In article  "Aidy"  writes:

>Good.  However let's remember that saying "let's legalise drugs" without 
>knowing the risks (esp the long-term ones) is tantamount to saying "I don't 
>care if it causes cancer".

But cannabis has been used for hundreds (if not thousands) of years, and has
been intensely studied for at least 40 years.  So far the only verified risk
is bronchitis, and that's only if smoked.

Contrast that with all the positive effects, and you'll see that legalizing
marijuana is a no-brainer.

>> The public has the right to know that cannabis is less harmful than 
>> tobacco or alcohol

>There is currently no evidence to support that.

Eh?  Did you just fall off the turnip truck yesterday?

There's years and years, and pages and pages of evidence.  Cannabis is WAY
less harmful than tobacco or alcohol.  It's less harmful than ASPIRIN.  It's
even less harmful than peanuts.

>> You say "this is exactly why it takes years for drugs to be approved for 
>> public use" without actually saying what "this" is.

>Unknown long-term risks.

Long-term risks of cannabis are well known.  There pretty much aren't any.

>Thinking rationally right now, I think if there is a chance it causes cancer 
>that is a pretty good reason not to legalise it. 

The most recent study indicates it may double the risk of a cancer that is so
rare that a doubled risk is pretty much negligable.

And that study hasn't even been verified yet.

-Pete Zakel
 (phz@seeheader.nospam)

"getting [cruise missiles] more accurate so that we can have precise
 precision."
                 -- Vice President Dan Quayle referring to his legislative
                    work dealing with cruise missles

In article <49967b55$1@news.cadence.com>,
Pete nospam Zakel  wrote:
>But cannabis has been used for hundreds (if not thousands) of years, and has
>been intensely studied for at least 40 years.  So far the only verified risk
>is bronchitis, and that's only if smoked.

Verified risk of what?

Francis

In article  fburton@nyx.net (Francis Burton) writes:
>In article <49967b55$1@news.cadence.com>,
>Pete nospam Zakel  wrote:
>>But cannabis has been used for hundreds (if not thousands) of years, and has
>>been intensely studied for at least 40 years.  So far the only verified risk
>>is bronchitis, and that's only if smoked.

>Verified risk of what?

The only verified health risk from using cannabis is bronchitis, and that's
only if you smoke it.

-Pete Zakel
 (phz@seeheader.nospam)

"Oh, Lord, won't you buy me a color TV?
 Dialing For Dollars is trying to find me!
 I'll wait for delivery each day until three.
 Oh, Lord, won't you buy me a color TV?"

			-Janis Joplin

In article <499886f4$1@news.cadence.com>,
Pete nospam Zakel  wrote:
>>>been intensely studied for at least 40 years.  So far the only verified risk
>>>is bronchitis, and that's only if smoked.
>
>>Verified risk of what?
>
>The only verified health risk from using cannabis is bronchitis, and that's
>only if you smoke it.

Chronic health risks - ok. So acute risks (headache, dizziness,
loss of ability of concentrate) are excluded from your list.

Francis

Francis Burton wrote:
> In article <499886f4$1@news.cadence.com>,
> Pete nospam Zakel  wrote:
>>>> been intensely studied for at least 40 years.  So far the only verified risk
>>>> is bronchitis, and that's only if smoked.
>>> Verified risk of what?
>> The only verified health risk from using cannabis is bronchitis, and that's
>> only if you smoke it.
> 
> Chronic health risks - ok. So acute risks (headache, dizziness,
> loss of ability of concentrate) are excluded from your list.
> 
> Francis
	Aside from the headache and dizziness which may be signs
of poor quality product and over rapid ingestion you are describing
the reasons some people use cannabis.  And by the way dizziness
is an altered state of perception sought by children and mystics.
Spinning practiced practically without other input by children
and the insights of the whirling (or dancing) dervish.

	But we are talking about the chronic problems that are
alleged to arise.  I know that some people will smoke cannabis
to relieve their headaches by the way.  And as long as headaches
are on the docket how about caffeinated beverages which
are quite capable of causing headaches and confusion.
A lot of workers caffeinate to keep working and lose sleep
which then causes drowsiness on the way to work in their
commuter vehicle.  According to reports by the California
State Highway Patrol this drowsing is responsible for more
accidents than cannabis use without alcohol.

	I used to have a bad coffee habit.  I had headaches whether
I used or not very like unto a migraine.  I finally kicked when I
was too sick with salicylate sensitivity to get up and brew my
  poison.
	
     later
     bliss -- Cacao Powered... (at sfo dot com)

--
bobbie sellers - a retired nurse in San Francisco

      "It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.
      It is by the beans of cacao that the thoughts acquire speed,
      the thighs acquire girth, the girth become a warning.
      It is by theobromine alone I set my mind in motion."
         --from Someone else's Dune spoof ripped to my taste.

> But cannabis has been used for hundreds (if not thousands) of years, and 
> has
> been intensely studied for at least 40 years.  So far the only verified 
> risk
> is bronchitis, and that's only if smoked.

However it might cause cancer....

> Contrast that with all the positive effects, and you'll see that 
> legalizing
> marijuana is a no-brainer.

However it might cause cancer....

> There's years and years, and pages and pages of evidence.  Cannabis is WAY
> less harmful than tobacco or alcohol.  It's less harmful than ASPIRIN. 
> It's
> even less harmful than peanuts.

However it might cause cancer....

> Long-term risks of cannabis are well known.  There pretty much aren't any.

However it might cause cancer....

Looks like we have ourselves a reader!

Noticed at Mon, 16 Feb 2009 10:18:26 +0000: Aidy informed us:

>> But cannabis has been used for hundreds (if not thousands) of years,
>> and has
>> been intensely studied for at least 40 years.  So far the only verified
>> risk
>> is bronchitis, and that's only if smoked.
> 
> However it might cause cancer....

Cannabis may help the war on cancer
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=222262&in_page_id=34&expand=true


>> Contrast that with all the positive effects, and you'll see that
>> legalizing
>> marijuana is a no-brainer.
> 
> However it might cause cancer....

Marijuana Cuts Lung Cancer Tumor Growth In Half, Study Shows
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070417193338.htm


>> There's years and years, and pages and pages of evidence.  Cannabis is
>> WAY less harmful than tobacco or alcohol.  It's less harmful than
>> ASPIRIN. It's
>> even less harmful than peanuts.
> 
> However it might cause cancer....

Large Study Finds No Link between Marijuana and Lung Cancer
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=large-study-finds-no-link&modsrc=related_links


>> Long-term risks of cannabis are well known.  There pretty much aren't
>> any.
> 
> However it might cause cancer....

Oh, and,

Marijuana may block Alzheimer's
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4286435.stm


> Looks like we have ourselves a reader!

-- 
Dr John Watson
Baker Street

In article  "Aidy"  writes:
>> But cannabis has been used for hundreds (if not thousands) of years, and 
>> has
>> been intensely studied for at least 40 years.  So far the only verified 
>> risk
>> is bronchitis, and that's only if smoked.

>However it might cause cancer....

Living might cause cancer.  So far no cancer has been verified to be caused by
marijuana use.  As a matter of fact, studies of large populations have found
that the cancer rate among cannabis users is just about equal to the cancer
rate of non-cannabis users.  That's quite different from tobacco users, where
the rate of cancer in tobacco users is far higher than non-tobacco users.

>> Contrast that with all the positive effects, and you'll see that 
>> legalizing
>> marijuana is a no-brainer.

>However it might cause cancer....

Did you know that saccharine also might cause cancer?  The evidence for that
is MUCH better than that for cannabis, but saccharine is still legal.

>> There's years and years, and pages and pages of evidence.  Cannabis is WAY
>> less harmful than tobacco or alcohol.  It's less harmful than ASPIRIN. 
>> It's
>> even less harmful than peanuts.

>However it might cause cancer....

Please get back to me when you've verified that it actually does cause cancer
and how that cancer risk compares to something like decaffeinated coffee,
which has a verified cancer risk.  And it's still legal.

>> Long-term risks of cannabis are well known.  There pretty much aren't any.

>However it might cause cancer....

No verified study has shown that, though, so I'd say the risk is low enough to
not be a reason to ban it.

-Pete Zakel
 (phz@seeheader.nospam)

		"No real problem has a solution."

			    	-Smith's Law

> Living might cause cancer.  So far no cancer has been verified to be 
> caused by
> marijuana use.

So far.

> Did you know that saccharine also might cause cancer?

Not to any significant degree.

> Please get back to me when you've verified that it actually does cause 
> cancer

I will.  However you'll probably be ahead of me on the bandwagon suing the 
g'ment for not stopping you taking drugs they didn't know at the time caused 
cancer.

> No verified study has shown that, though, so I'd say the risk is low 
> enough to
> not be a reason to ban it.

You're aware that it is already "banned", yeah?  Or are you one of the 
really intelligent people out there who thought that when the classification 
was lowered it became legal?