Casual marijuana use linked to brain changes

[RainDog]

108. interesting info

I know that words hold different meanings across cultures - and I defer to the preferred usage by those who have a vested interest in promoting equality - whatever the preferred terms may be, where ever those persons may be - but, yes, you do have to provide an explanation between cultures a lot of times. The only people I know who live on the African continent are in Tanzania, know others who have worked in Uganda as students and profs, and met a few people who were from or were working in South Africa. I hear it's a stunningly beautiful place. Nelson Mandela belongs to the world - one of those people who have become "world citizens."

I think the work from Robert Melamede, a biologist whose focus has been on endocannabinoids, is really interesting. The last I read, his research group was seeking funding for a study on the effect of cannabis oil as a topical treatment for melanomas. This research is inspired by his own view of the endocannabinoid system as the primary driver of homeostasis in different bodily systems (noted by the presence of endocannabinoids in each of them - omega 3s activate endocannabinoeds, etc., not just cannabis) and from "folk medicine" - people experimenting on their own, such as Rick Simpson, and just various people who tried using cannabis oil on melanomas who then photographed their results and sent them to the Dr. Melamede.

At this point, I think the use of cannabis for treatment of cancers may be one of the most significant understandings of the idea of homeostasis - other studies indicate cannabis acts upon various conditions (alzheimers, as well) to do a "cellular cleaning" by creating apoptosis - cannabis surrounds the mitochondria of these cells that are either over/under performing and deprives the cells of energy - in the case of cancer, this also deprives them of the ability to reproduce.

But, of course, I could be entirely wrong. The point, however, is such research should be allowed without all the b.s. from the drug war, worldwide - but, as you note, promulgated at the behest of the U.S.

Melamede has some talks on youtube regarding his work and his evolving view of cannabis as something like omega 3s that help the body to repair itself. He also speculates that the placebo effect occurs because people activate their own endocannabinoid systems when such occurs in studies.

I've never met anyone in academia who took a drug warrior stance - for cannabis or for other non-habituating psychotropic substances - and I think that's because methods of inquiry ask a person to be open about the value of anything, apart from the societal/cultural value imposed upon them - the reasons for those things are often about exercises of power, not about anyone's well being - and they're about moral panics, etc. Not always done with bad intent, even if outcomes are not good.

Your skill sets are far different than mine - but it takes all kinds to make an interesting world.

My interest in cannabis at this point is more about the potential medical benefits, the way it is used to perpetuate racism in this nation, and, really, just watching as a nation goes through a cultural change - a shift in "consciousness" regarding the validity of law related to one thing or another. But I think there are valid recreational uses too - with all things in moderation - and, with some things, like music - it just heightens sensitivity to wonderful things.

I think the negatives associated with cannabis are exaggerations of pre-existing issues - regarding mental health in general.