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sqrrl101 (![[info]](sqrrl101 Great one___files/userinfo.gif){kind=small} sqrrl101)
wrote,@ 2006-01-23 03:18:00 |
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Great
one...
I found this on an anti-drugs site, and I don't entirely get why the fact that the brain has THC receptors is a bad thing. In fact, those "this is your brain on drugs" posters are usually complete bullshit alltogether. Whilst it's true things like heroin and cocaine do cause neurological damage, as do most amphetamine based drugs (which are actually regularly given to USAF pilots, in a wonderful display of hipocrisy), cannabis and most other illegal drugs don't cause any known brain damage whatsoever. Apart from the inherent risks of smoking, the only real problem with it is that it can trigger some latent psychoses earlier than normal (such as schizophrenia) but only in people who were going to get them later in life anyway.
To be honest, most drugs propaganda and "education" has little to no basis in reality*. Of course, this doesn't stop governments trying to push this idea that drugs are somehow immoral, and for the most part it's worked. Alcohol, of course, is socially fine (despite the fact that a night of heavy drinking destroys thousands of braincells and often ends in violence, whereas a night of smoking cannabis destroys no braincells and usually ends in eating a bowl of cereal and forgetting where you put your phone, but you could swear it was ringing earler) as is being addicted to medical drugs. Caffeine, too, is socially fine, despite killing a few people every year. It appears that the establishment in general has some desire to prevent people actually enjoying things.
Here's a couple of interesting statements on the DEA teen-brainwashing site:
"Research has now established that marijuana is addictive."
"Marijuana" can be addictive, it's true. Then again, so can masturbation, drinking orange juice and exercise (only one of the four of these do I think should be banned. Guess which one). That's a fact. What the DEA fails to mention is that it's only mentally addictive. Anything that one enjoys can become addictive thanks to the brain's pleasure-seeking nature. Cannabis is in no way physically addictive, and neither is LSD. Caffeine, alcohol and nicotine all are, with caffeine being more addictive than heroin** (gram-for-gram).
"The brain. Smoking marijuana leads to some changes in the brain similar to those caused by cocaine, heroin and alcohol."
This is another delightful misrepresentation. What they fail to mention is that all independent research shows that other than in very heavy users, cannabis has no lasting neurological effects.
"Marijuana contains the same cancer-causing chemicals as tobacco."
Actually, no it doesn't. Tobacco is grown commercially and some of the chemicals sprayed on it cause tobacco to contain Lead-210 and Polonium-210, both radioactive carcinogens, which are two of the major causes of lung cancer. Even if it did have the same health properties as tobacco, cannabis users typically smoke much less cannabis than the typical smoker would smoke tobacco (although cannabis users do tend to hold the smoke in longer).
"For young users, marijuana can lead to increased anxiety, panic attacks, depression and other mental health problems."
Cannabis, as I've already stated, doesn't actually cause any mental health problems (to the best of our knowledge), although it can trigger latent conditions. It's actually used by many sufferers of depression, schizophrenia and other illnesses to help regulate symptoms.
"Research has shown a link between frequent marijuana use and increased violent behavior."
Even if this were true (which it isn't), the only reason for any link between cannabis and violence is due to its illegality.
"The substances in marijuana stay in the fatty parts of the body for long periods of time."
True, true. This is, however, a scare tactic- it's the breakdown products of the cannibinoids, which are harmless and have no effect whatsoever on the body, which can stay in the bodyfats, and only stay for a month at most (in very heavy users).
I could do this all night, but I have other things to do. Haven't had a coffee in ages. So cold...
*An excellent example of this is the DEA's "Drugs cause terrorism" campaign. The delightful irony is that it's actually the fact that drugs are illegal that means terrorist organisations are able to profit from their sale
**This is completely true, but people tend to take less caffeine than heroin. I am, of course, not anti-caffeine, I just think the choice of whether or not to take a drug should be left to the individual.
I found this on an anti-drugs site, and I don't entirely get why the fact that the brain has THC receptors is a bad thing. In fact, those "this is your brain on drugs" posters are usually complete bullshit alltogether. Whilst it's true things like heroin and cocaine do cause neurological damage, as do most amphetamine based drugs (which are actually regularly given to USAF pilots, in a wonderful display of hipocrisy), cannabis and most other illegal drugs don't cause any known brain damage whatsoever. Apart from the inherent risks of smoking, the only real problem with it is that it can trigger some latent psychoses earlier than normal (such as schizophrenia) but only in people who were going to get them later in life anyway.
To be honest, most drugs propaganda and "education" has little to no basis in reality*. Of course, this doesn't stop governments trying to push this idea that drugs are somehow immoral, and for the most part it's worked. Alcohol, of course, is socially fine (despite the fact that a night of heavy drinking destroys thousands of braincells and often ends in violence, whereas a night of smoking cannabis destroys no braincells and usually ends in eating a bowl of cereal and forgetting where you put your phone, but you could swear it was ringing earler) as is being addicted to medical drugs. Caffeine, too, is socially fine, despite killing a few people every year. It appears that the establishment in general has some desire to prevent people actually enjoying things.
Here's a couple of interesting statements on the DEA teen-brainwashing site:
"Research has now established that marijuana is addictive."
"Marijuana" can be addictive, it's true. Then again, so can masturbation, drinking orange juice and exercise (only one of the four of these do I think should be banned. Guess which one). That's a fact. What the DEA fails to mention is that it's only mentally addictive. Anything that one enjoys can become addictive thanks to the brain's pleasure-seeking nature. Cannabis is in no way physically addictive, and neither is LSD. Caffeine, alcohol and nicotine all are, with caffeine being more addictive than heroin** (gram-for-gram).
"The brain. Smoking marijuana leads to some changes in the brain similar to those caused by cocaine, heroin and alcohol."
This is another delightful misrepresentation. What they fail to mention is that all independent research shows that other than in very heavy users, cannabis has no lasting neurological effects.
"Marijuana contains the same cancer-causing chemicals as tobacco."
Actually, no it doesn't. Tobacco is grown commercially and some of the chemicals sprayed on it cause tobacco to contain Lead-210 and Polonium-210, both radioactive carcinogens, which are two of the major causes of lung cancer. Even if it did have the same health properties as tobacco, cannabis users typically smoke much less cannabis than the typical smoker would smoke tobacco (although cannabis users do tend to hold the smoke in longer).
"For young users, marijuana can lead to increased anxiety, panic attacks, depression and other mental health problems."
Cannabis, as I've already stated, doesn't actually cause any mental health problems (to the best of our knowledge), although it can trigger latent conditions. It's actually used by many sufferers of depression, schizophrenia and other illnesses to help regulate symptoms.
"Research has shown a link between frequent marijuana use and increased violent behavior."
Even if this were true (which it isn't), the only reason for any link between cannabis and violence is due to its illegality.
"The substances in marijuana stay in the fatty parts of the body for long periods of time."
True, true. This is, however, a scare tactic- it's the breakdown products of the cannibinoids, which are harmless and have no effect whatsoever on the body, which can stay in the bodyfats, and only stay for a month at most (in very heavy users).
I could do this all night, but I have other things to do. Haven't had a coffee in ages. So cold...
*An excellent example of this is the DEA's "Drugs cause terrorism" campaign. The delightful irony is that it's actually the fact that drugs are illegal that means terrorist organisations are able to profit from their sale
**This is completely true, but people tend to take less caffeine than heroin. I am, of course, not anti-caffeine, I just think the choice of whether or not to take a drug should be left to the individual.
