MalletFace

What most of my my statement meant was that many studies are far too short. Studies into whether or not these substances cause major harm should be lifelong human studies, and not short term studies of humans, or studies of mice. Saying that rats are genetically similar to humans isn't good enough, as a small difference means very much. Most mammals are upwards of 90% similar to us in genes and DNA, fruit flies can be 75% similar, bananas are normally 50-60% similar, and grain can be as much as 35% similar to us in terms of genes and DNA. No matter how similar they are, cancer risk increases with age. When using a short-lived animal, it is hard to tell if cancer was likely. I would just prefer that they don't smoke it for their own sake. Lung damage from smoke is much more deadly than the damage that would happen to a person if they just chewed and swallowed the product. The "high" lasts longer, too, so I am confused as to why people smoke marijuana more than they eat it. On Bisphenol A, the main reason it doesn't bother me is that every person in any country is at risk of high exposure to naturally occurring toxins at any time when they aren't misusing them. Botulinum toxin A, a toxin produced by Clostridium Botulinum, is the one of the most potent toxins ever discovered. The bacteria that produces this toxin is common in the soil of continents all over the world. Despite the toxin and bacteria being common, cases of botulism are rare, and deaths from it are even more so. A common medical name for the toxin is Botox. BPA has never killed somebody, and it probably never will. People using organisms in an unnatural and strange way does kill, and does so very often.

That's exactly why I didn't vote no. At first I had voted that it should just because of the issues, but that made me feel hypocritical. I removed my vote completely when I added my opinion on all drugs, saying only alcohol and caffeine should be used for recreation in moderation. On the cancer point, I find most studies of what things actually cause cancer to be quite failed. Every person is genetically different enough that no person will get cancer in the same time, or way, another person would. Some people will take decades upon decades to develop cancer, and others will get it in just a few years. We cannot assume that rats getting cancer will always mean a human will get cancer, either. Most of the reason we know many of the chemicals in tobacco smoke can cause cancer is because we have evaluated the health of smokers and non-smokers for decades. We see some of the same carcinogenic chemicals created from burning some other plants, including marijuana, so our best guess is to assume that these chemicals will behave the same. We cannot prove or disprove this until we know if a majority of marijuana smokers develop cancer from the carcinogens. If some people do insist on abusing possibly dangerous substances, I wish they would at least avoid smoking it. Many plants will produce carcinogenic chemicals when smoked, and smoke will always damage your lungs no matter what you are smoking is made of. Its also the shotgun of ingestion methods. You never know who will breathe the smoke.

I do tend to write long and very drawn out posts, with some rambling thrown in, even when I don't mean to. I don't, however, regret being a nerd.

This is true, but where a typical smoker inhales 20 grams of plant matter per day or so, a typical pot smoker will inhale far less than that. There's not research that suggests that smoking a couple of joints a week will harm your health Alcohol is one of the more dangerous drugs and unlike weed a (delicious) scourge to society. This is even more true for pot. The amount of carcinogens in marijuana depends on which part of the plant you use. There are parts of the plant with 70-100% more carcinogenic chemicals in it than tobacco, and contain very low amounts of THC. (THC is likely to inhibit carcinogens). There are also parts with equal or lesser quantities of carcinogens compared to tobacco, and moderate amounts of THC. What also should be noted, is that all toxins are toxic based on exposure and potency. Most carcinogens in both tobacco and marijuana are not too potent, but there are a few in both that are very potent. Most carcinogens also take decades between when they start to effect a person, and when cancer shows up. Drinking alcohol affects the body differently than smoking marijuana and tobacco. Alcohol damages the body mainly because you drink more than your liver can process. The liver is very important to body function, but very resilient, and can stand up to even severe damage from alcoholics for years, and when a person drinks an amount their liver can handle, almost no damage is accrued. Marijuana and tobacco are normally taken orally through inhalation, and will go directly to the lungs, and will enter the blood very quickly. The lungs can and normally will be damaged when any abnormal substance enters them, as they aren't meant to deal with large particles. The carcinogens in either substance are likely to affect the body while in the lungs. This is where the two products act differently. Nicotine in tobacco changes how the heart, muscles, and brain behave (All potentially deadly). The THC and CBD in marijuana do most of their work in the brain. None of the direct affects are lethal, but THC and CBD by themselves are both deadly in relatively small doses when they enter the blood. Most medicinal marijuana growers and producers of THC pills make the mistake of thinking THC is fine to isolate since it is the cannabiniod that helps more, but CBD has been proven to counteract the deadly affects of THC, and it has been proven that THC counteracts the deadly affects of CBD. Neither one helps deal with the carcinogens, and other cannabinoids, but the fact that growers isolate THC makes THC poisoning more likely. This isn't saying that the two cannabinoids shouldn't be used medicinally, just that they shouldn't be used by themselves, or with the other chemicals present in marijuana. There is no way a grower can get just these two chemicals in precise amounts. Just burning the leaves of most plants will produce enough carcinogens to be deadly, so smoking anything at all is just not wise, and I am in no way ever going to support the smoking of any plant. That said, there is no way you can moderate marijuana or tobacco to keep yourself healthy. The carcinogens and other chemicals will damage your body, no matter what, every time you use them, raising your risk for infections. You could potentially get cancer from one use of either substance, too. I didn't want to sound mean or rude in any way, and I spent two hours writing this to try to avoid offending you. If I did, please inform me. My goal is never to offend, but it is always to learn, teach, and discuss. Most drugs, medical and recreational, were derived from plants or bacteria, and synthetics were made to make them safer. Smoking, ingesting, or injecting almost any plant or bacteria that can alter the body is dangerous, and burning it only creates carcinogens. I do think most plants are beautiful, though, and the uniformity of cannabis is amazing to me. If I lived somewhere it grows naturally, I would most certainly not remove it, risking damage to the ecosystem, and damage to the aesthetics of the area.

There are very likely medical uses for two or three cannabinoids in marijuana, but most of the other things in it are carcinogens, and other harmful substances. Those two or three cannabinoids may help with epilepsy, social disorders, and some other things when used in safe amounts, but isolating them from the harmful substances is no easy task. Smoking marijuana of any kind has the same risks as smoking tobacco; Cancer, bronchitis, heart problems, and a myriad of other ailments. I don't think it should be fully legalized, but if medical organizations found a safe way to isolate and use those cannabinoids, and clinically prove their medical uses, I think it should be used for the production of pharmaceutical drugs. I feel the same way towards almost all other harmful drugs with possible medical uses. The only drugs I think should be used for recreation are caffeine and alcohol, in reasonable amounts. Alcohol prohibition has been attempted in several western countries, but it has never succeeded in helping any. You are able to avoid most of its health risks if you moderate use, too, which most people are able to do. The main way people are permanently harmed or killed by caffeine is overdosing through use of pure caffeine in the form of tablets, or overdosing through drinking an excess of energy drinks. Neither one is intended for recreational use. To get a lethal dose of caffeine from drinking coffee or regular soda is almost impossible.