marijuana

Jun

2023

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Marijuana

ADHD and Marijuana

Recently on our travels across the country we found a good friend recently prescribed ADHD medication. For various symptoms such as inability to concentrate, memory issues, etc.

Not the first time I’ve come across this phenomenon. The medical ‘profession’ and the pharmaceutical industry are, in this day and age, completely focused on symptoms. Rarely, anymore, does one find a doctor with the inclination or the time to look to find causes.

Easier, quicker and more financially rewarding to hand out drugs that hopefully, mask the symptoms. That way one has a lifetime patient (income).

A quick search will find some common manifestations of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

- having a short attention span and being easily distracted

- making careless mistakes – for example, in schoolwork

- appearing forgetful or losing things

- being unable to stick to tasks that are tedious or time-consuming

- appearing to be unable to listen to or carry out instructions

- constantly changing activity or task

- having difficulty organizing tasks

And some short and long term effects of marijuana:

- affects judgement

- reduces reaction time

- sleepiness

- attention problems

- alters sense of time and place

- impaired body movement

- impaired memory

- impairs memory and thinking

- impairs learning functions

- weakens the ability to learn

The similarities are quite obvious. Any medical practitioner worth his or her salt should be able to see and know this if they bothered to look.

Add to this problem are the side effects of Adderall and Ritalin, which are the most prescribed drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder:

restlessness
difficulty falling asleep/interrupted sleep
paranoia
exacerbation of existing mental illnesses
nervousness
agitation
anxiety
psychosis

There are numerous solutions to ADHD that don’t involve drugs. Whether the so called disease is caused by marijuana or some other situation. Allergies. Mineral depletion.

If these side effects are caused by marijuana, partially or otherwise, ask your doctor or do your own research for ways to handle the cause. It’s not because your body is short on the vitamin Ritalin. And the whole brain chemical imbalance thing has been debunked numerous times. So, don’t go there.

I’m not a doctor but it may be as simple as stopping the use of marijuana and doing some sort of detox. Or it could be something more serious. In his book, A Dose of Sanity, Dr Sydney Walker gives an example of someone that been prescribed an anti-anxiety drug when with proper research he found the cause to be a brain tumour. But that takes a bit of time to discover. Time that most doctors won’t take.

Is Marijuana a Drug?

Marijuana:

If we are going to talk about this, have a discussion, let us first define our terms.

Per:
https://www.drugabuse.gov

“Drugs can alter the way people think, feel, and behave by disrupting neurotransmission, the process of communication between neurons (nerve cells) in the brain.”

I was having a discussion on the subject of marijuana with someone a while back and it really wasn’t going anywhere, until I realized that while I considered marijuana a drug, he did not.

So, now if I'm ever in a discussion that is becoming an argument, I resort to this quote:

“If you wish to converse with me, define your terms” Voltaire

Marijuana, per pretty much any definition of the word ‘drug’ applies. There was a short saying years ago along the lines of, "If a horse has four legs and a tail and you call the tail a leg, then how many legs does it have? Still four. Just because you call the tail a leg, doesn’t make it a leg.”

"A drug is any substance (other than food that provides nutritional support) that, when inhaled, injected, smoked, consumed, absorbed via a patch on the skin, or dissolved under the tongue causes a temporary physiological (and often psychological) change in the body." (This definition compiled from Stedman's Medical Dictionary and Random House Dictionary.)

“something and often an illegal substance that causes addiction, habituation*, or a marked change in consciousness” - Merriam-Webster Dictionary (*Habituation: psychological dependence on a drug after a period of use” Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

So, marijuana alters the way you think, feel, and or behave. If you really want the technical data on how drugs such as marijuana affect the neurotransmitters in the brain, then read the full article at the link above. (drugabuse.gov)

The majority of people use marijuana in its various forms to get stoned.

I’m pretty sure that I’ve never seen or heard of an increase in consciousness or awareness with someone on marijuana. I’ve had many claim better judgement which never proves out in actual practice.

Redefinition of Terms

As with other controversial subjects, the redefinition of terms runs rampant with marijuana.

“It’s a Herb”

Commonly referred to as a herb so it is safe. This is an attempt to redefine pot as a ‘safe herb’. That doesn’t make it is so. Another herb that you may have heard of is Hemlock.

Hemlock has been used in the past medicinally but is extremely toxic and a very small amount can kill you. So, using the fact that marijuana is a herb and that is why it is safe, once you know the facts, destroys that argument.

Medical Marijuana

This is another redefinition of marijuana. In an attempt to get away from the fact that marijuana is a drug, those interested in marketing and selling it broadly, would have you believe there is a different version of marijuana that is ‘medical marijuana’, because adding the word ‘medical’ would obviously give it legitimacy.

There is no real difference between ‘regular’ marijuana and ‘medical’ marijuana. None.

“It’s Natural”

Marijana is so far from being ‘natural’ anymore. It has been bred constantly over the last 50-60 years for increased potency. Various breeding and growing techniques have not only increased the amount of THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) - that’s the stuff that gets you stoned - but also have lowered the amount of CBD Oil (cannabidiol - that’s the stuff that mitigates the effects of the THC - lessens the effects) resulting in a drug that is many times stronger - ten to twenty time stronger or even more - than it was 50 plus years ago.

So, as I mentioned at the beginning, if you are going to discuss the subject of marijuana, establish your definitions first. If you find you are arguing about the subject and whether or not it is a drug, then establish your definitions. Save a lot of frustration.

Dec

2019

Is Marijuana Production Good for the Environment?

There is no limit to the lies that people tell about the benefits of marijuana. One of those is how pot is so environmentally friendly. I’ve taken this data straight from a website called Mother Jones. They have referenced these statistics.

I’ve said numerous times, if you are going to smoke pot, drink alcohol or do other drugs, fine, do it but don’t tell me it is good for you. Or safe. Check out the stats below:

From montherjones.com

24 Mind Blowing Facts About Marijuana Production in America

“You thought your pot came from environmentally conscious hippies? Think again. The way marijuana is grown in America, it turns out, is anything but sustainable and organic. Check out these mind blowing stats, and while you’re at it, read Josh Harkinson’s feature story, ‘The Landscape-Scarring, Energy-Sucking, Wildlife-Killing Reality of Pot Farming.’”

“Of the estimated 22 million pounds of marijuana grown each year on the United States, nearly 80 percent comes from California, Tennessee, Kentucky, Hawaii, and Washington.”

“In 2013, California authorities seized 329 outdoor grow sites and hauled away: 1.2 million plants, 119,000 pounds of trash, 17,000 pounds of fertilizer, 40 gallons of pesticides, 244 propane tanks, 61 car batteries, 89 illegal dams and 81 miles of irrigation piping.”

“Trespass grows accounted for 72 percent of outdoor plants seized in California in 2013.”

“Nearly half of the cannabis eradicated by law enforcement nationwide was on public or tribal land.”

“During California’s growing season, outdoor grows consume roughly 60 million gallons of water a day - 50 more than is used by all the residents of San Francisco.”

“An estimated one-third of America’s pot crop is grown indoors.”

“And indoor grow module accommodating 4 plants sucks as much electricity as 29 refrigerators.”

“In California, indoor marijuana grows account for about 9 percent of household electricity use.”

Nationwide, the electricity used by indoor grows is enough to power 1.7 million homes. That’s the equivalent to the output of 7 large power plants.”

“For every pound of pot grown indoors, 4,600 pounds of CO2 goes into the atmosphere.”

“The production and distribution of pot in America emits as much carbon as 3 million cars.”

“The energy to produce a single joint is enough to produce 18 pints of beer and creates emissions comparable to burning a 100 watt light bulb for 25 hours.”

motherjones.com

(Sources: Jon Gettman (2006), US Forest Service (California outdoor grow stats include small portions of Oregon and Nevada), Office of National Drug Control Policy, SF Public Utilities Commission, Evan Mills (2012)

Dec

2019

Is Marijuna Safe For Pregnant Women?

Is Marijuana safe for pregnant women to use?

Is Marijuana safe for breastfeeding women? (Is it safe for the babies?)

If you listen to the media and others that are pro pot or are marketing marijuana, you might be convinced that marijuana is a cure all. Claims from curing cancer, headaches and a myriad of other ills.

Before going any further, I will define what we mean by a drug.

“"Define your terms, gentlemen, define your terms. It saves argument!”
- Dr. Samuel Johnson

I’ve heard so many people having an argument about pretty much anything and it is pretty easy to see from the outside that they haven’t first defined their terms. This stands for marijuana. 97% of people walking around will agree that marijuana can be defined as a drug. We’ll take a definition from a Random House Dictionary.

That said, we can move on.

Go to a health show in your local city and walk up to the ever increasing ‘Grow’ booths and others that are promoting pot and ask the vendor if Marijuana is safe for pregnant or breastfeeding women. The answer is usually affirmative. In Canada, where marijuana is now legal, you will see more of this.

But, in contrast, here is what Health Canada and the FDA have to say.

Health Canada and FDA:

Health Canada

“Health effects during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Just like with tobacco and alcohol, a pregnant woman or new mother's use of cannabis can affect her fetus or newborn child.

The substances in cannabis are carried through the mother's blood to her fetus during pregnancy. They are passed into the breast milk following birth. This can lead to health problems for the child.

Cannabis use during pregnancy can lead to lower birth weight of the baby. It has also been associated with longer-term developmental effects in children and adolescents, such as:

- decreases in:

- memory function

- ability to pay attention

- reasoning and problem-solving skills

- hyperactive behaviour

- - increased risk for future substance use”

(ref: Health Canada - Cannabis)

And:

“Mental health effects:

In some people, cannabis use increases the risk of developing mental illnesses such as psychosis or schizophrenia, especially those who:

- start using cannabis at a young age

- use cannabis frequently (daily or almost every day)

- have a personal or family history of psychosis and/or schizophrenia

Frequent cannabis use has also been associated with an increased risk of:

- suicide

- depression

- anxiety disorders

There is evidence to suggest that combining tobacco with cannabis can increase:

- the strength of some psychoactive effects

- the risk of poor mental health outcomes including addiction”

(ref: Mental Health)

And from FDA (USA Food and Drug Administration) www.fda.gov

“FDA strongly advises against the use of cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and marijuana in any form during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. … FDA wants you to know there may be serious risks to using cannabis products, including those containing CBD, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.”

“marijuana use during pregnancy may affect fetal brain development, because THC can enter the fetal brain from the mother’s bloodstream.”

“…This THC may affect a newborn’s brain development and result in hyperactivity, poor cognitive function, and other long-term consequences.”

With regard to CBD, there are no test proving it harmful, meaning that there are no tests proving is safe either.

Years ago alcohol was touted as safe for pregnant women. Alcohol was then another drug untested and considered safe for many physical and mental problems. We have learned the hard way about fetal alcohol syndrome.

What is ‘fetal alcohol syndrome’?

“Fetal alcohol syndrome is a condition in a child that results from alcohol exposure during the mother's pregnancy. Fetal alcohol syndrome causes brain damage and growth problems. The problems caused by fetal alcohol syndrome vary from child to child, but defects caused by fetal alcohol syndrome are not reversible.” from mayoclinic.com

Are we going to learn the hard way (again) that marijuana causes health and development issues? I have been at Health Shows in Toronto, Canada, where marijuana is now legal, and have heard the vendors at ‘Pot’ booths telling pregnant women that it is entirely safe; that pot will help with morning sickness and other pains and aches. Completely irresponsible. There is no proof that it is safe. None whatsoever! In fact, there is plenty of information coming to light that the worst time for anyone to use marijuana is while the brain is developing.

Per mentalhealthydaily.com:

“Although brain development is subject to significant individual variation, most experts suggest that the brain is fully developed by age 25.”

Also, significant tests have been done to show that the brain patterns of someone under the effects of marijuana mimic or are the same as the brain of a schizophrenic.

Do you want that for your child?

Life is difficult enough. There are enough barriers to one’s survival without adding to it the handicap of drugs. One of the side effects on children and teens, as stated above, is the inability to pay attention. So you now you end up labelling your child ADHD. If you do take this chance, then you may end up tempted to further compound your child’s problems in feeling the need to use pharmaceuticals such as Ritalin. Setting up your child for drug use for life.

So, be compassionate. Give you child a fighting chance. Keep away from marijuana (and other drugs) while pregnant and while breast feeding.

There is more information on this website as to the effects of street drugs and also prescription drugs such as Ritalin and Prozac.

Remember, before starting an argument, define your terms.

Check this page out for links to more information on how Pot can affect your life: More on Marijuana

Dec

2019

Synonyms for ‘Stoned’

Wherever you look these days, in the media and other places, we are told that marijuana is a panacea, a cure all. If you see a ‘pot booth’ at a trade show, the dudes there will gladly tell you that pot is completely safe for pregnant women. Pretty irresponsible if you ask me. There is not one iota of evidence to support this. Years ago alcohol was considered completely safe for pregnant women. Have you met any alcohol syndrome children or adults? I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy. Do we find out in ten, twenty or thirty years from now that marijuana has similar effects. These dudes at the weed stores are not doctors, have done no research and really don’t have a clue.

All kinds of justifications for smoking weed. It calms you, it is great for anxiety, cures cancer and a million other things. A placebo can do the same thing and likely with a higher success rate than marijuana.

By far the majority of people are not smoking or ingesting marijuana for the health benefits. Most are just trying to get stoned. Very few people that drink will tell you that it is completely good for you. They drink alcohol to ‘get away’ from things or some kind of escape.

I’ve put together a list of words and phrases that people use to refer to the effects of marijuana on one. None of them reflect mental acuity.

ripped

wasted

baked

bombed

buzzed

doped

fried

totaled

spaced out

high

lit

druggie

stoner

zonked

crapulent

crapulous

hooked

whacked out

spaced out

stinks

blitzed

blotto

high as a kite

pothead

doped up

looped

cockeyed

out

comatose

out of it

junkie

hash head

wiped out

sizzled

jewelled

muddled

befuddled

fuddled

gone

dazed

narced

out of his head

numbed

senseless

catatonic

freaked out

lush

benumbed

dopey

fried

wrecked

fucked up

blasted

blissed out

in a trance

insensible

off one’s head

jacked

in a stupor

out of one’s mind

... In fact they reflect just the opposite. Marijuana is used to not confront the world around one. Some people will experiment with it because it’s now legal in some areas. Largely, though it is used to escape. Problem, as with any drug, one often needs more and more to get the desired effect. And then other drugs. Some don’t move on to other drugs and these are the ones that get quoted but statistically the majority do.

I’ve heard people assert that it makes one a better driver when stoned. These people are pretty disconnected from reality. It is illegal to drive (DUI) stoned. That’s because the people looking at you realized that you are impaired when driving NOT more capable.

DUI/DWI laws by State (USA)

One of the known side effects of marijuana is that is slows reaction time. That is not going to make you a better driver.

If you are going to be using or trying marijuana, please read through the list and note the effect that it actually has instead of listening to the statements of someone who is going to make money from your slow demise.

And please don’t ever get in a car with a driver who is stoned/high on marijuana or hashish.

This from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (USA)

“Several studies have shown that drivers with THC in their blood were roughly twice as likely to be responsible for a deadly crash or be killed than drivers who hadn't used drugs or alcohol.”

https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/drugged-driving

There has been a lot of effort over the last couple of decades to ‘rebrand’ marijuana. In the 1970s and 1980s there were movies such as ‘Dazed and Confused’ and ‘Up in Smoke’. Other scenes and movies of this era showed pot to diminish one’s abilities.

The conglomerates that are trying to market pot to the masses have spent millions trying to change the impression that people have about the drug. (It is still a drug.) Trying to convince people that the (untested) benefits outweigh the harm that marijuana can do.

The plans and money spent on this rebranding are well documented. You can find links other places for these on this website.

Know before you go. The drug dealer doesn’t have your best interests at heart. Whether that drug dealer is in a nice suit and employed by the government or your friend’s brother, he or she is in it for the money.

marijuana

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Marijuana

ADHD and Marijuana

Is Marijuana a Drug?

Define Your Terms

Marijuana:

Redefinition of Terms

“It’s a Herb”

Medical Marijuana

“It’s Natural”

Is Marijuana Production Good for the Environment?

Is Pot Production Good for the Environment?

Is Marijuna Safe For Pregnant Women?

Marijuana Safe For Pregnant Women?

Is Marijuana safe for pregnant women to use?

Is Marijuana safe for breastfeeding women? (Is it safe for the babies?)

Health Canada

And:

What is ‘fetal alcohol syndrome’?

Do you want that for your child?

Synonyms for ‘Stoned’

Synonyms for ‘Stoned’