Information on Marijuana: An Updated Look

[Praxius]

The following is a summery of the documentary I seen a few years ago on The Nature of Things with David Suzuki, where he studied the social and medical benifits towards the use of Marijuana and any possible medically know side effects or downfalls.

CBC Television | the nature of things

There is a growing number of people who regard marijuana (cannabis) as a benign medicine, offering relief to people suffering from a variety of illnesses, including epilepsy, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and glaucoma as well as lessening the side effects of medications and treatments given to cancer and HIV patients. CBC Television's THE NATURE OF THINGS with David Suzuki examines the medicinal uses of marijuana. This summer, the federal government of Canada found itself in a minefield of contradictory positions. Canadian courts have ruled it unconstitutional to deny medical marijuana to patients they have legally authorized to use it. In July, Justice Minister Anne McClellan promised to distribute 1,650 packets of marijuana to 582 patients legally entitled to it. At the same time the federal government is appealing the court decision allowing the medical use of marijuana. While the provincial, state and federal governments of Canada and the United States struggle with the legality of marijuana use, victims of Parkinson's, Arthritis, Epilepsy, Glaucoma, Cancer and other diseases demand a supply of this restricted substance to ease their suffering. Officially, marijuana is an illegal drug that is still considered toxic and addictive with no medical value. People who use marijuana to alleviate their suffering and seek to obtain it from an illegal source, live with the added anxiety of possible arrest, jail and forfeiture of property. They all say it's worth the risk. This program tells the stories of those who have shown courage in providing marijuana to the sick and suffering as well as the stories of people whose lives have been transformed by its medicinal properties. Reefer Madness 2 also travels to India where marijuana is openly cultivated and used in medicine, rituals and recreationally, as it has been for thousands of years with little indication of its supposed damaging effects. It came to the West in the mid-1800s, and was commonly used as a folk medicine. In the United States of the 1930s, it became identified with the corrupting influence of the jazz culture and with Mexican and Chinese immigrants. From then on, it was labeled as a Schedule 1, or dangerous drug. The Black Candle, written by an eminent Canadian judge stirred the controversy in Canada in the 1920s. Reefer Madness 2 introduces audiences to the personal stories of two women who provide marijuana to the sick. Valerie Corrall of California established the Women's Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM) and supplies over 200 people in the Santa Cruz area. Vancouver's Hilary Black runs The Compassionate Club. She talks about her dealings with sufferers, the police and the growers she relies on for supplies. Dr. Lester Grinspoon of Harvard Medical School and the author of Forbidden Medicine, recounts how a personal experience affecting his own family reinforced his determination to try and set the record straight about the marijuana use and cancer patients. Reefer Madness 2 is written by John Bassett and produced by Vishnu Mathur. Executive producer of THE NATURE OF THINGS is Michael Allder.

Now if you would like to view a clip of the episode, please click the link obove to the direct page of this info and see link there.... it is a RM file (RealMedia I believe) so unless you got that or some converter, you probably won't see it.

But anyways, to the point here:

Now I can't find any link to the entire documentary, since it was a few years back now (1999 or 98 perhaps?) So perhaps someone might have torrented the episode online to view.

Anyways, it does open a lot of very good points about how Marijuana came to the Americas, and exactly how it became illegal.

Also, I mentioned in previous debates about this documentary I seen, and in it, shows Suzuki with his Arthritis in his hand and he smoked some and shortly after he was able to move his hand better and it was less swollen. This is also the same documentary that had the patient who had sever siezures almost immediatly stop when they put a joint to hit mouth and he puffed back during the siezure and then mellowed right out as if nothing happened.

[Jack]

it became identified with the corrupting influence of the jazz culture and with Mexican and Chinese immigrants. From then on, it was labeled as a Schedule 1, or dangerous drug.

Bigoted perceptions codified into law. Gee, where have we seen that happen before? It makes me wonder if anyone even knows how many Canadians cross into America illegally every year. But that's OK, because they're white like us.
It would be splendid if drug laws required impartial medical support before they could be enacted, or would be repealed when science disproved the reasons for those laws. Obviously a pipe dream.

Medical Marijuana is crappy though. The best part of the plant, the bud, isn't used in Medical Marijuana because the gum/resin on the plant clogs up the rolling machine so they only use the stems and leaves which contain a severely reduced amount of THC.

At least that is the case with American AK-47 grown at the University of Alabama.

[Cl3ver]

Quote by: Gambr1nus Medical Marijuana is crappy though. The best part of the plant, the bud, isn't used in Medical Marijuana because the gum/resin on the plant clogs up the rolling machine so they only use the stems and leaves which contain a severely reduced amount of THC. At least that is the case with American AK-47 grown at the University of Alabama.

the stems and shake tend to make you cough more.
Medicinal Marijuana MAY happen.
But I'm cautious when I say I am for the legalization of Marijuana because of the effect on the culture it would have.

For one, I am sure a lot more people will start doing it. You know, the people you know about that smoke weed once in a while but you never wanna be around them cause of how they act... and yes I have met people who get violent because of paranoia from weed.

Another reason I am cautious is because of what would happen to the quality of the marijuana. If it became legal and the ability to sell it openly was introduced then the piggies in their suits are gonna slap a tax on it. The weed they will sell will not be high quality stuff, because like everything else they sell and tax it will be low grade mediocre bud. Legalization, in America particularly since I really do not know much about Canadian government reactions, may go alright for a little while.

But eventually the piggies will stick their little noses out and snuff out the beauty of legalization. I am very sure that after legalization would come taxation and then finally the centralization of the selling of marijuana to the government only and then making civilians attempting to sell "unpatriotic" or "helping the terrorists" or some bull shit like usual.
This centralization would destroy the quality of the marijuana for the non-medicinal and medicinal users alike (even if what the medicinal guys get is shake or stems).




Oh and Praxius, I'm working on getting the episode torrented if you are still looking for it. I'll email you or something if I find it.

[Slevin57]

I've always been rather split on medicinal marijuana.

It seems like to me it's a very "raw" medicine, whereas if they would just put it in a pill form, there wouldn't be anywhere near as much problem.

The fact is cocaine plants are also used for medicinal purposes, should we consider cocaine for legalization as well?

Like any substance the potential for abuse and addiction is present. I know plenty of people that have formed a mental addiction to marijuana and missed alot of opportunities in life. While it is true that marijuana won't kill you; It isn't a miracle drug, it's a temporary solution to a permanent problem and just another example of treating the disease instead of preventing it from happening in the first place.

[improvident]

ATTEMPT NUMBER 2..DAMN YOU BACKSPACE!

Reefer Madness 2 also travels to India where marijuana is openly cultivated and used in medicine, rituals and recreationally, as it has been for thousands of years with little indication of its supposed damaging effects. It came to the West in the mid-1800s, and was commonly used as a folk medicine. In the United States of the 1930s, it became identified with the corrupting influence of the jazz culture and with Mexican and Chinese immigrants. From then on, it was labeled as a Schedule 1, or dangerous drug. The Black Candle, written by an eminent Canadian judge stirred the controversy in Canada in the 1920s.

Actually Cannabis was pretty prevalent in the Americas prior to the 1800's ..in 1619 at the Jamestown colony it was actually illegal not to grow cannabis for hemp production.. hemp could be and was used to make rope clothing paper etc..

As for its illegality.. it was brought on by racism greed and misinformation..as it says Mexican blacks and Chinese accepted its use.. and in the 20's and 30's those weren't exactly the US gov.'s favorite people.. The 1st state to make marijuana illegal was Utah.. im not sure on the actual date.. but it was sometime in the late 1800's-early 1900's.. after the Mormons moved from Texas/Mexico into Utah.. they picked up the idea from the Mexicans.. and the Mormon church.. also in charge of laws in the state didnt much like this... SO they made it illegal thus forming a precedent for other states and eventually the US gov. its self..Henry J Anslinger.. the man responsible for making it illegal nation wide was only in it for personal gain.. he outright lied to the House and Senate hearings about it.. and when it was questioned.. they inquisitors were ignored completly..

and yes I have met people who get violent because of paranoia from weed.

Yes but WHY are they paranoid? Because what they are doing is illegal for some reason..They stand the chance of being caught by the cops.. or not being able to get a good job because they drug test..Which is another thing i dont understand.. around here.. if you smoke weed.. which i do pretty regularly. you cant get a job that offers any benefits at all.. or pays more than 6 bucks an hour.. its like saying that because i smoke pot i wont work as hard or harder than my fellow employees.. this is despite the fact that every job ive ever had i usually end up doing the job most managers do.. for regular minimum wage earnings..Sad if you asked me..

Another reason I am cautious is because of what would happen to the quality of the marijuana. If it became legal and the ability to sell it openly was introduced then the piggies in their suits are gonna slap a tax on it. The weed they will sell will not be high quality stuff, because like everything else they sell and tax it will be low grade mediocre bud. Legalization, in America particularly since I really do not know much about Canadian government reactions, may go alright for a little while.

I see where you are coming from with this.. Philip Morris.. the cigarette company has a multi million dollar facility already constructed in Virgina that is ready to be fully functional in the production of Marijuana.. You can bet that their product will be dirt.. but it will be cheap..However im pretty confident in the fact that many individual growers would start business them selfs and provide actual quality product..Until Big Brother decided there was too much money to be had in creating a government monopoly like they do on every other product grown or easily manufactured

In fact though marijuana is already being taxed.. if you are caught dealing pot.. the authorities can estimate how much money you made.. and thus tax you for it.. so basically.. if you sell pot.. you have to pay taxes for it.. thus making you get caught.. but if you dont.. when they catch you they will nail you not only with drug trafficking.. but also with tax evasion.. its illegal.. but they still want their cut.. makes sense to me..ok.. not really..

The fact is cocaine plants are also used for medicinal purposes, should we consider cocaine for legalization as well?

Can you list any medical uses for Cocaine? I cant.. all it does is make your face numb.. get you jittery and eat away at your sinuses..

Ever seen what happens when a man holds a pound or two of PURE wrapped cocaine in his hands? It leaves you with Huge open sores on your hands..

Ever see what happens when a man holds a pound or two of GOOD marijuana in his hands? He starts rolling joints.. and gets high.. lol

[Cl3ver]

Quote by: improvident Yes but WHY are they paranoid? Because what they are doing is illegal for some reason..They stand the chance of being caught by the cops.. or not being able to get a good job because they drug test..Which is another thing i dont understand.. around here.. if you smoke weed.. which i do pretty regularly. you cant get a job that offers any benefits at all.. or pays more than 6 bucks an hour.. its like saying that because i smoke pot i wont work as hard or harder than my fellow employees.. this is despite the fact that every job ive ever had i usually end up doing the job most managers do.. for regular minimum wage earnings..Sad if you asked me..

Yes and No.
These people would get paranoid sometimes in the sense that they wouldn't want to leave the house, not even to get munchies.But once in a while they would show signs of paranoia where they needed to know everything that was said, and since they had tough times understanding things they would either get loud and insulting or very "up in your face" and probably punch you in the arm.
These are the kids that give the anti-marijuana people some more leverage and some more reasons to fight the legalization. These are the retarded-sober retarded-high kids. So, it is of course a personality thing.
I do agree with your, if I can shorten it, society created paranoia.

Quote by: improvident Ever seen what happens when a man holds a pound or two of PURE wrapped cocaine in his hands? It leaves you with Huge open sores on your hands.. Ever see what happens when a man holds a pound or two of GOOD marijuana in his hands? He starts rolling joints.. and gets high.. lol

Lol

[Osborn F Enready]

Marijuana, and Coca are both natural products. As natural as a tomato.

Who is government to outlaw tomatoes?

[ericsp23]

I found out recently that there is a drug called Adderral that is available by prescription to patients with ADHD. It is a controlled substance, which means the doctor has to write out the prescription on a special pad that they get from the DEA. But once you have the prescription you can go into any pharmacy and get this stuff. I have been told by someone who has an MD that Adderral is just speed. It is identical to the drug that you can get on the street.
So, if we can get speed by prescription, why not marijuana? It seems to me that speed is a much more dangerous drug that marijuana, and is more likely to be abused (or sold illegally) by the patient who is prescribed it.

[Milton Bradley]

Quote by: Slevin57 I've always been rather split on medicinal marijuana. It seems like to me it's a very "raw" medicine, whereas if they would just put it in a pill form, there wouldn't be anywhere near as much problem.

You can already get marijuanna pills, it's called Marinol. The problem is that it does not work for many, if not most of the people who use it.