Medical Marijuana FAQ

"Marijuana" refers to dried female flowers of varieties of cannabis, the hemp plant, that contain 3% or more tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. Smoked or eaten, it causes dry mouth, reddened eyes, a faster heartbeat, and a feeling of being "high" for a few hours. Different strains have different sensual effects, ranging from sedative to stimulant to none at all.

This comparison that shows the number of deaths from selected substances in a typical year:

Tobacco- 340,000 to 425,000

Alcohol (excluding crime/accidents)- 150,000 +

Legal Drug Overdose (prescription)-14,000 to 27,000

Illegal Drug Overdose-3,800-5,200

Aspirin-180 to 1000+

Marijuana-0


There is no conclusive evidence that the drug effects of marijuana are causally linked to the use of other illicit drugs.

The California Attorney General's panel wrote in 1989 "objective consideration shows that cannabis is responsible for less damage to the individual and society than alcohol and cigarettes." The federal government reports that 71 million Americans have smoked it

No drug is always safe for everybody, but after 150 years of scientific study, the only proven health problem from cannabis is that its smoke can be linked to bronchitis.7 The smoke contains potential carcinogens, but there are no proven cancers. Taking smaller inhalations and exhaling in a few seconds, by using a "vaporizer" to release THC without burning, or by eating it can reduce the risk. May cause drowsiness, distraction or anxiety. Moreover, it is a safe and effective medicinal herb with proven therapeutic value in treating hundreds of symptoms and ailments, including glaucoma, MS, asthma, arthritis, cancer, AIDS, epilepsy, nausea, anorexia, depression, stress, etc.8 The US Institute of Medicine (IOM) determined in 1999 that "Except for the harms associated with smoking, the adverse effects of marijuana use are within the range of effects tolerated for other medications."

It's been used by millions of people from all walks of life for thousands of years for hundreds of medical, social and religious reasons, as well as for personal relaxation. Several of our greatest Presidents farmed hemp. About one in three American voters now say they have tried it.

It is not addictive, although some minor dependency can develop. According to the IOM: "Although few users of marijuana develop dependence, some do. But they appear to be less likely to do so than users of other drugs (including alcohol and nicotine), and marijuana dependence appears to be less severe than dependence on other drugs." The typical pattern of social cannabis usage begins with experimental use in the late teens and peaks in the early adult years, followed by a period of leveling off, and a gradual reduction in use.

Researchers count about 50,000 industrial uses for cannabis hemp; in food, clothing, housing, paper, textiles, fuels, plastics, medicine, sealants, and more.

In The Bible, God told people to use all the seed bearing herbs, which describe the cannabis plant. Genesis 1:12, 29-31, 2:15. Coptic Christians, Rastafarians, Hindus, Sufis, Buddhists, Zoroastrians, and other churches consider the plant to have sacramental value.

Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, who wrote about tending to his female plants and a "curious" preparation of hemp (1794), and others. President Bill Clinton smoked marijuana in college in the 1970s.

Archeologists report that cannabis was one of the first plants cultivated by humans; about 8000 BC. Columbia University History of the World, 1972. Its fiber was used for rope, paper, sails and garments. It was used as medicine in China by 2700 BC. US Dept. of Agriculture Yearbook, 1913. It was smoked in India by 1400 BC. Theravada.

A tradition in the Middle and Far East, Turkish smoking parlors were featured at the 1876 US Centennial Expo in Philadelphia. An exhaustive two-year study of "ganja" smokers in India, the British "Raj" Indian Hemp Drugs Commission, 1896, found no "physical, mental, or moral" reason to ban or restrict cannabis use.

"The only clinically significant medical problem that is scientifically linked to marijuana is bronchitis. Like smoking tobacco, the treatment is the same: stop smoking." Dr. Fred Oerther, MD, 1991.

The "Siler Commission," 1931, studied US troops in Panama and found "no impairment" in personnel who smoked cannabis off-duty. The FBI reports that 65-75% of violent crime is alcohol related.

Old reports "purporting to show structural damage in the brains of heavy marijuana users [has] not been replicated with more sophisticated techniques." In fact, new research indicates that cannabis may be neuroprotective and can prevent brain cells from damage caused by strokes or head trauma. IOM, Op. cit.1999.

Federal bureaucrat Harry Anslinger's campaign of bigotry against cannabis use. His lies were eventually exposed, (Sloman, L. Reefer Madness.) but not before marijuana prohibition was enacted in 1937. The ban was written in secret and passed over the objections of the American Medical Association and hemp businesses. Conrad, Op. cit. 1994.