My Weed Article - let's try this again

Hi everyone,

Well, since the last thread about this was a crock of shit I said fuck it.

I went back, revised the whole thing and now I think it will be more or less "approved" by the stoners here on RIU.

I admit, the last version was more critical of marijuana than in favour which was not fair. I have added all the positive things I could think of and find about Marijuana.

And so you know in advance, this article is for a college newspaper/magazine that is not in English. The whole level of language has to be kept more or less simple for people to understand it.

Oh and another thing... I am more than glad to receive constructive criticism - just make it polite.

I have already highlighted stuff that I'm not too sure about in red. True or false? If anyone can elborate on those facts, please go right ahead.

The article won't be printed for another week, so plenty of time for final print...

Thanks,

-Rich

P.S.

Why does RIU keep putting "marijuana" in lower case?



To start off, what is cannabis? Commonly known as weed, pot, grass and marijuana, Cannabis is the most commonly used drug on Earth, having been smoked for thousands of years amongst many cultures, such as the Hindus of India and the Thracians of Europe. Cannabis is a wild plant that grows almost everywhere, from Poland and Hungary, to Afghanistan, India and China. It grows in different sizes, Sativas and Indicas (also Ruderalis) and comes in many forms such as dried leaves/cured flowers (buds), concentrated resin (hash) and distilled oil (canna/hash oil). Marijuana can not only be smoked, but also ingested and even used in oil or milk, with the active ingredient being tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the chemical that gets people “high”. But with its unique smell and leaf structure, recognisable everywhere, only the female cannabis plant will produce THC on its flowers. This is why it is grown in a pollen-free environment to avoid females producing seeds, which would not result in production of the desired drug.
Contrary to common belief, cannabis is not only used to "get high". The plant itself can be used for several purposes, such as the production of moulded plastics, fuel, textiles, paper, medicine and even construction material. One famous example of its various purposes is the American declaration of independence, which was written on hemp (cannabis) paper.

It is interesting to note that many religions and cultures have been created around this plant, the most famous being the Rastafarian movement of Jamaica. Marijuana has also recently become a commercial symbol, with t-shirts, pin buttons, wallets, flags, and chains featuring the famous cannabis leaf as a logo. One can truly say that no other drug has ever been as glorified as marijuana has, on any basis.

Nevertheless, the real questions that should be asked are why do people take marijuana and how safe is it? The first question is fairly easy to answer. Like alcohol, cannabis induces a feeling of mild euphoria and gentle elation that users enjoy. However, its effects are not only psychoactive, but also physical. The pulse rate is increased, blood pressure rises, the eyes become bloodshot and a large appetite soon follows, known as “the munchies”. After a short while, users speak, move and interact less with their surroundings, becoming “couch-locked”, or “stoned”.



As for whether cannabis is safe or not, this can be a touchy subject...
Much debate circulates this topic, with some claiming that marijuana is not even a drug to begin with, which is not entirely true. Cannabis affects the central nervous system and alters the body’s normal functions, so it is most definitely a drug. However, many others claim that marijuana cannot be a health risk and isn’t dangerous at all, hence the reason for so many legalization activists.
A recent study, however, published by the United Nations Anti-Drugs office, begs to differ.

To begin with, chronic smoking of cannabis has been shown to contribute to lung cancer in some rare cases. Yet regular smoking of cannabis with tobacco, as most users do in Europe, can lead to respiratory problems such as asthma, bronchitis and wheezing, including lung cancer of course. Studies have also shown that driving while stoned can be just as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than driving while under the influence of alcohol. With that in mind, after many experiments throughout the world, cannabis has proven to be less addictive than nicotine, heroin, cocaine, alcohol and caffeine, causing little or no withdrawal symptoms, even amongst heavy users. And unless smoked, cannabis has not been found to cause any damage to organs, muscles, the skeleton or the nervous system as alcohol and other “hard core” narcotics do.
When looking at the complicated structure of the human body, one finds that Cannabinoid receptors, (which are cell membrane receptors), make up a very important mechanism that is also responsible for fighting cancer cells. These CB2 receptors can be activated by cannabinoids produced by the body itself, synthetic cannibinoids and the cannabis plant itself, which contains THC. There are in fact several functions related to the CR2 receptors, that help the body in various ways, including the regulation of bone mass, reducing tumour growth and even as a possible treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Nowadays however, cannabis is not prescribed to treat these conditions, due to other medication being more conventional and easier to issue.
Nevertheless, the real matter behind marijuana’s supposed health risk is the mental damage some say it causes. Contrary to the Hippie age of the 1960s and 70s, the strains of cannabis available today are generally much more potent. A family of strains, better known as “Skunk”, includes famous types such as White Widow, Silver Haze and Chronic, that many teenagers smoke nowadays.
A considerable amount of scientists say that these more potent forms of marijuana can, in some cases, be linked to mental illnesses, including psychosis, anxiety, paranoia and schizophrenia, as well as short-term memory loss. (Short-term memory loss is true for me) However, at this moment in time, not enough studies have been conducted to prove this beyond doubt. As a species, humans know very little about marijuana and how it affects the brain, compared to other narcotics like alcohol and cocaine. Either way, It has been decriminalized in many states across America for medical use in cancer patients and those with chronic illnesses.
Although it is common knowledge that marijuana is not physically addictive, many people have been known to develop an addiction to joints due to the presence of tobacco in the rolled mixture. This can lead to a nasty and horrible nicotine addiction, obviously dangerous, considering the fact that nicotine is the most addictive substance known to man, not to mention the number of deaths that occur per year due to cigarettes. On the other hand, if one were to smoke marijuana daily, it could easily become a psychological addiction, just like any other habit, without the user even knowing - this has been proven by several studies.

Go to any party today and it’s hard not to find a joint or bong (the water pipe in which marijuana is smoked) being passed around. Mixing weed with alcohol and tobacco is nothing new to parties, but little does medical science know about how dangerous this combination can be with “modern” partying.
One should also not forget that there have been several “pollution epidemics” in recent years across France and Britain, as well as the United Sates. To compensate for the lack of weight when selling cannabis, dealers and growers have been known to mix the drug with sand, glass and sugar amongst other products. When smoked, these impurities could, and have lead to silicosis, including other serious diseases. Unfortunately, that is a large risk that many people take unknowingly when buying marijuana off the streets, or even from “friends”.

To conclude, I will finish by saying that in 2010, no one can say for sure how dangerous cannabis really is to the brain. Scientists have proven that while cannabis is not addictive physically and causes no harm to the body, (unless smoked) - it is still unknown if this is true for mental health. It maybe tomorrow, next year, or in 50 years when science discovers the real health risks that the plant presents, if any.

wow, you STILL ignored what I said about your previous article that you should include information about the cannabinoid receptor system.

this article is as good as trash without some scientific info on the mechanism that actually gets you high . . . . . . .

poplars said:

wow, you STILL ignored what I said about your previous article that you should include information about the cannabinoid receptor system.

this article is as good as trash without some scientific info on the mechanism that actually gets you high . . . . . . .

Click to expand...

I'm not trying to explain the mechanism of what gets people high. I'm talking about how safe marijuana is to the human body.

Do you think it is absolutely necessary to include what the cannabinoid receptors do?

And please, be polite.

Thank you,

-Rich

Edit: Just took a look at your post again - I'll include it in the article.

Just, where did you get the info from?

www.google.com/scholar

that's where I got my info.

anyways, describing the cannabinoid receptor system is the ONLY WAY you can convince people it's actually SAFE.

because the cannabinoid receptor system facilitates a natural reaction in which it will shut down if too much THC is present, that's how cannabis tolerance works, which is essentially why it's impossible to overdose on THC, (and other cannabinoids.) they only react to the cannabinoid receptor, and the cannabinoid receptor has a limit. and without a reaction from the cannabinoid receptors cannabinoids are essentially antioxidant molecules flowing around. (someone correct me here if I"m wrong.)

poplars said:

www.google.com/scholar

that's where I got my info.

anyways, describing the cannabinoid receptor system is the ONLY WAY you can convince people it's actually SAFE.

Click to expand...

Well then,

Here's the extra paragraph.

When looking at the complicated structure of the human body, one finds that Cannabinoid receptors, (which are cell membrane receptors), make up a very important mechanism that is crucial for everyday functions. These CB2 receptors can be activated by cannabinoids produced by the body itself, synthetic cannibinoids and the cannabis plant itself, which contains THC. There are in fact several functions related to the CR2 receptors, that help the body in various ways, including the regulation of bone mass, reducing tumour growth and even as a possible treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Nowadays however, cannabis is not prescribed to treat these conditions, due to other medication being more conventional and easier to issue.

cannabinoid receptors are also found in higher populations in our brain than opioid receptors, they also are found in every part of the brain.

seriously just google scholar cannabinoids and you'll find all sorts of information.

in my opinion, you need to make this article bigger, you need to include reasons for why it is safe and why it isnt, what you wrote i could find in any book in my old school, include information that people DONT know, that will make a great article, if you want people to read it and think, do the cannabinoid system, do its effects on the dopamine system among others, do social cost vs harm, do things that the average joe doesnt know about, that would be a damn good article

This is the article that my teacher did not accept in my grade 12 second semester english B30. I was like fuck you bitch, so I took half an hour and wrote a five pager about why building snowman should be in the mandatory curriculum. I created statistics, regulations and mythology involving the long history of snowmen in Canada.

Here it is:

marijuana or cannabis has been a controlled substance in Canada well before I was born and even my parents. It is clearly a plant that can be used beneficially to many, as well as its environmental benefits and should be uncontrolled for personal use.

To understand the war on drugs you must first understand Cannabis. Pot comes from a plant, known as Cannabis Sativa or Cannabis Indica. This plant has been grown for hundreds if not thousands of years and has been praise for its psychoactive effects and its usefulness as a medicine and fiber. The origins of the plant trace back to eastern Asia. The curious thing about this plant is it is the only plant known on earth that produce Cannabinoids. What is curious is that our bodies contain receptors allowing the active ingredient, Delta9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, THC to bind to cells in the brain and body by traveling through the blood to give the high associated with Cannabis, as little as 10 micrograms of THC per kilogram of body weight is needed to "feel it". It is considered a hallucinogen because of its vast range of effects, it can be used as a sedative, stimulant, or psychedelia.. Cannabis is a very interesting plant, a tree, more specifically a vegetable and a herb. There are 3 species of Cannabis; Sativa, Indica and Ruderalis, all produce the flower known as marijuana. However only the Saiva and Indica strains will produce the psychoactive substance THC in "high" enough quantities. The Ruderalis strain is known as industrial hemp. The purpose of THC for the Cannabis plant is simple really, it protects the flowers and seeds from the harmful rays of the sun, more specifically UV-B rays, its sunblock. It is also interesting that a seed from these plant is either a male or a female, there is no self fertilization occurring in nature with the Cannabis plant. If fertilization of a flower does not occur, the plant will redirect its energy to resin production. Sinsemilla, the goal of the pot farmer. THC is produced marorily in resinous mushroom shaped glands. These glands are comprised of several differing cannabinoids, several are psychoactive, several are not, most have medical purposes.

marijuana a medicine is as old as the plant its self. The 2 primary medical constituents of the resin glands are cannabinoids. There are two I want to talk about, the first THC a chemical that produces a high when ingested or smoked. It has been indicated as a medication in over 250 conditions, including; nausea, vomiting, unintentional weight loss, lack of appetite, migraine, spasms, PMS, arthritis, asthma, hypertension, insomnia, neurogenic pain, movement disorder, glaucoma, epilepsy, depression, PTSD, ASS, ADHA, OCD, bi-polar disorder; cancer, AIDS and hepatitis treatment symptoms, ect. The next CBD, a compound similar to THC in structure but as far as can be told holds no psychoactive effects. The amounts of CBD as well as other cannabinoids found in the resin are hypothesized to plat off each other and change the overall effect dramatically. It seems to help convulsions, inflammation, anxiety, nausea; and has been suggested an an anti-psychotic in schizophrenia patients. However most surprisingly they both have been found to have anti-cancerous and anti-tumorous, and exhibit neuro-protective antioxidant properties. Not only can it be used as a medicine but as a fiber.

Hemp has been highly utilized as a fiber to make clothing, rope, paper, fuel, and biodegradable plastics. Many famous paintings and historical documents have been hemp paper or canvas because hemp is stronger and decomposes slower than tree fiber. It is capable of producing ten tons of bio-mass per acre in four months. One acre of hemp can produce as much usable fiber as trees can with 4 acres, trees take 50-500 years to grow before they can be cut down for production, where hemp can be ready in as little as 100 days, producing 4X more paper in a 20 year period. As well as a fibrous material, parts of the plant can be used in a fermenting process to make methanol, about ten times more than corn can. It also has a tremendous rate of photosynthesis, which means more air for everyone. Now for something a little more recent.

The use of this plant as a drug, both medical and recreational, has been highly debated for well over the last 50 years. Some of the ideas that have fueled this prohibition are complete overstatements and misconceptions. One of the major tales, myths, lies whatever you wish to call it, is the gateway drug theory. This is the idea that if you begin by smoking weed you will eventually use stronger more destructive substances like heroin. It is true that abusers of illicit addictive opiates, stimulants, ect. are likely to have started with marijuana. However the abusers of those drugs may have been lead to believe that marijuana, heroin, ecstasy, any one of these are just as destructive as the next, they are likely to have tried pot and made an misinformed decision about there future use of heroin, due to the lack of information the government provides. The drug marijuana is the dried flowers and leaves of the Cannabis plant, generally smoked in a cigarette paper called a joint, or in a pipe or glass bong. Compared to other drugs including alcohol, tobacco and some prescription narcotics, it can be considered one of the most benign substances. Alcohol can cause liver damage, black-outs, and the inability to make decisions, it has also been indicated as a neurotoxin. Alcohol is responsible for about 100,000 deaths per year. Prescription narcotics, like benzodiazapine, opiates, barbiturates, stimulants, ect., can have physical dependence issues and severe withdrawal effects as many are chemically similar, in some cases stronger, to their illicit counter parts, heroin, crystal meth, ect. Conventional medication claims about 750,000 lives per year. Saving one of the most famous comparisons used when talking about drug legality for last, marijuana versus tobacco. These two examples have been used on both sides of the debate from many different angles due to its amazing social similarities. Comparing the smoke toxicity as follows, Health Canada reports, Cannabis smoke has twenty-times more ammonia, five-times more hydrogen cyanides and nitrogen oxides, but is found to have less poly-cyclic aromatic hydro-carbons, which are known carcinogens, mutagens, and teratogens. Long term smoking effects of Cannabis are not known, but we are told from birth that you will develop cancer from tobacco. The tobacco industry claims about 5,400,000 human lives per year. There is not one recorded death from marijuana in all of world literature. It is obvious that something is not working correctly in this finely tuned machine.

When you look at the controlled drug and substances act it becomes visible that the list has been put together without extreme medical research. There are drugs that have been found to have extreme ill effects and are placed lower in scheduling than drugs that have been found to be completely harmless. The list was put together with blinders on. When you actively and objectivity look at the idea of this prohibition you can see that it is about control. If a person is telling me I can have alcohol, caffeine and tobacco, but not marijuana, magic mushrooms and LSD based on absent harm data, is a person controlling my mind. These are all mind altering substances, and you are controlling what goes in and out of my body and subsequently my mind. if we are truly a free Country should we not get to decide what chemicals enter our bodies. It is the governments job to tell us about these substances and let us make the choice.

Feel free to pick apart and use pieces, mind you it is on multiple sites on the webernet. I did not know about the reason that the receptor has defenses from overdosing, and I don't go into the reason PAH's are good in weed.

Peace