By Harold Heckle, The Associated Press, Feb. 16, 2014
MADRID - A university student in Spain's capital went into a comatose state early Sunday after he ate a birthday cake baked with marijuana, while nine others were also hospitalized, officials said.
The comatose man wasn't responding to stimulus when admitted to a Madrid hospital, but he later recovered, city emergency services spokesman Javier Chivite said. The man was still hospitalized.
It wasn't immediately clear if the pot cake directly led to the man's comatose state, or if he had ingested other substances or had underlying medical problems.
An official at Puerta de Hierro de Majadahonda hospital confirmed the man went into a comatose state, but declined to reveal further details, citing privacy issues. The hospital official spoke on condition of anonymity because she wasn't authorized to be identified by name.
A total of 11 people were affected by eating the cake, Chivite said. Ten of them were hospitalized, the hospital official said. Chivite said they were treated for irregular heartbeat.
Jose Dominguez de Posada, dean of Madrid's Alfonso X University, said the students were all male and aged between 18 and 22 and the most affected was studying veterinary sciences. Dominguez de Posada said the university campus houses about 12,000 students.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/pot-cake-leads-brief-coma-spanish-university-student-175242244.html
16.2.14
27.1.14
"Legalizing marijuana is not the answer"
(a letter published in the Vancouver Sun, Dec. 3, 2013)...
Re: Pot-smoking Mountie illustrates need to change drug laws, Column, Nov. 30
There are overwhelming reasons, evidence, and science against legalization of marijuana.
Taxes on legal marijuana would be offset by higher social, health care, criminal justice costs and lost workplace productivity. We'd have additional road carnage from more dopeaddled drivers. Myriad medical studies show marijuana's toxicity to cells, DNA; its links to schizophrenia and psychosis in some people, memory problems and increased risk of cancer.
Marijuana has all the noxious chemicals contained in tobacco except nicotine. One in 10 users (and one in six among adolescents) develop dependence.
Legalization would send mixed messages to kids about drugs. Displaced pot-pushers and distribution channels would be driven into more deadly designer drugs. There is a race to produce ever-increasing THC content levels. Australia reports THC topping out at 40 per cent, compared with the two-to-four per cent reefer of the 1970s. So let's get real: There will always be some form of marijuana prohibition.
Colorado and Washington face a raft of implementation fears and challenges, including black market price undercutting, while in the Netherlands a judge, provinces and towns have all made rulings against cannabis use in an attempt to contain serious and evolving marijuana industry problems.
Rob Brandreth-Gibbs,
Vancouver
Source: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Legalizing+marijuana+answer/9239899/story.html#ixzz2reeilGph
Re: Pot-smoking Mountie illustrates need to change drug laws, Column, Nov. 30
There are overwhelming reasons, evidence, and science against legalization of marijuana.
Taxes on legal marijuana would be offset by higher social, health care, criminal justice costs and lost workplace productivity. We'd have additional road carnage from more dopeaddled drivers. Myriad medical studies show marijuana's toxicity to cells, DNA; its links to schizophrenia and psychosis in some people, memory problems and increased risk of cancer.
Marijuana has all the noxious chemicals contained in tobacco except nicotine. One in 10 users (and one in six among adolescents) develop dependence.
Legalization would send mixed messages to kids about drugs. Displaced pot-pushers and distribution channels would be driven into more deadly designer drugs. There is a race to produce ever-increasing THC content levels. Australia reports THC topping out at 40 per cent, compared with the two-to-four per cent reefer of the 1970s. So let's get real: There will always be some form of marijuana prohibition.
Colorado and Washington face a raft of implementation fears and challenges, including black market price undercutting, while in the Netherlands a judge, provinces and towns have all made rulings against cannabis use in an attempt to contain serious and evolving marijuana industry problems.
Rob Brandreth-Gibbs,
Vancouver
Source: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Legalizing+marijuana+answer/9239899/story.html#ixzz2reeilGph
Seniors Home Grow-Op Found In New Brunswick
By Kevin Bissett, The Canadian Press Posted: 11/20/2013
FREDERICTON - There needs to be an independent review of inspection policies following the discovery of a marijuana growing operation in the basement of a special care home for seniors in New Brunswick, the province's Opposition Liberals said Wednesday.
The party's social development critic said he finds it difficult to understand how marijuana could be grown undetected in a facility that is subject to inspections and entrusted to care for the elderly.
"Seniors could have been badly injured, or could have died as a result of this," Victor Boudreau said in the legislature Wednesday.
The RCMP say they seized 550 marijuana plants and marijuana growing equipment Friday after a fire erupted at the Forever Young Special Care Home in Clarks Corner. The six residents of the home safely escaped.
Investigators said they believed the fire was related to the marijuana growing operation .......click "Read More" below to continue....
FREDERICTON - There needs to be an independent review of inspection policies following the discovery of a marijuana growing operation in the basement of a special care home for seniors in New Brunswick, the province's Opposition Liberals said Wednesday.
The party's social development critic said he finds it difficult to understand how marijuana could be grown undetected in a facility that is subject to inspections and entrusted to care for the elderly.
"Seniors could have been badly injured, or could have died as a result of this," Victor Boudreau said in the legislature Wednesday.
The RCMP say they seized 550 marijuana plants and marijuana growing equipment Friday after a fire erupted at the Forever Young Special Care Home in Clarks Corner. The six residents of the home safely escaped.
Investigators said they believed the fire was related to the marijuana growing operation .......click "Read More" below to continue....
19.9.13
Endless confirmations about harms of pot
Pot can trigger psychosis in those prone to it: Study
By Shane Gibson, Metronews, Sept. 11, 2013
A national study on pot use and psychosis released by the Schizophrenia Society of Canada (SSC) Tuesday shows the drug can trigger and worsen psychosis in young people already prone to the psychiatric disorder.
The research is part of a SSC project funded by Health Canada aiming to give young people pause to think before lighting their first joint.
“Hopefully it’ll inform kids as to whether or not to use cannabis based on a knowledge of their family’s (mental health) history,” explained SSC’s CEO Chris Summerville. “Does marijuana specifically in and by itself cause a mental illness? No. But does it make your risk greater? Yes.”
Summerville said past research has shown young people who are already vulnerable to psychosis are four to seven times more likely to become ill with a psychotic illness.
The recently completed four-year participatory study, led by Dr. Katherine Boydell at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, saw 28 young people who had both used pot and experienced psychosis chosen as research assistants to lead interviews, focus groups and workshops with 50 other young people with similar experiences with pot and psychosis.
Participants used their experiences to create educational videos that are now on YouTube, and the research was used to create an interactive e-learning component that can be found at cannabisandpsychosis.ca.
http://metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/791129/canadian-study-links-pot-use-and-psychosis-for-those-already-vulnerable/
By Shane Gibson, Metronews, Sept. 11, 2013
A national study on pot use and psychosis released by the Schizophrenia Society of Canada (SSC) Tuesday shows the drug can trigger and worsen psychosis in young people already prone to the psychiatric disorder.
The research is part of a SSC project funded by Health Canada aiming to give young people pause to think before lighting their first joint.
“Hopefully it’ll inform kids as to whether or not to use cannabis based on a knowledge of their family’s (mental health) history,” explained SSC’s CEO Chris Summerville. “Does marijuana specifically in and by itself cause a mental illness? No. But does it make your risk greater? Yes.”Summerville said past research has shown young people who are already vulnerable to psychosis are four to seven times more likely to become ill with a psychotic illness.
The recently completed four-year participatory study, led by Dr. Katherine Boydell at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, saw 28 young people who had both used pot and experienced psychosis chosen as research assistants to lead interviews, focus groups and workshops with 50 other young people with similar experiences with pot and psychosis.
Participants used their experiences to create educational videos that are now on YouTube, and the research was used to create an interactive e-learning component that can be found at cannabisandpsychosis.ca.
http://metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/791129/canadian-study-links-pot-use-and-psychosis-for-those-already-vulnerable/
30.7.13
Politician seduced by potheads, ignores harms of pot
Naomi Lakritz: Pot is a dangerous drug and legalization is a dumb idea, Mr. Trudeau
by Naomi Lakritz, The Province, July 26, 2013
I have lost all respect for Justin Trudeau. Until Thursday, I’d been rooting for him all the way. No more, though. Not since he announced that he thinks marijuana should be legalized.
In advocating for legalization, Trudeau cited the futility of the war on drugs. But this is not about the war on drugs. This is about the impact on everyday life if marijuana were legal. One commenter on the Calagry Herald’s website wondered whether Trudeau is aware of all the social ills that legalization would bring. Indeed. For one thing, if this ever comes to pass, we will add to the carnage caused by drunk drivers more carnage caused by drivers who are stoned.
Nor is it valid to argue that since alcohol is legal, marijuana should be legal, too. Alcohol is out of one’s system in a matter of hours for moderate drinkers. THC, the main ingredient in cannabis, stays in the body for up to 30 days, which means it continues to impair the user that much longer after the first high has worn off. Harvard psychiatry professor Harrison Pope studied marijuana’s long-term effects on cognition. He postulates that one reason for the lengthy period of impairment, is that THC “dissolves in body fat, then slowly percolates into the blood and brain over days and weeks after a joint is smoked,” according to the Harvard Gazette. ...click "Read More" below to continue....
by Naomi Lakritz, The Province, July 26, 2013
I have lost all respect for Justin Trudeau. Until Thursday, I’d been rooting for him all the way. No more, though. Not since he announced that he thinks marijuana should be legalized.
In advocating for legalization, Trudeau cited the futility of the war on drugs. But this is not about the war on drugs. This is about the impact on everyday life if marijuana were legal. One commenter on the Calagry Herald’s website wondered whether Trudeau is aware of all the social ills that legalization would bring. Indeed. For one thing, if this ever comes to pass, we will add to the carnage caused by drunk drivers more carnage caused by drivers who are stoned.
Nor is it valid to argue that since alcohol is legal, marijuana should be legal, too. Alcohol is out of one’s system in a matter of hours for moderate drinkers. THC, the main ingredient in cannabis, stays in the body for up to 30 days, which means it continues to impair the user that much longer after the first high has worn off. Harvard psychiatry professor Harrison Pope studied marijuana’s long-term effects on cognition. He postulates that one reason for the lengthy period of impairment, is that THC “dissolves in body fat, then slowly percolates into the blood and brain over days and weeks after a joint is smoked,” according to the Harvard Gazette. ...click "Read More" below to continue....
30.6.13
Youths who drink or use pot more prone to head injury
Youths who drink or use pot more prone to head injury
School survey reveals effects of drug, alcohol use
By Sharon Kirkey, Postmedia News, June 26, 2013
Alcohol and drugs can damage a teen’s brain in more ways than people think.
A new study has found that youths who said they frequently consume booze or pot were up to five times more likely than abstinent youths to report having suffered at least one traumatic brain injury that left them unconscious for at least five minutes or hospitalized overnight.
Overall, the survey of nearly 9,000 Ontario high school students found that, in general, one in five teens said that they had had a brain injury at some time in their lives. ....click "Read More" below to continue....
School survey reveals effects of drug, alcohol use
By Sharon Kirkey, Postmedia News, June 26, 2013
Alcohol and drugs can damage a teen’s brain in more ways than people think.
A new study has found that youths who said they frequently consume booze or pot were up to five times more likely than abstinent youths to report having suffered at least one traumatic brain injury that left them unconscious for at least five minutes or hospitalized overnight.
Overall, the survey of nearly 9,000 Ontario high school students found that, in general, one in five teens said that they had had a brain injury at some time in their lives. ....click "Read More" below to continue....
24.6.13
Smoking Pot In Teen Years Lowers IQ Later
Tia Ghose, LiveScience Contributor. Date: 27 August 2012
Teens who smoke marijuana see their IQs drop as adults, and deficits persist even after quitting, according to a new study.
"The findings are consistent with speculation that cannabis use in adolescence, when the brain is undergoing critical development, may have neurotoxic effects," study researcher Madeline Meier of Duke University said in a statement.
The study followed 1,037 New Zealand children for 25 years. Subjects took IQ tests at age 13, before any of them had smoked marijuana, and again at age 38. Throughout the study, participants also answered several surveys about their drug use....click "Read More" below to continue....
Teens who smoke marijuana see their IQs drop as adults, and deficits persist even after quitting, according to a new study.
"The findings are consistent with speculation that cannabis use in adolescence, when the brain is undergoing critical development, may have neurotoxic effects," study researcher Madeline Meier of Duke University said in a statement.
The study followed 1,037 New Zealand children for 25 years. Subjects took IQ tests at age 13, before any of them had smoked marijuana, and again at age 38. Throughout the study, participants also answered several surveys about their drug use....click "Read More" below to continue....
Chronic Cannabis Use May Cause Brain Inflammation
By Rachael Rettner, LiveScience Senior Writer, LiveScience.com – June 23, 2013
Chronic marijuana use may cause inflammation in the brain that leads to problems with coordination and learning, a new study in animals suggests.
The study also teased out why this brain inflammation leads to motor and learning problems, and found a surprising answer — cannabis activates immune cells that appear to play a critical role in how a brain region called the cerebellum works....click "Read More" below to continue....
Chronic marijuana use may cause inflammation in the brain that leads to problems with coordination and learning, a new study in animals suggests.
The study also teased out why this brain inflammation leads to motor and learning problems, and found a surprising answer — cannabis activates immune cells that appear to play a critical role in how a brain region called the cerebellum works....click "Read More" below to continue....
Parents can help kids stay away from drugs
Published: June 24, 2013
Drs. Oz & Roizen's Tip of the Day:
The list of movies aimed at kids that show (supposedly) loveable stars who use drugs is long and well-known: There's "Cheech and Chong," "Harold & Kumar" and the entire "Hangover" series.
Helping teens stay away from recreational drugs is a big job and one that, unfortunately, some parents don't feel they're up to or don't feel they have the clout to make a difference.
That's info from a new survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration after talking with more than 67,000 Americans over the age of 12.
The upshot: 22 percent of parents don't think what they say about drug use will change how their children act.
But research shows that nothing could be further from the truth. Among kids who feel their parents strongly disapprove of marijuana use, only 5 percent are willing to risk it; but more than 30 percent of kids whose parents don't make their anti-drug message clear are willing to experiment with pot.
Mom and Dad, you are the health guides in all areas - from drugs to doughnuts to sleep.
When you don't just talk the talk, but walk the walk (we love families who get walking together, aiming for 10,000 steps a day), you are amazingly influential.
So gather your kids around (even those teenagers), plan a family meal, schedule regular family walks and set aside time for conversations about the importance of a healthful lifestyle for better grades, higher self-esteem and a brighter future.
Mehmet Oz, M.D., is host of "The Dr. Oz Show," and Mike Roizen, M.D., is chief medical officer at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. To live your healthiest, visit sharecare.com. Distributed by King Features Syndicate.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/2013/06/24/2629040/parents-can-help-kids-stay-away.html#storylink=cpy
Drs. Oz & Roizen's Tip of the Day:
The list of movies aimed at kids that show (supposedly) loveable stars who use drugs is long and well-known: There's "Cheech and Chong," "Harold & Kumar" and the entire "Hangover" series.
Helping teens stay away from recreational drugs is a big job and one that, unfortunately, some parents don't feel they're up to or don't feel they have the clout to make a difference.
That's info from a new survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration after talking with more than 67,000 Americans over the age of 12.
The upshot: 22 percent of parents don't think what they say about drug use will change how their children act.
But research shows that nothing could be further from the truth. Among kids who feel their parents strongly disapprove of marijuana use, only 5 percent are willing to risk it; but more than 30 percent of kids whose parents don't make their anti-drug message clear are willing to experiment with pot.
Mom and Dad, you are the health guides in all areas - from drugs to doughnuts to sleep.
When you don't just talk the talk, but walk the walk (we love families who get walking together, aiming for 10,000 steps a day), you are amazingly influential.
So gather your kids around (even those teenagers), plan a family meal, schedule regular family walks and set aside time for conversations about the importance of a healthful lifestyle for better grades, higher self-esteem and a brighter future.
Mehmet Oz, M.D., is host of "The Dr. Oz Show," and Mike Roizen, M.D., is chief medical officer at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. To live your healthiest, visit sharecare.com. Distributed by King Features Syndicate.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/2013/06/24/2629040/parents-can-help-kids-stay-away.html#storylink=cpy
14.6.13
"Medical marijuana" bypasses evidence requirements for drugs
Ottawa tables final rules for medical marijuana
OTTAWA – After two years of study and discussion, the federal government has finalized new rules for medical marijuana and granted a reprieve to pharmacists who opposed the rules in their draft form.
Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq rolled out the regulations today for formal publication in the Canada Gazette on Wednesday.
Under the new regime, the government will no longer produce or distribute medical pot and medical marijuana users will no longer be allowed to grow the product at home.
Health Canada said since the medical marijuana program was introduced in 2001, it has expanded to 30,000 people from the original 500 authorized to use the product.
“This rapid increase has had unintended consequences for public health, safety and security as a result of allowing individuals to produce marijuana in their homes,” the department said in a news release ....click "Read More" below to continue....
"Physicians and pharmacists alike questioned the regulatory changes,
saying there is little evidence that medical marijuana is either
effective or safe."
By Staff, The Canadian Press, June 10, 2013, 12:39 pm OTTAWA – After two years of study and discussion, the federal government has finalized new rules for medical marijuana and granted a reprieve to pharmacists who opposed the rules in their draft form.
Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq rolled out the regulations today for formal publication in the Canada Gazette on Wednesday.
Under the new regime, the government will no longer produce or distribute medical pot and medical marijuana users will no longer be allowed to grow the product at home.
Health Canada said since the medical marijuana program was introduced in 2001, it has expanded to 30,000 people from the original 500 authorized to use the product.
“This rapid increase has had unintended consequences for public health, safety and security as a result of allowing individuals to produce marijuana in their homes,” the department said in a news release ....click "Read More" below to continue....
10.6.13
Stoned equipment operator killed six
Equipment operator accused of being high on pot before deadly Philly building collapse turns self in
By Maryclaire Dale, Michael Rubinkam and Kathy Matheson, The Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA — A heavy equipment operator accused of being high on marijuana when a downtown building collapsed onto a thrift store, killing six people, turned himself in on Saturday to face charges in the deaths, police said.
A warrant had been issued for the arrest of Sean Benschop on six counts of involuntary manslaughter, 13 counts of recklessly endangering another person and one count of risking a catastrophe.
Authorities believe the 42-year-old Benschop had been using an excavator Wednesday when the remains of the four-storey building gave way and toppled onto an attached Salvation Army thrift store, killing two employees and four customers and injuring 13 others.
Deputy Mayor Everett Gillison told The Associated Press on Friday evening that a toxicology report showed evidence that Benschop was high on marijuana. That finding, combined with witness statements and evidence from the scene, led to the decision Friday to raid his North Philadelphia home and later seek an arrest warrant, he said.....click "Read More" below to continue....
By Maryclaire Dale, Michael Rubinkam and Kathy Matheson, The Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA — A heavy equipment operator accused of being high on marijuana when a downtown building collapsed onto a thrift store, killing six people, turned himself in on Saturday to face charges in the deaths, police said.
A warrant had been issued for the arrest of Sean Benschop on six counts of involuntary manslaughter, 13 counts of recklessly endangering another person and one count of risking a catastrophe.
Authorities believe the 42-year-old Benschop had been using an excavator Wednesday when the remains of the four-storey building gave way and toppled onto an attached Salvation Army thrift store, killing two employees and four customers and injuring 13 others.
Deputy Mayor Everett Gillison told The Associated Press on Friday evening that a toxicology report showed evidence that Benschop was high on marijuana. That finding, combined with witness statements and evidence from the scene, led to the decision Friday to raid his North Philadelphia home and later seek an arrest warrant, he said.....click "Read More" below to continue....
31.5.13
Even smokeless pot is harmful
Beware the brownies: Study blames lax drug laws as marijuana-laced snacks sending children to hospital
Tom Spears, Postmedia News, May 30, 2013
OTTAWA — Relaxed marijuana laws in Colorado have had a side-effect no one saw coming: Children are getting into the wrong kind of brownies.
Also the wrong kind of cookies, candies and soft drinks. And they’re ending up in hospital.
A pediatrician has compared the number of young children treated at the Children’s Hospital Colorado emergency department for ingesting marijuana before and after the loosening of Colorado’s drug laws in 2009. Before 2009 there were none. Since then the hospital has seen 14.
Worse, doctors often don’t think of checking young children for drug consumption, so they order all kinds of tests and miss the real cause....click "Read More" below to continue....
Tom Spears, Postmedia News, May 30, 2013
OTTAWA — Relaxed marijuana laws in Colorado have had a side-effect no one saw coming: Children are getting into the wrong kind of brownies.
Also the wrong kind of cookies, candies and soft drinks. And they’re ending up in hospital.
A pediatrician has compared the number of young children treated at the Children’s Hospital Colorado emergency department for ingesting marijuana before and after the loosening of Colorado’s drug laws in 2009. Before 2009 there were none. Since then the hospital has seen 14.
Worse, doctors often don’t think of checking young children for drug consumption, so they order all kinds of tests and miss the real cause....click "Read More" below to continue....
24.5.13
Amanda Bynes whacked on pot
Amanda Bynes taken away in handcuffs wearing bizarre wig after 'throwing bong out window of high rise apartment during marijuana arrest'
By Daily Mail Reporter, 24 May 2013
Amanda Bynes was taken away by police in handcuffs after being arrested for reckless endangerment after allegedly throwing a foot-long bong out of the window of her 36th floor New York apartment.
The incident came after police arrived to speak to the troubled actress about her alleged marijuana use on Thursday night.
She was then taken to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation before being booked at the police station for criminal of possession of marijuana, reckless endangerment and tampering with evidence.... click "Read More" below to continue....
By Daily Mail Reporter, 24 May 2013
Amanda Bynes was taken away by police in handcuffs after being arrested for reckless endangerment after allegedly throwing a foot-long bong out of the window of her 36th floor New York apartment.
The incident came after police arrived to speak to the troubled actress about her alleged marijuana use on Thursday night.
She was then taken to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation before being booked at the police station for criminal of possession of marijuana, reckless endangerment and tampering with evidence.... click "Read More" below to continue....
14.5.13
Cigarettes and pot feed each other
Cigarettes Are a Gateway Drug, Say Scientists
By Elise Sol̩, Shine Staff | Healthy Living РMay 8, 2013
Most teens roll their eyes at the idea that any drug can be a "gateway" to more serious stimulants, but new data presented Sunday at the Pediatric Academic Societies' annual meeting found that teens who smoke cigarettes are 23 times more likely to smoke marijuana compared to those who don't use tobacco.
Researchers from Seattle Children's Research Institute and the University of Washington randomly chose 315 incoming college freshmen from two universities (one in the Midwest and another in the Northwest) and asked if they smoked cigarettes or marijuana, then asked them the same question after the school year ended.
"We were surprised by the two outcomes," says study author Megan Moreno, MD, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington. "First, teens who smoked cigarettes coming into their freshman year were 23 times more likely to smoke marijuana later that year. And second, kids who smoke both cigarettes and marijuana smoke cigarettes more frequently than those who only use tobacco.".....click "Read More" below to continue.....
By Elise Sol̩, Shine Staff | Healthy Living РMay 8, 2013
Most teens roll their eyes at the idea that any drug can be a "gateway" to more serious stimulants, but new data presented Sunday at the Pediatric Academic Societies' annual meeting found that teens who smoke cigarettes are 23 times more likely to smoke marijuana compared to those who don't use tobacco.
Researchers from Seattle Children's Research Institute and the University of Washington randomly chose 315 incoming college freshmen from two universities (one in the Midwest and another in the Northwest) and asked if they smoked cigarettes or marijuana, then asked them the same question after the school year ended.
"We were surprised by the two outcomes," says study author Megan Moreno, MD, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington. "First, teens who smoked cigarettes coming into their freshman year were 23 times more likely to smoke marijuana later that year. And second, kids who smoke both cigarettes and marijuana smoke cigarettes more frequently than those who only use tobacco.".....click "Read More" below to continue.....
27.4.13
Pot is not a "recreational" drug
“There are toxins in cannabis smoke that are carcinogens and that accelerate heart disease. Smoked cannabis is addicting, unsafe during pregnancy and especially dangerous for young people, in terms of triggering psychosis, depression and mood disorders.”
- Dr. Meldon Kahan, medical director of the Substance Use Service at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto
23.3.13
Bad weather, pilot's weed use cause of fatal northern crash: board
By Bob Weber, The Canadian Press, March 20, 2013
EDMONTON - The investigation into a deadly northern plane crash has found it was caused by a combination of marginal weather and the pilot's marijuana use.
The pilot and one passenger were killed when the Air Tindi plane went down near a community on the east arm of Great Slave Lake in October 2011.
A Transportation Safety Board investigation found the weather that day was rainy and overcast with poor visibility.
"The aircraft was flown at low altitude into an area of low forward visibility, which prevented the pilot from seeing and avoiding terrain," the investigation concludes. "Weather during the accident flight was marginal for (visual flight rules) flight."
The Cessna 208B Caravan did not have electronic aids such as a terrain awareness and warning system or terrain-warning GPS. But it was fully equipped for instrument flying and the pilot and the company were qualified in such navigation.
"Flying under (instrument flight rules) would have provided a margin of safety given the weather conditions," the board wrote. "It could not be determined why the pilot chose to fly under (visual flight rules)."
The report also found the pilot was flying over Great Slave Lake beyond the gliding distance of his airplane.
There was another issue as well.
"Toxicology testing revealed that concentrations of cannabinoids found in the pilot's bloodstream were sufficient to have impaired pilot performance and decision-making during the flight."
Those concentrations were "considerably greater" than levels that impaired pilot performance in flight simulator tests, the report says.....click "Read More" below...
EDMONTON - The investigation into a deadly northern plane crash has found it was caused by a combination of marginal weather and the pilot's marijuana use.
The pilot and one passenger were killed when the Air Tindi plane went down near a community on the east arm of Great Slave Lake in October 2011.
A Transportation Safety Board investigation found the weather that day was rainy and overcast with poor visibility.
"The aircraft was flown at low altitude into an area of low forward visibility, which prevented the pilot from seeing and avoiding terrain," the investigation concludes. "Weather during the accident flight was marginal for (visual flight rules) flight."
The Cessna 208B Caravan did not have electronic aids such as a terrain awareness and warning system or terrain-warning GPS. But it was fully equipped for instrument flying and the pilot and the company were qualified in such navigation.
"Flying under (instrument flight rules) would have provided a margin of safety given the weather conditions," the board wrote. "It could not be determined why the pilot chose to fly under (visual flight rules)."
The report also found the pilot was flying over Great Slave Lake beyond the gliding distance of his airplane.
There was another issue as well.
"Toxicology testing revealed that concentrations of cannabinoids found in the pilot's bloodstream were sufficient to have impaired pilot performance and decision-making during the flight."
Those concentrations were "considerably greater" than levels that impaired pilot performance in flight simulator tests, the report says.....click "Read More" below...
22.2.13
Addictive pot damages the young's mental health
PARENT TRAPS: Offer stress management alternatives to pot
A teenager's accelerating marijuana use has become an issue for a concerned parent
By Michele Kambolis, family therapist, February 4, 2013
I have a 17-year-old daughter who attends a university prep school and she’s feeling stressed out by applying to university, keeping her grades up and maintaining her current level of involvement in her competitive sport. I know she has experimented with marijuana (which is something that I would expect) but I’m concerned that she now “blazes” on a regular basis, occasionally even before school. I’m now becoming concerned that she may be damaging her health, not to mention the possibility of her being arrested and how that would impact her future as well. What should I do?
-- Anxious in Abbotsford
MICHELE KAMBOLIS SAYS
Pot, weed, B.C. bud — whatever teens are calling it, the effects are harmful and your concerns are justified.
In this case, your daughter looks to have acquired the habit as a means to contend with stress and anxiety.
Start by front-loading her with other ways to tackle her stress — a yoga class, relaxation exercises and CBT (cognitive behaviour therapy) workbooks can go a long way to teaching coping skills to replace self medicating with pot.
Then, outline the effects. It’ll be of no surprise to her that her “blazing” will cause short-term difficulty in thinking and problem solving, impaired memory and learning, loss of coordination and distorted perception. The longer users toke up, the worse their memories and attention spans; it affects immune and respiratory systems and is associated with anxiety and/or panic attacks in 20-30 per cent of recreational users.
While the risk of becoming dependent on pot is relatively low compared to other drugs, withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, stomach pains and sleeping difficulty go hand in hand with kicking the habit. So, when and if your daughter decides to quit, watch for these symptoms and reassure her that they’ll go away in time. In the meantime, encourage and focus on long-term anxiety reduction tools to help her butt out.
Source:
http://www.vancouversun.com/life/PARENT+TRAPS+Offer+stress+management+alternatives/7917361/story.html#ixzz2Lc37hLeA
A teenager's accelerating marijuana use has become an issue for a concerned parent
By Michele Kambolis, family therapist, February 4, 2013
I have a 17-year-old daughter who attends a university prep school and she’s feeling stressed out by applying to university, keeping her grades up and maintaining her current level of involvement in her competitive sport. I know she has experimented with marijuana (which is something that I would expect) but I’m concerned that she now “blazes” on a regular basis, occasionally even before school. I’m now becoming concerned that she may be damaging her health, not to mention the possibility of her being arrested and how that would impact her future as well. What should I do?
-- Anxious in Abbotsford
MICHELE KAMBOLIS SAYS
Pot, weed, B.C. bud — whatever teens are calling it, the effects are harmful and your concerns are justified.
In this case, your daughter looks to have acquired the habit as a means to contend with stress and anxiety.
Start by front-loading her with other ways to tackle her stress — a yoga class, relaxation exercises and CBT (cognitive behaviour therapy) workbooks can go a long way to teaching coping skills to replace self medicating with pot.
Then, outline the effects. It’ll be of no surprise to her that her “blazing” will cause short-term difficulty in thinking and problem solving, impaired memory and learning, loss of coordination and distorted perception. The longer users toke up, the worse their memories and attention spans; it affects immune and respiratory systems and is associated with anxiety and/or panic attacks in 20-30 per cent of recreational users.
While the risk of becoming dependent on pot is relatively low compared to other drugs, withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, stomach pains and sleeping difficulty go hand in hand with kicking the habit. So, when and if your daughter decides to quit, watch for these symptoms and reassure her that they’ll go away in time. In the meantime, encourage and focus on long-term anxiety reduction tools to help her butt out.
Source:
http://www.vancouversun.com/life/PARENT+TRAPS+Offer+stress+management+alternatives/7917361/story.html#ixzz2Lc37hLeA
28.1.13
Well-said letters about harms of pot
Below are three letters printed in the opinion section of a newspaper:
Three votes against legal pot
Re: Follow In America’s Footsteps, Jan. 21.
The article fails to disclose the truth about the dangers of marijuana and the consequences of legalizing it. To merely “tax and regulate cannabis” does not stop the violence associated with the drug trade, but opens the door to even higher levels of crime and violence as it does not stop the profit motivation of drug traffickers.
In 2010, the U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that 51.8% of Americans used alcohol, 27.4% used tobacco and 8.9% used illicit drugs. The same high figures for alcohol and tobacco use will also apply to marijuana, if legalized.
There is a wide disparity between tax revenue received from alcohol and tobacco sales and the health costs caused by their use. It results in greater economic and social costs to society because of the increased health care and enforcement, as well as loss of productivity in the workplace. The article also overlooks the dark side of marijuana use. It is a mood-altering drug capable of producing dependency. Adverse effects have been documented in terms of memory, learning, behaviour and functioning.
C. Gwendolyn Landolt, national vice-president, REAL Women of Canada, Ottawa.
.......................................
Pursuing a “progressive drug policy” (i.e., legalizing marijuana) is all well and good, but there is a downside.
Last Sunday, I was out for my weekly hockey game when someone in the neighbourhood decided to light up. Those of us on the ball hockey court paid the price, as I was coughing and choking, and felt a bit headachy. And this is while pot is still technically illegal. What happens after legalization? I’m all for freedom, but other people’s freedom to smoke should, I think, stop at the tip of my nose. Secondhand tobacco smoke is bad enough, but pot smoke? Who will protect us from this?
Sheldon Goldfarb, Vancouver.
.....................................
Those who support the decriminalization/legalization of marijuana claim that the “war on drugs” has been an abject failure, but has it been? Are there more or less people smoking up today as a result of said war? We can’t know. The real question is: Will I be inhaling more or less second hand pot at the bus shelter after prohibition is lifted? The answer seems rather obvious. And after pot, then what? The one thing that is certain, in both politics and a society’s slide into moral decadence, is that one thing invariably leads to another.
Jeff Willerton, Airdrie, Alta.
Source:
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2013/01/23/todays-letters-when-hunting-the-taliban-go-ugly-early/
Three votes against legal pot
Re: Follow In America’s Footsteps, Jan. 21.
The article fails to disclose the truth about the dangers of marijuana and the consequences of legalizing it. To merely “tax and regulate cannabis” does not stop the violence associated with the drug trade, but opens the door to even higher levels of crime and violence as it does not stop the profit motivation of drug traffickers.
In 2010, the U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that 51.8% of Americans used alcohol, 27.4% used tobacco and 8.9% used illicit drugs. The same high figures for alcohol and tobacco use will also apply to marijuana, if legalized.
There is a wide disparity between tax revenue received from alcohol and tobacco sales and the health costs caused by their use. It results in greater economic and social costs to society because of the increased health care and enforcement, as well as loss of productivity in the workplace. The article also overlooks the dark side of marijuana use. It is a mood-altering drug capable of producing dependency. Adverse effects have been documented in terms of memory, learning, behaviour and functioning.
C. Gwendolyn Landolt, national vice-president, REAL Women of Canada, Ottawa.
.......................................
Pursuing a “progressive drug policy” (i.e., legalizing marijuana) is all well and good, but there is a downside.
Last Sunday, I was out for my weekly hockey game when someone in the neighbourhood decided to light up. Those of us on the ball hockey court paid the price, as I was coughing and choking, and felt a bit headachy. And this is while pot is still technically illegal. What happens after legalization? I’m all for freedom, but other people’s freedom to smoke should, I think, stop at the tip of my nose. Secondhand tobacco smoke is bad enough, but pot smoke? Who will protect us from this?
Sheldon Goldfarb, Vancouver.
.....................................
Those who support the decriminalization/legalization of marijuana claim that the “war on drugs” has been an abject failure, but has it been? Are there more or less people smoking up today as a result of said war? We can’t know. The real question is: Will I be inhaling more or less second hand pot at the bus shelter after prohibition is lifted? The answer seems rather obvious. And after pot, then what? The one thing that is certain, in both politics and a society’s slide into moral decadence, is that one thing invariably leads to another.
Jeff Willerton, Airdrie, Alta.
Source:
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2013/01/23/todays-letters-when-hunting-the-taliban-go-ugly-early/
26.1.13
Marijuana's effect on brain doubled
Marijuana's effect on brain doubled, study indicates Second type of cells affected, too, Ottawa researcher says
By Tom Spears, Ottawa Citizen
Marijuana impairs the brain by acting on two types of brain cell at once, a new Ottawa study shows.
And the implication, the lead researcher says, is that there's another side to the brain that neuroscientists hadn't realized.
For the past century, the accepted theory was that marijuana acted on neurons to impair working memory. Working memory is the system of holding on to information so that the brain can think about it and make decisions without being distracted. For instance, it allows a person to drive a car, listen to the radio, think about what will happen at the end of the car ride and watch for pedestrians all at once.
Marijuana impairs working memory, an effect that can last for a day or more after heavy pot-smoking.....click "Read More" below....
By Tom Spears, Ottawa Citizen
Marijuana impairs the brain by acting on two types of brain cell at once, a new Ottawa study shows.
And the implication, the lead researcher says, is that there's another side to the brain that neuroscientists hadn't realized.
For the past century, the accepted theory was that marijuana acted on neurons to impair working memory. Working memory is the system of holding on to information so that the brain can think about it and make decisions without being distracted. For instance, it allows a person to drive a car, listen to the radio, think about what will happen at the end of the car ride and watch for pedestrians all at once.
Marijuana impairs working memory, an effect that can last for a day or more after heavy pot-smoking.....click "Read More" below....
24.1.13
Pot opponents regroup following Wash., Colo. votes
By GENE JOHNSON, Associated Press, 01/09/2013
SEATTLE—Kevin Sabet, a former White House drug policy adviser and an outspoken opponent of legalizing marijuana, watched with dismay last fall as voters in Washington and Colorado did just that.
But the next day he got a call from former Democratic U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, who has struggled with alcohol and drug addiction. The son of late Sen. Ted Kennedy was worried that the votes sent the wrong message about marijuana.
"The level of his concern impressed me," Sabet recalled. "He said, 'We have to do something that is not falling into this false dichotomy of prohibition versus legalization.'"
So began the regrouping of the anti-pot lobby, an effort which on Thursday launches a new organization, Project SAM, for "smart approaches to marijuana." Kennedy is the chairman, and other board members include Sabet and David Frum, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush.
"Our country is about to go down the wrong road, in the opposite direction of sound mental health policy," Kennedy said. "It's just shocking as a public health issue that we seem to be looking the other way as this legalization of marijuana becomes really glamorous." .....click "Read More" below...
SEATTLE—Kevin Sabet, a former White House drug policy adviser and an outspoken opponent of legalizing marijuana, watched with dismay last fall as voters in Washington and Colorado did just that.
But the next day he got a call from former Democratic U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, who has struggled with alcohol and drug addiction. The son of late Sen. Ted Kennedy was worried that the votes sent the wrong message about marijuana.
"The level of his concern impressed me," Sabet recalled. "He said, 'We have to do something that is not falling into this false dichotomy of prohibition versus legalization.'"
So began the regrouping of the anti-pot lobby, an effort which on Thursday launches a new organization, Project SAM, for "smart approaches to marijuana." Kennedy is the chairman, and other board members include Sabet and David Frum, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush.
"Our country is about to go down the wrong road, in the opposite direction of sound mental health policy," Kennedy said. "It's just shocking as a public health issue that we seem to be looking the other way as this legalization of marijuana becomes really glamorous." .....click "Read More" below...
26.12.12
Teens brainwashed by pro-pot propaganda of "harmless pot"
Teens' views on dangers of pot fall to 20-year low
By HOPE YEN, Associated Press, 12/19/12
WASHINGTON -- Teenagers' perception of the dangers of marijuana has fallen to the lowest level in more than 20 years, a new study says, prompting federal researchers to warn that already high use of the drug could increase as more states move to legalize it.
The annual survey released Wednesday by the National Institutes of Health found that only 41.7 percent of eighth graders believe that occasional use of marijuana is harmful, while 66.9 percent regard it as dangerous when used regularly. Both rates are the lowest since 1991, when the government first began tracking this age group.
Teens' perception of marijuana risks diminished even more as they got older. About 20.6 percent of 12th graders said that occasional use of pot is harmful. Roughly 44.1 percent believed that its regular use was detrimental, the lowest rate since 1979.
The government-sponsored study said teens' dwindling concerns about the dangers of marijuana, despite the risks, "can signal future increases in use.".....click "Read More" below...
By HOPE YEN, Associated Press, 12/19/12
WASHINGTON -- Teenagers' perception of the dangers of marijuana has fallen to the lowest level in more than 20 years, a new study says, prompting federal researchers to warn that already high use of the drug could increase as more states move to legalize it.
The annual survey released Wednesday by the National Institutes of Health found that only 41.7 percent of eighth graders believe that occasional use of marijuana is harmful, while 66.9 percent regard it as dangerous when used regularly. Both rates are the lowest since 1991, when the government first began tracking this age group.
Teens' perception of marijuana risks diminished even more as they got older. About 20.6 percent of 12th graders said that occasional use of pot is harmful. Roughly 44.1 percent believed that its regular use was detrimental, the lowest rate since 1979.
The government-sponsored study said teens' dwindling concerns about the dangers of marijuana, despite the risks, "can signal future increases in use.".....click "Read More" below...
More and more deaths expected from drug-DUI
MADD Canada report calls for drug testing at roadside checks
Nearly 40 per cent of drivers between the ages of 15-24 report driving under the influence of cannabis, study finds
By Zoe McKnight, Vancouver Sun, December 25, 2012
Mothers Against Drunk Driving are calling on police officers to perform saliva tests at roadside checks, in an effort to combat driving under the influence of drugs as well as alcohol.
A recent report by two Western University law professors, prepared for MADD Canada, says drug-impaired driving is catching up to alcohol impairment, and may be even more common than drinking and driving among young people.
Since 2008, the Criminal Code has allowed for police officers to conduct a standardized field sobriety test (SFST) for physical impairment, but the report’s authors criticized the practice as being “cumbersome, expensive and readily susceptible to legal challenge ... It is therefore likely that drug-impaired driving is, and will continue to be, dramatically under-enforced in Canada.”
Erika Chamberlain and Robert Solomon argue in their paper Drug Impaired Driving in Canada: Review and Recommendations, released this fall, that enforcement would be more practical and effective if drivers were tested using saliva tests, administered like a breathalyzer, and recommends the creation of maximum limits for commonly used drugs in Canada.
According to the MADD report, young people are more likely to smoke up and drive than drink and drive.
Nearly 40 per cent of drivers between the ages of 15-24 report driving under the influence of cannabis, compared to 21 per cent of drivers the same age who report driving after drinking, as reported in the national Canadian Addiction Survey.
“It’s surprising that so many young people are driving after drug use,” Chamberlain said.
“This generation has been told about the dangers of drinking and driving for a long time, and that they understand,” she said, adding young people may not understand the risks associated with drug-impaired driving, and are also well aware that Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (R.I.D.E.) programs of random roadside checks do not typically test for drug use.
Among all drivers, the percentage of drivers who reported driving after using drugs went up from 1.5 per cent in 2002 to 2.9 in 2006, and in B.C., 7.2 per cent of drivers during a 2010 roadside survey tested positive for drugs other than alcohol. In comparison one in 10 drivers tested positive for alcohol and 1.8 per cent had a blood-alcohol level above B.C.’s legal limit of .05 per cent.
Sgt. Randy Fincham of the Vancouver Police said this holiday season, officers have busted three alcohol-impaired drivers for every one driver under the influence of drugs. Officers rely on field sobriety tests and do have officers trained as Drug Recognition Experts.
“The consequences for being found operating a motor vehicle while being impaired by drugs is the same as it is for alcohol, including charges of refusal, impaired and the administration of roadside suspensions, as well as criminal and civil liability in the event that someone is hurt as a result of the impairment,” he said.
A breath test or drug evaluation using blood, urine or saliva takes place at the station.
In a news release from Western University, Chamberlain said a saliva test would likely be challenged under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
In 2010, 915 people were charged with drug-impaired driving, just 1.4 per cent of the 65,183 charges laid for alcohol impairment.
Source: http://tinyurl.com/cx8znqc
Nearly 40 per cent of drivers between the ages of 15-24 report driving under the influence of cannabis, study finds
By Zoe McKnight, Vancouver Sun, December 25, 2012
Mothers Against Drunk Driving are calling on police officers to perform saliva tests at roadside checks, in an effort to combat driving under the influence of drugs as well as alcohol.
A recent report by two Western University law professors, prepared for MADD Canada, says drug-impaired driving is catching up to alcohol impairment, and may be even more common than drinking and driving among young people.
Since 2008, the Criminal Code has allowed for police officers to conduct a standardized field sobriety test (SFST) for physical impairment, but the report’s authors criticized the practice as being “cumbersome, expensive and readily susceptible to legal challenge ... It is therefore likely that drug-impaired driving is, and will continue to be, dramatically under-enforced in Canada.”
Erika Chamberlain and Robert Solomon argue in their paper Drug Impaired Driving in Canada: Review and Recommendations, released this fall, that enforcement would be more practical and effective if drivers were tested using saliva tests, administered like a breathalyzer, and recommends the creation of maximum limits for commonly used drugs in Canada.
According to the MADD report, young people are more likely to smoke up and drive than drink and drive.
Nearly 40 per cent of drivers between the ages of 15-24 report driving under the influence of cannabis, compared to 21 per cent of drivers the same age who report driving after drinking, as reported in the national Canadian Addiction Survey.
“It’s surprising that so many young people are driving after drug use,” Chamberlain said.
“This generation has been told about the dangers of drinking and driving for a long time, and that they understand,” she said, adding young people may not understand the risks associated with drug-impaired driving, and are also well aware that Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (R.I.D.E.) programs of random roadside checks do not typically test for drug use.
Among all drivers, the percentage of drivers who reported driving after using drugs went up from 1.5 per cent in 2002 to 2.9 in 2006, and in B.C., 7.2 per cent of drivers during a 2010 roadside survey tested positive for drugs other than alcohol. In comparison one in 10 drivers tested positive for alcohol and 1.8 per cent had a blood-alcohol level above B.C.’s legal limit of .05 per cent.
Sgt. Randy Fincham of the Vancouver Police said this holiday season, officers have busted three alcohol-impaired drivers for every one driver under the influence of drugs. Officers rely on field sobriety tests and do have officers trained as Drug Recognition Experts.
“The consequences for being found operating a motor vehicle while being impaired by drugs is the same as it is for alcohol, including charges of refusal, impaired and the administration of roadside suspensions, as well as criminal and civil liability in the event that someone is hurt as a result of the impairment,” he said.
A breath test or drug evaluation using blood, urine or saliva takes place at the station.
In a news release from Western University, Chamberlain said a saliva test would likely be challenged under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
In 2010, 915 people were charged with drug-impaired driving, just 1.4 per cent of the 65,183 charges laid for alcohol impairment.
Source: http://tinyurl.com/cx8znqc
11.12.12
University Of Colorado (at Boulder) Students Accused of Sickening Professor and Classmates with Pot Brownies
Reuters--By Keith Coffman,12/09/2012
BOULDER, Colo, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Two University of Colorado at Boulder students are accused of bringing marijuana-laced brownies to a college class, sickening their unsuspecting professor and five classmates, police said on Sunday.
Thomas Cunningham, 21, and Mary Essa, 19, were arrested Saturday on suspicion of second-degree assault, fraudulently inducing the consumption of a controlled substance and conspiracy charges, university police spokesman Ryan Huff said.
Huff said three of those who ate the brownies were hospitalized, suffering from the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active property in marijuana.....click "Read More" below ...
BOULDER, Colo, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Two University of Colorado at Boulder students are accused of bringing marijuana-laced brownies to a college class, sickening their unsuspecting professor and five classmates, police said on Sunday.
Thomas Cunningham, 21, and Mary Essa, 19, were arrested Saturday on suspicion of second-degree assault, fraudulently inducing the consumption of a controlled substance and conspiracy charges, university police spokesman Ryan Huff said.
Huff said three of those who ate the brownies were hospitalized, suffering from the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active property in marijuana.....click "Read More" below ...
26.11.12
Marijuana is harmless? Are we blinded by a smoke screen?
Marijuana is harmless? Are we blinded by a smoke screen?
ROBERT EVERETT-GREEN, The Globe and Mail, Nov. 22, 2012
We used to fear Mary Jane, then we laughed about her, and now many of us think she’s downright wholesome. Marijuana’s public image has undergone a stunning transformation since the scare-mongering of Reefer Madness and the dope comedies of Cheech and Chong, but many doctors believe that weed’s rehabilitation as a virtual wonder drug may be distracting us from its real health dangers.
It seems that plenty of people have bought the idea that marijuana is a harmless herb, or better. Stories proclaiming the benefits of “medical marijuana” – for ailments as varied as arthritis, MS, glaucoma and Alzheimer’s – abound in mainstream media like International Business Times, and at patient support sites such as Livestrong.org. Voters in Washington and Colorado recently approved measures to begin legalizing pot, and a reinvigorated movement in B.C. is pushing for similar changes. A poll in the summer showed that two-thirds of Canadians are okay with decriminalizing weed for personal use.
Pot supporters promote its supposed benefits at big trade shows like the Treating Yourself Expo, which celebrated its third annual edition in May in Toronto. Doctors aren’t nearly so well mobilized on the issue, but many say the health risks of smoking marijuana are more extensive and better understood than ever before...
ROBERT EVERETT-GREEN, The Globe and Mail, Nov. 22, 2012
We used to fear Mary Jane, then we laughed about her, and now many of us think she’s downright wholesome. Marijuana’s public image has undergone a stunning transformation since the scare-mongering of Reefer Madness and the dope comedies of Cheech and Chong, but many doctors believe that weed’s rehabilitation as a virtual wonder drug may be distracting us from its real health dangers.
It seems that plenty of people have bought the idea that marijuana is a harmless herb, or better. Stories proclaiming the benefits of “medical marijuana” – for ailments as varied as arthritis, MS, glaucoma and Alzheimer’s – abound in mainstream media like International Business Times, and at patient support sites such as Livestrong.org. Voters in Washington and Colorado recently approved measures to begin legalizing pot, and a reinvigorated movement in B.C. is pushing for similar changes. A poll in the summer showed that two-thirds of Canadians are okay with decriminalizing weed for personal use.
Pot supporters promote its supposed benefits at big trade shows like the Treating Yourself Expo, which celebrated its third annual edition in May in Toronto. Doctors aren’t nearly so well mobilized on the issue, but many say the health risks of smoking marijuana are more extensive and better understood than ever before...
Smoking 'rots' brain, says King's College study
Smoking 'rots' brain, says King's College study
BBC, 25 November, 2012
Smoking "rots" the brain by damaging memory, learning and reasoning, according to researchers at King's College London.
A study of 8,800 people over 50 showed high blood pressure and being overweight also seemed to affect the brain, but to a lesser extent.
Scientists involved said people needed to be aware that lifestyles could damage the mind as well as the body.
Their study was published in the journal Age and Ageing.
Researchers at King's were investigating links between the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke and the state of the brain...
BBC, 25 November, 2012
Smoking "rots" the brain by damaging memory, learning and reasoning, according to researchers at King's College London.
A study of 8,800 people over 50 showed high blood pressure and being overweight also seemed to affect the brain, but to a lesser extent.
Scientists involved said people needed to be aware that lifestyles could damage the mind as well as the body.
Their study was published in the journal Age and Ageing.
Researchers at King's were investigating links between the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke and the state of the brain...
Marijuana -- also harmful externally
House arrest for man who blew himself up in Edmonton-area house while making hashish
By Tony Blais, Edmonton Sun, November 19, 2012
An Ontario man who is lucky to be alive after blowing himself up while making hash at a rural home west of Edmonton was put under house arrest Monday.
Scott Koncir-Squires, 24, was given a two-year conditional sentence to be served in the community after pleading guilty in Court of Queen’s Bench to producing a controlled substance and arson causing damage to property.
Federal prosecutor Melina Rawluk told court Koncir-Squires “caused an explosion” while using butane to convert marijuana into hash at a rented home in Parkland County in January 2011.
Rawluk said police responded to the home and seized 500 grams of hash and 200 grams of marijuana.
Court heard the explosion lifted the roof off of the home and resulted in Koncir-Squires being in hospital in critical condition with burns to 70 percent of his body.....
By Tony Blais, Edmonton Sun, November 19, 2012
An Ontario man who is lucky to be alive after blowing himself up while making hash at a rural home west of Edmonton was put under house arrest Monday.
Scott Koncir-Squires, 24, was given a two-year conditional sentence to be served in the community after pleading guilty in Court of Queen’s Bench to producing a controlled substance and arson causing damage to property.
Federal prosecutor Melina Rawluk told court Koncir-Squires “caused an explosion” while using butane to convert marijuana into hash at a rented home in Parkland County in January 2011.
Rawluk said police responded to the home and seized 500 grams of hash and 200 grams of marijuana.
Court heard the explosion lifted the roof off of the home and resulted in Koncir-Squires being in hospital in critical condition with burns to 70 percent of his body.....
6.10.12
Enough of pro-pot's same old tired arguments
(Below was a letter appearing in a newspaper on Oct. 1, 2012)
Potent marijuana is a danger to society
Vancouver Sun, October 1, 2012
Re: Municipal leaders take pot decriminalization to a vote, Sept. 25
It's a naive argument to say marijuana legalization would cause the drug's dealers, and their associated crime, to largely disappear. Common sense will tell you that these "entrepreneurs" will instead merely begin pushing other more potent drugs to make themselves their desperate buck.
The Netherlands was largely free of international drug-trafficking criminals when it began innocently trying to decriminalize personal-use pot.
Now it is the illegal drug capitol of Europe, producing a frightening array of designer drugs that requires its own "war" fought by a specialized police force.
Amsterdam has recently banned foreign cannabis tour-ism. The Netherlands', or any other country's marijuana social experiment is nothing we need to duplicate.
Pot continues to evolve into anything but a soft drug with THC content rising above 25 per cent from the 1970s' two to four per cent. When does marijuana become a "hard" drug? Does anyone really believe "safe, recreational" marijuana has no THC upper limit?
And maybe it's a little-known fact that marijuana contains the same myriad poisonous chemicals that cigarettes have, except nicotine.
Every year we see new peer-reviewed studies highlighting marijuana's dangers. The list is long. Examples: Canada's Maerten study proves marijuana smoke is toxic to cells and DNA (compared to cigarette smoke). An Australian study shows marijuana may speed or even cause psychosis in some people. California has identified marijuana smoke as cancer-causing after reviewing 30 studies. Who would vote for legalization after seeing these? Who would vote for marijuana even if they believed the jury is still out on the question of public safety?
The alcohol-induced carnage on our streets is plenty enough. We do not need even more fuzzy-headed people motoring near our families. Maybe some-day marijuana inebriation will be as detectable by the police as is alcohol.
Think of the enormous effort it has taken to turn our society against smoking tobacco. Smoking used to be cool. Smoking is now banned at my daughter's high school, as it should be. Classrooms are awash in anti-smoking posters. Imagine the mixed-messages and challenges cannabis legalization would bring. Not to mention even more first-and second-hand smoke.
It was recently announced that a medical marijuana has been developed without the high. Miraculous healings to follow.
Marijuana intoxication remains serious stuff. I say we at least wait and see how all the scientific and social revelations play out before we decide to open Pandora's stash bag.
Rob Brandreth-Gibbs, North Vancouver
http://www.vancouversun.com/Potent+marijuana+danger+society/7323838/story.html#ixzz28Z2zDU7p
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Here is another letter from Rob Brandreth-Gibbs published on
Oct. 10, 2012 in the Vancouver Sun): ....click "Read More" below to continue....
Potent marijuana is a danger to society
Vancouver Sun, October 1, 2012
Re: Municipal leaders take pot decriminalization to a vote, Sept. 25
It's a naive argument to say marijuana legalization would cause the drug's dealers, and their associated crime, to largely disappear. Common sense will tell you that these "entrepreneurs" will instead merely begin pushing other more potent drugs to make themselves their desperate buck.
The Netherlands was largely free of international drug-trafficking criminals when it began innocently trying to decriminalize personal-use pot.
Now it is the illegal drug capitol of Europe, producing a frightening array of designer drugs that requires its own "war" fought by a specialized police force.
Amsterdam has recently banned foreign cannabis tour-ism. The Netherlands', or any other country's marijuana social experiment is nothing we need to duplicate.
Pot continues to evolve into anything but a soft drug with THC content rising above 25 per cent from the 1970s' two to four per cent. When does marijuana become a "hard" drug? Does anyone really believe "safe, recreational" marijuana has no THC upper limit?
And maybe it's a little-known fact that marijuana contains the same myriad poisonous chemicals that cigarettes have, except nicotine.
Every year we see new peer-reviewed studies highlighting marijuana's dangers. The list is long. Examples: Canada's Maerten study proves marijuana smoke is toxic to cells and DNA (compared to cigarette smoke). An Australian study shows marijuana may speed or even cause psychosis in some people. California has identified marijuana smoke as cancer-causing after reviewing 30 studies. Who would vote for legalization after seeing these? Who would vote for marijuana even if they believed the jury is still out on the question of public safety?
The alcohol-induced carnage on our streets is plenty enough. We do not need even more fuzzy-headed people motoring near our families. Maybe some-day marijuana inebriation will be as detectable by the police as is alcohol.
Think of the enormous effort it has taken to turn our society against smoking tobacco. Smoking used to be cool. Smoking is now banned at my daughter's high school, as it should be. Classrooms are awash in anti-smoking posters. Imagine the mixed-messages and challenges cannabis legalization would bring. Not to mention even more first-and second-hand smoke.
It was recently announced that a medical marijuana has been developed without the high. Miraculous healings to follow.
Marijuana intoxication remains serious stuff. I say we at least wait and see how all the scientific and social revelations play out before we decide to open Pandora's stash bag.
Rob Brandreth-Gibbs, North Vancouver
http://www.vancouversun.com/Potent+marijuana+danger+society/7323838/story.html#ixzz28Z2zDU7p
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Here is another letter from Rob Brandreth-Gibbs published on
Oct. 10, 2012 in the Vancouver Sun): ....click "Read More" below to continue....
28.9.12
Tenants have had it with smokes from cigarettes and marijuana
Smoking banned in 42-storey Vancouver condo tower
Dozens of strata members at Vancouver’s tallest all-residential tower hooted and hollered after a motion passed Tuesday outlawing smoking in any of the building’s 237 units.
Roughly 70 strata members of the 42-storey Melville building in the city’s tony Coal Harbour neighbourhood voted to fine residents caught smoking, while about nine opposed the bylaw.
“When it passed the room came alive,” said Dwight Wamboldt, a 65-year-old who has lived in the building with his wife, Tanya, since its construction in 2007. “We’ve been fighting this for years and finally last night we got it passed with a majority three-quarters vote.
“This kind of thing throughout the city is just long overdue, in particular when it affects other people’s health.”
The Wamboldts said they had registered dozens of complaints to building management over the years due to the intrusive cigarette and marijuana smoke that filters into their unit...
Offenders face penalty, after first offence, of up to $200 for smoking in any of the building’s 237 units
By Mike Hager, Vancouver Sun, September 27, 2012Dozens of strata members at Vancouver’s tallest all-residential tower hooted and hollered after a motion passed Tuesday outlawing smoking in any of the building’s 237 units.
Roughly 70 strata members of the 42-storey Melville building in the city’s tony Coal Harbour neighbourhood voted to fine residents caught smoking, while about nine opposed the bylaw.
“When it passed the room came alive,” said Dwight Wamboldt, a 65-year-old who has lived in the building with his wife, Tanya, since its construction in 2007. “We’ve been fighting this for years and finally last night we got it passed with a majority three-quarters vote.
“This kind of thing throughout the city is just long overdue, in particular when it affects other people’s health.”
The Wamboldts said they had registered dozens of complaints to building management over the years due to the intrusive cigarette and marijuana smoke that filters into their unit...
16.9.12
Pot smoking tied to testicular cancer
By Frederik Joelving, Reuters, Sep. 10, 2012
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A small government-backed study strengthens the link between recreational marijuana use and testicular cancer in young men, U.S. researchers said Monday.
They found people who said they had used the drug were twice as likely to have been diagnosed with the disease as were never-users. The link appeared to be specific to a type of tumor known as nonseminoma.
"This is the third study consistently demonstrating a greater than doubling of risk of this particularly undesirable subtype of testicular cancer among young men with marijuana use," said Victoria Cortessis of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, who led the work.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A small government-backed study strengthens the link between recreational marijuana use and testicular cancer in young men, U.S. researchers said Monday.
They found people who said they had used the drug were twice as likely to have been diagnosed with the disease as were never-users. The link appeared to be specific to a type of tumor known as nonseminoma.
"This is the third study consistently demonstrating a greater than doubling of risk of this particularly undesirable subtype of testicular cancer among young men with marijuana use," said Victoria Cortessis of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, who led the work.
28.6.12
Marijuana worsens mental conditions of people with mental issues
Medical Examiner: Causeway Cannibal Not High On Bath Salts (only marijuana)
CBS, June 27, 2012 11:08 PM
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Rudy Eugene, the Causeway Cannibal who ate the face off a homeless man he attacked along the MacArthur Causeway, was apparently not high on bath salts or any other exotic street drug at the time of the attack, according to a report released Wednesday by the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner.
The news leaves law enforcement officials wondering what drove Eugene to strip off his clothes, attack homeless man Ronald Poppo, and chew off pieces of flesh from Poppo’s face.
Speculation about the cause of Eugene’s rampage on Poppo’s face centered on drugs, specifically bath salts, after police union officials claimed an increase in bizarre behavior among people on the street using such drugs.
The much-anticipated toxicology report released by Miami-Dade Medical Examiner Dr. Bruce Hyma found marijuana in Eugene’s system, something CBS4 News had previously reported, but no evidence of any other street drugs, alcohol or prescription drugs, or any adulterants found in street drugs.
The report said this includes cocaine, LSD, amphetamines (Ecstasy, Meth and others), phencyclidine (PCP or Angel Dust), heroin, oxycodone, Xanax, synthetic marijuana (Spice), and many other similar compounds.
Hyma’s office specifically ruled out bath salts, a class of synthetic drugs that have been known to cause bizarre behavior and overheating of people who use them, two things that made some believe Eugene’s cannibalistic behavior could be blamed on the drugs.
“The department has also sought the assistance of an outside forensic toxicology reference laboratory, which has confirmed the absence of “bath salts,” synthetic marijuana and LSD,” the report said.
“Within the limits of current technology by both laboratories, marijuana is the only drug identified in the body of Mr. Rudy Eugene.”
The news from the medical examiner sends investigators back to square one as they look for what caused Eugene’s bizarre behavior.
A girlfriend and a friend who had seen Eugene hours before the attack said he had used marijuana, but had seen him use no other drug before traveling to the Urban Beach Weekend on Miami Beach the morning of the attack.
Eugene abandoned his car on the beach and walked back to Miami on the MacArthur Causeway, stripping off his clothes during the three-mile trip, and at one point he was spotted swinging from a lamp post.
Once on the Miami side of the causeway, he encountered Poppo where the MiamiMover crosses the causeway, in view of security cameras atop the Miami Herald building. Those cameras detailed how the naked cannibal attacked the much older Poppo, knocked him to the ground, and stripped him of his clothing.
Once overcome, Eugene chewed flesh from Poppo’s face, but a later autopsy report found he did not actually eat it.
A police officer was called to the scene by people who spotted the bizarre attack. He tried to intervene but was forced to shoot, killing Eugene and apparently striking the badly wounded Poppo.
Poppo, who was taken to Ryder Trauma Center, survived the attack but has no memory of it. His face was virtually destroyed but doctors say much of it can be repaired.
Eugene’s family and friends say they are clueless about why he attacked Poppo, claiming the former high school football player and car wash employee had never shown such violent tendencies. Many believed drugs were to blame, but with Wednesday’s report the search has begun for a new cause for one of South Florida’s most bizarre crimes.
http://miami.cbslocal.com/2012/06/27/medical-examiner-causeway-cannibal-not-high-on-bath-salts/
Related news:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/327517
http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/27/us/florida-cannibal-attack/index.html
Related news:
CBS, June 27, 2012 11:08 PM
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Rudy Eugene, the Causeway Cannibal who ate the face off a homeless man he attacked along the MacArthur Causeway, was apparently not high on bath salts or any other exotic street drug at the time of the attack, according to a report released Wednesday by the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner.
The news leaves law enforcement officials wondering what drove Eugene to strip off his clothes, attack homeless man Ronald Poppo, and chew off pieces of flesh from Poppo’s face.
Speculation about the cause of Eugene’s rampage on Poppo’s face centered on drugs, specifically bath salts, after police union officials claimed an increase in bizarre behavior among people on the street using such drugs.
The much-anticipated toxicology report released by Miami-Dade Medical Examiner Dr. Bruce Hyma found marijuana in Eugene’s system, something CBS4 News had previously reported, but no evidence of any other street drugs, alcohol or prescription drugs, or any adulterants found in street drugs.
The report said this includes cocaine, LSD, amphetamines (Ecstasy, Meth and others), phencyclidine (PCP or Angel Dust), heroin, oxycodone, Xanax, synthetic marijuana (Spice), and many other similar compounds.
Hyma’s office specifically ruled out bath salts, a class of synthetic drugs that have been known to cause bizarre behavior and overheating of people who use them, two things that made some believe Eugene’s cannibalistic behavior could be blamed on the drugs.
“The department has also sought the assistance of an outside forensic toxicology reference laboratory, which has confirmed the absence of “bath salts,” synthetic marijuana and LSD,” the report said.
“Within the limits of current technology by both laboratories, marijuana is the only drug identified in the body of Mr. Rudy Eugene.”
The news from the medical examiner sends investigators back to square one as they look for what caused Eugene’s bizarre behavior.
A girlfriend and a friend who had seen Eugene hours before the attack said he had used marijuana, but had seen him use no other drug before traveling to the Urban Beach Weekend on Miami Beach the morning of the attack.
Eugene abandoned his car on the beach and walked back to Miami on the MacArthur Causeway, stripping off his clothes during the three-mile trip, and at one point he was spotted swinging from a lamp post.
Once on the Miami side of the causeway, he encountered Poppo where the MiamiMover crosses the causeway, in view of security cameras atop the Miami Herald building. Those cameras detailed how the naked cannibal attacked the much older Poppo, knocked him to the ground, and stripped him of his clothing.
Once overcome, Eugene chewed flesh from Poppo’s face, but a later autopsy report found he did not actually eat it.
A police officer was called to the scene by people who spotted the bizarre attack. He tried to intervene but was forced to shoot, killing Eugene and apparently striking the badly wounded Poppo.
Poppo, who was taken to Ryder Trauma Center, survived the attack but has no memory of it. His face was virtually destroyed but doctors say much of it can be repaired.
Eugene’s family and friends say they are clueless about why he attacked Poppo, claiming the former high school football player and car wash employee had never shown such violent tendencies. Many believed drugs were to blame, but with Wednesday’s report the search has begun for a new cause for one of South Florida’s most bizarre crimes.
http://miami.cbslocal.com/2012/06/27/medical-examiner-causeway-cannibal-not-high-on-bath-salts/
Related news:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/327517
http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/27/us/florida-cannibal-attack/index.html
Related news:
21.6.12
Ex-wife accuses snowboard champ Ross Rebagliati of smoking pot around son
By Susan Lazaruk, Postmedia News, June 20, 2012
VANCOUVER - The snow is being sprayed during divorce proceedings between the world`s first snowboarding Olympic gold medallist Ross Rebagliati and the mother of their toddler, with allegations of marijuana use in front of the child (him) and displays of courtroom histrionics (her).
Alexandra Rebagliati, 33, a Kelowna real estate agent, has accused Rebagliati -- who was briefly stripped of his 1998 Winter Olympics gold medal after famously testing positive for marijuana after the race -- of smoking pot around their three-year-old son, of whom they share custody according to an interim agreement.
Alexandra said in a filed affidavit that after the court ordered Ross not to use illegal drugs while caring for their son, the boy came home from his father`s mimicking Ross` smoking by holding his fist to his mouth and saying, ``Look, Mommy, I smoking,'' according to an online report.
Alexandra says Ross ``smokes marijuana on a daily basis'' and that it affects his mental thinking and ``presents a negative role model for the child,'' according to the custody agreement...
VANCOUVER - The snow is being sprayed during divorce proceedings between the world`s first snowboarding Olympic gold medallist Ross Rebagliati and the mother of their toddler, with allegations of marijuana use in front of the child (him) and displays of courtroom histrionics (her).
Alexandra Rebagliati, 33, a Kelowna real estate agent, has accused Rebagliati -- who was briefly stripped of his 1998 Winter Olympics gold medal after famously testing positive for marijuana after the race -- of smoking pot around their three-year-old son, of whom they share custody according to an interim agreement.
Alexandra said in a filed affidavit that after the court ordered Ross not to use illegal drugs while caring for their son, the boy came home from his father`s mimicking Ross` smoking by holding his fist to his mouth and saying, ``Look, Mommy, I smoking,'' according to an online report.
Alexandra says Ross ``smokes marijuana on a daily basis'' and that it affects his mental thinking and ``presents a negative role model for the child,'' according to the custody agreement...
14.6.12
Columnist is deep on harms of pot---but superficial on pro-legalization
Casual attitude toward pot could be lethal
New study highlights ill-effects of marijuana use
By Jon Ferry, The Province, June 13, 2012
Last month I agreed with Vancouver pot activist Marc Emery that we needed to end drug prohibition in North America, if only because I couldn't imagine legalizing and regulating drugs would create more misery than banning them.
I also said I didn't view pot as harmless as drug crusaders like Emery, currently serving five years in a Mississippi jail on a marijuana rap, would have you believe.
Now, a major new report by the British Lung Foundation, based on a raft of medical studies, supports my view.
It warns that smoking marijuana is not only hazardous to the lungs, it can also cause everything from tuberculosis to Legionnaires' disease. It says there's stronger evidence than ever linking it to lung cancer...
New study highlights ill-effects of marijuana use
By Jon Ferry, The Province, June 13, 2012
Last month I agreed with Vancouver pot activist Marc Emery that we needed to end drug prohibition in North America, if only because I couldn't imagine legalizing and regulating drugs would create more misery than banning them.
I also said I didn't view pot as harmless as drug crusaders like Emery, currently serving five years in a Mississippi jail on a marijuana rap, would have you believe.
Now, a major new report by the British Lung Foundation, based on a raft of medical studies, supports my view.
It warns that smoking marijuana is not only hazardous to the lungs, it can also cause everything from tuberculosis to Legionnaires' disease. It says there's stronger evidence than ever linking it to lung cancer...
26.2.12
Driving Under The Influence Of Marijuana - 1 In 5 Teens Have Done It
23 Feb 2012, by Christian Nordqvist, MNT
19% of teenagers in the USA say they have driven a car while under the influence of marijuana, compared to 13% who say they have driven after consuming alcohol, according to a new report issued by SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and commissioned by Liberty Mutual Insurance. The authors added that marijuana use among 12-graders is at its highest level in three decades.
36% of teenagers believe that consuming marijuana has no negative effects on driving skills - this is a myth. Surprisingly, 19% of teenagers believe that consuming alcohol does not undermine driving safety...
19% of teenagers in the USA say they have driven a car while under the influence of marijuana, compared to 13% who say they have driven after consuming alcohol, according to a new report issued by SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and commissioned by Liberty Mutual Insurance. The authors added that marijuana use among 12-graders is at its highest level in three decades.
36% of teenagers believe that consuming marijuana has no negative effects on driving skills - this is a myth. Surprisingly, 19% of teenagers believe that consuming alcohol does not undermine driving safety...
17.2.12
Big Tobacco praying hard for pot legalization
(Letters published in the Globe and Mail newspaper, Feb. 17, 2012)
Blowing a joint
Gary Mason suggests that legalizing marijuana will produce policy complexities (Legalize Weed, Yes, But The Demon’s In The Details – Feb. 16). Here are just a few: 1) Marijuana makes people with some mental illnesses more prone to psychosis. How will we protect vulnerable people from this harm?; 2) Marijuana smoke is as damaging to physical health as tobacco smoke; 3) Because raw marijuana has been accepted as a “medication,” anti-smoking regulations must be strengthened so they can be applied even to those who claim they are taking medication; 4) Legal marijuana will become a gift worth billions to Big Tobacco. The industry will devote its vast resources to obfuscating research on health effects, resisting regulation, targeting youth and maximizing marijuana’s addictive qualities; 5) Roadside tests must be developed to detect and prosecute drivers impaired by marijuana.
We need careful preparation before we jump on this bandwagon.
Judith Anderson, Burnaby, B.C.
-------------------------
Re Paul McCartney Quits Smoking Pot To Be A Better Parent (Feb. 16): Maybe Sir Paul is just trying to get back to where he once belonged.
Douglas Cornish, Ottawa
Blowing a joint
Gary Mason suggests that legalizing marijuana will produce policy complexities (Legalize Weed, Yes, But The Demon’s In The Details – Feb. 16). Here are just a few: 1) Marijuana makes people with some mental illnesses more prone to psychosis. How will we protect vulnerable people from this harm?; 2) Marijuana smoke is as damaging to physical health as tobacco smoke; 3) Because raw marijuana has been accepted as a “medication,” anti-smoking regulations must be strengthened so they can be applied even to those who claim they are taking medication; 4) Legal marijuana will become a gift worth billions to Big Tobacco. The industry will devote its vast resources to obfuscating research on health effects, resisting regulation, targeting youth and maximizing marijuana’s addictive qualities; 5) Roadside tests must be developed to detect and prosecute drivers impaired by marijuana.
We need careful preparation before we jump on this bandwagon.
Judith Anderson, Burnaby, B.C.
-------------------------
Re Paul McCartney Quits Smoking Pot To Be A Better Parent (Feb. 16): Maybe Sir Paul is just trying to get back to where he once belonged.
Douglas Cornish, Ottawa
16.2.12
Paul McCartney quits smoking pot for daughter
'I smoked my share,' former Beatle tells magazineCBC News, Posted: Feb 16, 2012
Sir Paul McCartney has reportedly canned his cannabis habit to be a better parent.
The former Beatle, who has spoken openly in the past about experimenting with harder drugs including cocaine and heroin, told Rolling Stone magazine in a recent interview he stopped smoking marijuana for the sake of his eight-year-old daughter, Beatrice.
"I smoked my share. When you're bringing up a youngster, your sense of responsibility does kick in, if you're lucky, at some point," he told the magazine.
Beatrice is McCartney's daughter from his second marriage, with ex-wife Heather Mills. He has four other children.
McCartney, 69, is currently married to American trucking heiress Nancy Shevell.
The rock legend's appreciation for pot has been well known for decades.
In 1980, he was arrested in Tokyo and deported while on tour with his band Wings, after customs officers there found nearly half a pound of marijuana in his baggage.
Mills claimed McCartney would smoke joints as often as people would drink cups of tea during their divorce proceedings.
The new Rolling Stone interview shows an apparent change of heart.
"Enough's enough — you just don't seem to think it's necessary," he said.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/offbeat/story/2012/02/16/mccartney-quits-pot.html
Related news:
Paul McCartney quits smoking pot to be a better parent
15.2.12
"Harmless pot" propaganda crash again
Weed Doubles the Risk of Causing Serious and Fatal Car Crashes
Cannabis twice as likely to cause road smash, British Medical Journal (BMJ) finds
Pot smoking doubles risk of crash: study
( It is clear that pro-pot advocates, addicts and legalization supporters are willing to accept many INEVITABLE, ADDITIONAL deaths from vehicle accidents due to pot use--as a PRICE of legalization--in order to satisfy the pot cravings of some. It's just "collateral damage". No big deal. Pot smokers' happiness is much more important than a few thousand additional accident deaths per year in the future due to pot legalization)
Cannabis twice as likely to cause road smash, British Medical Journal (BMJ) finds
Pot smoking doubles risk of crash: study
( It is clear that pro-pot advocates, addicts and legalization supporters are willing to accept many INEVITABLE, ADDITIONAL deaths from vehicle accidents due to pot use--as a PRICE of legalization--in order to satisfy the pot cravings of some. It's just "collateral damage". No big deal. Pot smokers' happiness is much more important than a few thousand additional accident deaths per year in the future due to pot legalization)
More stoned-driving news
The latest threat on the road: stoned drivers
michael kesterton, Globe and Mail, Jul. 05, 2011
Driving while stoned
“It was his green tongue that helped give away Jimmy Candido Flores when police arrived at the fatal accident scene near Chico [Calif.],” reports the Los Angeles Times. “Flores had run off the road and killed a jogger, Carrie Jean Holiman, a 56-year-old Chico elementary school teacher. California Highway Patrol officers thought he might be impaired and conducted a sobriety examination. Flores’s tongue had a green coat typical of heavy marijuana users and a later test showed he had pot, as well as other drugs, in his blood. After pleading guilty to manslaughter, Flores, a medical marijuana user, was sentenced in February to 10 years and eight months in prison. Holliman’s death and others like it across the nation hint at what experts say is an unrecognized crisis: stoned drivers.”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/facts-and-arguments/social-studies/the-latest-threat-on-the-road-stoned-drivers/article2087398/
michael kesterton, Globe and Mail, Jul. 05, 2011
Driving while stoned
“It was his green tongue that helped give away Jimmy Candido Flores when police arrived at the fatal accident scene near Chico [Calif.],” reports the Los Angeles Times. “Flores had run off the road and killed a jogger, Carrie Jean Holiman, a 56-year-old Chico elementary school teacher. California Highway Patrol officers thought he might be impaired and conducted a sobriety examination. Flores’s tongue had a green coat typical of heavy marijuana users and a later test showed he had pot, as well as other drugs, in his blood. After pleading guilty to manslaughter, Flores, a medical marijuana user, was sentenced in February to 10 years and eight months in prison. Holliman’s death and others like it across the nation hint at what experts say is an unrecognized crisis: stoned drivers.”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/facts-and-arguments/social-studies/the-latest-threat-on-the-road-stoned-drivers/article2087398/
14.2.12
Why this city is the most drug-addicted in the world
Although the article below has nothing to do with pot, it is important in revealing why Vancouver is the most hard drug-addicted city in the whole world---drug liberalism carried to the most extreme...
Vancouver pro-drug lobby doesn’t deserve taxpayer dollars
VANDU gets $250,000 from province, $20,000 from city hall
By Mark Hasiuk, Vancouver Courier, February 13, 2012
Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
That’s how much Vancouver Coastal Health, your public health authority, gave VANDU, the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, last year. This year, according to VCH officials, VANDU will receive another $250,000 from taxpayers, continuing a provincial funding scheme established in 1999.
Most Vancouverites don’t know VANDU. Headquartered in a brick building at 380 East Hastings in the Downtown Eastside, it’s a non-profit hangout conforming to neighbourhood drug culture. Folks gather outside on the sidewalk and inside the lobby. Traffic seems to have increased since December when VANDU began distributing free crack pipes to addicts, part of a VCH crack pipe giveaway. But mainly, thanks to longtime leader Ann Livingston, VANDU exists for activism...
22.12.11
4 horsemen of drug apocalyse at it again -- not satisfied with first disaster
(This letter appeared in the Letter section of a newspaper):
National Post · Dec. 21, 2011
The former mayors of Vancouver advocating for decriminalizing the gateway drug cannabis is ludicrous. It was largely because of their permissiveness and leniency that Vancouver's Downtown Eastside turned into the nightmare that it is today. Continuing down this path would be asinine.
Seattle, a city comparable in weather and socio-economic climate, does not have the same problem with open drug use simply because it is not tolerated. New York cleaned up its decaying core in the 1980s by cracking down on drug use, not by some hare-brained scheme of decriminalization.
The constant reference to "the war on drugs" is also getting tiresome. The struggle to keep drugs off the streets is more like a constant battle, similar to those society wages with any other illegal, undesirable activity.
Jeffrey Hay, Ladner, B.C.
http://www.nationalpost.com/Keep+drugs+going/5890195/story.html
National Post · Dec. 21, 2011
The former mayors of Vancouver advocating for decriminalizing the gateway drug cannabis is ludicrous. It was largely because of their permissiveness and leniency that Vancouver's Downtown Eastside turned into the nightmare that it is today. Continuing down this path would be asinine.
Seattle, a city comparable in weather and socio-economic climate, does not have the same problem with open drug use simply because it is not tolerated. New York cleaned up its decaying core in the 1980s by cracking down on drug use, not by some hare-brained scheme of decriminalization.
The constant reference to "the war on drugs" is also getting tiresome. The struggle to keep drugs off the streets is more like a constant battle, similar to those society wages with any other illegal, undesirable activity.
Jeffrey Hay, Ladner, B.C.
http://www.nationalpost.com/Keep+drugs+going/5890195/story.html
15.12.11
Dutch gov't cracks down on pot
Dutch pot sales to foreigners go up in smoke
AMSTERDAM | Thu Dec 15, 2011 2:31pm EST
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The reputation of the Netherlands as the go-to country for a legal joint will begin to vanish like a puff of smoke next year as sales to foreigners of cannabis and hashish in coffee shops are banned.
The Dutch government has been clamping down on the sale of soft drugs since 2007 because of gang-related crime and concern about the risk to health, particularly as stronger forms of cannabis have been introduced.
AMSTERDAM | Thu Dec 15, 2011 2:31pm EST
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The reputation of the Netherlands as the go-to country for a legal joint will begin to vanish like a puff of smoke next year as sales to foreigners of cannabis and hashish in coffee shops are banned.
The Dutch government has been clamping down on the sale of soft drugs since 2007 because of gang-related crime and concern about the risk to health, particularly as stronger forms of cannabis have been introduced.
8.12.11
4 has-been former mayors want to export drug miseries to other cities
The push for legalized pot just dopey
Brian Hutchinson, National Post · Dec. 7, 2011
What is it about Vancouver and its determination to make pot smoking a regular activity, like drinking coffee? This is a city where construction workers are occasionally seen standing in circles, sharing a morning toke. Nothing like getting ripped before setting to work on a dangerous building site. Such as the one two blocks from the office tower where I work. But hey, it's just grass.
Brian Hutchinson, National Post · Dec. 7, 2011
What is it about Vancouver and its determination to make pot smoking a regular activity, like drinking coffee? This is a city where construction workers are occasionally seen standing in circles, sharing a morning toke. Nothing like getting ripped before setting to work on a dangerous building site. Such as the one two blocks from the office tower where I work. But hey, it's just grass.
4.12.11
Neuroscientist strongly against pot; lost three colleagues to it
(A letter in The Province, Nov. 29, 2011 • Section: Opinion)
The pot pushing club of Vancouver mayors has now reached four. British Columbians should firmly reject their entreaties to legalize marijuana.
They wish to enhance its availability on the grounds that it will bring revenue to the city and is harmless. Just say no. It is not a harmless agent. Our brain research laboratory at UBC published a series of papers in the 1970s specifically demonstrating brain damage from cannabis. I was invited to testify before a U.S. congressional committee on our findings. Three of my scientists ignored those findings. As marijuana users, they became incapable of designing and executing experiments. They were the only three I have lost in more than 50 years of managing young neuroscientists.
I have never been able to understand why anybody would be so foolish as to monkey with the biochemistry of their most precious organ, their brain.
Drug addiction is contagious. One user seduces another. As Vancouver mayors have found, Vancouver has a terrible problem dealing with the wasted lives of the addicted community. But that problem will soon spread to drug-free communities in this province and across Canada if the mayors’ advice is followed.
Criminals make money by addicting the foolish. It may be too late for the older generation who think exposure to marijuana is fine, but the younger generation could eliminate the problem.
Just say no to marijuana and no to being surrounded by users. They create nothing but problems for themselves and others.
Dr. Patrick McGeer, University of B.C.
http://blogs.theprovince.com/2011/11/29/province-letters-title-goes-here/
The pot pushing club of Vancouver mayors has now reached four. British Columbians should firmly reject their entreaties to legalize marijuana.
They wish to enhance its availability on the grounds that it will bring revenue to the city and is harmless. Just say no. It is not a harmless agent. Our brain research laboratory at UBC published a series of papers in the 1970s specifically demonstrating brain damage from cannabis. I was invited to testify before a U.S. congressional committee on our findings. Three of my scientists ignored those findings. As marijuana users, they became incapable of designing and executing experiments. They were the only three I have lost in more than 50 years of managing young neuroscientists.
I have never been able to understand why anybody would be so foolish as to monkey with the biochemistry of their most precious organ, their brain.
Drug addiction is contagious. One user seduces another. As Vancouver mayors have found, Vancouver has a terrible problem dealing with the wasted lives of the addicted community. But that problem will soon spread to drug-free communities in this province and across Canada if the mayors’ advice is followed.
Criminals make money by addicting the foolish. It may be too late for the older generation who think exposure to marijuana is fine, but the younger generation could eliminate the problem.
Just say no to marijuana and no to being surrounded by users. They create nothing but problems for themselves and others.
Dr. Patrick McGeer, University of B.C.
http://blogs.theprovince.com/2011/11/29/province-letters-title-goes-here/
29.10.11
Teens who smoke pot at risk for psychosis
By Marilyn Linton, QMI Agency, October 24, 2011
With names like Panama red, stink, and bhang, it's not just new words that today's parents may need to learn when talking to their kids about marijuana. It's also about what's in today's pot.
For while many adults remember (some more fondly than others) the highs of their own youth, today's marijuana is not what it used to be. Not only are we learning that what our kids are smoking may be particularly potent, but doctors are also warning that marijuana can trigger psychosis in vulnerable young people.
With names like Panama red, stink, and bhang, it's not just new words that today's parents may need to learn when talking to their kids about marijuana. It's also about what's in today's pot.
For while many adults remember (some more fondly than others) the highs of their own youth, today's marijuana is not what it used to be. Not only are we learning that what our kids are smoking may be particularly potent, but doctors are also warning that marijuana can trigger psychosis in vulnerable young people.
Medical marijuana house up in smoke
By ERICA BULMAN, 24 hOURS
A two-alarm fire on Wednesday ripped through a tidy two-storey East Vancouver duplex that housed a sanctioned marijuana grow operation, unbeknownst to the fire department.
No one was injured.
The fire on the 2800 block of St. George Street appeared to be accidental in nature, apparently caused by an electrical malfunction in the wiring in the wall, Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services said.
A two-alarm fire on Wednesday ripped through a tidy two-storey East Vancouver duplex that housed a sanctioned marijuana grow operation, unbeknownst to the fire department.
No one was injured.
The fire on the 2800 block of St. George Street appeared to be accidental in nature, apparently caused by an electrical malfunction in the wiring in the wall, Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services said.
23.10.11
Dutch gov't regrets pot liberalism
Dutch classify high-potency marijuana as hard drug
The Associated Press, Oct. 07, 2011
The Dutch government said Friday it would move to classify high-potency marijuana alongside hard drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy, the latest step in the country's ongoing reversal of its famed tolerance policies.
The decision means most of the cannabis now sold in the Netherlands' weed cafes would have to be replaced by milder variants. But skeptics said the move would be difficult to enforce, and that it could simply lead many users to smoke more of the less potent weed.
Possession of marijuana is technically illegal in the Netherlands, but police do not prosecute people for possession of small amounts, and it is sold openly in designated cafes. Growers are routinely prosecuted if caught.
Economic Affairs Minister Maxime Verhagen said weed containing more than 15 per cent of its main active chemical, THC, is so much stronger than what was common a generation ago that it should be considered a different drug entirely.
The high potency weed has “played a role in increasing public health damage,” he said at a press conference in The Hague.
The Associated Press, Oct. 07, 2011
The Dutch government said Friday it would move to classify high-potency marijuana alongside hard drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy, the latest step in the country's ongoing reversal of its famed tolerance policies.
The decision means most of the cannabis now sold in the Netherlands' weed cafes would have to be replaced by milder variants. But skeptics said the move would be difficult to enforce, and that it could simply lead many users to smoke more of the less potent weed.
Possession of marijuana is technically illegal in the Netherlands, but police do not prosecute people for possession of small amounts, and it is sold openly in designated cafes. Growers are routinely prosecuted if caught.
Economic Affairs Minister Maxime Verhagen said weed containing more than 15 per cent of its main active chemical, THC, is so much stronger than what was common a generation ago that it should be considered a different drug entirely.
The high potency weed has “played a role in increasing public health damage,” he said at a press conference in The Hague.
Legalizing delusions
Pot: Why not legalize it?
by MARGARET WENTE, Globe and Mail, July 24, 2008
We Canadians love our bud. We lead the Western world in marijuana use. More than 10 million of us have inhaled at some time or other, and nearly 17 per cent of us partook in the past year. In B.C. — where entire towns have turned to cultivating cannabis — the economy would suffer without it. Among all illicit drugs, it is by far the most benign. It wrecks far fewer lives than alcohol, and medical marijuana may do some good.
So why not just go ahead and make it legal?
More than half of all Canadians think we should. "Legalize, then tax the hell out of it," says Senator Larry Campbell.
Sounds swell — until you think about it. Then the problems start. Here's one. What about the kids? Do we really want a lot more 15-year-olds getting stoned? Okay, we could prohibit pot for minors. Can you explain why that would work any better than it does with booze and cigarettes?
by MARGARET WENTE, Globe and Mail, July 24, 2008
We Canadians love our bud. We lead the Western world in marijuana use. More than 10 million of us have inhaled at some time or other, and nearly 17 per cent of us partook in the past year. In B.C. — where entire towns have turned to cultivating cannabis — the economy would suffer without it. Among all illicit drugs, it is by far the most benign. It wrecks far fewer lives than alcohol, and medical marijuana may do some good.
So why not just go ahead and make it legal?
More than half of all Canadians think we should. "Legalize, then tax the hell out of it," says Senator Larry Campbell.
Sounds swell — until you think about it. Then the problems start. Here's one. What about the kids? Do we really want a lot more 15-year-olds getting stoned? Okay, we could prohibit pot for minors. Can you explain why that would work any better than it does with booze and cigarettes?
21.10.11
TTC Driver Charged in Fatal Bus Crash
By Hamutal Dotan, Torontoist, October 12, 2011
At the end of August a TTC bus was involved in a fatal crash, in which one woman, Jadranka Petrova, died, and approximately a dozen more were injured. Today, police charged 51-year-old driver William Ainsworth with criminal negligence causing death, as well as marijuana possession. Ainsworth has been suspended from duty by the TTC, and Petrova’s family is pressing charges against the TTC.
http://torontoist.com/2011/10/ttc-driver-charged-in-fatal-bus-crash/
At the end of August a TTC bus was involved in a fatal crash, in which one woman, Jadranka Petrova, died, and approximately a dozen more were injured. Today, police charged 51-year-old driver William Ainsworth with criminal negligence causing death, as well as marijuana possession. Ainsworth has been suspended from duty by the TTC, and Petrova’s family is pressing charges against the TTC.
http://torontoist.com/2011/10/ttc-driver-charged-in-fatal-bus-crash/
11.10.11
Marijuana Use Increases Risk of Motor Vehicle Accidents
Emaxhealth, Submitted by Jennifer Williams on 2011-10-07
Marijuana use and safety is hotly debated as a focus of government and policy attention on medical marijuana and potential legalization. Researchers know that when people use mind-altering drugs and medications and then get behind the wheel, they have an increased likelihood of involvement in motor vehicle accidents, but few studies have analyzed the relationship between marijuana use and car crashes.
Researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health analyzed nine studies that evaluated the link between marijuana use and the risk of involvement in a motor vehicle crash. They discovered that individuals who use marijuana and then drive within three hours of use experience motor vehicle accidents twice as often as drivers who do not use marijuana. Individuals who test positive for marijuana with higher concentrations of the drug in their systems are at an increased risk of becoming involved in automotive accidents than those who have lower levels of marijuana concentrations.
Marijuana use and safety is hotly debated as a focus of government and policy attention on medical marijuana and potential legalization. Researchers know that when people use mind-altering drugs and medications and then get behind the wheel, they have an increased likelihood of involvement in motor vehicle accidents, but few studies have analyzed the relationship between marijuana use and car crashes.
Researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health analyzed nine studies that evaluated the link between marijuana use and the risk of involvement in a motor vehicle crash. They discovered that individuals who use marijuana and then drive within three hours of use experience motor vehicle accidents twice as often as drivers who do not use marijuana. Individuals who test positive for marijuana with higher concentrations of the drug in their systems are at an increased risk of becoming involved in automotive accidents than those who have lower levels of marijuana concentrations.
Cellphone, marijuana use preceded CPR train crash: report
Engineer consumed 10 litres of water in attempt to flush away traces of drug, federal safety board reveals
By Larry Pynn, Vancouver Sun, October 8, 2011
The crew of a Canadian Pacific Railway train failed to obey a stop signal and crashed into another train near Golden after making "numerous" cellphone communications, the federal Transportation Safety Board has found.
The last cellphone communication occurred about one minute before a safety-related radio message that preceded the March 2010 crash, the board's report revealed.
Shortly after the crash, the locomotive engineer consumed about 10 litres of water in an attempt to flush away evidence of marijuana from his system, the report noted.
By Larry Pynn, Vancouver Sun, October 8, 2011
The crew of a Canadian Pacific Railway train failed to obey a stop signal and crashed into another train near Golden after making "numerous" cellphone communications, the federal Transportation Safety Board has found.
The last cellphone communication occurred about one minute before a safety-related radio message that preceded the March 2010 crash, the board's report revealed.
Shortly after the crash, the locomotive engineer consumed about 10 litres of water in an attempt to flush away evidence of marijuana from his system, the report noted.
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