Sanjay Gupta: Why I Would Vote No On Pot

[rational thinker]

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1552034,00.html

Response from another site:

Eating double quarter pounder with cheese value meals with large fries and large coke at McDonalds is very bad for you in many ways. It has no known medical benefits. In fact, it may have the effect of making you fat, and slow. I recommend that we make practices like this illegal, for the good of all citizens.:D

[Bruno]

"It can impair your cognitive ability (why do you think people call it dope?)"

.....lame argument "Doctor"

Things that have killed more people than marijuana (zero, btw) and should therefore be banned because they are bad for you:

sugar
raw potatoes
honey bees
fatty foods
peanut butter
drinking water

[Scofield]

Why doesn't the government just invent a machine which wipes away any sort of human 'free will.' Wipe out everyone's ability to choose how they want to live their life, and put them in the fields. For their own benefit.

I hate being able to make my own choices. Government, can you please do it for me? Pretty please!

[Nate K]

what a goddamn moron. it's amazing how some people can be so "smart" that common sense escapes them.. if we're gonna make marijuana use criminal because of how it may affect your health, why the hell aren't cigarettes all illegal?

I think too much liberal education negatively effects your brain, as this clown shows, let's ban public education.

[2young2vote]

Why doesn't the government just invent a machine which wipes away any sort of human 'free will.' Wipe out everyone's ability to choose how they want to live their life, and put them in the fields. For their own benefit.

I hate being able to make my own choices. Government, can you please do it for me? Pretty please!

The bolded part is exactly what government does...they don't need to invent a machine to do what they already do...or do you mean they should invent a machine just to make the process faster?

[The_Orlonater]

let's ban public education.

Please do, I'm miserable. :(

[sevin]

it's amazing how some people can be so "smart" that common sense escapes them...

this

[Brian4Liberty]

He makes good points about the negative side effects of pot, which are often denied or overlooked.

On the other hand, he has no understanding of Liberty.

[Scofield]

Dear Government,

It's a commonly accepted fact that not eating enough fiber in one's daily diet can cause hard stool. If an individual pushes too hard during a bowel movement, this hard stool can cause the skin to break around the anus, causing hemorrhoids or fissures. These can be very discomforting to the individual.

In the interest of the safety of my fellow countrymen, I deem it necessary that it be mandated that every single man, woman, and child eat a specific number of fiber grams per day. If an individual refuses or doesn't reach the gram-per-day amount needed, in the interest of the general welfare of the United States, I deem it a necessity to arrest said individuals and put them in jail. We must do whatever is necessary to provide for the best interest of our citizens.

Sincerely,

Dedicated American Patriot!

How long until we get to this point?

[speciallyblend]

easy solution, legalize pot ,then educate no need to smoke it, just eat marijuana, 100% safe and proven by science ,safer to eat marijuana then most common foods. Marijuana is 100% safe to eat and less toxic then common foods if consumed:) this doctor is pathetic for having a degree but ignoring science!!!

just shows 4 yr degrees do not solve stupity!!!

[speciallyblend]

He makes good points about the negative side effects of pot, which are often denied or overlooked.

On the other hand, he has no understanding of Liberty.

there are no negative side effects from marijuana if it is consumed and not smoked!!!

[ClayTrainor]

Mr. Gupta has a very limited understanding of "Freedom"

[speciallyblend]

FEEL FREE TO EDUCATE THE DR, on how marijuana is 100% safe to eat and he should educate folks to not smoke marijuana but to eat it instead. he chooses to mislead folks instead of telling the truth !!!! 100% safe to eat it

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/house.call/

[jyakulis]

hmmm he makes the classic counterpoints against smoking.

Let me start by saying, I am a extremely heavy pot smoker. In my younger years I guess I did notice some impairment of cognitive abilities and short term memory. But after smoking so long, I don't notice it at all anymore.

There is some impairment while driving, but unlike alcohol (where the person may drive more aggressively) the pot smoker will compensate by driving much more cautiously. There have been peer reviewed studies about this....perhaps we can dig them up and send them to him.

And as far as the lung tissue thing he said. Maybe it will damage lung tissue, I don't know. But there have also been studies in which they study cigarrette smokers who regularly smoke pot and who don't smoke pot. The studies show a lower lung cancer rate in the regular pot smokers.

The paranoia thing he talks about. Yeah, I've experienced that. It's usually do to an external stimuli that is threatening to you, which you tend to amplify in your mind. It doesn't bother me....I can usually talk myself out of it. Would I be paranoid though if I wasn't worried about getting arrested for being high or smoking? Probably not....that's usually what I get paranoid about lol.

And the depression/anxiety stuff he said, I just flat out disagree with him on. I feel happier because of pot. Though I don't know if there are studies about this....it's more just my personal opinion.

I'd feel a lot happier if I could grow my own supply in my garden for the year without fearing the DEA beating my head in and taking me off to federal pound me in the ass prison, where once I get out my life will be completely ruined becasue of a criminal record.

[speciallyblend]

hmmm he makes the classic counterpoints against smoking.

Let me start by saying, I am a extremely heavy pot smoker. In my younger years I guess I did notice some impairment of cognitive abilities and short term memory. But after smoking so long, I don't notice it at all anymore.

There is some impairment while driving, but unlike alcohol (where the person may drive more aggressively) the pot smoker will compensate by driving much more cautiously. There have been peer reviewed studies about this....perhaps we can dig them up and send them to him.

And as far as the lung tissue thing he said. Maybe it will damage lung tissue, I don't know. But there have also been studies in which they study cigarrette smokers who regularly smoke pot and who don't smoke pot. The studies show a lower lung cancer rate in the regular pot smokers.

The paranoia thing he talks about. Yeah, I've experienced that. It's usually do to an external stimuli that is threatening to you, which you tend to amplify in your mind. It doesn't bother me....I can usually talk myself out of it. Would I be paranoid though if I wasn't worried about getting arrested for being high or smoking? Probably not....that's usually what I get paranoid about lol.

And the depression/anxiety stuff he said, I just flat out disagree with him on. I feel happier because of pot. Though I don't know if there are studies about this....it's more just my personal opinion.

I'd feel a lot happier if I could grow my own supply in my garden for the year without fearing the DEA beating my head in and taking me off to federal pound me in the ass prison, where once I get out my life will be completely ruined becasue of a criminal record.

move to colorado. you can get a medical card and grow ,or do not grow. In colorado you can have an ounce and a bowl and the ticket would be cheaper then a speeding ticket.
It is kinda legal here already. The only way you get busted here is if you commit a felony or dui or something worse.

1 ounce of marijuana and a bowl usually gets you a 100 dollar fine or dismissed:)

THANKS TO WE THE PEOPLE OF COLORADO, we changed the laws and will continue to change the laws:)

Move WEST FOLKS, screw the east coast or anything east of denver, give it all back to the british:)

http://www.saferchoice.org/

"Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substance known to man." - DEA Administrative Law Judge Francis L Young. 9/6/88

[Hamer]

easy solution, legalize pot ,then educate no need to smoke it, just eat marijuana, 100% safe and proven by science ,safer to eat marijuana then most common foods. Marijuana is 100% safe to eat and less toxic then common foods if consumed:) this doctor is pathetic for having a degree but ignoring science!!!

just shows 4 yr degrees do not solve stupity!!!


You do realize that Hemp and Marijuana are 2 different things right?

[constituent]

1 ounce of marijuana and a bowl usually gets you a 100 dollar fine or dismissed:)


2 ounces in Texas (eat it!)

[constituent]

You do realize that Hemp and Marijuana are 2 different things right?

you do realize it is the same plant correct?


wait, n/m, it's "hamer" again.

[speciallyblend]

You do realize that Hemp and Marijuana are 2 different things right?

ummm and where did i say they were the same?? i am not even stoned and you have confused me:)

[speciallyblend]

2 ounces in Texas (eat it!)

haha yep the mexican crap sucks, we should demand the government stop the crappy mexican pot from coming here:)
deport mexican pot:)

[speciallyblend]

i do not think hamer understands you can get high by eating cannabis sativa:) i am still trying to find the word hemp in my post other then responding to hamer?????

[fr33domfightr]

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1552034,00.html

Response from another site:
:D


You know, the timing of this article might have a lot to do with politics. He is being considered for the Surgeon General position. However, in stating his position (and ignorance), he does nothing for american's freedom and liberty. Actually, he shouldn't have any control over American's freedom and liberty.

Think about it. As a prospective Surgeon General he would also vote for NO Cigarettes, NO Alcohol, and NO Cheeseburgers! As an American, however, I appreciate him trying to give me good information. *I HOWEVER, DEMAND* to be able to make the final decision for myself, as to what I smoke, drink, or ingest!!


FF

[speciallyblend]

You know, the timing of this article might have a lot to do with politics. He is being considered for the Surgeon General position. However, in stating his position (and ignorance), he does nothing for american's freedom and liberty. Actually, he shouldn't have any control over American's freedom and liberty.



FF

I so agree with you , it shows his ignorance on a simple subject and we need to call him out.

we have science and facts and like even safers angle is check this out. COMMON SENSE has TRUTH!!

http://www.saferchoice.org/

[Brian4Liberty]

there are no negative side effects from marijuana if it is consumed and not smoked!!!

All drugs have side effects on some people. You gotta love the laundry list that they spew out on the drug commercials. Just because you don't have negative side effects doesn't mean that others don't. All people aren't the same, and drugs effect people differently.

[Freedom 4 all]

The one thing that may have been good about the Obama admin(legalizing weed) and he blew it. Way to fucking go.

[Uriel999]

The one thing that may have been good about the Obama admin(legalizing weed) and he blew it. Way to fucking go.

The more things change the more they stay the same. Obama was not going to help us here from the beginning.

[speciallyblend]

All drugs have side effects on some people. You gotta love the laundry list that they spew out on the drug commercials. Just because you don't have negative side effects doesn't mean that others don't. All people aren't the same, and drugs effect people differently.

true but which ones are actually harmful to your health as they suggest. being paranoid isn't going to kill you,being hungry and many others are not what i would call a harmful side effect yes i agree diofferent people have different side effects but which ones are truly harmful side effects.

to be honest if someone has heart problems, then yes they shouldn't smoke or eat marijuana. I am just thinking about the word harmful:) and yes the list they come up with is laughable really:)

[Melanie]

If you tell a lie big enough and long enough, eventually it will become true.

Maybe this is what Sanjay was hoping for.

[dannno]

to be honest if someone has heart problems, then yes they shouldn't smoke or eat marijuana. I am just thinking about the word harmful:) and yes the list they come up with is laughable really:)


http://www.expasy.ch/spotlight/snapshots/011/


Cannabinoid receptor 2 protein

Cannabis is good for our arteries. At least, that is what Professor François Mach’s team from the department of cardiology at the University of Geneva maintains. Indeed, this particular herb seems to have virtues, which equal those of vinegar, in that it can launder our arteries the way vinegar can remove tartar from piping.

Arteries supply our heart and brain with blood. That’s the good news. The bad news is that arteries are also the unfortunate seat of a modern scourge: atherosclerosis. That is to say they get clogged up by way of fat which accumulates and is deposited in their inner lining – just like the chalky deposit lines your basin. In time, the fatty deposit wears the lining slowly but surely. As a consequence, lesions appear and the immune system is launched into a continuous battle in an attempt to repair the damage. Risk factors such as tobacco, diabetes and high blood pressure just makes things worse by adding to the artery’s wear and tear thereby causing unremitting inflammation. As the inner wall thickens, it gets more and more difficult for the blood to circulate until the threshold of a cardiovascular arrest is reached.

How is it that cannabis can counter the effects of atherosclerosis? Its psychoactive compounds – the cannabinoids – make a beeline for the cannabinoid receptor 2 protein or CB2. CB2 proteins belong to the large family of G-protein coupled receptors and look a little like barrels which are lodged in the immune cells’ membranes. The cannabinoids bind to CB2 by squeezing into a specific pouch made just for this purpose and which is situated at the cell’s surface.

The main cannabinoid is delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which appears to have anti-inflammatory properties. The moment THC and CB2 meet, the immune cells become instantly less effective. As a result, there is no massive gathering where the lesions appear and, as a consequence, inflammation is checked. Hence, by stimulating the cannabinoid receptor 2 protein, THC could ultimately stall the process of atherosclerosis and in the long run ward off potential heart attacks and strokes.


....then the article says you shouldn't use cannabis because the dosage is too 'specific' and there are other 'toxic' compounds in the substance.. buncha bologna, but oh well, they gave us some good truth in the beginning.

[Soca Taliban]

It's funny the list of benefits he provided for smoking it seemed to outweigh the negative effects he also listed. I sware sometimes I feel like banging my head against a wall when talking to people like him who just can't seem to get the fact that its MY DAMN BODY! I should be able to do with it as I please. *sigh*

[devil21]

Looks like more of that wonderful Change I keep hearing about. This time from Obama's Surgeon General.

Oh wait.....

[schiffstudent]

Since we're on the topic of eating cannabis, anybody have any good recipes? Cookies, teas, etc.?

[cheapseats]

Noisy protests -- how could they NOT be noisy, think of all the drunks -- should be held outside the Washington DC bars that have been sanctioned for extra hours of operation, in order that Obama Maniacs can GUZZLE MORE BOOZE. I spy a placard:


FAIRNESS AND CONSISTENCY
THOSE WOULD MARK CHANGE

[gls]

Since we're on the topic of eating cannabis, anybody have any good recipes? Cookies, teas, etc.?

All you need to do is break the bud up into fine particles, sauté with a stick of butter and then just follow the normal recipe using the resulting mixture. THC is extremely fat soluble.

[cheapseats]

l


IF GUPTA OR OBAMA ARE PHOTOGRAPHED WITH DRINK IN HAND
THEY WILL BE VILIFIED BEFORE AN INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE

What color connotes Hypocrisy?

[schiffstudent]

All you need to do is break the bud up into fine particles, sauté with a stick of butter and then just follow the normal recipe using the resulting mixture. THC is extremely fat soluble.

cool, that's pretty simple. I've never ate it before, is the high more intense or the same as smoking?

[dannno]

cool, that's pretty simple. I've never ate it before, is the high more intense or the same as smoking?

I'd recommend using coconut oil instead of butter (higher burning temp, tastes better in brownies), grind up the herb and cook it up in a crock pot with the coconut oil for 1-2 hours on low. Then strain out the cannabis, discard (the cannabis, not the oil), and the rest you can use in brownies or for cooking food, etc..

It's a little different feeling that smoking. It can be more intense, for sure, but it depends on how much you eat. It also usually lasts longer.

[devil21]

cool, that's pretty simple. I've never ate it before, is the high more intense or the same as smoking?

Ingestion is a much stronger high than smoking. It's a very different high as well. If you haven't ingested before, go light on the first dose to test it!

You can also break up a few buds into hot cooking oil, let them roast a bit, then strain out the plant matter and use the oil to fry up anything you would normally fry (bacon, chicken, plantain, etc.). Or use the THC oil in a recipe that calls for oil like brownies or similar.

[Bruno]

The one thing that may have been good about the Obama admin(legalizing weed) and he blew it. Way to fucking go.

I didn't believe it for a minute. I learned my lesson with Clinton. :(

[wizardwatson]

"More than 33 religious leaders in Nevada have endorsed the measure, arguing that permissive legalization, accompanied by stringent regulations and penalties, can cut down on illegal drug trafficking and make communities safer.

Perhaps. But I'm here to tell you, as a doctor, that despite all the talk about the medical benefits of marijuana, smoking the stuff is not going to do your health any good. And if you get high before climbing behind the wheel of a car, you will be putting yourself and those around you in danger." - Sanjay Gupta

Perhaps? And to think I was actually applauding this doofus for putting the smack down on Michael Moore on CNN concerning socialized medicine.

So Mr. Gupta doesn't think the government should be involved in your health care unless it's in order to stop you from smoking pot. It shouldn't spend money giving poor people medicine, it should spend money putting poor people in jail.

It's good I read this. Now I know he's a fucking tool.

[asimplegirl]

I so do not understand why anyone would care what anotherperson does, as long as it isn't in your face..........

I don't get it.

[Scofield]

It's ridiculous too, because people are being punished on a daily basis for marijuana use (I have to meet with the DA for my case next month), and yet, when Congress changes their mind, it's going to be perfectly fine to smoke.

One day it's okay, the next it's not. How is that remotely logical?

There are going to be A LOT of pissed off prisoners.

[asimplegirl]

Maybe they will overturn a bunch of convictions?

My dad used to smoke..probably still does, I have no idea. Honestly.

Weed is no big deal...

I never liked it myself, it always make me want to just be alone...then again, I have always had issues with depression.

By little brother on the other hand LOVED it... until he became a Marine that is.lol.

I KNOW my hubby did it alot. I have heard too many stories about being high and hiding in a ditch when cop cars passed singing "breaking the law, breaking the law" (for ya'll youngins, judas priest) ...

[amonasro]

Maybe they will overturn a bunch of convictions?

My dad used to smoke..probably still does, I have no idea. Honestly.

Weed is no big deal...

I never liked it myself, it always make me want to just be alone...then again, I have always had issues with depression.

By little brother on the other hand LOVED it... until he became a Marine that is.lol.

I KNOW my hubby did it alot. I have heard too many stories about being high and hiding in a ditch when cop cars passed singing "breaking the law, breaking the law" (for ya'll youngins, judas priest) ...

Exactly. Marijuana isn't for everyone, just like alcohol, caffeine and rollercoasters aren't for everyone. Lawmakers act like there would be some kind of nationwide pandemic of pot puffers if it were legalized... it would be just the opposite: people would be exposed to it as part of society, learn the honest facts about it, and decide whether they wish to use it responsibly or not. That's why they don't have problems with it in the Netherlands, not everyone likes to use it!

[asimplegirl]

well, you know what?? All those times anyone I knew smoked weed, and those that do now...do it illegally.. some laws should just not be laws. I say regulate it, say where it cannot be done at all..and then let it be, right?

Man, I remember trying so hard to get high..lol...never would work.

[asimplegirl]

Just remember, just because something is illegal doesn't make it wrong, and just because something is legal doesn't make it right.

Same the other way around.