Interesting stuff. A Harvard researcher has found that THC reduced lung tumor size and helped prevent the cancer from spreading. I wonder if the US Govt will ever rethink their ignorant ban and persecution of Medical Marijuana, which has been ramped up with Alberto Gonzales running things. THC. What can't it do? http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,266715,00.html
Our government knows that we are too stupid to make adult decisions about what we should and should not put into our bodies. Thank heavens we have such a caring government to make these decisions for us, otherwise I would have to do research, know facts, and make decisions for myself concerning what is best for my health.
Kind of defeats the argument that smoking weed can give you lung cancer, which is what "drug warriors" like to argue once you've gotten them to admit that alcohol is more damaging to the body and mind than cannabis.
I don't know that the two are mutually exclusive. Is it possible that the smoking can actually cause cancer and the THC can work to diminish it? I'm not a doctor or a pot head so I don't know. These findings won't change my opinions one way or the other. Even if tweed had no positive benefits I would still think it should be legal.
It would be interesting to see a study looking at heavy lifetime marijuana smokers, but non-tobacco users, and see the rate of lung cancer incidents as opposed to the general population. It would definately bolster this research if the percentage is much lower.
The DEA has worked long and hard to make sure that only their propoganda reaches the the American public. Studies from all over the world have been doing research on the the therapeutic and medicinal benefits of marijuana. The results however are rarely made available to those who don't look for them (the majority of the US). It's strange how a substance used by so many for ten thousand years has suddenly become demonized in the past 100. Many countries have wanted to relax on their drug policies, realizing that they are ineffective and put many non-violent offenders behind bars taking up valuable prison real-estate for other more dangerous offenders (read sex offenders, rapists, etc.). But fear of retribution from the US has quelled this desire especially in smaller Latin American countries. Take Canada for example, three years ago it looked like Canada was on the brink of decriminalization, if not legalization until the recent victories of the conservative party. The new leader has adopted a no holds barred policy (thanks to the US) and we all see how that works. Just imagine the billions of dollars saved and applied to other more important topics such as education and medicare. The drug war has employed a lot of people and has created a billion dollar industry in drug testing (a whole other topic). The drug war is here to stay for better or worse; worse. End Rant
If you have ever seen 'Reefer Madness,' then you have some idea of exactly how ludicrous of a premise that weed was illegalized on in the first place. But the beauty (yeah, right) of it all is that William Randolph Hearst eventually admitted to fabricating these misgivings and printing them in his newspapers for the simple fact that hemp was becoming a threat to one of his industries (paper). It was this very propoganda that led to the ridiculous ideas set forth by 'Reefer Madness,' and ultimately to the Marijunana Tax Act of 1937.
