Cannabis less harmful than drinking, smoking: report

[inanna]

Source: AFP via Yahoo

LONDON (AFP) - Cannabis is less harmful than alcohol or tobacco, according to a report by a research charity Thursday, which called for a "serious rethink" of drug policy.

The Beckley Foundation, a charity which numbers senior experts and other academics among its advisors, said banning cannabis has no impact on supply and turns users into criminals.

"Although cannabis can have a negative impact on health, including mental health, in terms of relative harms it is considerably less harmful than alcohol or tobacco," says the report by the Foundation's Global Cannabis Commission.

The government is pressing for cannabis to be re-classified in law as a Class B drug compared with its current, less serious, Class C classification.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081002/ts_afp/britaindrugshealth_081002104856;_ylt=AknpcVX46vcUNQoIZgmLvoaFOrgF

[Altean Wanderer]

1. I'll toke to that! n/t

[ixion]

2. it's also non-lethal, something alcohol and tobacco cannot claim

which is all the more reason why it should be legal.

[harmonicon]

6. umm.... unless you smoke it

pot has WAY more tar in it than does tobacco. Do a comparison: smoke a marijuana cigarette, and smoke a tobacco cigarette. Which makes your lungs hurt more? Which one are you inhaling and holding deep in your lungs for a long time before exhale?

It's just common sense though: breathing smoke into your lungs is NOT GOOD for you.

[ixion]

7. I'm talking the active ingredient: THC

which is non-lethal.

Your anti-smoking rhetoric is duly noted. :smoke:

[Mabus]

16. It also depends on what variety you're smoking

Some are harsher than others.

Or, so I've heard.

[ixion]

19. well, some are more harsh than others, but none is lethal.

It is logistically impossible to overdose smoking pot.

[Mabus]

24. Oh, I totally agree

Besides, some of the harsher stuff has helped clean out my Marlboro-caked lungs. ;) And, if I had to choose, I would choose the unsponsored brand every time.

fwiw, I smoked my first joint when I was ten (a birthday present from my sister and her friends) and didn't start smoking "sponsored brands" until a few months later.

[Zephyr_Wind]

11. Pot does NOT ...

... cause lung cancer:

"Study Finds No Cancer-Marijuana Connection

The largest study of its kind has unexpectedly concluded that smoking marijuana, even regularly and heavily, does not lead to lung cancer."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/25/AR2006052501729_pf.html

and

Marijuana Cuts Lung Cancer Tumor Growth In Half, Study Shows

Science Daily (Apr. 17, 2007) — The active ingredient in marijuana cuts tumor growth in common lung cancer in half and significantly reduces the ability of the cancer to spread, say researchers at Harvard University who tested the chemical in both lab and mouse studies.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070417193338.htm

[mopinko]

13. now, now, not fair to bring science into this!

welcome to du.

[Canuckistanian]

15. Thanks, I was about to post that myself

Welcome to DU!
:toast:
:hi:

[Mabus]

20. Welcome to DU

Looks like you'll fit right in.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

36. Marijuana doesn't cause lung cancer because

BigPharma doesn't have its big greedy cancer causing chemical paws in it.

[harmonicon]

62. cancer, schmancer

Look, I smoke, and I smoke pot sometimes too, but to act like it's not bad for you is just completely nuts. Breathing smoke into your lungs is not good for you!! You're not going to care if you're going to get cancer on the day you die from emphysema or pneumonia.

[slay]

74. Thanks for posting this Zephyr_Wind - and welcome to DU!

:hi: :smoke:

[Lochloosa]

12. Brownies.....

[shadowknows69]

21. But don't throw away the garnish

[Mabus]

25. If anyone wants to throw that garnish away

You can toss it in my direction. Seriously. Ever since we moved from Kansas (and a pot-friendly community) we've been lucky to find anything.

[shadowknows69]

26. Taxi drivers

But you didn't hear it from me.

[Mabus]

28. No. I did not hear anything from you.

Thanks. I had never considered that.

[shadowknows69]

29. Ear to the streets

[Mabus]

35. The Shadow would know.

:)

[shadowknows69]

38. "The weed of crime bears pretty buds"

[Mabus]

53. A little something just for you

The Marijuana-Logues on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GviaFTAInb4

My favorite line: "The world's pretty fucked up right. Shouldn't I be?"

Enjoy.

[No DUplicitous DUpe]

34. Really? That's news to me.

How ya doing, shadow. My personal research confirms these findings.

[shadowknows69]

40. Missing my taxi occasionally, but saner for it.

There's some strange muther fuckers out there, and they all rode in my cab.

[roody]

31. Vaporize it. Who can smoke a whole joint?

[navarth]

42. there ya go.

vaporizers are great. no smoke. just goodness.

but I still like the ritual of cleaning, rolling, igniting and sharing.

[shanti]

32. then eat it!

now what's your argument?

[navarth]

43. whether it's good for you or not is somewhat irrelevant

because it's NOBODY'S GODDAM BUSINESS what you put in your lungs. THAT'S the overriding reason it should be legal.

I don't mean to holler at you especially, harmonicon.

[harmonicon]

63. I completely agree!!

I wasn't arguing against legalization. I live in the UK, and I think this push to have it classified as the same sort of drug as cocaine and heroin is completely fucking insane.

[bitchkitty]

45. Your common sense maybe be good,

but not in this case.

The fact is that marijuana does NOT cause lung cancer. In fact, hemp oil has been used successfully as a treatment for cancer.

If smoking pot caused lung cancer, I would have succumbed years ago.

[RaleighNCDUer]

46. OTOH, you don't generally chain-smoke joints.

(Well, there was a period of time, about 30 years ago...)

[snooper2]

48. Always be wary of someone who says

"marijuana cigarette"


It's a fucking joint :rofl: :smoke:

[theblasmo]

50. You're assuming people...

...smoke pot in the same way people smoke cigarettes, in terms of amount and frequency. The same reports that discuss the amount of tar also say that, while it does have a larger amount of tar, people don't smoke pot in the same way as cigarettes, so the exposure is actually lower. Yes, they're both bad for you in that respect, but people smoke cigarettes more regularly than people smoke pot. The amount of tar may be higher, but you are exposed to less of it, cumulatively. If that's the big health problem, then we should legalize vaporizers that use steam instead of smoke. They're much safer, and give you better results.

So I'm told.

[edwardian]

54. I have smoked marijuana regularly for 35 years

and have had no bronchial problems. Cigarette smoking kills because of the filters. Your body spits out tars.

[roody]

75. 35 years here also. I might take one sick day

a year. Have never taken drugs, I mean prescription medicine. Dog has blessed me greatly.

[dougkeenan]

59. umm ... not even then

It's just common sense that zillions of dead hippies don't litter the ground. Where are the bodies?

[reggie the dog]

66. tobacco hurts more than cannabis

because you smoke ten or twenty cigs a day to get nicotine, you smoke what, two joints a day by yourself....plus THC inhibits blood vessels from groing in tumors and nicotine HELPs blood vessels form on tumors...

When I smoke hash I smoke five or six puffs 3 or four times a day. A tobacco users will get nearly as much in one cig.

[daninthemoon]

3. So far, my personal science experiments certainly bears that out

Drinking makes me fat and depressed. Tobacco makes me stink, lose my breath, and generally feel kind of sick (something one notices only after they quit) Smoke some weed, my nerves are calm, I have patience with everyone, I feel like I can compartmentalize things and focus better...There is one catch that I'll be finding out fairly soon, after almost 40 years of toking...is it carcinogenic? Lots of reports state it is, but so far for me, everything seems ok. Anyone know anyone who has gotten cancer from weed?

[nradisic]

5. Amen...

I feel the same after about 25 years of toking....Keep it up.

[Vilis Veritas]

9. Ever try Vaporization...?

Like you many years of imbibing have me concerned and looking for alternatives. CA NORML has some good material and reviews of different vaporizers...

http://www.canorml.org/healthfacts/vaporizers.html

Peace

[shadowknows69]

18. That is where I need to go. My lungs are damaged and will get worse with smoking.

Thanks for the link.

[Blue_Tires]

23. thanks for that!

[Ganja Ninja]

4. I concur with those findings.

:smoke:

[shadowknows69]

8. More news from the "No shit, we've known this for decades" file.

[sunwyn]

14. There are serveral studies that conclude that marijuana actually

inhibits lung cancer and cuts lung cancer tumors in half. Of course, you can find just as many studies that say the opposite. Personally, I think it is healing herb for many.

[shadowknows69]

17. I have COPD from smoking cigarettes

And I think maybe the reason I don't have lung cancer instead (not that this is much better in the long run) is that I've also smoked herb all these years. I also rarely/never get a cold and never get the flu since I was about 16. Considering various other abuses I've done to myself through the years my immune system should be shit. I just read another recent study that says it may act as a natural anti-biotic, so there you go.

[Grinchie]

10. God forbid if it's legalized

Then the Government wouldn't be able to pay Blackwater and the economy of the West Coast would collapse.

Next thing they'll report is that Ozone is not deadly poison and is actually necessary for excellent health!

This conspiracy of knowledge must be stopped!

Please pass the GMO Corn Chips and the Cloned Hot Dogs please... Never mind the food allergies.

Wait a minute, didn't Canada attempt this last year, only to be threatend by the Administration of "Dire Consequances" if they did?

[uberblonde]

22. It still has negative effects.

Ever leave a daily "to-do" list with a stoner? One of my friends is constantly fighting with her husband over all the things he "meant" to get done that day...

[Mabus]

27. That's not true for everyone

Several of my friends with ADD/ADHD actually get more done after smoking. I know that it helped me get through law school, especially Property Law II with the reversions, remainders, future interests and the dreaded "rule against perpetuity" on the final.

[shanti]

33. absolutely

it often makes mundane chores more bearable.

[reggie the dog]

69. I do the chores

and am daydreaming the mundaness away...

[MindPilot]

30. She nags hubby with a daily "to-do list"...

chances are real good that pot is NOT the problem, but the answer.

[Vilis Veritas]

39. This could possibly be caused by the type of pot.

There are two types of pot and various strains in between, but for the most part they fall into two categories; Body and Mind.

Sativa gets you high. A cerebral or mental high that gets people feeling up and happy.

Indica gets you stoned. Blasted is a common term of people that smoke this strain.

Peace.

[reggie the dog]

70. I love sativa

thankfully the hash plants in Morocco are mostly sativa so we get sativa hash here in France. I also have local grown Durban Poison sativa and that is great to smoke before hiking in the alps....

[dhpgetsit]

55. That happens to me, and "I don't smoke it no more."

Big DUH.

It may be bad for you but that is no reason it should be illegal.
It is a powerful drug and yet amazingly there is no practical way you can OD on it.

You always hear the "Dope these days is so much stronger than it was 20 years ago" argument. That is a direct result of it being illegal. Lots has been written about how to breed and grow stronger pot. Legalize it and let people grow their own and I bet the potency starts to drop.

Smoking dope is at worst a distraction that may cause you to get worse grades in school. Like a Playstation.

[JonLP24]

60. About that being stronger

The highest THC content ranges from 24-30 but overall it ranges from 6-27. That is not an unfair anti-marijuana argument. But IMO the more THC content the better, it hasn't hurt anyone. But to say all pot on the street is 27 THC is simply untrue. The more THC, the higher cost of the price so it balances out. There is plenty of garbage that isn't much better then the garbage of the 1960's.

[FatDave]

56. Shit, my wife has to do the same with me.

And I hardly ever smoke anymore. I'm just naturally lazy/forgetful.

[reggie the dog]

68. bullshit

things I did today,
wake up and feed kid a bottle of milk
get stoned
start laundry
play with kid
hang out laundry
take kid to the grocery store (on foot I live in a centre ville in Europe)
come home,
get stoned
2nd load of laundry
take dry laundry and fold it to make room on drying rack for second load
cook lunch for wife
feed baby lunch
get stoned
iron
clean up kitchen
go for walk with kid and go to shops
go for 35km bike ride
(pause to get stoned on 650 foot high viewpoint overlooking sea before riding down (I already road up)
come home and take care of kid
prepare class for saturday/send emails get stoned


surf net and smoke last one hitter of the day

[Phred42]

37. I don't use the stuff - However.....

I've said this before but again, just to be clear: I don't use the stuff. I object to using my tax dollars to throw people in jail who do. Further, these idiotic laws are preventing us from doing research into the potential benefits of industrial hemp which appear to be huge.

[reggie the dog]

71. hemp is great

it is mainstream here in France, you can buy hemp rope at any home improvement or large grocery store, hemp cement and hemp insulation are used by builders, hemp paper is made here...my shirt shoes boots pants and shorts I wore at various times today are all made out of cannabis hemp as is the nice fresh moroccan hash I am smoking;

[HopeHoops]

41. I liked Obama's answer to "Have you ever smoked pot?"

He said something like "Sure, way back. And I inhaled - that was kinda the point." I laughed my rear off when I heard that. Talk about taking all the steam out of a talking point!

The biggest danger from smoking pot today is the risk that it is laced. I reject the notion that pot is a "gateway drug", but when it is laced with something like crack, it becomes the vehicle to deliver and create addiction to a dangerous drug.

Including pot in the "war on drugs" is stupid. It should be legalized, taxed, and sold like tobacco - the good stuff in jars and sold by weight, and the casual puff in pre-rolled joints, with or without filters. Instead of wasting money on investigations and incarceration, we could be making money from taxes and providing a safe supply instead of a street gamble.

That's my rant.

[Occulus]

52. Well, I would argue the biggest danger is getting caught holding the joint.

Or getting caught with a bag on you. Or getting caught with an ounce in you drawer, and sandwich bags in your cupboard.

I wonder if Obama realizes that, had he gotten caught even once (depending on his local prosecutor, no less), he very well might not be where he is today...

[navarth]

44. regarding the "pot and irresponsibility" argument...

smoking is a leisure activity. some can do it while working, others can not. I consider it to be an 'after work' activity, unless the activity is a mindless task like digging holes, hammering nails, cutting the grass. gardening goes beautifully with pot.

Smoking pot ain't nothin' but a thing. If somebody's lazy from smoking it, chances are it's not because of the pot.

[Vilis Veritas]

47. 'If somebody's lazy from smoking...' it is Indica probably...

Indica is the stronger strain that started the term 'stoned'.

Sativa is responsible for 'high'.

Two entirely different buzzes.

I have never wanted to sleep after Sativa.

Peace.

[reggie the dog]

72. hemp milk

I have made cannabis milk with fan leaves many times, always with tropical or sub tropical sativa leaves, and I was up and fine; last time we used indica leaves and I passed out, pulled a whitey etc. too stoned, what the fuck I could not even walk around and enjoy outside.........

[tismyself]

49. Remember

the announcement in the M*A*S*H movie?!

[Juneboarder]

51. Why not just

make it legal and tax it like they do tobacco? We would have more money and need less on a bailout!!! And... people would be a lot nicer :)

[FatDave]

57. You know, I'd be happy if they just left it to the sates.

Can you imagine the tourism boost states with legal pot would get? The borders would be lined with cafes and snack shops.

[Juneboarder]

64. Seriously...

it would be like hitting the state of NV and seeing and endless slew of casinos!! :)

[FatDave]

58. Who is against leagalization (or at least decriminalization) these days anyway?

Aren't the baby boomers, for whom pot smoking was not exactly unheard of, retiring now? That would seem to mean the "reefer madness" crowd is extremely outnumbered. Even the republicans I know would have no problem with pot being legalized.

Why is it that the only people who want to keep weed illegal are politicians?

[bukowskiforever]

61. In related news: getting punched in the mouth

is less harmful than shot in the head.

I will try to avoid both, thank you very much.

[reggie the dog]

65. should I smoke Hash from Morocco or

some Durban Poisin grown in the valley just below where I live on the French Riviera??????

I think the good soft hash will do tonight....

[reggie the dog]

67. were pot legal

and legal for all adults to grow we could go to eating it more often, when you eat it you need more to get high, so if it were free eating it could be more cost friendly than it is today.

[slay]

73. The persecution of pot smokers is one of the overlooked tragedies of the last century

We all know the story by now - pressures from the alcohol, timber, oil, tobacco, and pharmaceutical industries as well as asshole politicians trying to scare the shit out of people with their "war on drugs" have combined to criminalize A PLANT which most of us have known for a long time to be less dangerous than alcohol or cigarettes. It is a CRIME that pot smokers risk jail while tobacco junkies and alcoholics risk no such punishment. That hypocrisy is the true crime - and how awful to make our own brothers and sisters suffer in jail or prison purely for choosing a substance that doesn't have a big enough industry behind it to buy off the right politicians. Truly makes me sick - especially for those in need of marijuana for medical purposes. ARGH! :mad: :grr:

[snot]

76. what i want to know is the relative harmfulness of each in relation to

(a) reality (b) blissful ignorance.

now there's a question fer ya.

[OakCliffDem]

77. I've done all three

I can tell you that alcohol is the worst
Cigarettes are about as bad as alcohol because I would smoke everyday, all day (it adds up)
Grass in limited quantities is not bad. There is a lot of smoke and soot in a joint, but I use a water pipe when I can.

The worst thing about marijuana is it makes a person lazy.