RSR: The Case Against Pot
This is the show from Wednesday January 1st, 2014
Summary:
RSR List of Research Showing the Harmful Effects of Marijuana Use
Pot Research and Political Correctness: For half a century now, marijuana has been overwhelmingly politically correct among the faculty and students on college campuses. Thus as with many controversial research topics, the inherent bias for and against marijuana can easily produce false study results.
Of course there are many studies showing that marijuana is harmless and endlessly beneficial. And there are decades of studies that show that:
* Abortion does not increase breast cancer [recently refuted]
* Spanking should not be part of child discipline [recently refuted]
* The death penalty is not a deterrent [long refuted]
Marijuana is intensely politically correct on college campuses where many of the pro-marijuana studies originate. Thus bias, problematic on both sides, is especially expected both to counteract the studies showing that marijuana is harmful, and as an expression of the rampant rebellion against God in the relentless effort to overturn beneficial Christian norms. By producing millions of graduates, overtly anti-Christian universities have succeeded even in turning entire professions, like law, medicine, and education, against Christ. This is one reason why conflicting studies abound on many important and moral issues. So the Christian must think outside of the box, and have the broader perspective to judge between studies, and to discern the truth from the bias.
Millions of Observers: Millions of people believe that smoking pot makes you stupid. Yet, while long-term cigarette smoking is bad for your lungs, there are not millions of people whose observations led them to believe that tobacco lowers your IQ and makes you slow and stupid. Why the distinction? These millions of people don't believe this because they've weighed conflicting scientific studies (including those showing learning and memory impairments from using pot), but because they've seen the results first hand. Studies conflict, of course, but extensive studies show what millions have perceived, that long-term routine pot use leads to serious mental health issues. On the other hand, a nightly glass of red wine has the opposite reputation, of not making anyone slow or stupid, of sustaining mental health, and decreasing the likelihood of dementia.
Applying the principles in God's Word as best we can at Denver Bible Church (which we know does not prove that we are right), we conclude:
- that the studies that show the dangers of marijuana are telling the truth and
- that those who accept the reports that there are no serious harmful side effects to marijuana are deceived, and not all but many of those, willfully so.
Marijuana, by its harmful effects on the brain, eventually owns its users by making them think that they are more insightful than others. They think they become more creative, and smart. In reality millions of people can testify from firsthand use and from firsthand observations that regular pot use makes you stupid. Drinking a glass of red wine nightly has no similar effect.
Smoking pot makes people think they are alert and smart but it puts their minds in a fog. Potheads for example will point to websites like drugwarfacts.org and claim that marijuana is responsible for ZERO deaths per year. Only those with extreme bias or dull minds would believe such a thing. Just from the few notes we're jotted down over the years for reporting on our radio program, we recall the "accident" in which a Mr. Bedell's “use of marijuana hours before the Mother’s Day crash in New Orleans that killed 22 people was the main cause of the wreck,” reported USA Today.
Pot and Mental Health: Those who defend pot tell us that reports claim there is no evidence of long-term harmful mental health effects. But just from our notes for the radio program, here are examples to the contrary. The London Telegraph wrote that a Dr. Turner, England's most senior coroner, estimates that marijuana is "a significant contributing factor" in 10% of the deaths he's worked, notably including suicides. In one British study of 853 drug-related deaths, whereas cocaine was a principal factor in 147, pot was used as the principle drug or in a cocktail in another 51 of those deaths. The Royal College of Psychiatrists reviewed research with similar results from Sweden, Holland and New Zealand. A study of 50,000 Swedish Army conscripts found that those who admitted at age 18 to having taken cannabis on more than 50 occasions were six times more likely to develop schizophrenia (paranoia, delusions, disorganized thinking, social dysfunction, etc.) in the following 15 years. A Dutch study of 4,000 people in the general population showed that those taking large amounts of cannabis were almost seven times more likely to have psychotic symptoms three years later. Such findings are largely ignored. And as I write this the Colorado State police have just announced that with the new "medical marijuana" regulations, Colorado now has a lot more people driving under the influence of marijuana than before. Even one of our own Denver Bible Church members observes that about 90% of the many mental health patients he works with for severe depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, etc., have pot use in their profiles. And another medical professional friend of DBC who works for a government health care program reports from her own experience that pot smoking appears to retard emotional maturity and that many of her patients suffer from psychosis seemingly related to their marijuana use.
* Our Favorite Hair Dresser: Bob Enyart and co-host Doug McBurney enjoy this special edition of Real Science Radio and begin by examining the deep layers of socio-anthropological meaning behind a hair-dresser disarming and beating up an armed robber.
* RSR Supports University of Colorado Professor on Pot: Bob and Doug excerpt the Denver Post Interview with a pharmacological sciences professor discussing some of the well known science regarding the dangers of smoking marijuana, legal or not.
* Pot Heads Abuse Minor Child: Recently added to Bob’s “Pot Never Hurt Anyone” file is this story of an Orlando couple who forced a young boy to smoke pot until he hallucinated.
This is the show from Wednesday January 1st, 2014
Summary:
RSR List of Research Showing the Harmful Effects of Marijuana Use
- Landmark 2012 PNAS study: pot permanently lowers IQ
- Netherlands study of 2,000 teens show pot/psychosis link
- Schizoid Psychosis during Cannabis Intake
- Marijuana Damages DNA and May Cause Cancer
- Marijuana May Stunt Fetal Growth in 2010 Netherlands study
- Marijuana Associated with Impaired Fetal Growth in 1989 U.S. study
- A Nursing Mother Smoking Marijuana Passes the Drug to Her Child
- Cannabis Intake During Pregnancy Predicts Long-lasting Neurobehavioural Problems for the Child in 2009 European study
- Habitual Marijuana Use Strongly Associated with Car Crash Injury
- Smoking Marijuana Doubles the Risk of Fatal Accidents
- Marijuana Smoke Contains Higher Levels of Certain Toxins than Tobacco Smoke
- Marijuana Smoker Face Rapid Lung Destruction: As much as 20 Years Ahead of Tobacco Smokers
- Impact On Lungs of One Cannabis Joint Equal to Up To Five Cigarettes
- Marijuana Component Opens the Door for Virus that Causes Kaposi's Sarcoma (links to Harvard study)
- Marijuana Causes Learning and Memory Impairments from the journal Neurobiology.
- By the end of 2013 the Denver Post still hasn't come out of their stupor but at least they've begun to notice the fog. Sad but important insights on the long lasting harm from smoking pot as described by a professor from the University of Colorado's School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. (Notice though the Post uncritically quoting a pot dealer who speaks of his customers as "patients".)
Pot Research and Political Correctness: For half a century now, marijuana has been overwhelmingly politically correct among the faculty and students on college campuses. Thus as with many controversial research topics, the inherent bias for and against marijuana can easily produce false study results.
Of course there are many studies showing that marijuana is harmless and endlessly beneficial. And there are decades of studies that show that:
* Abortion does not increase breast cancer [recently refuted]
* Spanking should not be part of child discipline [recently refuted]
* The death penalty is not a deterrent [long refuted]
Marijuana is intensely politically correct on college campuses where many of the pro-marijuana studies originate. Thus bias, problematic on both sides, is especially expected both to counteract the studies showing that marijuana is harmful, and as an expression of the rampant rebellion against God in the relentless effort to overturn beneficial Christian norms. By producing millions of graduates, overtly anti-Christian universities have succeeded even in turning entire professions, like law, medicine, and education, against Christ. This is one reason why conflicting studies abound on many important and moral issues. So the Christian must think outside of the box, and have the broader perspective to judge between studies, and to discern the truth from the bias.
Millions of Observers: Millions of people believe that smoking pot makes you stupid. Yet, while long-term cigarette smoking is bad for your lungs, there are not millions of people whose observations led them to believe that tobacco lowers your IQ and makes you slow and stupid. Why the distinction? These millions of people don't believe this because they've weighed conflicting scientific studies (including those showing learning and memory impairments from using pot), but because they've seen the results first hand. Studies conflict, of course, but extensive studies show what millions have perceived, that long-term routine pot use leads to serious mental health issues. On the other hand, a nightly glass of red wine has the opposite reputation, of not making anyone slow or stupid, of sustaining mental health, and decreasing the likelihood of dementia.
Applying the principles in God's Word as best we can at Denver Bible Church (which we know does not prove that we are right), we conclude:
- that the studies that show the dangers of marijuana are telling the truth and
- that those who accept the reports that there are no serious harmful side effects to marijuana are deceived, and not all but many of those, willfully so.
Marijuana, by its harmful effects on the brain, eventually owns its users by making them think that they are more insightful than others. They think they become more creative, and smart. In reality millions of people can testify from firsthand use and from firsthand observations that regular pot use makes you stupid. Drinking a glass of red wine nightly has no similar effect.
Smoking pot makes people think they are alert and smart but it puts their minds in a fog. Potheads for example will point to websites like drugwarfacts.org and claim that marijuana is responsible for ZERO deaths per year. Only those with extreme bias or dull minds would believe such a thing. Just from the few notes we're jotted down over the years for reporting on our radio program, we recall the "accident" in which a Mr. Bedell's “use of marijuana hours before the Mother’s Day crash in New Orleans that killed 22 people was the main cause of the wreck,” reported USA Today.
Pot and Mental Health: Those who defend pot tell us that reports claim there is no evidence of long-term harmful mental health effects. But just from our notes for the radio program, here are examples to the contrary. The London Telegraph wrote that a Dr. Turner, England's most senior coroner, estimates that marijuana is "a significant contributing factor" in 10% of the deaths he's worked, notably including suicides. In one British study of 853 drug-related deaths, whereas cocaine was a principal factor in 147, pot was used as the principle drug or in a cocktail in another 51 of those deaths. The Royal College of Psychiatrists reviewed research with similar results from Sweden, Holland and New Zealand. A study of 50,000 Swedish Army conscripts found that those who admitted at age 18 to having taken cannabis on more than 50 occasions were six times more likely to develop schizophrenia (paranoia, delusions, disorganized thinking, social dysfunction, etc.) in the following 15 years. A Dutch study of 4,000 people in the general population showed that those taking large amounts of cannabis were almost seven times more likely to have psychotic symptoms three years later. Such findings are largely ignored. And as I write this the Colorado State police have just announced that with the new "medical marijuana" regulations, Colorado now has a lot more people driving under the influence of marijuana than before. Even one of our own Denver Bible Church members observes that about 90% of the many mental health patients he works with for severe depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, etc., have pot use in their profiles. And another medical professional friend of DBC who works for a government health care program reports from her own experience that pot smoking appears to retard emotional maturity and that many of her patients suffer from psychosis seemingly related to their marijuana use.
* Our Favorite Hair Dresser: Bob Enyart and co-host Doug McBurney enjoy this special edition of Real Science Radio and begin by examining the deep layers of socio-anthropological meaning behind a hair-dresser disarming and beating up an armed robber.
* RSR Supports University of Colorado Professor on Pot: Bob and Doug excerpt the Denver Post Interview with a pharmacological sciences professor discussing some of the well known science regarding the dangers of smoking marijuana, legal or not.
* Pot Heads Abuse Minor Child: Recently added to Bob’s “Pot Never Hurt Anyone” file is this story of an Orlando couple who forced a young boy to smoke pot until he hallucinated.
