PASADENA, CA -- 08/22/07 --
Vision Media's recent
life and
health related article by Alice Abler entitled, "Marijuana: Docile Drug
or Wicked Weed?" addresses the fact that marijuana, also known as Cannabis
sativa, may not be the docile drug it was once thought to be. Used for both
medicinal and recreational purposes for thousands of years, recent research
points towards the fact that whether we smoke, ingest, inhale or take it
subcutaneously, if the effects of recreational cannabis use don't kill you,
they could truly blow your mind.
According to the National
Institute of Drug Abuse lifetime marijuana abuse decreased among
10th-graders, from 34.1 percent in 2005 to 31.8 percent in 2006. Past year
prevalence of marijuana abuse fell by 36 percent among
8th-graders since their peak year of abuse (1996) and by 28 percent among
10th-graders and 18 percent among 12th-graders since their peak year of
abuse (1997).
Abler points out that social issues
and moral values surrounding marijuana use have long been controversial,
with many folks encouraging legalization of cannabis use. The same
publication wrote another article in the July 28, 2007 issue warning our
youth: "Using cannabis could increase the risk of developing a psychotic
illness later on in life by more than 40 percent."
The author also notes that there are other studies showing that the
cardiovascular effects include increased heart rate and changed blood
pressure with a higher risk of heart attacks, in addition to risks of
developing chronic bronchitis, emphysema and other disorders later in life.
Marijuana smokers typically inhale more deeply and hold the smoke in the
lungs longer than tobacco smokers. The logical conclusion is that marijuana
smoking is even more deadly than smoking tobacco.
Whether smoked, ingested, inhaled or taken subcutaneously, current
scientific research would suggest that cannabis is not the docile drug it
was once thought to be -- something even die-hard cannabis users within our
society and culture might want to reconsider when thinking about life and
health
issues.
About Vision:
Vision website features in-depth
coverage of current social issues including insights into philosophical
issues, and morals and ethics in society today.
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Contact:
Edwin Stepp
Director of Development
Vision Media Productions
476 S. Marengo Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91101
Phone (24 hrs): 626 535-0444 ext 105
