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What Science Says About Marijuana
For Michele Leonhart, the administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, there is no difference between the health effects of marijuana and those of any other illegal drug. All illegal drugs are bad for people, she told Congress in 2012, refusing to say whether crack, methamphetamines or prescription painkillers are more addictive or physically harmful than marijuana.
Her testimony neatly illustrates the vast gap between antiquated federal law enforcement policies and the clear consensus of science that marijuana is far less harmful to human health than most other banned drugs and is less dangerous than the highly addictive but perfectly legal substances known as alcohol and tobacco. Marijuana cannot lead to a fatal overdose. There is little evidence that it causes cancer. Its addictive properties, while present, are low, and the myth that it leads users to more powerful drugs has long since been disproved.
That doesnt mean marijuana is harmless; in fact, the potency of current strains may shock those who havent tried it for decades, particularly when ingested as food. It can produce a serious dependency, and constant use would interfere with job and school performance. It needs to be kept out of the hands of minors. But, on balance, its downsides are not reasons to impose criminal penalties on its possession, particularly not in a society that permits nicotine use and celebrates drinking.
Marijuanas negative health effects are arguments for the same strong regulation that has been effective in curbing abuse of legal substances. Science and government have learned a great deal, for example, about how to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors. Mandatory underage drinking laws and effective marketing campaigns have reduced underage alcohol use to 24.8 percent in 2011, compared with 33.4 percent in 1991. Cigarette use among high school students is at its lowest point ever, largely thanks to tobacco taxes and growing municipal smoking limits. There is already some early evidence that regulation would also help combat teen marijuana use, which fell after Colorado began broadly regulating medical marijuana in 2010.
More here: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/31/opinion/what-science-says-about-marijuana.html?_r=0
A sober appraisal from the NYT. Your paywall experience may vary.
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What Science Says About Marijuana (Original Post)
Warren Stupidity
Jul 2014
OP
navarth
(5,927 posts)1. Michele Leonhart is a prisoner of her job
She probably couldn't tell the truth if she wanted to. She is, in effect, a whore for telling those lies IMO.
The bottom line is: good people can have their lives destroyed if the police catch them with ganja. This is wrong.
marble falls
(57,422 posts)2. She's got a carreer in gubmint to concider.
freebrew
(1,917 posts)3. Looks like the 'science' was funded by the DEA.
As we're all aware, everything the DEA says is wrong.
Funny, that's usually a joke. This time, I mean it. Everything.
In the article above, many claims are made. There has been no real study of any of it.
Addictive. Like chocolate, maybe? The effort to demonize everything is making my head hurt.
Can I get some opium for my headache please?
The question that needs answers: who is REALLY benefiting from all of this illegality?