#NORML #Weekly #News Source: @norml Posted By: norml@weedconnection.com media :: news - Sun, 14 Jul 2013 04:20:21 PST
Study: Marijuana Smoking Poses "Relatively Small" Risk To Lungs, Associated With Far Fewer Adverse Effects Than Tobacco
Los Angeles, CA: Pulmonary complications associated with the smoking of cannabis are "relatively small" and far lower than those associated with tobacco smoking, according to a recent review published in the June edition of the scientific journal Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
The paper - authored by Donald P. Tashkin, MD, emeritus professor of medicine and medical director of the Pulmonary Function Laboratory at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles - is "the most comprehensive and authoritative review of the subject ever published," according to an accompanying commentary. Donald Tashkin conducted US-government sponsored studies of marijuana and lung function for over 30 years.
His review finds that although smoking cannabis may be associated with symptoms of chronic bronchitis, studies do not substantiate claims that it is positively associated with the development of lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, or bullous lung disease.
"[H]abitual use of marijuana alone does not appear to lead to significant abnormalities in lung function," Tashkin writes. "[F]indings from a limited number of well-designed epidemiological studies do not suggest an increased risk of either lung or upper airway cancer from light or moderate use. ... Overall, the risks of pulmonary complications of regular use of marijuana appear to be relatively small and far lower than those of tobacco smoking."
Writing in an accompanying commentary, McGill University's Dr. Mark Ware concludes: "Cannabis smoking is not equivalent to tobacco smoking in terms of respiratory risk. ... [C]annabis smoking does not seem to increase risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or airway cancers. In fact, there is even a suggestion that at low doses cannabis may be protective for both conditions. ... This conclusion will affect the way health professionals interact with patients, parents with teenagers, and policy makers with their constituents. ... Efforts to develop cleaner cannabinoid delivery systems can and should continue, but at least for now, [those] who smoke small amounts of cannabis for medical or recreational purposes can breathe a little bit easier."
National Lawyers Guild Calls For Ending Marijuana Prohibition
New York, NY: The criminalization of cannabis is an abject failure and should be ended as a federal public policy, according to the findings of a new report issued by the National Lawyers Guild.
States the report: "[E]nding the prohibition of cannabis would offer multiple benefits. Legalization would help transform the marijuana industry ... into a stable regulated one. It would significantly reduce infringements on civil liberties and lower the arrest and incarceration rates of people of color. Changing the criminal status of marijuana would lower the costs of law enforcement and protect people from entering the criminal justice system. Finally, legalization would remove restrictions currently impeding [the] study of medical marijuana and allow more users to acquire treatment if necessary. Each of these goals is consistent with sound economic, criminal justice, and public health policies."
The report's authors recommend reclassifying cannabis from its present Schedule I illicit classification, revisiting the United State's involvement in international drug control treaties, and ending the practice of civil asset forfeiture by law enforcement agencies. They also call for the passage of additional statewide legislative and initiative efforts depenalizing marijuana use and possession.
Oregon: Lawmakers Approve Measure To License Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
Salem, OR: State lawmakers have approved legislation, House Bill 3460, to license medicinal cannabis dispensaries statewide. The measure now awaits final approval from Democrat Gov. John Kitzhaber.
House Bill 3460 "directs [the] Oregon Health Authority to establish a registration system for medical marijuana facilities." The department has until March 2014 to draft rules regulating dispensaries. Such facilities presently exist in several regions of the state but are unregulated and remain subject to state and local prosecution. Officials expect to register an estimated 225 dispensaries in the first two years. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum publicly backed the measure.
Oregonians initially authorized the physician-supervised use of cannabis in 1998. However, the law limits patients' access to cannabis to either home-cultivation or cultivation by a designated caregiver.
Arizona, Colorado, New Jersey, Maine, New Mexico, and Rhode Island have state-licensed medical cannabis dispensaries up and running. (California dispensaries are not licensed by the state.) Similar dispensary outlets are in the process of opening in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Nevada, Vermont, and Washington, DC.
