One Nation With Liberty & Marijuana For All
October 29, 2016
There
were lines of hundreds of people outside pot shops in Colorado when
just one herbal product was legalized there in 2012. In my years in the
natural health industry, there have been swells of public interest over
DMSO, coral calcium, Echinacea, resveratrol, even vitamin C with the
publication of Linus Pauling’s book VITAMIN C AND THE COMMON COLD (which
by the way resulted in a 300% in mortality from coronary heart
disease). But there have never been lines of customers waiting to buy
any dietary supplement as there has been for a single herb —
recreational marijuana.
There are less than 100 health food stores in the State of Colorado
There are reportedly over 800 marijuana shops. [Pot Guide Aug 14, 2015]
Just
a single herb is going to be a major focus of the economy of some small
States as taxes raised from the sale of marijuana will be considerable.
Nine
States will put legalization of marijuana up for a vote in November
2016. In these States, marijuana would be locally legal but federally
illegal. [FortuneJune 29, 2016]
About 57% of Americans believe marijuana should be legalized. [Pew Research Oct 12, 2016]
No
one can say Americans aren’t entrepreneurial. Over 2000 medical
marijuana shops initially opened in Washington State before they were
shut down and forced to enter a lottery for new business licenses. Then
the State issued 222 new licenses. [Quartz.com Oct 25, 2016]
Passage of Proposition 64 in California to legalize marijuana is expected to generate $1 billion in State revenue. [San Diego Tribune
Oct 27, 2016] In the State of Colorado, marijuana sales in the first
year of legal adult-use in 2014 totaled $699.2 million and generated
$76.2 million in taxes. In the first 8 months of 2016 sales in Colorado
totaled $846.5 million and generated $124.9 million in taxes. [The Cannabist]
Passage of Prop. 64 in California is projected to grow a $22 billion marijuana business. [New York Times Oct 24, 2016]
Legalization
of marijuana is expected to be larger than the wine industry if
legalization is nationwide. In fact, marijuana-infused wine is now
available. [AOL.com Oct 14, 2016]
There were more arrests for possession of marijuana than for all violent crimes combined last year (2015). [New York Times
Oct 12, 2016] Passage of Proposition 64 in California would reduce the
number of arrests for misdemeanor and felony marijuana crimes. About
15,000 to 20,000 people have arrested in California annually for such
crimes.
Nationwide, FBI numbers indicate arrests for marijuana use in 2015 totaled 643,121, down from 82,720 in 2007. [Forbes.com Sept 29. 2016]
The
incarceration of so many young black Americans for use of marijuana (3.7
times greater chance of being imprisoned despite equal usage) has
become unconscionable. [NY Times June 3, 2013] At one point there were 75 individuals serving life sentences (or de facto life) for peddling marijuana. [The Daily Beast Sept 3, 2015]
Infuriatingly,
private prisons, police unions, pharmaceutical companies and alcohol
brands have been among the top industries lobbying against legalization
of marijuana. [Leafly.com]
It is no
wonder the pharmaceutical industry opposes marijuana legalization. One
recent study revealed over 80% of marijuana users reported replacement
of prescription drugs such as painkillers, anti-anxiety medications,
stimulants, sleep aids and antidepressants) with cannabis. [Drug & Alcohol Review May 2016]
What kind of country will we have after the complete penetration of pot shops throughout America?
Here is how one source explains the marijuana experience: “The
‘high’ produced by marijuana causes physical changes such as reddening
of the eyes, fast heartbeat, increased blood pressure, dry mouth,
dizziness, and increased appetite. Despite its high intoxication
potential, it has a low dependency (or addictive) potential and low risk
of organ damage or death. Cannabis use causes the release of the brain
chemical dopamine, which induces a feeling of euphoria on the user.
Marijuana users report elevated feelings of happiness, relaxation,
relief from pain and anxiety, as well as other potential remedies to
physical ailments. However, there are also a number of adverse effects
as well. It may disrupt the storage of short-term memories and it
may have negative effects on long-term memory for heavy users.” [Sex InfoUC Santa Barbara]
Will
America be any healthier with the availability of recreational
marijuana? Medical marijuana has been prescribed for chronic
unremitting migraine headaches, joint pain, glaucoma, nausea during
pregnancy, after chemotherapy; for seizure disorders; for nerve pain;
for weight loss caused by chronic illness; post-traumatic stress
disorder; Alzheimer’s disease. Except for seizure disorders and nausea
during pregnancy, it doesn’t get very high grades. [Prevention]
Marijuana is less addictive than tobacco but more than alcohol. [Journal Clinical Psychiatry April 2016]
Stanton
Glantz, a professor at the School of Medicine, University of California,
San Francisco, says legalization of marijuana “is exchanging a criminal
justice crisis for a public health crisis.” [New York Times Oct 24, 2016]
I have
maintained that marijuana was ushered into use by young adults in
America in the 1960s in order to market birth control pills. Marijuana
is known to have aphrodisiac properties and increases arousal and sexual
activity. It reduces sexual inhibitions. [Journal Sex Research Aug 1974]
Generally,
young females are modest and birth control pills were confined to use
by women who already had 2 or 3 children and didn’t want more. The
proliferation of marijuana ushered in an era of uninhibited sex outside
of marriage. The hippy girls of the 1960s were on “the pill” to prevent
pregnancy. The hippy generation was anti-establishment but was lining
the pockets of the pharmaceutical companies. The first birth control
pill was approved for use in 1960. Despite its claim of preventing
unwanted births especially among adolescent females, a decade later the
number of abortions skyrocketed. Marijuana + birth control pills led to
“safe sex” which actually increased many health risks for females. [The Pill Kills]
I read recently where the incidence of schizophrenia rises 520% among marijuana users (largely those who over-use). [Knowridge Science Report
Oct 24, 2016] Though it should be added that tobacco use, which often
accompanies smoking pot, also increases the risk for schizophrenia and
is a co-occurring cause. [Schizophrenia Research Aug 30, 2016]
Some
people are more genetically sensitive to develop psychosis from
marijuana use. One study shows 44 out of 121 people (36%) with
diagnosed schizophrenia developed symptoms of psychosis within 1 month
of beginning to smoke marijuana. [International Journal Neuropsychopharmacology Oct 2010]
But that
doesn’t mean 36% of marijuana users would become psychotic. According
to one study, about 3000 young people would have to be dissuaded from
using marijuana to prevent one case of psychosis (schizophrenia). [Addiction Nov 2009]
Marijuana raises brain levels of homocysteine — an undesirable blood protein. [Metabolic Brain Disease Sept 2014] Mental depression can result.
The use of marijuana has been linked with memory problems. [Journal Clinical Experimental Neuropsychology Oct 16, 2016]
Babies
born to mothers who use marijuana for morning sickness during pregnancy
are more likely in young adulthood to have problems with executive
functioning. [Neurotoxicology Teratology June 1, 2016]
Cannabis
dependency results in the lower release of dopamine from brain cells and
this is associated with inattention and poorer working memory. [Molecular Psychiatry March 22, 2016]
Doctors
seeing patients who regularly use cannabis are likely to see a pattern
among these patients of acute memory impairment, lack of coordination
and judgment, social dysfunction and chronic bronchitis. [Annals Medicine 2016]
The
common side effects produced by habitual marijuana users are well
known: dry mouth (and accompanies cavities in teeth), dizziness upon
standing up from a chair, increased appetite, memory impairment,
lassitude (lack of motivation), mental depression, paranoia/anxiety,
addiction, and because marijuana is smoked, lung problems may develop. [Leaf Science]
For those who choose to use marijuana regularly, the following dietary supplements may be useful:
N-acetyl
cysteine (NAC) is an available sulfur-based dietary supplement that is
often successfully used for young marijuana users who experience
negative mental and emotional symptoms. [Expert Opinion Drug Metabolism Toxicology Oct 21, 2016] NAC is helpful for problems with addiction. [American Journal Psychiatry Aug 2012]
Zinc supplements may also be used to calm addiction. [Journal Annals Toxicology July 2011]
Since resveratrol binds to the cannabinoid receptors on the surface of brain cells, it may be helpful marijuana dependence. [Journal Pharmacology Experimental Therapeutics July 2009]
Citicoline, to improve mental performance. [International Journal Neurology & Neurotherapy Sept 30, 2015]
Other
supplements: magnesium, B vitamins (to reduce homocysteine), extra
vitamin B12 (to avert short-term memory loss), vitamins C and D.
As
a final note, legislators were duped into drafting legislation to block
the use of food stamps (electronic benefit cards) for the purchase of
marijuana edibles (cookies) based upon a satirical news report that
mistook fiction for fact. [Think Progress] However, apparently one convenience store operator was indicted for accepting food stamps as payment for marijuana. [The Examiner]
The
best news regarding marijuana is that States are electing to butts
heads with the federal Supremacy clause in article VI of the
Constitution and predominate over federal prohibitions against
marijuana. [Huffington Post March 30, 2014]
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