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Archive for the ‘Marijuana’ Category

Marijuana and Psychosis

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

Marijuana and PsychosisIs there a connection between pot and schizophrenia? A long-held medical belief that there was is being challenged by new science.

Many in the pro-pot movement claim that marijuana has no harmful lasting effects, but scientists have long claimed there was a connection between pot and psychosis. Some new science calls this into question.

Studies have repeatedly shown that people with schizophrenia are about twice as likely to smoke pot as those who are unaffected, CNN reports. The data also suggests that those who smoke cannabis are twice as likely to develop schizophrenia as nonsmokers. There was even an alarming research review published in 2007 that seemed to conclude that trying marijuana just once was associated with a 40 percent increase in risk of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. The problem with that is, while marijuana use has become much more widespread, rates of schizophrenia have remained the same, affecting approximately one percent of the population. (more…)

Synthetic Pot

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

Synthetic PotThere’s a new drug in town, and it’s catching on with teens. Worse yet, it’s legal, unregulated and very dangerous.

Are prescription parties becoming passé? The teen trend of sharing pills swiped from their parents’ medicine cabinets has some competition in the form of a new high: Synthetic pot. Also called K2 or Spice, the synthetic substance comes in a variety of flavors and is smoked just like marijuana. It even produces a pot-like high, but unlike marijuana or other illicit drugs, it’s completely legal. (more…)

New York Considers Medical Marijuana

Friday, July 16th, 2010

New York Considers Medical MarijuanaMontel Williams speaks out in favor of pot as New York considers legalizing marijuana for medical use.

TV talk show host and former Navy officer Montel Williams is the latest in a long line of celebrities to lobby for legalized marijuana. Williams isn’t just looking for a legal high, though. He suffers from multiple sclerosis and says he uses medical marijuana to manage his symptoms from this condition.

Many Gather to Promote Medical Marijuana

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First Cannabis-based Drug Approved

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

First Cannabis-based Drug ApprovedThe U.K. approves the first cannabis-derived drug for use by multiple sclerosis patients. Will it impact the medical marijuana debate in the U.S.?

On this side of the Atlantic, America is in an ongoing debate over medical marijuana and the benefits of pot. While the war of words rages on in the U.S., a drug made from natural cannabis has become the first of it’s kind approved worldwide. England’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approved Sativex, an oral spray, just last week and it’s already on sale in Great Britain. (more…)

Babysitter Lights Up, Loses Kid

Friday, June 18th, 2010

A recent near miss with a toddler may prove smoking pot isn’t as harmless as some say.

So much for the “legalize pot” folks who say marijuana is harmless. When a three-year-old wandered out onto a highway, her 18-year-old babysitter was arrested for allegedly smoking marijuana while the girl was in her care.

Chelsea Walkingeagle has been charged with felony child neglect for smoking pot with other family members in a garage while the toddler was walking down a busy roadway, according to South Dakota police officials. (more…)

Marijuana Rehab

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

Woman Seeking Marijuana RehabThought of by some as harmless, marijuana is addictive and harmful to your health, creating a need for rehab options for those who can’t quit.

It’s portrayed as harmless in movies and on TV shows while musicians extol its “virtues” and admit to being regular users, despite the fact that marijuana is still an illegal substance. There are regular cries to make it legal, with the drug even viewed as a revenue source in some cash-strapped states. Amid all the hype, it can be easy to forget that marijuana is an addictive, mind-altering substance.

What Is Marijuana?

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Medical Marijuana: Dream or Nightmare?

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

medical potLegal pot to manage pain may sound like a dream come true, but this option still comes with baggage of its own.

The majority of marijuana-related news these days is about the movement to legalize pot in the U.S. Just as newsworthy, though, is the story of medical marijuana. Marijuana for medical purposes is already legal in 14 states. Of course, that doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences. Those using marijuana to cope with the pain of cancer or other ongoing illnesses or chronic pain can still be fired when their drug test comes back positive. Then there’s still the “pothead” stigma that doesn’t go away just because you’ve been granted a medical marijuana card to prove you’re legally allowed to light up. (more…)

Marijuana Celebrity Use

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

snoop doggWhile drug addiction is seen as a problem, marijuana use is tolerated with a knowing wink by celebs.

Heroin, club drugs and prescription pain med addictions are all recognized as problems, especially when they go from dabbling to addiction, but for many, smoking pot is not put in the same class. It’s something to do to mellow out at the end of a hard day or to help make a party more enjoyable or to enhance a concert experience.

Marijuana can’t really hurt you, can it? Pop culture would make you think it’s a rite of passage. (more…)

The Medical Marijuana Debate Continues

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

medical marijuanaFormer U.S. drug czar General Barry McCaffrey speaks out about the controversy behind legal pot for medical purposes.

“I believe that with drug abuse in America, you look back over time, and drugs never go away, but it gets out of control. It creates a huge societal wave of criminal, social, medical, legal [and] family-related mayhem. Society organizes itself in desperation, but the drugs and alcohol are always there,” General Barry McCaffrey (Ret.), former Drug Czar under President Bill Clinton, told Behavioral Health Central (www.behavioralhealthcentral.com) in a recent interview. (more…)

Moving Toward Legal Marijuana?

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

legalpot_w200Some Californians see pot as a cash crop and the key to the state’s considerable financial woes. But will legalization lead to a costly new addiction problem?

As drug abuse continues to be a problem that affects all ages and socio-economic groups, one drug is garnering growing support for legalization and making it more readily accessible.

Three states — Minnesota, New Hampshire and Rhode Island — have made strides in recent weeks toward legalizing medical marijuana, according to CBSNews.com. Meanwhile, cash-strapped California is taking it a step further, with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger making the controversial statement that it’s time to look at legalizing marijuana for recreational use. (Medical marijuana has been legal in California since 1996.)
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