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From: Non scrivetemi on 19 May 2010 03:10

http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/evidence99/marijuana/Health_1.html

EFFECTS OF HABITUAL MARIJUANA USE ON THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

The most potent argument against the use of marijuana to treat medical
disorders is that marijuana may cause the acceleration or aggravation of
the very disorders it is being used to treat.

Smoking marijuana regularly (a joint a day) can damage the cells in the
bronchial passages which protect the body against inhaled microorganisms
and decrease the ability of the immune cells in the lungs to fight off
fungi, bacteria, and tumor cells. For patients with already weakened
immune systems, this means an increase in the possibility of dangerous
pulmonary infections, including pneumonia, which often proves fatal in
AIDS patients.

Studies further suggest that marijuana is a general "immunosuppressant"
whose degenerative influence extends beyond the respiratory system.
Regular smoking has been shown to materially affect the overall ability
of the smoker?s body to defend itself against infection by weakening
various natural immune mechanisms, including macrophages (a.k.a. "killer
cells") and the all-important T-cells. Obviously, this suggests the
conclusion, which is well-supported by scientific studies, that the use
of marijuana as a medical therapy can and does have a very serious
negative effect on patients with pre-existing immune deficits resulting
from AIDS, organ transplantation, or cancer chemotherapy, the very
conditions for which marijuana has most often been touted and suggested
as a treatment. It has also been shown that marijuana use can accelerate
the progression of HIV to full-blown AIDS and increase the occurrence of
infections and Kaposi?s sarcoma. In addition, patients with weak immune
systems will be even less able to defend themselves against the various
respiratory cancers and conditions to which consistent marijuana use has
been linked, and which are discussed briefly under "Respiratory Illnesses."

In conclusion, it seems that the potential dangers presented by the
medical use of marijuana may actually contribute to the dangers of the
diseases which it would be used to combat. Therefore, I suggest that
marijuana should not be permitted as a therapy, at least until a good
deal more conclusive research has been completed concerning its
debilitating effect on the immune system.

RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES

The main respiratory consequences of smoking marijuana regularly (one
joint a day) are pulmonary infections and respiratory cancer, whose
connection to marijuana use has been strongly suggested but not
conclusively proven. The effects also include chronic bronchitis,
impairment in the function of the smaller air passages, inflammation of
the lung, the development of potentially pre-cancerous abnormalities in
the bronchial lining and lungs, and, as discussed, a reduction in the
capabilities of many defensive mechanisms within the lungs.

Marijuana smoke and cigarette smoke contain many of the same toxins,
including one which has been identified as a key factor in the promotion
of lung cancer. This toxin is found in the tar phase of both, and it
should be noted that one joint has four times more tar than a cigarette,
which means that the lungs are exposed four-fold to this toxin and
others in the tar. It has been concretely established that smoking
cigarettes promotes lung cancer (which causes more than 125,000 deaths
in the US every year), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (chronic
bronchitis and emphysema) and increased incidence of respiratory tract
infections. This implies, but does not establish, that smoking marijuana
may lead to some of the same results as smoking cigarettes. It is
notable that several reports indicate an unexpectedly large proportion
ofmarijuana users among cases of lung cancer and cancers of the oral
cavity,pharynx, and larynx. Thus, it appears that the use of marijuana
as a medicine has the potential to further harm an already ill patient
in the same way that taking up regular cigarette smoking would,
particularly in light of the fact that those patients for whom marijuana
is recommended are already poorly equipped to fight off these infections
and diseases.

For more information, please see the Tashkin website mentioned at the
end of the section on immune disorders. See also:

* www.sarnia.com/GROUPS/ANTIDRUG/mrr/ 21.96.10.html, for information
on the link between chemicals contained in marijuana and lung cancer.
* http://www.marijuananews.com/latest_research_finds_that_heavy.htm,
for an article concerning the link between marijuana and cancer, with
commentary



MENTAL HEALTH, BRAIN FUNCTION, AND MEMORY

It has been suggested that marijuana is at the root of many mental
disorders, including acute toxic psychosis, panic attacks (one of the
very conditions it is being used experimentally to treat), flashbacks,
delusions, depersonalization, hallucinations, paranoia, depression, and
uncontrollable aggressiveness. Marijuana has long been known to trigger
attacks of mental illness, such as bipolar (manic-depressive) psychosis
and schizophrenia. This connection with mental illness should make
health care providers for terminally ill patients and the patients
themselves, who may already be suffering from some form of clinical
depression, weigh very carefully the pros and cons of adopting a
therapeutic course of marijuana.

In the short term, marijuana use impairs perception, judgment, thinking,
memory, and learning; memory defects may persist six weeks after last
use. Mental disorders connected with marijuana use merit their own
category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(DSM) IV, published by the American Psychiatric Association. These
include Cannabis Intoxication (consisting of impaired motor
coordination, anxiety, impaired judgment, sensation of slowed time,
social withdrawal, and often includes perceptual disturbances; Cannabis
Intoxication Delirium (memory deficit, disorientation); Cannabis Induced
Psychotic Disorder, Delusions; Cannabis Induced Psychotic Disorder,
Hallucinations; and Cannabis Induced Anxiety Disorder.

In addition, marijuana use has many indirect effects on health. Its
effect on coordination, perception, and judgment means that it causes a
number of accidents, vehicular and otherwise.

For further information, you may find the following sites helpful:

* www.sarnia.com/GROUPS/ANTIDRUG/reality/updatejl.html, for
information on links between marijuana use and mental health risks.
* www.sarnia.com/GROUPS/ANTIDRUG/mrr/21.96.10.html, for more
information on the indirect effects of marijuana on health
* http://www.adf.org.au/drughit, the Australian Drug Foundation?s
website
* http://marijuananews.com/a_safe_ high_.htm, a reprint of New
Science magazine?s "Marijuana Special Report: A Safe High?" with commentary
* http://marijuananews.com/claim_four.htm, an article about the
similarity of long-term marijuana use?s effect on the brain to that of
"hard" drugs, with commentary
* www.drugs.indiana.edu/publications/iprc/misc/smokescreen.html, for
general information on the health risks of marijuana.
* http://www.health.org, the homepage of the National Clearinghouse
on Alcohol and Drug Information, for general information on marijuana.



From: Dustin Cook on 19 May 2010 22:25
starwars <nonscrivetemi(a)tatooine.homelinux.net> wrote in
news:dff37175f451cfdaaedf367c6f8532a3(a)tatooine.homelinux.net:


Now, it's just downright spamming. Fresh articles please.


--
Feel free to steal this tagline!
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