Cannabis haul! This is a Joke, Wake Up Smell the Beans

[Thranduil]

Our bodies also have appendices.....just throwing this in as devil's advocate!

And lots of unused and deprecated DNA for tails, etc., .

I already explained to him that the body has receptors for cocaine, crystal meth, opium.... practically every hard drug available, so saying it has receptors for cannabis does not constitute evidence that the drug is somehow 'natural', that our bodies are 'hardwired' to take it, which was what he suggested. The chemical structure of the receptor that binds is capable of binding to a wide range of chemicals that share some of the chemical structure with the narcotic.

[sarahj]

I already explained to him that the body has receptors for cocaine, crystal meth, opium.... practically every hard drug available, so saying it has receptors for cannabis does not constitute evidence that the drug is somehow 'natural', that our bodies are 'hardwired' to take it, which was what he suggested. The chemical structure of the receptor that binds is capable of binding to a wide range of chemicals that share some of the chemical structure with the narcotic.

Are you just ignoring me now?

You are repeating a fairly irelevant point which you and another person already made instead of addressing my refutations of your arguments.

Come on Thranduil! At least make an effort. We all love a trier.

[Thranduil]

If you believe that I am wrong then refute my arguments.

If you cannot, then you should just slink away...

You don't listen, you believe that the 50 experts in the article i linked to are liars or imposters including internationally renowned professors... that there is a massive conspiracy theory and the tens of thousands of people who were reported to have been admitted to care with cannabis related psychotic problems are part of it, you won't accept any evidence except that which supports your thesis that Cannabis is good for you... and as far as i am aware you haven't posted ONE single article that backs up your claims, even i (though i have been aguing in the manner of warning about the dangers) posted a link to one scientific article suggesting cannabis might have specific positive effects on certain parts of the body under certain circumstances.

[reknaw]

Cannabis IS a good medicine for many complaints such as insomnia and nausea. This is why patients undergoing chemo use it.

Yes, and you didn't mention glaucoma (excess pressure in the eyeball) for which cannabis is in many cases the only effective medicine. Indeed, some patients in US states where cannabis is strictly prohibited have gone to court and won judgements ordering the state to supply them with it.

About thirty years ago I was on eight different capsules and pills a day for symptoms, including asthma attacks, caused by an allergy. The side-effects of the medicines were worse than the illness, until someone gave me a lot of home-grown grass. I have never used any of those medicines since. Nor do I use an inhaler, although I have been given a prescription for them.

The drawback of using tobacco in joints and thereby becoming addicted to nicotine can be avoided by using a vaporizer, like this one.

VOLCANO CLASSIC, the most sold vaporizer by Storz & Bickel

They cost around €600, can be ordered via the Internet and more than pay for themselves in a short time, because the weed can be used several times. I estimate that they make dope go about 2½ times as far as smoking it in joints.

[femmefatale]

Isn't there a clear difference between any drug being used for medicinal purposes as opposed to for recreational purposes only? If certain people with certain conditions find cannabis a helpful remedy, that's one thing. That, however, is surely not a justification for decriminalization across the board.

[sarahj]

You don't listen, you believe that the 50 experts in the article i linked to are liars or imposters including internationally renowned professors... that there is a massive conspiracy theory and the tens of thousands of people who were reported to have been admitted to care with cannabis related psychotic problems are part of it, you won't accept any evidence except that which supports your thesis that Cannabis is good for you... and as far as i am aware you haven't posted ONE single article that backs up your claims, even i (though i have been aguing in the manner of warning about the dangers) posted a link to one scientific article suggesting cannabis might have specific positive effects on certain parts of the body under certain circumstances.

Did I say that Thranduil?

Seriously...look back and see what I said.

I stated that no medical research is definitive unless particular factors are taken into account. That is the main reason why I didn't post any articles.

Also, I never claimed anyone was a liar or an imposter...all I did was state the facts. Pharma companies and special interest groups sponsor a large percentage of studies, especially on controversial topics like this one. The funding then directs the question, methods and findings very easily.

On top of that, I never claimed there was a conspiracy. I merely explained why pharma companies have an interest in prohibition. Full stop.

You have misrepresented me again. You cannot back up any of those claims you have made against me.

Please go back and address my actual words and points, not what you imagined I said.

[sarahj]

Isn't there a clear difference between any drug being used for medicinal purposes as opposed to for recreational purposes only? If certain people with certain conditions find cannabis a helpful remedy, that's one thing. That, however, is surely not a justification for decriminalization across the board.

I disagree with you femme. If one uses a drug to relax or to socialise or to sleep, is that recreational use or medicinal? If you drink coffee or tea in the morning to wake up, are you recreationally using caffeine? Is that wrong. Should caffeine be criminalised for users aren't using it for a specific medical complaint? Personally, though I don't use caffeine as it affects me very negatively (far more so than cannabis - upsets my stomach, makes me jittery, causes my thoughts to race, makes me dizzy sometimes) but I wouldn't want to see people criminalised for using it, even to what I would consider excess, dehydrating their bodies and not sleeping enough.

That is not a justification for NOT decriminalising across the board in my view.

[truthisfree]

You don't listen, you believe that the 50 experts in the article i linked to are liars or imposters including internationally renowned professors... that there is a massive conspiracy theory and the tens of thousands of people who were reported to have been admitted to care with cannabis related psychotic problems are part of it, you won't accept any evidence except that which supports your thesis that Cannabis is good for you... and as far as i am aware you haven't posted ONE single article that backs up your claims, even i (though i have been aguing in the manner of warning about the dangers) posted a link to one scientific article suggesting cannabis might have specific positive effects on certain parts of the body under certain circumstances.

Hi Thranduil. I do listen and I love nothing more than chasing the truth about things like this, I have looked at all of the available evidence more than 20 years ago and it did seem then than there was no concrete evidence of many side effects.

I will look again and see what negative and positive effects there are to using this drug and make my mind up again about it. here is a link to several links on Alternet.org it seems a reliable source I have found. I will look at any links you find in negative side effects of cannabis.

I am reading the Independant one you posted right now, pity it does not have any sources on it. will come back to again later.

[sarahj]

Hi Thranduil. I do listen and I love nothing more than chasing the truth about things like this, I have looked at all of the available evidence more than 20 years ago and it did seem then than there was no concrete evidence of many side effects.

I will look again and see what negative and positive effects there are to using this drug and make my mind up again about it. here is a link to several links on Alternet.org it seems a reliable source I have found. I will look at any links you find in negative side effects of cannabis.

I am reading the Independant one you posted right now, pity it does not have any sources on it. will come back to again later.

If you wouldn't mind posting the collection of whatever you find on here so that I can have a look at the quality of the studies and try to find out about their funding too, that would be great!

[femmefatale]

I disagree with you femme. If one uses a drug to relax or to socialise or to sleep, is that recreational use or medicinal? If you drink coffee or tea in the morning to wake up, are you recreationally using caffeine? Is that wrong. Should caffeine be criminalised for users aren't using it for a specific medical complaint? Personally, though I don't use caffeine as it affects me very negatively (far more so than cannabis - upsets my stomach, makes me jittery, causes my thoughts to race, makes me dizzy sometimes) but I wouldn't want to see people criminalised for using it, even to what I would consider excess, dehydrating their bodies and not sleeping enough.

That is not a justification for NOT decriminalising across the board in my view.

Sarah, if people take drugs for the thrill of it, I don't think they should be protected because of the fact that some people take the same drugs to relieve a diagnosed medical condition. If people become dependent on recreational drugs to socialise or sleep properly, that's a problem of dependency they need to address.