# A paper im trying to get published, PLEASE read



## freemo (Feb 8, 2006)

My intentions are to get as many people to see this paper i wrote as possible, to read it, to share it, and if possible get it published in print or on various web pages. I spent alot of time on the paper, and am making a round to try to get it published. Please read the following paper, give any feed back you may have, pass it along to as many people you know and get the word out. My e-mail is [email protected] My Aim is DebeoMorium My yahoo is DebeoMorium my ICQ is 10171249 Thank you everyone. 

Feel free to copy it as long as the contents arent changed in any way. here is a link to the pdf file: http://freemo.syncleus.com/marijuana.pdf i will copy and paste it here for you lazy people. The actual PDF uses refrences and is alot nicer to read, so if youc an i suggest viewing it through the pdf directly. Also youll notice the random numbers that seem out of place below.. those were the references from the pdf, again you should view the pdf directly. 


Marijuana: Its Not as Bad as You Think 

Written By: Jeffrey Phillips Freeman; May 20, 2003 

Marijuana has been around and consumed for over a thousand years. Many people 
are not well learned about the effects of marijuana and mostly rely on what they hear on 
TV or from other anti-drug sources. Obviously, these sources are greatly biased and 
willingly disregard the pursuit of truth in order to achieve a drug-free America. Over 
the years these anti-drug campaigns have imbued the people with many fears and lies 
about marijuana. Some of the most compelling facts that many people arent aware of 
are, for example, that marijuana wont cause lung cancer, isnt addictive, wont kill brain 
cells or make you dumb, doesnt hinder driving ability, and is much less likely to cause 
emphysema then cigarettes. But these facts have been twisted, hidden, or completely 
falsified throughout the years and many people may find these claims surprising. I hope 
to try to balance these lies with truth; however there is over 50 years of lies to overcome. 
Cannabis is a weed that will grow wild in most regions and can be found growing 
in the wild in the Americas and many parts of Europe. When fully mature and flowered 
the flowering tops or leaves must be cut off and dried before it can be smoked. After 
being smoked its effects usually take up to 10 minutes before onset. An additional 5 to 10 
minutes are required for the full effects to occur; this is followed by a 15 to 30 minute 
plateau. Then 45 to 60 minutes for the come down; after effects may take an additional 
30 to 60 minutes. 

There has never been any evidence to suggest cannabis is physically addictive. A 
physical addiction is defined as an addiction caused by a dependence of the bodies 
chemistry that requires a particular chemical foreign to the body in order to function. A 
prime example is nicotine, as increasing quantities of nicotine are consumed the body 
begins to use that chemical in place of other hormones. Over time the body stops 
producing the chemicals replaced by the drug. In order to stop using the drug a lot of 
physical discomfort must be dealt with while the body copes with this imbalance. 
However, with cigarettes and many other drugs after some time of going thru withdraw 
the body begins producing the chemicals it needs again in the proper dosage. With 
cannabis this does not happen, our bodies never become physically dependent on it. 
However, it is possible to develop a mental addiction to marijuana. Mental addictions can 
be developed with any experience, whether it is watching TV, collecting baseball cards, 
or exercising. Studies tend to suggest that weed is less addictive then chocolate and more 
addictive then sardines. 

The effects of smoke on the lungs would be the only significant drawback of 
marijuana. Smoking any kind of smoke is never good for you; the healthiest choice 
would be to not smoke at all. Tar and dirt build up in your lungs is the primary cause of 
emphysema. When the dirt accumulates enough the alveoli of your lungs begin to die; 
once enough of your lung is dead it is called emphysema. Lung Cancer, however, is 
caused when radioactive isotopes, naturally occurring in cigarettes, attach to the tar in 
your lungs. The way cilia of the lungs work to move the tar in your lungs up and out, 
with the aid of coughing, causes the radioactive particles to collect in pre-cancerous cists 
resulting in radioactive hot spots. These radioactive hot spots are what cause lung 
cancer. With cannabis however there has never been a reported case of emphysema or 
lung cancer. Marijuana tar tends to collect in the major passageways of your lungs rather 
then the small areas where the alveoli are present suggesting it wont readily cause 
emphysema. In addition, marijuana has a significant bronchodilator effect, more so then 
most prescription drugs used for this effect, such as asthma inhalers. This means that 
when you smoke marijuana the air passageways in your lungs open up. Because of this 
you cough and are able to clean out your lungs very effectively. For these reasons 
marijuana is likely not to cause emphysema. Marijuana does not contain radioactive 
isotopes either eliminating cannabis as a potential cause of lung cancer. Smoking 
marijuana thru a vaporizer or as pure oil called hash oil can even further reduce the health 
risks. Vaporizers heat the cannabis without burning it releasing only the active 
ingredients with no tar. Hash oil is an extraction of just the active oils of the plant that 
can be smoked by heating it and turning it into a steam; this method has no tar associated 
with it either. By using a tar-free method you eliminate any possible health risk to your 
lungs. 

Since the 60s three have been ads to try to convince the public that marijuana 
kills brain cells and makes you dumb. While this claim is rarely ever used in a scientific 
forum anymore the lie still seems to float around that marijuana kills brain cells; in fact it 
has been shown that some cannabis derivatives actually help protect brain cells. This 
misconception is because in the 60s there was a huge anti-marijuana campaign funded 
by the government aimed at scaring the people into not useing it. This claim came form a 
debunk study done by Dr. Robert Heath where three monkeys were exposed to marijuana 
smoke and their brain cells were observed to have had structural damage. These studies 
have since been debunked for several reasons. The study used only three monkeys who 
were exposed to enormous amounts of marijuana smoke, to the point of suffocation. 
Scientists discount this study due to the low number of subjects, lack of controls, inability 
to duplicate, and unsound procedure. However, these lies spread by the anti-drug fanatics 
have still rooted this fear deep in the publics psyche. 

Several well respected studies of the effects of cannabis on driving confirm that 
marijuana has no negative impact on driving performance. Many studies conducted 
comparing a sober individual with that of someone who is high on marijuana and even in 
some cases to someone intoxicated on alcohol. While alcohol shows an obvious decline 
in driving ability marijuana does not. According to Cannabis and Driving: A Review of 
the Literature and Commentary. A government report written by Berks Crowthorne, 
talking about the effects of cannabis on driving: Whereas these results indicate a 
change from the normal conditions, they do not necessarily reflect impairment in 
terms of performance effectiveness since few studies report increased accident risk. 
One of the most realistic experiments, conducted by Dr. Casswell, tried to best evaluate 
driving performance in real life situations. The study involved specific attention 
evaluating aspects such as speed, ability to overtake another car, hair-pin turns, driving 
thru a narrow gap, and attention. Both alcohol and marijuana intoxicated subjects where 
evaluated. When intoxicated by alcohol the individual sped more often thru the narrow 
gap and hair-pin turn and had trouble keeping the car straight. When intoxicated by 
marijuana the individuals had no trouble keeping the car straight or any other tasks, 
however, they continually drove slower. This evidence suggests marijuana is not a 
significant safety risk on the road. 

Marijuana also has many positive effects and can be very beneficial if used 
properly. It acts as a pain reliever, provokes creativity, reduces nausea, reduces 
depression, and helps with relaxation. While there is currently a prescription version of 
THC, the most active chemical in marijuana, called Marinol® it does not have the full 
effects of marijuana. Cannabis is a collection of many chemicals, just like all plants and 
animals are; Marinol doesnt contain many of these active chemicals, called 
cannabinoids, which help enhance the ability of the THC to be effective in many 
applications. The cheaper decision for the consumer would simply be to legalize the use 
of cannabis. 

this forumn cut me off, to read the whole thing youll have to click the pdf link above, sorry...


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## freemo (Feb 8, 2006)

I should have mentioned this, but what i copy and pasted tot he forum is actually an older version then the pdf itself. While the content is mostly the same, the pdf itself fixes soem spelling and grammar errors. So again, i strongly suggest reading the pdf file directly.


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