[Medpatient]

New Federal Report on Marijuana Use is Misleading, Groups Say
Tim King Salem-News.com

Is this a reaction to the beginning of the end of marijuana prohibition?
Salem-News.com
Salem-News.com

(SALEM, Ore.) - A new federal government report on the ill effects of marijuana on teens may be a last ditch effort to demonize the medical weed before it sees its own day of emancipation. As it stands, even the most hardcore marijuana legalization advocates do not support children using anything that causes intoxication.

This new report uses scare tactics and seems to regard medical facts as a meaningless burden, and they are enlisting the help of celebrities with big money and big media ties to drive their message home. (see:TEEN "SELF MEDICATION" FOR DEPRESSION LEADS TO MORE SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS, NEW REPORT REVEALS)

"Don't be fooled into thinking that pot is harmless," said Dr. Drew Pinksy, internist, addiction expert, and host of VH1's Celebrity Rehab. "Marijuana is an addictive drug. Teens who are already depressed and use marijuana may increase their odds of suffering from even more serious mental health problems."

But medical marijuana and pharmacology experts like Dr. Phil Leveque of Molalla, Oregon, who writes regularly for Salem-News.com, suggest that there is no truth to the statement and that most of those who ultimately suffer from mental illness already would have.

"One of the biggest claims from the federal government is that marijuana causes 'euphoria' and if anyone needs that explained to them, it means the opposite of depression," Leveque said.

He and most other advocates say kids should stay free and clear of marijuana use unless it is medically necessary, but it is a pussycat next to more deadly things like alcohol, prescription drugs, heroin and meth that potentially lead to death. Marijuana has no lethal quality; it can't kill a person. It seems like a waste of time to get people listening, and then only tell them the bad data on marijuana. It seems very irresponsible.

Marijuana is not "Different Today"

Marijuana is a natural herb that is cultivated to have better potency. The herb is the same that it has always been, and the ability of people to grow it well and to learn about the agricultural significance has improved. In the 1970's most marijuana was sold under the name "commercial" and it all came from Mexico. In that country the male and female plants are not separated, and the result is a below average grade of marijuana packed with seeds.

When the government tries to suggest that marijuana is "different today", they are suggesting that a human process has changed marijuana into something it didn't used to be. This is scientifically impossible. No doubt far more money is invested in other types of ag research and so far fruit is about the same as it used to be; except maybe for the addition of human added poisons to increase its marketability.

But this study, like others that benefit the pharmaceutical companies that don't want to compete with marijuana as a medical product, is more of the same, "The potency of smoked marijuana has risen consistently over the past decades and higher potency translates into serious health consequences for teens."

They also stated, "Some studies show that higher potency marijuana may be contributing to an increase in the number of American teens seeking treatment for marijuana dependence."

Marijuana dependence? This in and of itself is extremely debatable. For the most part, doctors agree that marijuana is only mildly addicting and that relates to a mental addiction, not a physical addiction. One interesting fact always deleted from the federal studies is that for many years, marijuana was considered the best substance for getting people off hard drugs. Heroin addicts given marijuana, can kick their deadly habit.

Of course funding all of those taxpayer funded, court ordered "marijuana addiction" programs is another concern of the federal government. They make money from marijuana being illegal, plain and simple. The notion of "marijuana addiction" is very unique to the groups and agencies and courts that profit directly from it.

The new federal report suggests that marijuana use can cause a small percentage of users to consider "suicide." Perhaps if this is true, it is more based on the stigma that the federal government, fully in bed with the pharmaceutical groups, gives to marijuana.

"Gateway Theory"

It is not very different from the so-called "Gateway Theory" that marijuana leads to harder drugs. Many believe that the seed is planted by the theory, and that kids feel compelled to "move to harder drugs" because that is what the government and the D.A.R.E. officer told them would happen. It is a simple notion called "programming" that has undeniable impact on a person's mode of thinking, their overall knowledge, and ultimately their actions.

Those willing to face the truth on a daily basis know that half of what is wrong with people in this country is a result of adverse and negative programming.

It happens when clergy sexually abuse children and tell them they will go to hell if they ever talk to their families or police. It is the conditioning applied to people in Communist nations that makes them believe Americans and western countries are all evil, and it is the same poison given to Islamic fundamentalist radicals whose lives are entirely based on fear. Our government needs to give it up and move into the light of truth.

Marijuana may not be "great" to anyone except a medical patient who directly benefits from it, but it is a plant and a flower that God placed on the earth and it is entirely vain and ironic of our society to place what is probably the single most useful plant on the planet in an illegal criminal category with heroin and meth. It reflects our own ignorance as a nation.

Real Studies

The nation's second largest association of doctors, the American College of Physicians, stated in a report that marijuana has been smoked for its medicinal properties for centuries, and preclinical, clinical, and anecdotal reports suggest numerous potential medical uses for marijuana. (see: American College of Physicians Position Takes Aim at Marijuana Laws)

They confirm that the use of medical marijuana in treating HIV wasting and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting has been well documented, and they believe additional research is needed to clarify marijuana’s therapeutic properties and determine standard and optimal doses and routes of delivery.

Reports like this new one from the federal government do not help doctors learn the real facts about medical marijuana.

In fact, the oldest continuously published pediatric journal in the country, a Journal of the American Medical Association called the "Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine", released new information in November '07 (see: Study Shows Surprisingly Few Negative Impacts on Kids Who Use Marijuana) indicating that pot smoking teens tend to function at better levels than teens who also smoke tobacco, and better in some ways than kids who abstain from both.

The study, completed in Switzerland, did not have an obligation to demonize marijuana on behalf of the pharmaceutical companies as the U.S. seem to. The report should actually make parents feel much better about teens and marijuana. The study compared students who smoked both pot and cigarettes, with kids who smoke marijuana only.

The study revealed that those who use only cannabis were more socially driven, and showed no more psychosocial problems than those who had never taken either of the substances.

As far as marijuana leading to harder drugs, the authors of the study say an accurate listing of the problems actually fall in a different order, and that cancer related illnesses suffered by cigarette smokers are the biggest risk of all.

The government report suggests that "Not only are adolescents at greater risk for drug abuse, but they may suffer more consequences," said Nora D. Volkow, M. D., Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. "There is also some evidence that in vulnerable teens-because of genetic factors-the abuse of marijuana can trigger a schizophreniform disorder."

Misleading Statements

Groups involved in marijuana laws and policy say the report is misleading. U.S. News and World Report quoted Bruce Mirken, director of communications at The Marijuana Policy Project, saying "We agree that kids shouldn't smoke marijuana, but we simply have to be honest to teens and parents. This report [is] deliberately confusing correlation with causation." (see: Teen Depression Worsened by Marijuana, Government Says)

The Washington-based group Mirken represents intends to remove criminal penalties for marijuana use and make medical marijuana available to seriously ill patients with doctor's approval.

"This very week the British government's official scientific advisors on illegal drugs issued a report saying they are 'unconvinced that there is a causal relationship between the use of cannabis and any affective disorder,' such as depression." Mirken also questions the lack of warning about alcohol's relationship to depression, which is completely left out of their new report.

"Data linking alcohol to depression is much stronger and alcohol use by teens is greater than marijuana use," he notes.

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have each been clear that they do not see marijuana as a problem in our society that requires federal money and intervention and incarceration. Perhaps this new federal report represents the death throes of a movement that began in the 1930's as an effort to remove hemp rope from the commercial marketplace.

Hemp, the industrial marijuana plant, provides the strongest natural fiber known to man. Dow Chemicals, Dupont and the Hearst Newspaper chain were the biggest foes of marijuana at the time. They funded the movie "Reefer Madness." Today the pharmaceutical companies that manufacture addictive "prescription drugs" are enlisting the federal government's help to produce more fiction presented as fact.

The list of marijuana opponents is different in this century, but the corporate spirit of greed that made it illegal in the first place is alive and well.

[OakSmokeMJA]

"Hemp, the industrial marijuana plant, provides the strongest natural fiber known to man. Dow Chemicals, Dupont and the Hearst Newspaper chain were the biggest foes of marijuana at the time. They funded the movie "Reefer Madness." Today the pharmaceutical companies that manufacture addictive "prescription drugs" are enlisting the federal government's help to produce more fiction presented as fact.

The list of marijuana opponents is different in this century, but the corporate spirit of greed that made it illegal in the first place is alive and well."


nice post, Tim King is pretty knowledgeable and cites great studies that refute the federal claims that MJ is bad.

[Thraxz]

Put the kids on Valume.Rediline,zanex,prozac..Put them on something, Dont let them feel or think or react to this disfunctional society we live in.

I love you they said, As they was beating me, I love you they said as he was driving away, I love you they said as they were raping my mind.
Tell us your problems, Wait we dont have time for you, turn to Alcohol,turn to drugs, turn to pills turn to everything but yourself or God...
Dont do this dont do that, This will kill you this wont, Oh wait know this will kill you and that wont..Make up your Dam minds..
How about this, Everyone show love, Patients,kindness, compassion,caring, joy,pain,anger....Feel!!show it!! Let them know your alive!!

We have been doing it their way for over a hindred years, We confomred, We go to school we go to work we pay our bills and our taxes, we lie to our children and turn from them..


Lets Change "Repent"(Change direction) Stop our wicked "learned" behavior. turn around(180 degrees ) and go the other way..Thats it!!! We are told to love our neighbor but we are afraid to help!! The Know one helped me mentality!! Technology has made us lazy and I believe stole our will and our passions..
Dont believe the lies and you can effect those you come in contact with, maybe not everyone, But if you taught one man to fish he will never starve. Quit feeding the fish, Let him try fending for himself and be a "Man"!!!!

Jesus saved us, Lincoln freed us, and MMJ (Cannabis Hemp) can fix it all!!!! In my opinion, Please don't judge me its just an opinion!!

[Medpatient]

I say that the song Unthinking Majority by Serj Tankian says it all with their chorus as to how the government would like us to be.

Anti-depressants
Controlling tools of your system
Making life more tolerable
Making life more tolerable
Anti-depressants
Controlling tools of your system
Making life more tolerable
Making life more tolerable

Thank you for continually posting these articles. Very insightful.

I'd like to write a little report about my own "Gateway Theory". I believe the LIES about cannabis are what lead to use of harder drugs.

People are told cannabis is dangerous and bad and then they try it and find out it's not so bad and then they think everything they have been told about hard drugs are lies too. So they try hard drugs thinking they are that bad, when they really are.

I've smoke cannabis since I was a teen (15 years or so) and Ive never tied hard drugs.

[OakSmokeMJA]

Originally Posted by Thraxz

Put the kids on Valume.Rediline,zanex,prozac..Put them on something, Dont let them feel or think or react to this disfunctional society we live in.

Nice observation, it's totally cool for Dr.'s to prescribe these, I wonder what the % is of those kids that contemplate suicide after using them. Not very likely you'll see a study published trying to bash Ridalin for kids. I like what King says about "deliberately confusing correlation with causation."

My point is, if there is a problem, it's there before taking the substances. Don't blame the meds. I myself have a life full of hardships and strife, but I am here still. I don't believe in the self regulating pharmacutical system in the U.S. that is about making money.

In my opinion life is suffering, so see irony in it so that you may smile.

But to do that you have to DEAL with your hardships, FEEL those emotions! Experience them together, its OK! It's good for you.:smile2:

It means you're ALIVE and human.



:slaugh:

[Thraxz]

My Point exactly,
I to have had hardship, I can write a book on dis functional families (Molestation, Drugs,Alcohol,Mental and physicall abuse)my family had it all!!
I could blame everyone but myself, But I choose to accept responsibility..I am a product of my environment..I was an addicted person(Alcohol,Drugs,Both licit and illicit).. I believed the lie, "turn to everything but myself or my GOD" and I did.. For over twenty years.. Ive been sober almost 9 years..

I made a conscious decision to change(Repent) I realized that everything I learned and was taught was a lie and b/s.. Society has no clue what family is.. A tribe does or a village does but not society(It takes a village to raise a child)..


I will teach my children what I want to, not what society tells me to, O will,show my children that I love them not lie to them and tell them..I will change the cycle of dysfunction, Oh wait I have, My children have no clue of what my family was or who they made me to be, You see I am a new man I died to my old self when I woke up from this dream called Life and I started living for this thing called "LOVE".

I am happier and my children will never see or feel those hurts and pains I did as a child, I broke the cycle..

Excellent article. Thank you for posting. I'm going to send a thank-you note to the writer.

EDIT: I did email him and it turns out his wife, who is GM of the news site, is also a MMJ patient. They are trying to "radically alter the future of Internet news in the right ways by taking control away from the giants" with their news site. Kind of what we in the MMJ community are trying to do!

Originally Posted by darkintheglow

Excellent article. Thank you for posting. I'm going to send a thank-you note to the writer.

EDIT: I did email him and it turns out his wife, who is GM of the news site, is also a MMJ patient. They are trying to "radically alter the future of Internet news in the right ways by taking control away from the giants" with their news site. Kind of what we in the MMJ community are trying to do!

That's really cool. Thanks for letting us know.

[Medpatient]

Originally Posted by darkintheglow

Excellent article. Thank you for posting. I'm going to send a thank-you note to the writer.

EDIT: I did email him and it turns out his wife, who is GM of the news site, is also a MMJ patient. They are trying to "radically alter the future of Internet news in the right ways by taking control away from the giants" with their news site. Kind of what we in the MMJ community are trying to do!

that is really awesome. Thank you for posting this, nice to see some news outlets are trying to do the right thing.

[tunakiller65]

I have watched that asshole Drew Pinsky preach that MMJ is addictive and has no medicinal properties. I really think that he is just trying to drum up more business for his rehab centers. He, being a Dr, should know, by now, that MMJ is a true medicine.
Maybe when he or someone close to him gets cancer, MS or some other debilitating disease or injury that conventional medicine does not always help, he might open his eyes to the fact MMJ IS medicine.

[DSW90049]

The Feds seemed to have turned on their propaganda machine of late and there are various news reports popping up about how MJ really is bad for you and not to believe any of the good scientific findings, blah blah blah.

If it comes from the Feds, it is biased and aimed to prejudice the media and those who have little or no information about the medical properties of MMJ.

And, Dr. Drew Pinsky is a real jerk. The combination of him and the Feds out pimping for negative news on MJ, ignoring all of the scientific and other information indicating clearly that MMJ is a powerful medicine with lots of benefits for many people who suffer from various ailments, diseases and disorders, is just more of the same old tired, cranky nonsense, brought to you by the true professional purveyors of nonsense.

Ignore it, I say.

Originally Posted by DSW90049

And, Dr. Drew Pinsky is a real jerk.

Wait, is this that Dr. Drew guy from LOVELINES? He think MMJ is a bad thing? Huh...who would have thought. I figured that guy was progressive. Maybe we should send him a few cannabis facts or call in to his show.

[Medpatient]

Originally Posted by Herbalious

Wait, is this that Dr. Drew guy from LOVELINES? He think MMJ is a bad thing? Huh...who would have thought. I figured that guy was progressive. Maybe we should send him a few cannabis facts or call in to his show.

I have heard him on loveline a few times saying that he does not agree with MMJ and that there are other medications out there. Basically he is a Pharma puppet.

Originally Posted by Medpatient

I have heard him on loveline a few times saying that he does not agree with MMJ and that there are other medications out there. Basically he is a Pharma puppet.

I had no idea. I don't really listen to that show. But I figured if he was willing to have guests on who talk about (errrmmm...I'm not going to type a naughty word) liberal sexual acts, I figured he'd be liberal about cannabis. I think it's about time we flood Dr. Dr was some Cannabis facts. Let's start: The Cannabis Education of Dr Drew. hahahahah...