“It’s not a decision about lung health, it’s all the other issues:

Okay....

the risk of addiction,

Marijuana is not physically addictive and has no withdrawal symptoms... so what addiction?

an increase in the chance of having accidents

The Department of Transportation concluded that marijuana's effect on people's driving skills was comparable to over the counter medicines. I'm not sure this is a pertinent concern...

and social functioning."

I think we're in the clear... most people tend to be more sociable when they've loosened up a bit with some grass-- less tendency to be violent too.

So... green light?

For crying-out-loud just legalize this plant of nature.

The whole myth about marijuana has been completely busted.

The human race has used marijuana for thousands of different purposes for the past hundred thousand years.

That is until 1934 when some government genius got the bright idea that they could use marijuana prohibition as a way to discriminate against minorities.

LEGALIZE AND TAX NOW !!

.

Right US. This country has NO RIGHT to call itself a free nation as long as ridiculous laws like the prohibition against pot are in effect.

You know, thinking about it I don't think it is right to tax MJ if/when it is legalized. Bastards have to tax everything?

Agreed, just legalize it.

I don't smoke it myself, but I am appalled at the amount of money our government spends (wastes) prosecuting users. I'm even more shocked at the lost revenue potential of not taxing it.

Legalize and tax.... A simple way to cut spending AND raise tax revenue.

Cigarettes are more dangerous, and people love raising the taxes on those. Treat this the same way.

Marijuan's bad.... mmm'kay.

Nonetheless, I feel it my civic duty to protect the American public from the evils of THC... SOOOOOOO: next study you guys do that you need someone who smokes on a REAL regular basis, get ahold of me. I'll smoke a zip a day for 20 years to help my brothers and sisters learn the dangers of this big nasty green monster. muhahahaha ;-D

That is until 1934 when some government genius got the bright idea that they could use marijuana prohibition as a way to discriminate against minorities.

Yep. And it's idiotic that pot is a Class 1 controlled substance while cocaine and meth are Class 2. Evidently there are some people who think Reefer Madness was an accurate documentary about pot, even though now it comes off as hilarious!

Addiction has always been a ridiculous argument.

I'm with US. Trust me, if they legalized and taxed the hell out of it, people would still buy it. The negative effects are minimal. But, I'm sure the gub'ment would rather you encounter an aggressive alcoholic as opposed to a mellow marijuanna smoker in a dark alley...

Agreed. The only "adverse effects" I experienced when quitting was a little bit of trouble winding down for sleep. Also, a reduced appetite, but as I am agreed on the $20/week cost of sour patch kids comment below, this was not a problem, but a bonus. I do have to say that when I was in full swing, I coughed up a lot of mucus and it was troubling at the time. I worried I was developing COPD, so good to know that I may have dodged that bullet. But I have been a user off and on (off right now) for 15 years and never have I been addicted. All that ever needed to be done was a decision to be made that I would be stopping for whatever reason for a period of time. I've never felt compulsion to get it. It seems that there is a lot of research being done and conclusions being drawn. I hope this is a sign of the times and it is legalized soon.

@shecoff...OMG LMMFAO. Me too. 2 to 3 joints a month lol. How bout a night?

I am 100% with you United States1776. Look what alcohol does, people die, people fight, and God only knows what else when they are under the influence of alcohol. LEGALIZE AND TAX NOW !!!

Lord of truth and reason

i think you missed the point. Our freedom is only what the government will allow. Thats not FREEDOM.... well mabe if you a part of the sheep herd it is?

“It’s not a decision about lung health, it’s all the other issues: the risk of addiction, an increase in the chance of having accidents and social functioning.”

In other words, they are asking you not to pay attention to the science, but to the propaganda associated with marijuana! Remember, its the gateway drug! haha. The "man" never ceases to amaze me in its stupidity. God gave us this plant for a reason, embrace it!!!!!!

And I shall to that that I don't know many who were in accidents while smoking marijuana but I can counton both hands friends and assocaites who have been in accidents while drunk. Hence the statement in the article was false.

I also know of someone who was told that their cancer was inoperable and that it would continue to grow. He began to smoke marijuana to deal with the pain and side effects-----the cancer was gone 18 months later and remains gone today.

It has been said that the THC component in marijuana functions as a natural anti-inflamatory which is why it relieves the pain of glacoma, PMS, Chemo, Cancer, arthritis, gout, etc.

It is only those who refuse to accept it as a medicinal herb that prevent those in need from bennefitting from such while also the eliminating the taxes that could potentially get this country out of dept.

The study is incomplete. Marijuana does NOT apparently lead to emphysema the leading COPD, although it might lead to chronic bronchitis. And the researchers said they did NOT study any lung or throat cancers that might be related to smoking marijuana.

Personally, I think marijuana should be legalized, and harder drug USAGE should be decriminalized and such users should be treated as having a disease (check out Portugal's experience with this method of handling drug usage, especially the dramatic DECREASE in teenage drug using).

But, we should NOT think of pot as harmless.

This just in! "Hostess Brands, maker of Twinkies, Ho-Hos and Ding Dongs, is on the verge of filing for bankruptcy protection"

Another unintended victim of the War on Drugs? Save the Twinkie. Legalize MJ now.

Pot lovers!!!! Time out!

First things first. Let's remove Cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug. This designation came courtesy of law enforcement, which has a vested interest in its prohibition. (Actually, marijuana itself is not illegal. It has everything to do with tax stamps at the federal level. It's utterly ridiculous.) I can't begin to describe the phenomenal success of the War on Drugs. Thousands dead, hundreds of thousands in prison. Makes me want to get loaded just thinking about smart cops.

Regardless, being a Schedule 1 drug means it cannot be examined in a scientific fashion. While this evidence shows it may not hurt lung capacity, it says nothing about the cardiovascular system. We know it raises blood pressure. That's not exactly a good thing. We need to know all about this plant, especially in light of the fact that we also know it has wonderful medicinal properties.

Legalization and/or decriminalization also means increased government revenues along with huge cuts in government expenditures. Additionally, cannabis has enormous potential in other economic areas.

I could write much more about this, but the crumbs from my brownie keep getting in my keyboard, and this all seems so silly.

I will volunteer to be a marijuana lab rat for as long as it takes to help humanity.

odium, why did you stop for? I love this article, it reminds me, I better start rolling one for my 8:pm buzz-on, before I go to bed. That stuff is the best sleeping medicine out there.

The biggest overlooked factor: not only is it harmless it is extremely helpful. How? The roots of this plant can be used to make almost anything you can think of. Fuel, textiles, building materials, auto parts, the list is really incredible. The real reason it was lobbied into an unlawful status is for these reasons I have posted. It could virtually replace the need for oil and logging and that will piss off some people( 1%) and even less really. Yea legalize it but don't do like they have in the states where it is medical and where possession of the roots is still illegal. Hmm wonder why? Not! Legalize it and utilize it because it really is a miracle plant. Our forefathers agreed with me. I have stopped smoking it personally been about 2 years and I stopped smoking cigarettes about the same time. I still dream about cigarettes and crave them. the only time I crave weed is when I need to forget how ridiculous people can be. Nicotine and alcohol deserve the evil status. Pot? AYFKM???

Not one argument against it. The will of the people being represented once again!

Legalization would screw the Mexican Drug Cartels royally. They have more profit in Pot than any other drug.

BTW, Gary Johnson former Gov of New Mexico is and has been for the legalization of pot. The GOP would not let him in on the debates even when he had higher % of some of those they let in on the 1st debates....did not like his stance on Pot

I'm pretty much straight edge, but addressing the issue of pot...there is no greater killer than alcohol, there is no one single substance that kills more people every year. Pot should be legal and using the same regulations for beer and wine as well as cigarettes and tax the snot out of it and and we would have our national debt paid in 18 months. Is it addictive...Of course it is, anything that can change moods or alter one's mental state can be addictive. I use to smoke pot years ago and i loved the feeling, smoking a cigarette afterwards and having that lingering scent, the taste in my mouth. If video games can be "addictive", cleaning, sex, or whatever, then yes its addictive.

The gov't will not leaglize it, because you're putting it in the wrong terms.

It must be legal to own and smoke. But, illegal to grow. That way the gov't can say who is licensed to grow it. Only approved corporate entities like tobacco companies or liquor companies. We can't let people grow their own, free of taxes and regulations (the GOP's favorite buzzwords).

This way you can buy it for, like, $10 a joint (99.8% taxes, of course). The drug cartels remain in business, so the drug enforcement folks still make their money off the MJ "interdiction" racket, etc.

Then let the gov't know that MJ is the greatest public mental diversion since the invention of television (especially Fox "News") and they'll be on board for the "regulation" of MJ.

This makes it a win-win for everybody. Except those that don't want to pay $10 a joint, of course, for a product that costs less than 10 cents to make.

Now, there's a plan for legalization.

Lord of Truth and Reason: The prohibition against pot is a violation of the 4th Amendment. The government has no right to call us free when they regulate our social behavior.

It was wrong when they enacted the prohibition on alcohol and this is no different.

"Life, Liberty, and Happiness"

Remember that one?

I am very interested in the responses on here... I am a smoker. It has lowered my blood pressure (so my doctor says), It has helped me to gain a few pounds seeing as I have a fast metabolism and have trouble gaining weight, I sometimes get small bursts of anxiety. At that point I smoke. It takes the anxiety away. I like to do resarch on marijuana. It's a time consuming hobbie That has virtually no cost, keeps me from doing things that could potentially cause trouble. These are just a few of many more positive effects "US" pot smokers have. In my opinion "which doesn't mean @!$%#" I have been an avid pot smoker for many years and have experienced no negative effects from the plant. Besides it being illegal. If you read this thanks for reading.

Heres something to think about thats never mentioned in almost all the articles I read on smoking pot (besides High Times magazine). Somehow THC releases the brains confined thoughts and I'm willing to bet that if pot was legal and people used it comfortable, theres going to be more discoveries and a all together different kind of living from it. I do believe that pot will bring out the artistic abilities of some people along with other similar ideas that will just add to the way of living we have today. I just believe life will be upgraded from it becoming legal in a mental sense of discovery and in many different fields of life. If you check now and see the things that have been discovered or made because of the inventors smoking pot, you'd be surprised. So let them thoughts and ideas grow and bloosum.

While everyone here including right wing nuts seems to be in favor I need to say there is a possibility of an adverse reaction to getting high on pot. I have trouble believing none of you have ever gotten paranoid and lost control after smoking some high grade bud. It doesn't happen often but most frequent users I know have lost control before. I am just asking has it never happened to internet users?

DG, if you have watched Reefer madness (there are 3 versions BTW), in at least the version it starts with a disclaimer that says basically that it is unsubstantiated BS. When you allow religion and politics to mix, the result is totalitarianism every time.

Noiwont - You know that Ron Paul is in favor of legalizing marijuana, right? Yet somehow he's managing to place in the top 3 candidates.

Taneka - We call those allergic reactions. Some people have them to peanuts.

Somehow THC releases the brains confined thoughts and I'm willing to bet that if pot was legal and people used it comfortable, theres going to be more discoveries and a all together different kind of living from it.

Carl Sagan has some fascinating things to say about his experience with Marijuana...the man loved it. As most of you know, Sagan is the creator of the brilliant series, "The Cosmos" His books are also brilliantly written, with an outstanding perspective on just about anything he talks about.

Ok, so I dont see what the fear people have of legalizing pot. Maybe its bad, maybe its not, but if it has any negative effects on society then they are not worse than that of alcohol. tens of millions of Americans use it in any given year, even though it is illegal. This means that all we are doing to enforce this law is not helping, so whats the point? I really dont think that there will be that much more people who are going to be smoking it if it were legal then if it were illegal. At least we could cut off alot of money to criminals if we were to legalize it, and the government could get some taxes and save money from enforcement. This is really an issue of personal choice, it is not something that i see the government should be involved in, as long as it does not directly harm other people it is none of the governments business. Maybe it does effect society, but people are just as smart as the government in making this decision for themselves. The governments purpose is not to be our babysitter... smaller gov, legalize pot... is there a political party out there for me? lol

takenaka, I can't say I ever lost control smoking weed, but I do know what your talking about, because I have friends that did. So I have to agree with you on this. Like anything, too much at once is no good. See I think thats why I was able to stay in control when I smoked, I was patient and waited to see how it worked, instead of just continuing smoking til I couldn't move. Now I do remember other things happening to me when I smoked some really good pot, sex, yep, sex was incredible when I was high. Pot actually enhances the feelings from sex. There were times I had sex and it was more like marathon sex than sex. With me, I bought from friends and when my friends told me it was good pot, I believed them and I was patient with the buzz. You can always smoke more to adjust the high your looking for, but you can't take and smoke less after you already smoked more. So believe the person you bought the stuff from when they tell you its good but its a slow creeper, give it a little more time and before you even realize it, you'll be stoned holding the joint, wondering what happened, lol. Ahh those were the days. A friend with weed is a friend indeed.

how about this. nowhere in the US constitution does it give the authority to the federal government to tell private citizens what they can and cant consume (we are free citizens right?). it it not the job of the federal government to protect an individual citizen (from themselves) within its jurisdiction but to provide for the common defense of the Union and protect states from domestic violence (state vs state/insurrection). Article the sixth [Amendment IV] The right of the people to be secure in their persons............... is what prevents the government from telling us what to eat/drink/smoke/inject/etc. we have the right to make decisions for ourselves and our bodies..... and pay any consequences for mistakes made from those decisions.

the reason why cannabis is illegal has to do with keeping a cheap, easy to grow versatile plant from putting whole industries out of business (money). the plant has so many uses and is so easy to grow that it could replace most of what things are made with. cannibis has a use for just about anything. the only way they could get anti-marijuana laws passed was to use a scapegoat (mexicans) rather than tell the people the real reasons they lied and blamed mexicans and blacks. the "studies" they had was all fake/doctored/misleading and nothing the government said was truthful but through fear and propaganda the government banned cannabis and labeled it a sch1 drug to make sure it would stay illegal. the marijuana tax stamps were the first effort to make cannabis illegal without the wording but failed so they did what ant totalitarian government would, they lied to us.

the only thing that should be illegal with regards to any drug is the sell to minors and committing a crime while on drugs. drugs can and should be monitored by the FDA for QA but beyond that its the responsibility of the user to be sure they have good drugs and know how to properly use and cope with the effects. drugs abusers should be dealt with on a society level not government shackles. taxes should be based on the same tax structure of any business and/or independent worker, not punitive based on the whims of the politician or voter.

just stop telling people what to do with their own lives, you didn't give me life and for damn sure aint gonna be controlling it!

I have said it countless times, til I'm blue in the face it's NOT about the pot it's about OUR fundamental liberties, OUR rights and freedom. It's like this, if I wanted to wear two left shoes (I know this sounds silly, but the parallel of the illustration is the same) but the government said No you can't wear two left shoes you are offending a certain group of people. And I ask them how am I offending this group and the government said that doesn't "fit" into there taste of there religion plus it's bad for your right foot. First of all it is MY right foot and second of all how can I "offend" them if I am in the privacy of My own home. Hell, if I wanna be a dumba$$ and hurt my right foot and walk around looking silly well it's MY right foot Nobody Else's. It makes no sense for a plant to be illegal. If I am at home by myself smoking minding my own business somebody please tell me how in the fkng hell am hurting you, my neighbor, society our country's security or anything or anyone? The one reason to me that it is illegal although there are a few others is CONTROL!!! They have no INTELLIGENT or SANE REASON for to be illegal!!! Actually the United States government is being most extremely immature,petty and childish in keeping it illegal!!!! It is Your body you are a grown A$$ adult You own You not the government!!!!!!!!!!!!! They do not OWN us!!!!!!!!!! So why in the hell are we putting up with their bllsht!!!!!!!!! I was thought that we were a SELF governing nation!!!!!!!!!!!! WE THE PEOPLE!!!!! You wouldn't let me come into Your house and tell you: Hey change that channel I don't like that show or don't cook that meal I don't like it!!! Yet you let the government come into your house and tell you what you can and cannot put into YOUR body!!!!!!!!!! That is the same as an employee telling the business owner how to run his Own business and what he can and cannot do with his OWN business!!!!!

My honest opinion on this, I think its more harmful to be republican than it is to smoke pot. Look at the posts tonight, nice pleasant conversations/debates, no bickering, no arguing with some people that did smoke pot in their day or some that still do and some that quit. So for me, I'm thinking its more harmful being a hard right conservative, than it is to fire a doobie up. Peace.

Experimented with pot when in college. When Igraduated, I quit experimenting. Now I am into full scale research.

Findings: in 40 years, I have never seen two stoned people fight. Music lasts longer. Sex lasts longer. Munchies create jobs.

Joe, I am a conservative that hates the establishment for just these reasons. How can you speak of freedom when you oppress people socially as Republicans do. They emphasize financial freedom while doing a complete reversal when it comes to social issues.

I am completely disgusted with both parties, and pray that Ron Paul runs 3rd party.

It's about time! ......... now the supporters come crawling out of the woodwork! lol

Stan1518703, If pot was legalized and cost $10.00 a joint, then that wouldn't put the Mexican drug cartel out of business. It would have to be reasonably priced so people wanted to pay for it legally instead of buying it cheaper from the drug cartel. Who knows, there just might be a different drug cartel from it being legal. I'm going to assume that a lot of people will try growing it, all kinds of farmers will pop up everywhere from it becoming legal. Well that would just bring in a lot of money too. If your growing it and you get busted growing it, you get fined and the township you live in gets the money. Once again another win, win situation from pot being legal. I would think even the fines for it would have to be sensable too, this way people take the chance growing it and if they get caught they get fined and thats how the cities the people live in make money. Maybe a general fine for growing it and then something like $20.00 a plant for growing it. So you get a citation for lets say, $250.00 just for getting caught then a additional $20.00 a plant, so if you get caught wit 10 plants its an extra $200 on top of the original $250. I think thats reasonable and a lot of people would take the chance growing some and thus we old and young hippies take and pull our country out of the red and put it back in the black, in half the time our politicians would.

Kornfed, I couldn't agree with you any more about this. Freedom, should be freedom and theres been a lot of good comments about that on here tonight. I hope the government dosen't think that pot smokers will eventually want to overthrow them, firing Oreo cookies at them. Yes, I have to agree with everyone of the comments about our freedom made in here tonight. Have a great night.

Somehow THC releases the brains confined thoughts and I'm willing to bet that if pot was legal and people used it comfortable, theres going to be more discoveries

maybe so, but putting said discoveries into motion is another story all together lol

Kornfed; I'm excited to fire up that joint tonight that I forgot to say what I initially wanted to say to you. I was referring more toward the hard right conservatives in that post and trying to be a little funny too. I'm thinking we're a lot alike when it comes to voting. I'm registered a dem and I'm not going to go change it now at my age, but I'll vote for the best person that I think is running. I have been doing this for years. I know you don't have to switch parties to vote for who you want too, the only thing I miss out on is picking the candidate. Now in the past, I didn't think this made too much of a difference in the outcome of who ended up being the candidate. Now this year it might of made a difference, because I'm thinking there just might be a lot of dems out there that would of voted for Ron Paul. Its not over yet, so we'll see what happens. To be honest with you, out of all the people running this time, Ron Paul just might be the best one. Ok, later, got to run for a bit. Have a good one.

Finally people are starting to believe what the pot smokers have been saying for DECADES.

And now studies being done at UCLA and elsewhere are confirming that not only is weed NON-carcinogenic, but that it is actually ANTI-carcinogenic for certain specific cancers. The implication being that pot-only smokers would actually have LESS instances of lung cancer than even the general population, not just the cigarette smokers. It is only an implication at this point because the specific cancers where they've proven this have not been lung cancer. (yet?)

Maybe Ron Paul can be the compromise that we are all looking for...

Take care Joe

EROCK17; Maybe with a little help from our friends, putting those ideas into motion just might work. Lol. Later.

Potheads are just, well, potheads.

I would like to pose a question to the religious among us: isn't making a plant illegal kind of like giving the middle finger to God?

humanhater-

You're comment is funny. Looking at the USSR, did we determine their level of freedom based SOLELY on marijuana legalisation? Did we do so for Germany? Cambodia? NK? No. There are far more important factors in dtermining whether or not a populace is free, and if you'd like to post some relevant commments regarding that query, I'd be happy to debate you on them. Beyond that, peace and good day.

It has always been about money and control. This was supposed to be a free country. We are so used to being lied to by our government that we are no longer outraged that the people we elect to represent us could lie to us for personal gain.

Even among those who know the truth, there is this idea that it should be taxed at a rate higher than tobacco or alcohol. California wanted a $60 an ounce tax!

The reason the legalization of Marijuana failed to pass with such a narrow margin in California is because the growers and sellers voted against it. The State tried to take over the industry and hand it to the corporations, cutting out the very people who pioneered the industry.

It is always about money and control. Never mind that everyone should have the right to grow their own, just like George Washington.

I've seen Christians drink alcholic beverages and then condemn Marijuana.

Well I got one question for you Christians.

Man made booze, God made Pot, who do you trust?

Legalize Gods plant if you truly believe that there is a God.

It sounds like another crackpot study. I'll wait for the second study on this and be willing to be proven wrong, but the last touted study by the Cult of Pot was thrown out, and the Cult is still touting it.

I'm not against legalizing pot, just the Cult of Pot which has more in common with Christian radical evangelists than they would ever admit to. You don't have to hype pot or use selective science to either say you like it, or want it legalized.

And very much like your typical radicals, they believe in science, but only when it supports their point of view. They readily throw it out the window when it doesn't. Worse, they fund inaccurate and biased studies.

Now if this proves to be a real study, and it is backed by others, good. There's nothing wrong with actual science. But actual science doesn't decide what result it wants first. We'll see where this is headed.

I'm with Derek up above. This study was done by al-Qaeda to weaken us before they invade Oklahoma and impose Sharia law on America!! Pot is highly addictive and is a gateway drug of the most Satanic sort and if you smoke it even twice you will almost immediately become addicted to heroin and LSD and become homosexual!!!! What? I'm completely insane? Oh, sorry. Never mind.

Lol! Are you?

Derek, it rather depends on whom one asks, I suppose! You asked me, so I'll have to admit to being stark, raving sane. But how many who really are whacko realize it and would admit it?

My honest opinion on this, I think its more harmful to be republican than it is to smoke pot

some of the earliest and most outspoken and articulate proponents of legalizing pot just happened to be Republican, the late William F. Buckley for one. Perhaps you've noticed that Ron Paul is pro-legalization and President Obama is NOT. In fact some of the most loathsome haters of marijuansa have been Democrats, e.g., Pat Schroeder, who wanted women in combat, but god help any pacifist who just wants a joint in her own home. Please stop trying to make this into a partisan issue; it is a disgusting lie bordering on slander, and it won't wash.

“It’s not a decision about lung health, it’s all the other issues: the risk of addiction, an increase in the chance of having accidents and social functioning.”

Everything in the above passage could be said with equal justice about alcoholic beverages. Actually I would fear a drunk driver much more than one who had just smoked a joint.

The solution, of course, is to legalize it, and criminalize the inappropriate use. So when the cop tells you to blow into the breath analyzer, the device also measures the amount of THC present in your system. If you over a certain, tiny percentage, you're in trouble. If not, you get to proceed on your way.

I don't smoke pot. But I see no reason for continuing to make possession and use a criminal act.

I don't smoke it nowadays, but I am for legalization.

It's ridiculous the money we spend on controlling a substance that does not really need to be controlled in the first place. It's like spending millions prosecuting people for eating carrots...delicious delicious carrots... because some time back in the past a bunch of fat-cats in the cabbage industry decided to lobby (grease palms) against carrots and get them banned.

We know it's bull, they know it's bull - so wtf and legalize it already.

Unitedstates1776, Why does it have to be taxed? Why can't it be legalized and sold in the produce department of grocery stores where it, tobacco and othe rplants should be sold?

Kornfed....I have a question about Ron Paul. Since roughly 50% of voters are women....Why is Mr. Paul against birth control? Why does he want to ban it?

When you talk about civil and social liberties, legalizing pot is the only natural recourse..HOWEVER, removing a woman's right to autonomy is NOT going to get him ANYWHERE near the White House.

Do me a favor, next time he's talking about getting out of the middle east, suggest he get out our pants, too.

Legalize pot... AND...legalize a woman's right to her body!!!

Kornfed....I have a question about Ron Paul. Since roughly 50% of voters are women....Why is Mr. Paul against birth control? Why does he want to ban it?

He has stated that he does not believe the Federal government should make law about the reproductive choices of American citizens. Go look it up. You are yet another example of what our media does to the opinions of Americans, deceitfully and with malice

the problem with legalizing pot is the government makes MORE money though confiscated FUNDS than it would EVER make though TAXING sales.

to illustrate lets say pot is $20 per Gram and the drug enforcement captures 10% of the money being moved....that 10% of $20

if legalized threw competition the price will drop lets say $10 per gram and tax is 8%.....that's 8% of $10

far less money for the feds to have ....and its all about the money in this country

It's real Simple .... all we have to do is ........................................................

"I will not vote for any politician that opposes the legalization of Marijuana "

spread the word .... oppose marijuana legalization and lose!"

oomyaaqub - OMG! I feel so sorry for YOU. Ya can't even take a joke. The comment about right wing republicans was intended to be funny, not serious. For gods sakes, light one up, and lighten up.

This is good news for the Baby boomers, during their era from wood stock through all the musicians in Fleetwood Mac have smoked more bud than any other generation after and beyond combined..

Kornfed...I just googled the question....Is Ron Paul against birth control?

PAGES came up...PAGES!!! He has stated that access to birth control is an affront to Christianity and has signed on the Santorum's band wagon on that issue!

Since my C&P is note behaving, and since the content is too voluminous...I just suggest that anyone interested just google the question...including you.

As a woman, there is NOTHING malicious about my question, and deceitful about my wanting to know the truth. Bringing this into the light is the most honest thing I can do......Since your C&P seems to be fine, perhaps you can post his quote's on the opposition to Santorum's lunacy. PLEASE! Prove me wrong!!!

@Justme, then I totally approve of your faux insanity. Made me laugh in a good way.

Abortion and Birth Control:

• Opposes Roe v. Wade.
  • • Opposes all federal laws banning or restricting abortion and birth control, believing that these are matters relegated to state control under the Tenth Amendment.

    Source...About.com

  • His personal beliefs are of course anti abortion.

Kornfed....I have been on the fence about Dr. Paul.

It has been this issue that has made me reconcider my vote. There was a time when Dr. Paul might have had this view, ( What was the time line for this statement? ) But recently, he seems to have changed his position. You had a chance to actually win a vote here, but I cannot vote for Dr. Paul in light of his adoption of Santorum's policies. (Which are a current development). WTF is he thinking?!

As a Ron Paul supporter, you should be concerned about his stance on this issue, and how it will affect his overall electibility. If you could, please, post a current statement about his opposition to Santorum's will to ban birth control..(BTW, we are NOT discussing abortion here...we are talking about banning oral contraceptives...)

From a woman's point of view, and being conservative enough to know I cannot afford to have a child every year, and smart enough to know that if I cut my husband off from sex because of it.....well, you get the picture.

Giving you another shot at this. Remember, if you are trying to win votes for Dr. Paul, these are issues you are going to have to address. Not everyone who questions Dr. Paul's platforms are trying to submarine him...we're just trying to figure out where he stands on issues like this...

@ Lord of truth and reason

You said:

"So you want to base freedom on whether or not pot is legal? wow....."

First of all, why is it that someone with some sort of reference to god, or religion does not seem to grasp reality....maybe because you whole life is based on a lie.

No one is basing freedom on whether pot is legal or not.....however the fact that pot is illegal goes to show how un-free we are. Why would the gov't make a natural plant, herb, free medicine illegal???? That right there shows how unfair the law is....There are many other reasons we are not free...for example, the Patriot Act, NDAA are 2 very big reasons.

Marijuana is one of the many, but the fact that the gov't doesnt listen to over 50% (i beleive it is somewhere in the 70 or even 80 percent) of Americans who feel it shoud be legal. So if this is a sountry where "we the people" have some sort of influence...Imagine one "law maker" determined that roses were illegal...would that make sense? If tobacco kills so many people and marijuana does not (remember, there has been not 1 case of death from marijuana) kill people....why is mj illegal and tobacco is not, does it really seem like the govt really cares about the people......for GOD sakes, NO!

"Lord of Reason" -- yes, it absolutely does have to do with freedom. You can't claim to be a completely free country if you allow the government to dictate what you can and cannot put into your own body.

It's OK, kornfed....I looked hard myself, even went to his website several times looking for his platform. I am very sorry that he had to jump on the Santorum bandwagon..makes him seem like he cares about everyones right to liberty, except WOMEN.

I think it's awesome that he wants to legalize....but saying it and doing it are two different things. (Have we learned nothing?)

I sincerely believe that legalization is on it's way.

Note the articles and documentaries on the subject lately? Something we would have never seen even 5 years ago. Legalization is coming. But to throw away someone else's liberties for the sake of your own isn't the way to go about it.

We must make our voices loud and clear for EVERYONE'S civil and social liberties. I think it's admirable that you are such a staunch supporter, but the bigger picture here is the trade off. Women WILL be viewed as second class citizens when the government starts infringe on their reproductive rights....

Santorum is a sexually preoccupied, mysogenistic whack job, and I'm very disappointed that Dr. Paul thinks this is a valid platform. If he doesn't disassociate himself from this flake...he will lose. That is gospel.

The only real side effects of smoking weed are the munchies and buying stupid stuff you don't need from late night TV commercials.

Legalize it as a stimulant for the economy. Increased pizza deliveries and orders for Shake Weights alone will create lots of new jobs.

@Toosano

Potheads are just, well, potheads.

#1.49 - Tue Jan 10, 2012 8:56 PM EST

And ignorant people are well....just ignorant!

But also....

Potheads are presidents

Potheads are musicians

Potheads are Entertainers

Potheads are Business owners

Potheads are Mayors

Potheads are Billionaires

Potheads are Millionaires

Potheads are actors

Potheads are Innovators

Care to debate? Need Proof? Just ask, i will give you exacts!

Please do not be ignorant! Because stupid people are well...stupid!

Somehow THC releases the brains confined thoughts and I'm willing to bet that if pot was legal and people used it comfortable, theres going to be more discoveries and a all together different kind of living from it.

Not so sure about this. I've had some breakthrough ideas while stoned, but when I came down...

mqira....well said!!! Very well said indeed!!!

All these "anti-drug laws” are illegal to begin
with.

They are unconstitutional so the "anti-druglaws"
are against the constitution and therefore the law. So who gave those
FOOLS the right to place themselves above the law and the constitution and write illegal laws to to CONTROL us FREE Americans!!! I know my
ancestors, parents nor I wouldn't and didn't, so who did?!!! No one has the right or privilege to go against the constitution ever! PERIOD!!! The government is waaaaaaaaaaay over stepping their authority!!! The last I checked it was we the people who were the BOSS and NOT the other way around!!! I would like to know when we the people are going to quit being so gullible and stop believing their LIES!!!! They lie to us about everything and make jokes about there not being any politicians yet when they tell us about marijuana then all of a sudden they all become these angels of honesty and don't LIE, bllsht dmbA$$!!! Duh, don't
you think that if they LIE about everything else that they would lie about Pot, especially Pot. They are laughing their a$$e$ off at us. They are laughing at you!!! It doesn't matter if you are conservative or liberal, democrat or republican it is the same scenario. They tell us what they think we want to hear to tickle our ears and make us feel good just so we
will vote for them and then do whatever the hell they want after they are in
office. It happens every time 100% without fail. This government has turned into the very thing that our forefathers fought against in the 1700s. We Need to FORCE them to pass a law that if they lie, tell a half truth, omit (fail to inform us in any way) or commit any dishonest act of any degree that is proven with evidence that they are to be FIRED instantly on the spot with zero chance of EVER serving in ANY public office of ANY kind!!!
One other thing, it should also include their campaigns.

Free the Weed!!! In the words of Teal'c from Stargate SG1: "Indeed"! Like a poster said (which, by the way is an awesome idea) above : any and ALL politicians that are even a tiniest bit against unconditional legalization vote them OUT!!! Vote only for those that are for T-totally UNconditional legalization!!!!!!

Kornfed - "leaving it to the states" is code speak, for "we know the good conservatives in most states, will do the right thing and ban abortion and contraception".

Frankly, not all things should be left to the states...or most of this nation would still be hanging black people from the biggest tree, in the center of town...sometimes, just for sport.

I dont live in a Utopia...and therefore, i've got no room for a guy like Ron Paul, who idoloized a sociopath and hypocrite, like Ayn Rand.

END OF STORY.

I'm for legalization and regulation - however I do think Marijuana is addictive. Now before people jump all over me, I know it's not chemically addictive like alcohol or other drugs - but it is still habit forming. I've seen people who basically throw their lives away because they decided to get high all the time. I understand it's their choice and I think personal liberty is important which is why I'm for legalization. I've also seen people who smoke all the time and have no problems. I think it depends on the person. The people who develop a habit of smoking don't NEED another hit - they just want one. But that can still be a hard habit to break.

i agree. There are certain people with addictive personalities.

The reason it's not legal has nothing to do with anything except, as this study proves, there are absolute health benefits to it. Hemp oil has been known for some time to do many wonderful things as a curative agent. One of them is curing cancer. Yea, someone will say 'There's not been any peer studies'. It seems like if something works there are no peer studies on it for a reason.

Marijuana being illegal is just one more example of a government (unconstitutionally, I might add) imposing its own will over the will of the people.

This further illustrates that “a government of the people, by the people, and for the people” is but a myth.

The real key to making marijuana legal is to make it profitable for a politician. Now, if you could somehow convince someone to SPONSOR a bill, with the obvious advantages. I suggest Doritos, Frito's, Lays, Taco Bell and White Castle all get involved. The only downside I see to marijuana use is the possible weight gain due to the munchies.

At the risk of wading into a discussion on the health effects of such a popular drug, I do worry that a headline like the one for this article might give people a false sense of safety about smoking pot.

Inhaling any kind of smoke into your lungs has dangers that are self evident. Researchers have come up with all kinds of theories and pronouncements that simply go against common sense.

Crohn's Disease & Cannabis, My story...

One critical element they left out to using the CANNABIS plant was VAPORIZING it...There goes all the 'anything you inhale is bad' theory right out the 420th floor window!! hah (0_o)

Our own bodies create cannabinoids just an FYI...We have what's called C1 & C2 cannabinoid receptors that are native to our genetic make-up. Each Cannabis plant (Whether it be C-Sativa, C-Indica or C-Afghan) has over 60 cannabinoids (that have been found so far, there may be more) that are categorized as C3. Our bodies C1 & C2 receptors in a sense 'reach out' & latch onto the C3 cannabinoid from the plant. Depending on the type of C3 that is inhaled (preferably vaporized) or eaten through edibles, affects different areas of the body for a multitude of health related issues. I myself have very severe crohn's disease as well as rheumatoid arthritis & am a frequent user (Registered federally & through my home state) of medicinal cannabis. [Its] inherent ability of being an anti-inflammatory is miraculous. I can't even begin to divulge into how much it has helped me.

To keep it short I was 5'10, 160lbs in 8th grade & by the end of my freshman year in high school I weighed 98lbs b/c I was unable to eat due to the rampant, knee dropping pain from crohn's (which I had yet to be diagnosed with). It wasn't until the beginning of my senior year in HS that I was diagnosed, luckily I had started using cannabis occasionally & was able to start eating a little more. I was a straight A student with a 4.0gpa & would have been valedictorian had I of been able to be IN school. But between all of the treatments I was going through to try & fight the disease I had little time to be there, hence being ousted from the valedictorian position. Heck, I was lucky they let me graduate due to my attendance. I literally had to argue every 3-4wks with the principal & counselor about what Crohn's Disease was & it's effects, b/c at that time it wasn't a widely known disease and still very hard to diagnose. I always got the same response's; "You don't look very sick. You've just got a stomach ache, get over it. Change your attitude", etc etc. I think I had racked up over $10-12k in college grants from test grades and what not, but was unable to use any of them b/c the treatments I was getting just made it all worse.

I've taken every DRUG they have for this disease with little to no response other than bad one's. Remicade being the worst of the bunch, that's what triggered my RA. The doctor's just want to shove pharmaceuticals down your throat, & the list of side effects from them were (at a minimum) mind boggling.

Fast forward to early July 2009. I had just got back from a Motocross Pro National where I was a mechanic for my rider/friend. The next morning after I got home I awoke in the fetal tuck position, near screaming from the pain. This one was bad, real bad. My grandmother raced me to the hospital & while I was in the waiting room of the ER my intestines ruptured, I lasted for about 30 minutes before I blacked out...I woke up in the ICU with my stomach still wide open b/c the inflammation was so bad they couldn't stitch me back together until the swelling went down a day later. I was so close to septicemia that even the Doctor's were amazed I didn't get it. Amazingly, things had looked optimistic for the recovery only being 3 days in (a 10in. long scar with staples up the middle of my torso). I couldn't eat anything solid b/c of the intestinal reconnection so I was only on clear liquids. The fourth day my intestines re-ruptured so I was rushed back into the OR for a 3rd surgery, this time I wasn't so fortunate...Again I woke up in the ICU, but this time there were no staples. I had an open wound vacuum dressing, an illiostomy, & a PIC line ran straight to my heart (if I'm not mistaken) for a feed line. After about a week & a half the nurse's were trying to get me to eat but I had no appetite or if I did try to force down some it just came right back up. So I showed my doc's & nurses my cannabis card & demanded to try using the 'THC pill' called Marinol. Reluctantly they finally gave it to me (it's not anything at all like using the plant naturally), after a day of taking it I was starting to be able to eat tid-bits here & there which was better than nothing considering I was living on w.e formula it was they were pumping into me, which kind of looked like milk (so I just referred to it as 'Muscle Milk' when the nurses replaced it lol). I finally started to get a little better bit by bit. Once I was coherent enough to hold an intelligent conversation with my Doctors I was informed that the illiostomy was only a temporary fix for 6 months so the swelling was able to completely go down (which Cannabis played a very prevalent role in that), then it was to be reversed & I would just have the 10in. scar like before the second rupture.

My hospital stay was just over a month long, but it gets better (or worse really). The day I arrived home I was greeted by a pile of mail & the very first one was from my health insurance company stating that my health insurance was to be terminated immediately with no answer as to why. Leaving me with over $3k a month in medical needs (ostomy supplies, doc visits etc.). I used up what was left of my savings for the next month & a half & after that I was just plain SOL. So my Mom offered to let me come stay with her for the remaining time & she would help with the cost of medical supplies until we could get my insurance straightened out, downside was is that she lived on the west coast and I lived on the east coast. Anyway I got out to my Mother's house with the last bit of my savings. My recovery was coming along ok, I still had internal stitches protruding OUT of my skin though but the pain was manageable. I was to come home to the east coast in February 2010 for my reversal surgery b/c I found out how to fix the problem with my insurance but as you can imagine how much it cost during those months of being uninsured, we had/have no money to get me home. And the only way that I can get the health insurance to start rolling again is if I'm in my home state & am able to be there in person...

And that brings us here to today, still stuck trying to find a way to afford a cross country trip & enough money to hold me stable for the 2wk grace period it will take for the health coverage to kick in. It's coming up on 2yrs this Feb. of 2012 that I was supposed to of had this ostomy reversal surgery done. Mind you again, this ostomy was only meant to be temporary for 6-8 months, a year at max & I'm coming up on 2yrs...

Which brings me as to why I wrote this. I wholeheartedly believe that my heavy use of medicinal grade cannabis has let me hold on this long, though I can tell that I'm slowly getting worse due to the extensive time of being in this 'temporary' condition. Not in terms of my Crohn's disease, that has been in remission since I was able to get my medicinal cannabis. But in the sense of the 'internal work' (stitching and whatnot). If it was only meant to be in for a year MAX and I'm going on 2 & a half years it can't be good, I've already noticed more internal stitches coming to the outer layer of my skin. And the stitching around the stoma has also broken letting the intestinal tract elongate into the ostomy bag, which by no means tickles.

I would just like everyone to know how much cannabis has helped me with this debilitating and possibly terminal condition I face daily, I hope there is a silver lining in all of this but as of now this is no fairytale with a happy ending or light at the end of the tunnel.

If you've read through this post I want to sincerely thank you for reading my story.

Peace & Love to all

CH83 a.k.a Wheezy

Addictive or not; illegal or not; socially acceptable or not; Marijuana is still a stupid and obnoxious and just plain noxious habit. Worse than tobacco because of the nauseating odor and just as dibilitating to the senses as alcohol. Go ahead and make it legal but it will have to be treated the same as tobacco and disallowed in restaurants or any public places because of the noisome and semi-poisonous fumes.

This is not news to some of us. I have never understood why there are people in PRISON for using Marijuana...we pay for that...there are people in prison for drinking and driving. Alcoholism is one of the highest killers in this country. I just don't get it. So much good can come from this plant that USED to grow wild all over the place. Now, it is a crime to get caught with it and I mean, Jail time. Makes no sense. If Congress would sit and smoke a joint, I guarantee they would get more done...

GO REEFER!!!!!!

Archang3l,

Similar story happenend here in Utah. The state cut a guy from medicaid who had terminal pancreatic cancer from his insurance for using marinol. It was the only thing that allowed him to gain an appetite to keep from starving to death. He was TERMINAL. Who gives a sh!t what the negative effects are? So he started smoking weed. My thoughts are with you.

bboomer:

just as dibilitating to the senses as alcohol.

Wrong. Do some research. Even our own government has this to say:

A low THC dose (100 ug/kg) does not impair driving ability in urban traffic to the same extent as a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.04g%.

...

The maximum road tracking impairment after the highest THC dose (300 ug/kg) was within a range of effects produced by many commonly used medicinal drugs and less than that associated with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08g% in previous studies employing the same test.

From the DOT, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(DOT HS 808 078), Final Report, November 1993
"Marijuana and Actual Driving Performance."

For you to equate the effects of marijuana with alcohol only serves to illustrate your relative ignorance about the drug and its true effects. Blame propaganda. They (the US Govt. & LE agencies) have misled you badly.

The Feds will pump a bunch of lies & propaganda to reinforce their stand (Creel Commision tactics). The Big Bro has created an industry around pot and must maintain the jobs now! People and their children have become a commodity to be used and abused by law enforcement and child welfare offices.

This is a lame study... need much more extreme conditions..... I'm 18 and I rip bong every day sometimes a lot each day.... so I'm a "pothead" I have been doing this for 2-3 years..every day.. I also am an athlete and I have been lifting consistently never stopping for over 3 weeks for 4 years... my lungs are efficient and I never have issues whether I am extreme mountain biking, lifting, running, or swimming. I am in better shape than 99% of people I encounter, and I also smoke WAY more weed than 99% of people I encounter.

We need to legalize immediately. If you don't want to smoke pot, don't. But I am sick of having to deal with the garbage that goes hand in hand with danks being illegal.

The feds are more than likely not going to say a damn thing about it and then cut funding to the institutions that sponsored or somehow support the study.

Unfortuantely, missrn, you are probably correct. It's really sad that our leaders are so corrupt and gutless. Just heard on the radio that 17% of American adults binge drink; why don't they worry about THAT instead?

Well OomYaaqub, we wouldn't want to have to take down those warm, cozy Jack Daniels Christmas commercials would we?

My niece just got six months in the county jail for USE!!! The judge said she "was going to make an example out of her". It sucks living behind enemy lines, just a state away and it's nearly legal yet here they give the the electric chair for posession.

OomYaaqub- What do you want to bet that lawmaking and binge drinking go hand in hand?

Quite possible. I think they should breathlyze the lot of them when they show up for work, and after lunch, too.

.. I also am an athlete and I have been lifting consistently never stopping for over 3 weeks for 4 years

That's actually an important factor - if one stays active and fit - the adverse effects of inhaling smoke regularly will be very much minimized if non-existant.

I'm a regular tobacco smoker, have been for over a decade - and up until the last couple years I was very physically active and fit. I had no real problems with smoking and breathing. But now that I'm not 'purging' that from my system and exercising, the negative effects seem to be catching up to me rather swiftly.

I don't think so, the Feds under Obama do not enforce the federal part of pot possession basically leaving it up to the states, which is good as this should be a state issue unless the Fed. wanted to completely decriminalize it, which would be great. Under W. so much fderal money was wasted prosecuting possession of pot charges. Simply the gummint should not be allowed to tell ree people what they can and can not put into their own bodies, I have not found any clause in the constitution that gives them such powers.

Unfortunately Frank he reneged on his campaign promises and started to federally shut down dispensaries in CA. Someone with money got to him again.

I was going to point out the same thing but Morgs74 beat me to it. Obama went back on this promise and there was a story only a few months ago about the feds beginning to shut down a bunch of dispensaries in California.

The problem is defining "the Feds," Congress under the CSA of 1970 placed marijuana the plant as a Schedule I controlled substance. Our Congress won't budge on this despite a myriad of evidence.

However, the FDA ( the people who study food and drugs) realize the medical benefits of the active ingredient, and therefore THC and CBD extracts have been re-scheduled from I in the 1970's, to II in 1985, and now cannabis-based pharmaceuticals are Schedule III....same as many other prescription pills.

This is a perfect example of congress having too much power over issues they neither understand nor care to investigate.

And when it is, I'm going to buy stock in Frito-Lay, Inc. or whatever conglomerate now owns that company.

Buy it now. LOL They are already smoking it, more people than you would ever imagine. May I suggest stock in gummy candies of ANY sort? LOLOLOL

go vote

Hostess!!! Buy!

The feds have made the states afraid to legalize it.

The fed's just need to be knocked back down a few pegs on the totem pole if you ask me and let the states do what they want. The feds were not supposed to have this much power we need to knock them off the high horse that they have placed them selves on so the states could do what the states were intended to do make laws based on the peoples wants and needs not the feds rules and regulations based on BS.

MOMMY, each state has it core cell of ultra-conservatives so most if not all states would keep it illegal to please them. Would you like to know why I think they're fighting so hard to keep it that way? Its not about effects on you or they belive all that propaganda they know is incorrect. Its because when you smoke pot you're being disobedient! That alone makes them rabid.

Besides, if they backed off on pot laws, who know what freedoms people might ask for next?

BDD comments such as yours are partially why so many are against it-----

I bet you help keep the cereal companies in business too. Capn' Crunch at midnight is a heavenly thing.

Heavenly, yes. Only problem is, before you know it your peice of heaven gets bigger and bigger and bigger. You get the point. lol

LOL about the cereal, I can almost eat a small box right around midnight, then maybe something salty alitle bit later. Gotta love them munchies. I used to weigh 100lbs and looked sickly, now I weigh about 125lbs and look good. Thank you Mary Jane!!

Been smoking pot since 1967 and I`ll take an IQ test against most 71 year old men like I am. You can take care of business when needed unlike alcohol.

Call me when you get closer to 200 and we'll commiserate lol.

Since I started toking up nightly almost 8 years ago I lost 40lbs, got into the best shape of my life and and was able to maintain the weight loss after I fell off the fitness bandwagon. I also went back to college, got my RN and got the best grades of my life! Work has begged me to step into a higher position, but it's a road to slave labor so, I've opted to pass.

Yeah, MJ is really a detriment to society.

I`ve been smoking since 1967 as well, I`m 62 and also a cig smoker, quit smoking cigs for 6yrs and would run 5mi a day, everyday while off the cigs, back to smoking and have a hard time walking a block now..Had a wellness test a month ago, and complete physical 2mos ago, although I`m in the early stages of COPD, from years of Cigs, My blood pressure, cholostral, heart rate all in the brackets of a 20yr old...

Pot is not agressive as alcohol, you don`t beat your kids and wife, don`t spend all your money at the bars, or kill people on the highways while driving drunk..I`ve told my kids I would rather see them smoking pot than drinking alcohol anyday..I wouldn`t have to worry so much for them while they are out at night..

Pot is NOT addicitive, I just quit one day because of random testing at a good job I have, quit for 6yrs without any adverse effects..People who say its an addictive drug only work for the government..and the medical uses it has are endless..I still smoke today and will continue until my lungs wont allow me too, but what will kill you faster than anything is those damn cigs, and the government just loves them, one of these days I will smarten up and quit the cigs and stop giving the government their cut and maybe add a few years to my life...

Oh , and I am 5`8" and weigh 150lbs, and I do NOT drink alcohol and look pretty good for an old man...

Time to fill the bowl and have a toke..whats that song? smoke two joints? great song...

David, I would be more concerned about diabetes...

Jon, get a vaporizer, stat. You don't need to combust weed in order to inhale the vaporized THC. You get the effect of the THC without creating any carcinogens in your lungs. I recommend the Volcano. Just google it.

Capn' Crunch at midnight is a heavenly thing.

I'm not a smoker, but I do agree with you on that one!

Agree with Barry, but You dont need to spend that much for a volcano vaporizer, try one if you know somebody with it and see if its for you. There is a different type of vaporizer, Lazarus, that is about 1/10th the cost of that lovely volcano and use's about the same amount of power as a 100watt lightbulb, is simpler to use and allows a user to benefit from not "burning the bud" which is bad Mmm'K

I've got a Volcano & use it now & then but I still prefer to bong. Been smoking since 1969, with some breaks in between. I'll agree that MJ is not physically addictive but I believe that it is psychologically addictive. Yesterday I wanted to smoke some but I used restraint & did not. I usually smoke MJ in the late afternoon & one bong is plenty for the day. I can easily not smoke MJ so the psychological addiction for me is marginal after 40 plus years.

Mine too. In fact most "official" migraine meds don't work for me (or knock me out for like 7-10 hours so I lose a day anyway) but with pot my headache is gone and I'm functional again in like a half hour. Gladly take that over the flashing lights and pounding pain of a migraine.

I've been smoking more or less steadily for 40 years, though right now I'm abstaining because I'm job hunting... For most of my life I have had problems with asthma-like symptoms, where for no discernable reasons my airways will constrict and I can barely breathe, but I discovered years ago that a hit of pot relaxes my airways and allows me to breathe normally. It does such an excellent job that when I have one of these attacks my (adult) son automatically loads a bowl when I can't breathe.

Migraine suffers - Do you know if any studies have been done with cannabis and migraines?

I'm a chronic migraine sufferer and I am always interested in looking for better therapies.

Do you have to smoke it or can you bake it in brownies?

Yes, you can bake it into things and or make tea but it's cost prohibitive. That's why people smoke it. Good luck with your migraines. Can't say anything for migraines, but it sure as hell cured my normal headaches.

VOTER, They did do a study, and yes it does helps migraines. I don't know how much luck you'd have doing a brownie, though. With a full blown migraine, might be hard to eat it.

Qweenofhearts & nightwalker - Thanks for the information. Both of you have given me something to think about as I do more research. I never thought about brewing a tea, but that may be a good alternative. I'm not sure as why it is cost prohibitive to do so, but I'm sure as I research more, then I will find out. It was also a good point about eating with a full blown, but I'm hoping to find more data that deals with the onset of the headache. I have classic migraines with aura, and if I can catch the pain before it progresses, then that is most desirable. Thanks again for the help.

Count me among you. I've smoked practically every day for the past ten to fifteen years and I've been saying for years that it is more effective at getting rid of migraines and headaches than any sort of over-the-counter pain pill you can buy. As in it will be completely gone within five to ten minutes, typically.

Disabled Voter, it is cost prohibitive because you normally have to use a LOT of it when baking it into things like brownies in order to feel any effects. It also will be a lot more "mellow" and will take a much longer amount of time for it to work since your body has to digest it whereas inhaling it into your lungs causes it to immediately enter your blood stream and hit your brain within a minute or two.

Oh and I should maybe mention that I'm a registered Republican. This is one of several issues I disagree with my party over and I've been fighting for years trying to persuade representatives and candidates to change their position on the subject.

Voter - If you think you might need to use it regularly for your migraines I'd highly suggest investing in a vaporizer which make it much less harsh then using a joint or pipe. If that is too expensive though you should at least use a bong which you can make yourself modifying a pipe if you need to.

MSDNC and EmilyinIowa - Thank you two for more information. You have both given me more things to consider.

Anyone who has suffered with migraines can understand why migraine suffers would resort to anything to get relief.

My neurologist once said, "Migraines may not kill you, but they sure as He## will make you wish you were dead."

When a person gets desperate, they will do things they never dreamed of doing.

Thanks Again to Everyone!

Great post and thoughtful insight.

Not to mention, I doubt the cigarette smokers in the study kept their cigarette intake to 1 cigarette per day or 1 cigarette per week!!! I don't see how this is a fair comparison to cigarette smoking. Maybe they can compare the lung capacity of pot smokers who smoke 10-20 joints a day and get back to us about whether or not pot is or is not as bad for the lungs as tobacco... I would doubt that people who smoke 1 cigarette per day or week have much lung capacity impairment either.

But, yeah, agreed on the fact that the study really does not cover that much ground. As it mentions, pot smokers are more susceptible to bronchitis (as are cigarette smokers) and probably a few other things that are unrelated to lung capacity.

You've clearly missed the part on how Marijuana is smoked in comparison. Not to mention all of the chemicals added to tobacco. Marijuana is just a dried plant with no chemicals or cacinogens added. Just sayin......

ifsandsandsbutts, i agree with you, this study is just on pot smokers that smoke 1-2x/day or month. cigarette smokers are usually more than that. they need to be studying pot smokers who smoke before they go to bed at night, first thing when they wake up in the morning and on their lunch break. duh.

To say that MJ has no carcinogens is completely innaccurate. Marijuana has more than 5 times the amount of tar of a cigarrette, but none of the OTHER stuff that is in cigarrettes.

Ask uh...Michael Phelps maybe??? or Paul McCartney who sang "yesterday" after 9/11, in the SAME KEY that he sang at the age of 20??? And don't forget, pot robs you of all your ambition, which also obviously pertains to Phelps & McCartney... whatever man, whatever...

Vaporize, don't smoke, Vaporize

Vaporize, baby, vaporize

What about smoking it in a water pipe (bong) with cold water and ice, or even snow for that matter. would the carcinogens be less? the smoke would be cool and the water or snow, just like a filter.

Let's not forget Steve Jobs....inventor of the i-pad. Brilliant man, active, both phyically and mentally....and a total pot head.

Seems to me, that in this country, we desperately need a renaissance of industry and great thinkers....

Smoke 10-20 joints a day? You'd be comatose!

Uhh, yeah....even heavy MJ smokers I know do not (read: can not) smoke 10-20 joints a day. That would be an excessive amount of weed.

One of the reasons I believe pot isn't as harmful is simply because users do not have to smoke great quantities of it in order to reach the desired effect. In reality, when we compare it to a moderate tobacco smoker, say, 1/2 pack per day, a chronic user would still smoke far less in actual weight of substance than one would find in a typical pack of cigarettes.

That being said, MJ smoke DOES contain far more tar in it, mainly the resins that contain the THC-9, than is found in tobacco. But again, if one is not smoking great quantities of the stuff, it's nearly a moot point.

The best part is that cannabis is relatively safe and harmless. That does not mean that smoking it is "good for you", but simply that it is ridiculous to continue perpetrating the very government-sanctioned misinformation that has dominated the societal mindset for decades.

Legalize it. Regulate its use accordingly (and appropriately). Praise this wonderful plant for all of its benefits (and its cousin, hemp!), and thank God above for giving us something to help take away life's sting at times.

dude are you an idiot?? re-read the article these are the type of people that really piss me off. you know nothing about it but are posting stupid comments.

"Experts say that people shouldn’t simply take the news as green light to get high, but should also consider other factors."

of course sucking smoke down your lungs is not the greateset thing to do but it is saying it is a hell of a lot better for you than legal cigarettes that we pay taxes on and kill thousands of people a year!

Don't smoke, vaporize or eat mj food.

BUt nowadays, logic and reason are secondary to what the "experts" tell us. And they didnt even test for carcinogenic qualities, so....

but hey, I'm not allowed to think for myself!

Pot smoke is radically different than tobacco smoke. Tobacco smoke tests positive for radioactive material. Makes you wonder what they put in cigs.

My best friends mother is the head Nurse in the pulmonary ward of a large hospital. I asked her outright if she's ever seen or treated a pot smoker for lung disease or cancer, and she said "no, never". She's worked there for 20+ years.

ya stupid it is radically different. pot is a plant no tobacco rolled around in poisonous substances like cigarettes. My brother has a traumatic brain injury from the war and smoking weed has improved his brain function greatly. it doesnt hurt your body or lungs.

If you're going to think anything, you'd do better to listen to scientists and not misinformed, lying politicians who pander to your religious musings.

Are you serious? Tobacco smoke is filled with carcinogenic material, tar, addictive nicotine, and probably aboud 150 other toxic additives that most of us have no clue what they are.

Last time I checked marijuana had nothing added to it, not saying smoke is "healthy" for your lungs. But even comparing it to the harmful toxic product that is tobacco shows that you clearly don't have your facts straight...google the ingredients and chemicals that go into a cigarette you will find hundreds of toxic chemicals...as for pot, hm lets see? what goes into making marijuana, hmmmm dirt? water? photosynthesis? LOL give me a break....

Yes.. logic and reason from experts is less important that the common taught beliefs of people like you...

You're allowed to THINK for yourself... try doing that instead of relying on what someone told you when you were growing up. You might actually learn something.

MK speaks more than thinks... I quit smoking both and cigarettes I still crave from time to time two FN years later... Weed only when I want to escape from the lack of reality people like yourself seem to spout. One is a natural plant. The other is a natural plant with so many additives they wont fit on the warning labels and scientists are hired to sit around a table and derive ways to make it as addictive as possible. My advice to you, don't say everything you think. You are dead wrong on this.

read the article that is ecxactly what it is saying. and it actually lowers the risk of having COPD, if you would read the article

well mkspeaks, then you'd be interested to know that several recent studies (I know one was done at UCLA but unsure of the others) that show marijuana is not just NON-carcinogenic, it is ANTI-carcinogenic. Granted, the studies were on specific cancers, lung cancer not being among them. But it would help explain why pot-only smokers do not have a higher rate of lung cancer than the general population. What is kind of funny is that all of this is kind of moot. With the advent of vaporizers, people can get high without ever combusting the weed. They heat air to a controlled temperature that remains below the combustion point for cellulose (plant matter), but it is still a high enough temp to vaporize the THC. Inhaling the vapor causes the intended effect without ever creating carcinogens.

http://norml.org/library/item/gliomascancer

Yours?

alim,

Very clever...........

I'm sorry...

Just google 'famous pot smoking personalities'. You'll find a lot of idiots, and you'll find a lot of geniuses. In other words, no correlation or causality to brain function. Nice try though.

Weekend at Bernie's, with a list of pot smoking Nobel Prize winners ! Pot smoking dilates blood vessels, while nicotine constricts same. All benefits flow from this simple distinction.

I`m with ya Blucon...been smoking pot since 1967 as well, married 35yrs, two very healthy children, never been in an accident, a over the road truck driver most of my life with over 3.5 million miles logged and have Never had an accident...now what would my record look like if I was an alcoholic? just sayin...

I have friends I`v known from High School who also smoke everyday, business owners, friends who worked the same job for 30+yrs and are now retired...do you think they could do that if they were alcoholics? I doubt it..

I don't go quite as far back as you two....only since 1969 lol. But I am now retired after running my own business for 26 years. Own my home. Happily married. Still love the feeling of smoking some MJ. And I now grow my own, which is a most enjoyable hobby.

And moderation is the one of the keys to life.

Well put buckwheat elvis....Moderation IS the Key...

will be 62 this year and celebrating 40 yrs. of m.j., remember the days when $25 got a nice 30gm. bag of something good, usually columbian red bud. been married 32 yrs., 3 fine sons, am a retired chemical engineer living in s.w. florida. we never did it in front of the kids, and 1-2 joints a day was our max; it's all about application perspective.

Funny! And true!

You forgot about all the empty cookie dough containers.

StephAce: as my friend in college use to say to me whenever I got overly excited - "Here ... quick .... smoke this ... mellow out!"

It wouldn't surprise me to find a follow up study confirming this study, sponsored by Ben'n'Jerry's, Frito-Lay, and Taco John's.

Pot = the great demotivator. I'd be rich if I had a quarter for every time a few hits after work has kept me home instead of going to my local bar and hoisting a couple. My wife LOVES that aspect of it.

Wrong and wrong. Whomever told you it doesn't affect them was lying or doing it wrong.

I participate in several competition sports, along with my friends, all living at high altitude, and each of us smokes daily. I even smoke on my way to the gym.

Your anecdotal evidence is completely fabricated and useless, as mine has just cancelled it out.

You guys do realize, as you go through the posts on this thread, it is made up of the mellowest people out there on the web? Speaks volumes, doesn't it!

I smoked herb for over 20 years.

a small hit or 2 would give me energy, and I could get a seriously intense work out on at the gym.

If I smoked more than that a couple hour time frame, it had the opposite effect, and made me super relaxed.

Smoking a bunch of it(especially if you mix a bunch of different strains), WILL eventually make you sleepy.

The smoking schedule I found worked best, is only smoke a hit or two in the AM and again in the PM, on days off of work.

On work days, I'd never smoke beforehand, and I always waited until after I clocked out.

You can burn out if you smoke too much, and different people have different thresholds for how much they can smoke and still funtion well.

Lacie, I'm pro-pot. I'm a long time smoker. I will admit freely, if you're high you are less motivated...although all drugs effect people differently.

I used to smoke all day everyday. I was not motivated to do anything. You smoke "daily", so I'm guessing you're not high ALL day from waking until sleeping (and while sleeping)...if you were you'd be less motivated I'm sure (or fairly certain anyways).

Smoke an ounce a day, let me know how much you feel like doing then.

But as the other commentor said, that lack of motivation can be a good thing. I stayed home, wasn't motivated to fight people, commit violent or theft-related criminal acts, etc. For some people, it's majorly benficial to be demotivated.

Nazis would of killed a lot less people had they of smoked an ounce of weed each a day.

I used to smoke all day everyday. I was not motivated to do anything.

Funny, I was the same way when I stayed drunk around the clock seven days a wek. And then I got to where I couldn't even walk, even when sober, because after a week long binge the booze had depleted my body of thiamine, a B vitamin essential to neurological functioning. Luckily I crawled to my computer, ran a google search, and swallowed B1 pills (because I keep vitamins around in large number) like they were gumballs. I kept this up for days, otherwise I could have been left that way permanently. I still take a lot of vitamins even though I'm not drinking, because from what I've heard the damage can last a long, long time.

Even a nightly pot smoker can usually get to work the next day--they might find themselves less productive, though. There are few drugs you can use constantly, as in around the clock every day, that won't hurt you, well duh. The key word is "responsibly."

What is this default to taxing everything under the sun? Grow your own. Tax, schmax. Regulate what? Another hit on personal freedoms? Who ARE you people - the thought police?

you tax my pot and i'll cut your dick off!

It's called compromise - they give us something we want (freedom to toke) and we give them something they want (our tax dollars). I'd much rather my money go to schools and roads and emergency services than the cartels.

Personally, I hope they do legalize, regulate, and tax. However, they should also allow a certain amount of plants per household for personal use. Many people are too lazy to grow so it would still increase revenue and also increase healthy hobbies.

Tax? What is this default to inviting the government into your living room? Lonely?

alim, we have to tax something and, unless it's medical, you don't literally NEED pot the way you do food.

Come again? We need to talk...

If you grow it for your own personal use, and don't make money off of it, then there should be NO taxation.

However, if you make decent $$ or a LOT of $$ off of selling it to others, then I can see a tax being fair.

It should be regulated, to make sure adults aren't selling it to minors(under 18).

Not quite true about the only mind altering substance usable in it's original harvested state. There are a couple of forms of mushrooms that will do a number on you in their original harvested state.

That's the realist thing I heard yet......

and salvia. which has made people jump out of windows in a matter of 10 seconds after smoking it. One of the most intense hallucinagenic drugs on the plant, grows from the ground, perfectly legal

I stand corrected. Should have stated the only mild mind altering substance.

Because for every parameter you test in a clinical trial, the sponsors have to pay millions.

So, to check for say, carcinogens on 5100 people X times per year for 7 years is another few million dollars, at the least. You have to consider lab contracts, personnel extracting the samples/running the tests, shipment costs, etc. Most likely, they were restricted by budgetary concerns and opted for the parameter (lung capacity) that made the most sense and that they were trying to verify.

It is far better than harmless - it is helpful. Thank you, Mother Nature.

The pain relief is not placebo. As someone who suffers from Lupus, cannot take steroids, suffered the severe side effects of prescription pain killers (including suicidal thoughts), and the constant stomach issued suffered from OTC pain killers, marijuana was the only thing I could use, that didn't give me trouble. Maybe if you took your head out of your butt, and heaven forbid, had to go through something like that, or watched someone you loved, go through that, you wouldn't be so quick to judge, or so quick to speak your unsupported babble.

And your name is Dr. What???? Medical Marijuana Cop Out?

We need to sit down together, light one up and talk about this. I know we can work through your concerns. Relax. You worry too much. Rejoice. Something good is happening. Go with it.

alim,

Talk about brain capacity!

you sir, are a dumb ass hole and a cop out!

believe wut u want but it does help with all those things especially pain my brother who has compressed spinal columns can actually function and move around with it and he can sleep without having flash backs to the war. It helps with nausea and anxiety. I'm 21 and i've had depression since i was 12 the only thing that has helped is pot. we dont use it until we get stoned we use it til we fill comfortable with what's going on around us and in us. Maybe you should toke up every once in a while and you wouldnt post stupid stuff like this. stop bein an ass hole about it and let ppl do what they need to do. Sorry youre so perfect and "we're not"

People can't KYA because your head is in the way.

Marijuana has been shown to reduce tumor size and even cure lung and pancreatic cancer. Google it.

And may I ask how many whiskies, Scotches, and/or beers you consume in one sitting? To each, his/her own, MMC-O; you can get off of your opinionated soap box, now.

Actually studies in Europe have found that Marijuana has been shown to reduce the size of some tumors.

Asprin, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Morphine, Oxycontin, ANY drug the doctors give you now a days NONE of them CURE anything! If they cured us they would be out of business.

Marijuana DOES have properties that relieve pain, aid in sleep, reduce anxiety, relieve muscle spasms, reduce nausea and increase appetite.

I saw my step father who had numerous tumors in his back, legs and brain and had not been out of bed in over a week get up out of bed, walk to the living room, sit on the couch, drink part of a beer and eat a sandwich after smoking a little weed.

You have a right to believe whatever you want to believe. However YOU believing it does NOT make it true. I have seen it work on others and I have experienced it with my own medical issues.

Do some abuse it? Of course! But do you know that number one in drug use among teens is PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS not marijuana.

You may be TIRED OF THIS MEDICAL MARIJUANA crap but too freaking bad. I'm tired of seeing prescription drug commercials that take more time to tell you the adverse side affects of a pill than they spend telling you what the pill is actually good for!

Horse manure MMCO. You are a fool, a liar, or both.

Law enforcement; you just want the money and property that you can get from the bust, But even if it was legal, nobody would get past their Companies policies at the work place. It is like the States legalize it but the Feds will still bust you.

hahha. but cmon ... what about the countless moments where weed has been beneficial? The fights ended or unfought because of getting stoned... the complaints ending because of the complainers smoking pot, the bonds made between kids and adults alike because of social pot gatherings... I do agree with you as far as the mind distortion goes... I have seen potheads tell of great ideals while being high, though their ideas were very contradictory to the times. I have heard stories of people frieking out when it was time to fight, making mistakes in the most crucial moments etc. I will agree with you on the basis that perhaps some (if not all)soldiers shouldnt smoke pot, being that they are in the middle of war, and might be incompatible with such things, making them a possible liability to their entire move... but unless you are anti pot for reasons of war, then i cannot support your claims without further reasoning. Plus, mistakes are made by all kinds of people whether they use and/or abuse drugs or abstain from them completely. Ibn fact it is often very funny, because those people that do make a mistake and dont use drugs are often told that they may need to use some, and those that make mistakes and do use them, are often told that they need to stop using them. In the end I theorize that every law and prohibition as well as freedom and right is only here to encourage those which they encourage. Laws regarding required abstinence in order to be supported are very encouraging to those who have never done such things, and/or believe that such things lead to spiritual inferiority. It is so much easier for someone to accept that they are perfect for the times that they live in, and that everyone else is evil, than to accept that they are virgins to something for no reason, and that abstaining from something will get them nowhere though they have done it all of their life. also, it is easier for someone to do something because it is said to be a right, or right in general, or at least permissible, than to accept that its wrong, and that they are inferior because of it. Couples have been made because of pot smoking in social settings, and babies have been made, some of them which may be in an important position of power and authority. Like sexual enhancement, pain relief, disease treatment, and emotional, mental, or spritual exploration, the universe is crammed full of ingredients that can be beneficial when used correctly. Spiritualists have found enlightenmnet, wisdom, and understanding while doing such things, and yes i know there are people who dont do these things that are still able to find benefit. But who are we to tell someone that something shouldnt be done to gain a certain end, when we have seen people do such things AND then gain the end, whether despite it, or because of it... i believe that there is a place for all things, even if it is only where pencil pushers and abstinence freaks (who have also been proven to be very beneficial under the right cercumstances) cannot enforce their laws and the laws of those that were able to establish their opinions and beliefs in the lives of all in their environment. The pollution thing.. alright i understand you... but the truth is, fire in general is pollution to the air if you truly want to get down to the specifics. and even that is debated by some being that the earth has the sufficient resources to repair itself, if only we balance our indulgences with work on green energy and purification tactics. in my theory, laziness is the source of pollution.

Medical Marijuana Cop-Out .... your statement is just ignorant!

As someone who benefited from marijuana s medical properties, I know that your remarks are ignorant and without any foundation in fact.

The success stories are just to common today to be overlooked, and attitudes like yours is exactly why we are in this position today! And the real question we should be asking is why?

Who pays you ... the tobacco, alcohol, or drug or drug testing industry, or law enforcement?

Whose pimp are you? Cause a person with a half a brain is more discerning than you!

I have had gut issues for many years. Sometimes my guts get in such a spasm-it snot something I can deal with. A few tokes and my guts ease up.

As someone said mj prohibition is a multi-billion dollar industry (everyone in the legal system-jails probation officers parole officers judges,yada yada yada..)-there is no way they want to give this up. I have always felt that as the white haired old farts who are likely lushes as well -that run our country die off and newer fresher smarter folks assume position in our government-things will change. Term limitations should absolutely be in force for any lawmaking position- you can run a country in the year 2012 with a 1940's mindset.

sorry you CAN'T run today's country with a 70+ yo mindset.

and no I was not stoned when I typed that. (as well as the line split making the words its not into = it snot !)

http://norml.org/library/recent-research-on-medical-marijuana

Marijuana prohibition has been a masterpiece in the art of brainwashing - LITERALLY. just look at some of the posts by people like Medical Marijuana Cop Out. Completely propaganda based and repeated like a dumb parraot. Polly wanna cracker? Ooo pot kills brain cells, polly wanna cracker? Ooo pot gives you lung cancer, polly wanna cracker?

I can't stand being around people like this. It makes me want to commit extreme acts of violence toward them. But because I smoke so much pot, I have no motivation to do so (lucky for them....)----polly wanna cracker????????????

TX Kitkat

I agree with most of what you said, however this one piece:

"sorry you CAN'T run today's country with a 70+ yo mindset."

I gotta say that one of the greatest presidential candidates is from your state of TX (im assuming you are from TX)...is Ron Paul....he has the vision of what America needs to be, in order to be great again....and while be may be the oldest candidate....he has the freshest, and invigorating ideas. He is in tune with reality, and i really admire him for it! I understand he is one in a billion, but he is out there! But overall, i do agree with you!

My medical marijuana sure helped my back pain last night and helped me sleep. Although for the most part, pot doesn't cure anything, it just helps with the symptoms, but last weekend I started to get a terrible migraine. A couple hits stopped me from getting one that would incapacitate me for a day or two. Please legalize this medicine.

Smoke a bowl Troll! Always gotta be some moron who is probably hired by Exxon to demonize pot because they don't want us to figure out we don't need Exxon. We already figured it out BTW!