Marijuana Decriminalization

By Laura Knoy on Tuesday, March 23, 2010

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REJECT FEAR TACTICS - DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA
doctorK - Mon, 04/05/2010 - 10:29

During my years as an addiction medicine physician in Philadelphia, PA I have never seen a case of marijuana overdose, or even a physical withdrawal associated with its use, and the only very rare and very questionable cases of "marijuana addiction" were those coercively "referred" by the Parole or Probation department after a person failed the drug test. I cannot possibly say this better than the following quote:
" Cannabis will one day be seen as a wonder drug, as was penicillin in the 1940s. Like penicillin, herbal marijuana is remarkably nontoxic, has a wide range of therapeutic applications and would be quite inexpensive if it were legal." - Dr. Lester Grinspoon, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, Los Angeles Times, May 5, 2006

Cannabis Legalization
dana - Tue, 03/23/2010 - 14:26

Wish I'd realized this show was on this morning; will catch the re-broadcast tonight. Now I'm REALLY happy you have a rebroadcast of THE EXCHANGE.

carcinogenic?
Sharyn - Tue, 03/23/2010 - 09:50

I just caught part of this show while driving to office and am wondering if anyone has asked how carinogenic marijuana is compared to tobacco? Personally, I'd rather not legalize another excessively carcinogenic substance.

Washington Post: "Study Finds No Cancer-Marijuana Connection"
Matt Simon - Tue, 03/23/2010 - 14:35

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/25/AR200605...

re: carcinogenic?
NHPR Listeners - Tue, 03/23/2010 - 09:53

far less carcinogenic than tobacco, and may even help reduce the chances of getting lung cancer

from European Respiratory Journal Medical Report
Sharyn Lawler - Tue, 03/23/2010 - 15:53

Cannabis smoking may have a greater potential than tobacco smoking to cause lung cancer 1–4. Cannabis smoke is qualitatively similar to tobacco smoke, although it contains up to twice the concentration of the carcinogenic polyaromatic hydrocarbons 1. Cannabis cigarettes are less densely packed than tobacco cigarettes, and tend to be smoked without filters 2 to a smaller butt size 3, leading to higher concentrations of smoke inhaled. Furthermore, smokers of cannabis inhale more deeply and hold their breath for longer 4, facilitating the deposition of the carcinogenic products in the lower respiratory tract. These factors are likely to be responsible for the five-fold greater absorption of carbon monoxide from a cannabis joint, compared with a tobacco cigarette of similar size despite similar carbon monoxide concentrations in the smoke inhaled. http://erj.ersjournals.com/cgi/content/full/31/2/280

How Would They Know...
mewrightnow - Sat, 03/27/2010 - 23:21

or anyone know for that matter? There have been very few studies on the true effects of pot. In the U.S. this is due to the fact that the federal agency ( I believe the ONDCP or DEA, not certain off the top of my head) in charge of distributing marijuana, for such purposes as scientific studies of the drug, will not release any for such studies. But, I do believe that there was a study, recently, that showed marijuana may actually inhibit cancer growth. But, then again, HOW WOULD I KNOW for sure, since there has been no overall thorough studies of the drug?!?

Secondly, pot smokers do not smoke anything close to the amount of marijuana that tobacco smokers consume.

Thirdly, it is not up to you or anyone to decide what carcinogens someone else is willing to risk absorbing. The best you can hope for is an educated public. Should we outlaw tunnels because of the higher concentrations of exhaust? Seriously, let an educated populous make that decision individually!

The history and success of prohibition
Mark in Goffstown - Tue, 03/23/2010 - 09:07

Please ask guests Simon and Crate if they think the US experiment with Prohibition in the 1920s/30s was successful, and whether we should revisit that policy since alcohol is far more dangerous than marijuana.

Thank you.

Decriminalization
DC Innovator - Tue, 03/23/2010 - 09:04

If we can't morally sway social Conservatives toward decriminalization, perhaps fiscal responsibility will prevail. Has anyone measured what the over-legislation of personal freedoms such as the consensual consumption of cannabis costs? I mean really sent out a fact-finding mission with success and failure metrics as in all other business processes to see how much this costs? Just the wasted police hours? And when they do convict, usually a Joe the plumber-type- they take someone who was just paying taxes and contributing, and put them behind bars as a liability. Where is the sense in that?

Furthermore is there not a glaring hypocrisy when community and personal safety are used as reasons to prolong the prohibition when it is scientifically proven that the effective dose to lethal dose ratio in our beloved alcohol is FAR smaller (1:10) than that of Marijuana's (1:~1000)? Anecdotally, no one has EVER died of a marijuana overdose (without the presence of another drug, usually alcohol) whereas with alcohol it happens with mundane regularity and often, as in the case of drunk driving, others DO pay highly for a state-sanctified recreational drug that is far more deadly than Ms. Mary Jane.

Conflict of interest
NH Liberty Alliance - Tue, 03/23/2010 - 09:04

Police Chief Crate regularly testifies IN UNIFORM at legislative hearings on bills regarding cannabis decriminalization, a clear violation of the doctrine of separation of powers, and an egregious conflict of interest since he and his department directly benefit from more criminal laws and penalties.
Please ask him to defend such participation in the LEGISLATIVE process when he is a member of the EXECUTIVE branch.

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