10 Things
Every
Parent,
Teenager & Teacher
Should
Know About
Marijuana
(Cannabis)
Produced as a public service by the
Family Council on Drug Awareness
Q. What is Marijuana?
A. "Marijuana" refers to dried female flowers of varieties of cannabis, the hemp plant.1 which contain 3% or more tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. Smoked or eaten, it causes dry mouth, reddened eyes, a faster heartbeat, and a feeling of being "high" for a few hours. Different strains have different sensual effects, ranging from sedative to stimulant to none at all. Cultivated cannabis is listed as an illegal drug in the US under the Controlled Substances Act; even industrial varieties that do not have enough THC to produce "marijuana."
Q. Who Uses Cannabis?
A. There is no simple profile of a typical cannabis user. It's been used by millions of people from all walks of life for thousands of years for hundreds of medical, social and religious reasons, as well as for personal relaxation.2 Several of our greatest Presidents farmed hemp.3 About one in three American voters now say they have tried it.4
Q. How Long Have People Used It?
A. Before Biblical times.5 It has been common throughout history, even in America,6 with about 12 million regular users in the US today.
Q. How Does It Affect Your Health?
A. No drug is always safe for everybody, but after 150 years of scientific study, the only proven health problem from cannabis is that its smoke can be linked to bronchitis.7 The smoke contains potential carcinogens, but there are no proven cancers. The risk can be reduced by taking smaller inhalations and exhaling in a few seconds, by using a "vaporizer" to release THC without burning, or by eating it. May cause drowsiness, distraction or anxiety. Moreover, it is a safe and effective medicinal herb with proven therapeutic value in treating hundreds of symptoms and ailments, including glaucoma, MS, asthma, arthritis, cancer, AIDS, epilepsy, nausea, anorexia, depression, stress, etc.8 The US Institute of Medicine (IOM) determined in 1999 that "Except for the harms associated with smoking, the adverse effects of marijuana use are within the range of effects tolerated for other medications."9
New study confirms that marijuana does not cause brain damage.
Q. Has Anyone Ever Died From a Cannabis Overdose?
A. No; not even once.10 It is difficult to gauge the eaten dose, which can lead to unpleasant, but non-lethal effects. Judge Francis Young studied the evidence, and ruled in 1988 that "marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume. "If consumed, 10 raw potatoes can cause lethal/fatal intoxication.
Summed illness attributable to foodborne gastroenteritis caused by known and unknown pathogens, yielding an estimate of 76 million illnesses, 318,574 hospitalizations, and 4,316 deaths. Adding to these figures the nongastrointestinal illness caused by Listeria, Toxoplasma, and hepatitis A virus, we arrived at a final national estimate of 76 million illnesses, 323,914 hospitalizations, and 5,194 deaths each year (Figure 1).
Q. Does Cannabis Lead to Hard Drugs?
A. No, it does not.11 According to the 1999 IOM report, "There is no conclusive evidence that the drug effects of marijuana are causally linked to the use of other illicit drugs." In fact, there is some evidence that suppressing cannabis may lead people to use hard drugs, as happened in Hawaii. NIDA study links marijuana crackdown to increase in methamphetamine "ice" in Hawai'i.
Q. Does It Cause Violence?
A. No; if anything, it reduces it.12 The only crime most cannabis users commit is obtaining and using marijuana. The US Shafer Commission report, one of the most comprehensive studies ever done on drugs, reported that cannabis smokers "tend to be under-represented" in violent crime, "especially when compared to users of alcohol, amphetamines and barbiturates."13 The California Attorney General's panel wrote in 1989 14 that "objective consideration shows that cannabis is responsible for less damage to the individual and society than alcohol and cigarettes." The federal government reports that 71 million Americans have smoked it … possibly including some of the nicest people you know.
Q. Is It Physically Addictive?
A. No, it is not,15 although some minor dependency can develop. According to the IOM: "Although few users of marijuana develop dependence, some do. But they appear to be less likely to do so than users of other drugs (including alcohol and nicotine), and marijuana dependence appears to be less severe than dependence on other drugs." The typical pattern of social cannabis usage begins with experimental use in the late teens and peaks in the early adult years, followed by a period of leveling off, and a gradual reduction in use.16
Q. What About All Those Scary Advertisements and Stories?
A. Most sensational claims of health risks cite no studies or sources at all. Others rely on a handful of inconclusive or flawed reports.17 The government uses exaggeration and scare tactics to discourage marijuana use, like the "Reefer Madness" campaign of the 1930s18 and the PDFA today. Unfortunately, that just glamorizes drug use and leads to distrust.
Q. What Can We Do About It?
A. Based on scientific research, prison is not the answer. Every independent government study on cannabis has opposed jailing smokers.19 Voters in several States have legalized medical marijuana cultivation and use. Many countries around the world allow farmers to grow hemp for industrial uses. The simple fact is that cannabis use does not change a person's basic personality or sense of morality. The Family Council on Drug Awareness supports setting an age of consent for cannabis to regulate adult use.
Please write or call your elected officials. Tell them you want them to show tolerance. Regulate medical marijuana and responsible adult use of cannabis, free up our police resources to solve violent crime, and restore honesty in America's commitment to "liberty and justice for all."
Item# FCDA TT-0010. Additional copies available from:
Family Council on Drug Awareness, P.O. Box 1716, El Cerrito CA 94530 · www.hr95.org
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More Interesting facts
Coffee almost followed the same fate as cannabis as its use spread from Ethiopia through the Middle East to Europe. Coffee, regarded as a Muslim drink, was prohibited to Orthodox Christians in its native Ethiopia until as late as 1889; it is now considered a national drink of Ethiopia for people of all faiths.
2 million Number of people behind bars in the U.S., including local jails--twice as many as a decade ago
60% Portion of federal prisoners jailed for drug crimes, up from 38% before mandatory-sentencing laws were passed in 1986
36% Portion of drug offenders who committed nonviolent, low-level crimes
What do Prohibition and Drug Wars have in common?
Sure failure!
By Charley Reese
Let's take a short quiz on liquor prohibition. In 1919, the Constitution was amended to ban the manufacture and distribution of alcoholic beverages in the United States.
- Prohibition was repealed in 1933.
- Did Prohibition succeed in banning liquor? No.
- Did Prohibition cause the formation of powerful criminal gangs? Yes.
- Did Prohibition cause violence as a result of these gangs fighting over territory? Yes.
- Did Prohibition cause a huge amount of public corruption? Yes.
- Did Prohibition result in a general disrespect for the law? Yes.
- When Prohibition ended, did the United States suddenly go to Hades with everyone becoming an alcoholic? No.
- All right now, let's fast-forward to the war on drugs.
- Has the war on drugs succeeded in banning illegal drugs? No.
- Has the war on drugs caused the formation of powerful criminal gangs? Yes.
- Has the war on drugs caused violence as a result of these gangs fighting over territory? Yes.
- Has the war on drugs caused a huge amount of public corruption? Yes.
- Has the war on drugs caused a general disrespect for the law? Yes.
**Read the following artical below**