps up and says: "Their Doctor Wentworth came down here. They support this bill 100 percent."

    And on the basis of that lie, on August 2, 1937, marijuana became illegal at the federal level.

    Possession of marijuana required a $1 stamp. Individuals without this stamp faced a $2,000 fine, and up to 4 years in prison . Obtaining this government issued stamp required you to show the marijuana in which you were applying for. Following this tax act incriminated you of possession, and therefore made you viable for arrest .

    - chmmrxUS December 29, 2009 7:30PM

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    • chmmrx
      Marijuana is the flame, heroin is the fuse, LSD is the bomb

      At this point the enforcement bodies are using similar tactics to maintain negative opinion on marijuana … Current public remarks, ads , and press releases do not contain the same racist sentiment - that is true.. usually… unless indirect… Although…

      the use of marijuana among users of all races here in the USA are proportionate, but for some strange reason arrests for possession is considerably varied when viewed by race

      No, it is FEAR they still publicly use… Disjointed ads that depict someone neglecting a child or whatever horribly bad imagery they can muster to hold your moral fiber hostage .. Tools of fear, these things are not directly related with marijuana use .

      There are plenty of people that neglect children with no influence of marijuana. Those are the same people whether they excessively watch TV, play some mmorpg, drink alcohol , abuse steroids , coach a high school football team - what ever - eat

      pizza every weekend.. the correlation might as well be any of that… Fact is, you would not want intoxication and care of a child together… General opinion supporting this is twisted into acceptance that marijuana makes this happen… Irresponsibility

      is the fiend, and marijuana did not create the irresponsibility. Imagine the same message blaming beer for causing the child neglect… Excluding propaganda, a seemingly more plausible scenario anyhow, blame seems naturally assigned to the drinker

      and not the drink. The changing factor is the shroud of "Reefer Madness". Same old "Earth will plunge into Hell" fear mongering smoke and mirror arguments. Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

      Of course, there are entities that benefit from marijuana prohibition and are also sworn to uphold it as part of their very job description.

      To quote the DEA, the last time I was at their site:

      "The short term effects of marijuana use include:

      Memory loss, distorted perception, trouble with thinking and problem solving, loss of motor skills, decrease in muscle strength, increased heart rate, and anxiety."

      Now lets look at short term effects with alcohol, only briefly though because the list just goes on and on.

      The short term effects of alcohol use include but not nearly limited to:

      Reduced inhibitions, loss of muscle control, memory loss and/or blackouts, trouble with thinking and problem solving, nausea, vomiting, headaches, hangovers, stupor, distorted perception, decrease in heart rate, decrease in muscle strength, suicidal

      tendencies, anxiety, and coma.

      To put it mildly, I personally do not think marijuana is addictive. Sources supporting otherwise say marijuana is addictive on a psychological level and not a physical level… So, you think you need it, but your body, including the brain, is not truly

      addicted. Negative effects of detoxing for marijuana are as bad as anxious behavior/less patience. Negative effects of detoxing for alcohol are as bad as death.

      Rational individuals, who are agenda free, can not deny the dangers of alcohol.

      With further investigation , the prohibition on marijuana is much worse for society than legalization .
      Suggest, if you will, any normal everyday citizen. They go to work, balance their check book , pay for things, raise children… you know, live a regular life with one exception; they ingest marijuana. Barring any excessive usage/abuse, (which is clearly

      the same case as with many already legal substances), these people function fine… except respiratory issues when smoked. Do I need to mention it is legal to "smoke"? Now lets look at when that same normal everyday citizen gets arrested for

      possession.

      Prohibition can cause in short:

      1) job loss
      2) criminal charges
      3) loss of children
      4) denial of federal aid
      5) financial downfall
      6) life endangerment
      7) loss of freedom

      The cruel and unusual punishment list goes on. Point is, again, marijuana prohibition is worse for the individual/society than legalization.

      - chmmrxUS December 29, 2009 7:31PM

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      • chmmrx
        Marijuana is the flame, heroin is the fuse, LSD is the bomb

        Not for a moment should we accept this "gateway drug" propaganda. Those whom do, think this plant is essentially the stepping stone to harder drugs . This bothers me, the marijuana plant is really the first step of drug abuse, and punished as the

        worst class of drug? Seems to me, these already invalid arguments contradict themselves anyway. This is cruel and unusual punishment at its finest. You get caught with the first step, and you get punished as if you were on the last step. Yes, the

        broad arm of enforcement claims it is favorable in the struggle to discourage usage of marijuana so it wont draw you in, suck you up into a crazy world of drug culture, and expose you to other harder illegal drugs. Even pretending this is real, people

        still end up paying the exaggerated punishment while campaign results are grim. Prohibition is the fiend and marijuana did not create the prohibition. Eliminate the black market distribution and good people will no longer need to be exposed to the black

        market.. Eradication and prohibition efforts have not accomplished this, and I dare say will not.. You have to give it up to the enforcement agencies though. They are charged with upholding this law and to do anything they can that will accomplish

        that. It is our job to change the laws, then enforcement will be sworn to uphold the new ones.

        Marijuana should not be illegal, and that is the very reason it should be legal . Even with that in mind, I have compiled an 8 point outline using the "why marijuana should be legal" format.

        1)
        Marijuana prohibition was founded on racist lies to benefit special interest greed. As a "free" society , we should not allow this kind of behavior from our government . This is not only promoting an erosion of our own freedom, it is doing so to line the

        pockets of fear mongering hate spreaders, and private companies. Eliminating this law illustrates how we will not, and should not ever stand for this.

        2)
        Enforcement is charged with upholding these laws, so their propaganda is widely spread, biased, largely unfounded, and will undoubtedly say anything to accomplish their desired end result. Our government in general has an effectiveness largely

        determined by public sentiment. Look at any war . Obvious exaggerations and out right lies publicly spread using our hard earned tax dollars is not the way to garner positive opinion. It has worked in the past, but is quickly losing it's credibility with

        regards to marijuana. Removing the prohibition will be a stand against fear ruling our society.

        3)
        Legal substances, alcohol mentioned here - also things like water and aspirin - kill more people per year, marijuana being a historical 0 death rate. The amount of danger involved with using this plant speaks to my previous point. It also means, with

        effects less than that of other unscheduled already legal substances, it can only be a law dictated from opinionated hyperbole. Justice is supposed to be blind. If a judge is to rule on these issues, by proxy they are forced to peek underneath the

        blindfold with unfounded bias in their eyes. Repealing laws influenced in this way would restore at least that faith of just causality in the government.

        4)
        The addiction, according to most studies, is the same kind you would get if you were addicted to TV or candy .. It is in your head, and not a trait of marijuana. With no threat of physical addiction, we are supporting a system of behavioral control. That

        is against a founding principle of the United States of America. Dropping this kind of legislation ensures personal choice over draconian laws.

        - chmmrxUS December 29, 2009 7:32PM

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        • chmmrx
          Marijuana is the flame, heroin is the fuse, LSD is the bomb

          5)
          Propaganda largely addresses lack of responsible behavior which is not a trait of marijuana . Social awareness programs that address responsible decision making is the tool best suited for this issue. Just as the propaganda says, there is indeed a

          gateway issue here, prohibition itself creating the doorway to criminality. Public health policies enforced by incarceration of non violent, responsible adult participants, is known to create criminals out of otherwise law abiding citizens. The institutions

          responsible for holding marijuana offenders perpetuate further criminal endeavors substantially. Legalizing marijuana will drop crime while enhancing public safety and health.

          6)
          The punishment for possession is cruel and unusual punishment by the government 's own definition, i.e. it is the first step of use and scheduled as the worst. While this is another example of the government "protecting" our safety from our own

          behavior using persecution, it also denies the Bill of Rights. Marijuana should not be scheduled at all. Obvious signs of this is that same inability to define the plant one way or the other. Without this prohibition we will empower personal restraint as

          well as responsible behavior.

          7)
          The gateway drug theory has been time and again disproved with personal behaviors and prohibition being the real culprits. Just as my last point states, personal behavior should not be dictated by law when possibly avoided. Scientific disapproval in

          most cases will point mostly to a few possible factors explaining the true gateway effect. The substance being illegal actually thrusts the individual at the criminal element, the link of harder drug usage could be drawn between other examples of

          comparable numbers, (say cigarettes , alcohol , .. or ice cream), people that have addictive personalities tend to not need a physical addiction to be addicted, and while in jail any individual is far more likely to pick up other criminal habits as well as a

          criminally enabling self image. Ending the war with this plant will drop drug usage, crime, and deny junk science .

          8)
          Current laws are unjustly forcing a prison state - not working - costing us vast amounts of money in lost possible tax revenue, as well as the cost of punishment, enforcement, and propaganda etc. I have personally heard public officials say

          marijuana will kill you. They are corrected and accept the correction. Further stating that they are not aware of any individual that ever died from marijuana use . These employees are on our payroll. They are to be representative of the people.

          Prisons are over populated and it is very expensive work to care for inmates. Year to date, the federal spending for enforcement ends up around $20,000,000,000 , state and local being around $30,000,000,000 , with total drug arrests at 1,743,767 ,

          ones related to marijuana 827,000 , and 10,244 of those imprisoned this year laughs in the face of budget crisis. Combining enforcement budgets and averaging cost comes to $28,674 per arrest , and 47% of the total arrests are for marijuana. Using

          this per arrest average, $23,500,000,000 this year on marijuana arrests. There is a conservative $21,000 a year average for an inmates imprisonment that comes to $215,124,000 added this year alone for marijuana inmates. Considering a 6 year

          average turn over, there is a $1,290,744,000 growing annual bill to be paid. Disregarding any appeals or cases taking several days to complete we can say each court case would easily be more than $3,000 each on average. For a year of court

          cases against the possession of a plant, $2,481,000,000 is spent at least. Taking surface numbers of just enforcement, inmate housing , and court costs alone, comes up to $27,271,744,000 this year.

          Total marijuana prohibition financial costs are far greater than this. Getting rid of the marijuana prohibition can save substantial money, create jobs related to the market, as well as provide tax revenue for real social health programs that successfully

          educate about marijuana, and prevent the horrible atrocities that happen to these non violent people while in jail.

          It bears to mention, above points are not the complete list by far.

          - chmmrxUS December 29, 2009 7:33PM

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          • chmmrx
            Marijuana is the flame, heroin is the fuse, LSD is the bomb

            To those whom are against marijuana - please free your mind of arguments attached to fear mongering, tired old stereotypes, and junk science .

            For those of you that FEEL marijuana use is just not right, you do not want it around, or do not want to deal with it, observe the machine behind your "If it feels good, do it" prohibition policy. They tout, it doesn't have to be about anything other than a

            question of morality, but they also say it is something that should not be left up to the masses to decide. Just who else are they thinking should decide "morality"? One thing is for certain, they want it to be an entity that agrees with them. We the

            people of the United States of America do have the power to decide if we so choose. How dare any group think they will steal that right! Definition of morality is exactly when the masses should decide. Contrary to this double standard angle, they

            also "inform" citizens of inconclusive, out of context, out of date "info facts" from studies they just so happen to accept as valid. Beating the drum, saying let scientific studies decide the matter. Promised lighter sentences if the criminally charged

            agrees to go to drug rehabilitation. Then turn around and reference the amount of people that go through drug rehabilitation as why marijuana should remain illegal , and as proof there is indeed high addiction..... really? Not only does this also fly in the

            face of their morality arguments, it is their common enforced practice to ignore the majority of studies done, and any pro marijuana stance in general. These are not studies or pro marijuana positions by cartoon icons or popular cult imagery as they

            would have you believe. These very real and credible organizations that include, but are not nearly limited to:

            - chmmrxUS December 29, 2009 7:34PM

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            • chmmrx
              Marijuana is the flame, heroin is the fuse, LSD is the bomb

              AIDS Action Council, AIDS Treatment News, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Medical Student Association, American Nurses Association, American Preventive Medical Association, American Public Health Association, American Society of Addiction Medicine, Arthritis Research Campaign (United Kingdom), Australian Medical Association (New South Wales) Limited, Australian National Task Force on Cannabis, Belgian Ministry of Health, British House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology, British House of Lords Select Committee On Science and Technology (Second Report), British Medical Association, Canadian AIDS Society, Canadian Special Senate Committee on Illegal Drugs, Dr. Dean Edell (surgeon and nationally syndicated radio host), French Ministry of Health, Health Canada, Kaiser Permanente, Lymphoma Foundation of America, The Montel Williams MS Foundation, Multiple Sclerosis Society (Canada), The Multiple Sclerosis Society (United Kingdom), National Academy of Sciences Institute Of Medicine (IOM), National Association for Public Health Policy, National Nurses Society on Addictions, Netherlands Ministry of Health, New England Journal of Medicine, New South Wales (Australia) Parliamentary Working Party on the Use of Cannabis for Medical Purposes, Dr. Andrew Weil (nationally recognized professor of internal medicine and founder of the National Integrative Medicine Council), Alaska Nurses Association,
              Being Alive: People With HIV /AIDS Action Committee (San Diego, CA), California Academy of Family Physicians, California Nurses Association, California Pharmacists Association, Colorado Nurses Association, Connecticut Nurses Association, Florida Governor's Red Ribbon Panel on AIDS, Florida Medical Association, Hawaii Nurses Association, Illinois Nurses Association, Life Extension Foundation, Medical Society of the State of New York, Mississippi Nurses Association, New Jersey State Nurses Association, New Mexico Medical Society, New Mexico Nurses Association, New York County Medical Society, New York State Nurses Association, North Carolina Nurses Association, Rhode Island Medical Society, Rhode Island State Nurses Association, San Francisco Mayor's Summit on AIDS and HIV, San Francisco Medical Society, Vermont Medical Marijuana Study Committee, Virginia Nurses Association, Whitman-Walker Clinic (Washington, DC), Wisconsin Nurses Association, AIDS Action Council, AIDS Foundation of Chicago, AIDS National Interfaith Network (Washington, DC), AIDS Project Arizona, AIDS Project Los Angeles, Being Alive: People with HIV/AIDS Action Committee (San Diego, CA), Boulder County AIDS Project (Boulder, CO), Colorado AIDS Project, Center for AIDS Services (Oakland, CA), Health Force: Women and Men Against AIDS (New York, NY), Latino Commission on AIDS, Mobilization Against AIDS (San Francisco, CA), Mothers Voices to End AIDS (New York, NY), National Latina/o Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual And Transgender Association, National Native American AIDS Prevention Center, Northwest AIDS Foundation, People of Color Against AIDS Network (Seattle, WA), San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Whitman-Walker Clinic (Washington, DC), Addiction Treatment Alternatives, AIDS Treatment Initiatives (Atlanta, GA), American Public Health Association, American Preventive Medical Association, Bay Area Physicians for Human Rights (San Francisco, CA), California Legislative Council for Older Americans , California Nurses Association, California Pharmacists Association, Embrace Life (Santa Cruz, CA), Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, Hawaii Nurses Association, Hepatitis C Action and Advisory Coalition, Life Extension Foundation, Maine AIDS Alliance, Minnesota Nurses Association, Mississippi Nurses Association, National Association of People with AIDS, National Association for Public Health Policy, National Women's Health Network, Nebraska AIDS Project, New Mexico Nurses Association, New York City AIDS Housing Network, New York State Nurses Association Ohio Patient Network Okaloosa AIDS Support and Information Services (Fort Walton, FL), Physicians for Social Responsibility - Oregon, San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Virginia Nurses Association, Wisconsin Nurses Association, American Cancer Society, American Medical Association, British Medical Journal, California Medical Association, California Society on Addiction Medicine, Congress of Nursing Practice, Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, Jamaican National Commission on Ganja, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Workshop on the Medical Utility of Marijuana, Texas Medical Association, Vermont Medical Society, and Wisconsin State Medical Society.

              - chmmrxUS December 29, 2009 7:36PM

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              • chmmrx
                Marijuana is the flame, heroin is the fuse, LSD is the bomb

                Enforcement's own chosen studies usually say there is no conclusive evidence for the very same "info fakes" they decide to reference. They understandably leave those parts out. Also, upfront denial of the fact that a doctor is more qualified than enforcement when determining what is the best treatment for a patient if it involves marijuana . Then they turn around and support exponentially more dangerous, pharmaceutical narcotics . Insisting this is fine for even children , if it is a prescribed
                pharmaceutical product. The "If it feels good, do it" acceptance of this complete hypocrisy does not feel so good anymore when looking at our often attacked, delicate, eroding freedoms and future that is at risk.

                In conclusion, there is big money at work - alcohol , textile, oil , enforcement agencies, drug cartels, pharmaceutical companies, etc, all benefit. The rest of us seem to be the pawns who pay . That is unless we speak up and let our voice be heard for change in the current law , and against any individual that would have you believe "A law is a law - it does not matter if it is wrong or right!".

                The latter happens to be against a founding principle of this great country. Stop wasting resources on this plant. Record eradication every year - as well as - record growth and availability. A growing - 72 year - well funded - failing war that will never end. An anti-human rights money pit for something that is far less dangerous than alcohol. - A Great WAR -

                - chmmrxUS December 29, 2009 7:37PM

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  • Clay
    Targeted results

    Besides the failure of the press to correctly report that marijuana wasn't even used in the study,only some of the chemical compounds
    found in marijuana,the whole study was conducted to find harm.
    If the study had been in seaqrch of a medical use for the compounds and the results had indicated that harm had resulted,the results wouldn't be so suspicious.
    Add that to the fact that I haven't found yet where they say how much natural marijuana would be required to achieve the same effects in the baby rats,much less how much marijuana a human teenager would needed to smoke to do the "possible" damage.
    All in all,a very sloppy job of propaganda generating science .
    If you could get the researchers to furnish the information on who paid for this research,it would probably be our own ONDCP or the Canadian equivalent or one of the anti-marijuana industries that
    stand to lose millions if marijuana is removed from schedule 1.

    - ClayUS December 29, 2009 8:24PM

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  • DrWinky
    It is a good study....

    If you are a baby that is injected with a large amount of synthetic THC directly into your bloodstream and then based on whether you like to lick sugar or swim the researchers decide how you feel. And everyone knows that rats and humans are the same in almost every way.

    - DrWinkyUS December 29, 2009 9:51PM

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  • scottportraits1
    Re-Schedule Time Has Come

    After all is said and done, it is time to have Congress re-schedule cannabis as a schedule 2 or 3 'drug'.

    Support Medical Cannabis Access

    Support Leap.cc - Police Against Prohibition

    Support MPP.org - MJ Lobby in Wash, DC

    Barack Obama, January 21, 2004: “The war on drugs has been an utter failure. We need to rethink and decriminalize our marijuana laws…we need to rethink how we’re operating in the drug war . Currently, we are not doing a good job.”

    - scottportraits1US December 29, 2009 9:58PM

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    • Clay
      schedule 0

      It is time to remove marijuana from the drug schedule,period,but removing it from schedule 1 will do,too any other group. The removal from schedule 1 removes the control of all clinical studies for the harmlessness of marijuana,and the medical efficacy from the control of the DEA. The DEA is required to refuse to furnish the marijuana used for the studies,as long as it is schedule 1. And they are the only ones allowed to furnish marijuana for any testing ,as long as it is schedule 1.
      That is why the studies such as the one above are "purchased".
      To keep America thinking that marijuana threatens their children ,when in fact,the reason kids can buy marijuana so easily is because the dealers,which the prohibition created,don't check ID's.
      Isn't it nice of our government to create the problem,maintain the problem at all costs and tell you that they can fix the problem,just by spending more money ?

      - ClayUS December 30, 2009 7:10AM

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