10 Quick Facts About Weed. Or Marijuana, Cannabis, Dope, Hash, Draw.
by bob
1. It staves off the ultimate form of memory loss - Alzheimer’s. Recent studies on mice suggest that anti-inflammatories found in cannabis prevent the clumping of brain proteins, one major cause of the disease. More Info.
2. Skunk is giving Marijuana a bad name. Before the arrival of skunk, Marijuana wasn’t seen a such a hard drug by the authorities. Skunk has changed this all and is being used to demonize marijuana by police and governments.
3. You can still buy weed in a lot of countries with no trouble at all. Holland of course - but there are also places in Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Tasmania, America and Australia where the buying and selling of weed is tolerated by the authorities.
4. Nobody has ever died from a Marijuana overdose. This is not true of alcohol.
5. Marijuana helps with: Stress Relief, Pain Relief, Meditation, Eating Disorders.
6. Marijuana has been around since ancient times. It wasn’t considered a problem until a disinformation campaign about it was launched in the 1930s by the Americans.
7. £6 Billion is spent on marijuana by Britons each year. And that’s not including money spent on chocolate and munchies.
8. Driving under the influence of cannabis is not dangerous.
9. Cannabis can improve your sex life - acting as an aphrodisiac.
10. Cannabis does NOT cause violent behavior, unlike Alcohol And Cocaine
[quote]Skunk is giving Marijuana a bad name. Before the arrival of genetically engineered skunk, Marijuana wasn’t seen a such a hard drug by the authorities. Skunk has changed this all and is being used to demonize marijuana by police and governments.[/quote]
There is no such thing as ‘genetically altered weed’. You are perpetrating a street myth.
Good grief.
Thanks for your feedback. I have made corrections.
I still think it’s true, though.
[…] here for more Filed under: […]
Just to clarify something … it wasn’t a disinformation campaign by “The Americans,” it was a disinformation campaign by Wm. Randolph Hearst specifically, who coincidentally owned both a large amount of forest land and a newspaper empire and was very personally invested in the promotion of the wood pulp paper industry.
Hemp, of course, makes much better paper than wood pulp. But since you can grow it on the same plot of land over and over again, it’s not nearly as easy or lucrative a resource to monopolize as timber.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Randolph_Hearst
Thanks for the blog. I enjoyed a lot of it.
One thing I didn’t agree with was the seeming demonization of skunk by yourself. Skunk is no more than 2 or 3 times stronger than the weed smoked back in the hippy days. The ludicrous figures of 25x and 30x have been debunked a number of times but still seems to get pulled out of the bag by one-time-smoker-present-day-politician types. I also think it is a shame that it isn’t true as I believe that the stronger the weed is the less I have to smoke to get to my desired “high”. The less I have to smoke the less potentially harmful substances I will have to inhale to get the desired amount of THC. (Remember kids, you should always use a vaporizer).
Anyway, just my tuppence worth, thanks again for the blog.
“Skunk is no more than 2 or 3 times stronger than the weed smoked back in the hippy days.”
wrong,the kinda of hash mark howard used to smoke had a much higher thc content.
Saying that driving under the influence of cannabis is not dangerous is dumb and irresponsible of you. Although a regular smoker, who has built a tolerance for pot and knows their cababilities while under the influence, can usually drive without many problems, they still wont be as alert or as good of a driver if they weren’t stoned. As for the first time users or the occasional users, it definitely is dangerous to drive under the influence of marijuana so saying it is safe is a dumb thing to say. Yes, driving under the influence of alcohol is far more dangerous than pot, but it doesn’t justify saying driving under the influence of pot is completely safe.
it does not act as an aphrodesiac, in fact drymouth or cotton mouth occurs to the rest of your bodily secretions and can make sex uncomfortable with out the aid of a water based lube.
it also negatively effects your reaction time and judgement, so it is not safe to drive under the influence of marijauna
it can also disrupt normal eating patterns (often leaving chronic abusers without an appetite unless they get high)
to say that weed was not demonized before “skunk” weed, shows that you are too young to remember some of the pamphlets and movies showing the hilarious affects of the drug on its users(they were way off! even further than Bob(author))
I have been smoking for over 20 years and plan on smoking till i die, but, the truth should be posted, not the conjecture posted here.
Marijuana has also been linked with a decrease in libido in men due to the interference of testosterone production. Also driving under the influence of any mind altering drug can be dangerous if the driver is not experienced with how the drug changes their perceptions. Marijuana is not a harmless drug, but does not deserve the bad rap it gets from media and governmental agencies. Marijuana was seen as a black jazz problem in the late 1930’s giving rise to fears that the habit would spread across color lines.
There has ALWAYS been dope that was very powerful, folks.
Thai stick for example was around in the 60s. Hell all kinds of dope with all kinds of fancy names those names were pretty much little more than marketing jive.
Some dope is good, most is medocre and some is just whacky-weed.
Nothing’s really changed except the sentencing guidelines.
Don’t listen to nigfis, of course hybridised strains are genetically altered. They’ve been selectively bred for individual traits, which alters their genes. The same way that pretty much every garden rose is genetically altered.
Just because some half-wit who thinks he knows what he’s talking about slags you off it doesn’t mean you’re wrong.
“Ooh, he said it’s GM, he must mean it’s been made in some lab by Smithkline-whatever-they’re-called-this-week”. Tit.
The best weed is grown outdoors in Nature’s sun and rain, makes you feel happy,giggly,energised sometimes too before you ultimately raid the fridge.Bad weed(such as Skunk) is grown indoors in artificial light,largely in Holland and tends to make you feel either paranoid or paralysed or both.No real contest.In any case it’s much better as an occasional ‘vice’ rather than something habitual.
Rollo- The real difference is Indica vs Sativa, not indoor vs outdoor.
Correct Steev, semantic faux pas. Genetically altered engineered. The new strains are bred, some more effectively than others. Some companies are just trying for this year’s cup winner for the tourist trade and aren’t trying for a stable hybrid. But it’s just selective pollination.
Warren & Jared- hush yourselves until you’ve had sex with a buzz. It works quite nicely, tyvm. I can’t keep my girlfriend off me
No friction burns or missing libido either. Chronic users are another story- there’s a whole bunch of reasons to not do that. Even Rastas know better than that. It’s a sacrament to them, not a couch potato amusement.
I don’t recommend anyone make a habit of driving stoned, but I have found without exception that when I have, I drive like my grandmother, very slow and careful. And I don’t drive on major highways or hectic city streets when stoned. The fact that some people do is a symptom of the suppression of cannabis culture. Common sense learning needs to be passed down to new smokers. You’re not outlaws folks. Schedule 1? Who are they kidding?
Read “The Emperor Wears No Clothes” by Jack Herer.
http://www.jackherer.com/chapters.html
nice level-headed Children’s book-
http://www.justaplant.com/story/index.html
another good read
http://www.juice.box.sk/newsread_print.php?newsid=417
I think there’s a right way and a wrong way to approach cannabis. Demonizing it is the wrong way, as is abusing it.
“Believe nothing merely because you have been told it…Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher. But whatsoever, after due examination and analysis, you find to be kind, conducive to the good, the benefit, the welfare of all beings — that doctrine believe and cling to, and take it as your guide.”
- Gautama Siddhartha
Also, the term Marijuana was nonexistant before the disinformation campaign of henry anslinger. it is a racist term used to make “superior” whites not want to smoke something associated with “dirty” mexicans
8. Driving under the influence of cannabis is not dangerous…. right. yeah, thats not bullshit. considering that the 3 young people that died in car crashes last year were all high as kites. :/
im not against weed…just doing anything dangerous whilst taking it. its really not worth the risk, and this is really misleading
well comming from holland i can’t help but wonder what all this fuss about skunk is about.
over here most people wouldn’t wanna be seen smoking skunk as it is widely regarded as junk.
skunk is however a reasonably easy plant to grow. I suspect this to be te reason for it’s popularity outside of holland.
the increase in thc has more to do with new strains being developped. and more advanced growing techniqeus.
as for the driving while stoned is safe statement.
several studies conducted in various countries around the world (including:UK USA Holland) show that drivers under the influence of marijuana drive as safely (or as in some studies showed) or even safer than drivers who are sober.
http://www.cannabisculture.com/news/driving (link seems to be down at the moment hope it’s not permanent)
I personnally however have had a few moments where all I “used” was marijuana but yet I found myself unfit to drive and sat inside my car parked somewhere for several hours.
but normally I’m perfectly able to drive while stoned. I even find I drive much more relaxed and really focus on driving. this way I’m able to observe a lot more and while I might not react as quickly as normal my heightened awareness enables me to anticipate problems.
where normally my mind drifts in like 8 billion different directions except for the task at hand (paying attention to the road)
You people are just misinformed and I’ll tell you why.
Everyone’s heard that old presidents like Lincoln used to grow hemp. It was the shit for building stuff and also more importantly, a renewable source. When 1900’s came around, companies developed more technology in things like plastic. These industries became so lucrative, they saw how hemp could replace what they were doing and at a much lower cost. Therefore: the ban on marijuana and propaganda to scare people away by making films such as Reefer Madness. Hemp just threatens too many multi billion dollar industries.
For the record many researchers believe the famous martial artist Bruce Lee died of from cerebral edema caused by cannabis alkaloid intoxication. He was eating a potent form of hashish and was warned by a doctor to stop but persisted. A great loss.
Pot may be less dangerous than alcohol but it’s certainly not 100% safe, and it’s no reason to make it legal, we have enough problems with alcohol in our society without legitimizing another mind-altering substance, my main problem with pot is how it kills a persons drive, alot of my pot smoking friends were good students with good grades who showed alot of promise but got heavy into their habit and are content working at crappy jobs or jobs where they don’t have to worry about random drug testing…what a waste of potential!
Mr. Candid, hammers are not completely safe. You could easily kill someone by bludgeoning them to death with a hammer; you could even miss the nail and slam your finger! Therefore, lets outlaw hammers, they are a danger to both yourself and everyone around you.
Of course, I’m being sarcastic. What we need is a tactic that expresses responsibility, not outright racism, which was how the anti-pot laws were founded. As well as what someone mentioned earlier about protecting the timber industry. Outlawing it also protects the pharmaceutical companies, the food industry, medicine, paper, etc etc etc.
Look up these books on half.com and buy them: ‘The Marijuana Conviction,’ ‘The Emperor Wears No Clothes,’ and ‘Race to Incarcerate.’
What a wonderful selection of comments you have even including Rollo, is he really from that band faithless?
Having been a past abuser of cannabis I have to question some of the statements you make but overall it’s true the effects are definately less dangerous than those of alcohol…
I was stoned for many years and as a result drove under the influence many thousands of times, it’s difficult to assess the true impact yourself but I never crashed, although I certainly didn’t drive like a grandmother as some people are saying…
Keep up your irreverance, never mind don’t read this, I can’t stop
Weed! it’s a freaking plant! legalize it and take the criminal element out of the equation! Why is this so hard for our DUMB ASS leaders to understand!
First off…
You find so many articles like this on the internet today; but the responses to this particular article are more interesting than most. I understand why your writing is so vague; they wouldn’t be “quick” facts if they were long, detailed paragraphs explaining every aspect and all sides and opinions on each matter. Still, what’s the point of these quick facts? They’re obviously not there to inform anyone. Most of the replies are from people who smoke on a regular basis. Next time think more about your demographic. If you want to inform people quickly, start by listing your ten facts and then follow up with individual explanations below.
Alright, secondly…
It’s hard to cater to everyone. Each of these replies discredit the previous one. If this makes anything obvious, it’s that people really do need to be informed. It’s a shame that marijuana is so taboo in America. If it were legal all over, then perhaps it could be studied properly.
Anyway, since everyone else is listing what they know to be true, I suppose I should list my input as well.
2) Skunk. As far as I know, Skunk is just a word. Just like pot, reefer, dank, buddha, bud, etc. People use these words to describe all types of marijuana. Although I know that people will often refer to a specific type of weed as skunk weed, there are a hundred other names for it. I’ve seen the word “skunk” on pamphlets and propaganda dating back to the thirties… so it seems pretty obvious to me that it was just a “word” back then too, not a new, more powerful strand. The stuff used to grow in ditches on the side of the road back then. Anyway, I can’t tell if you’re talking about the arrival of the word “skunk” or of some new type of marijuana. Try to be more specific.
6) “The Americans”? It was quite a bit more specific than that. People all over the country were smoking marijuana, drinking cocaine, and taking opium in one form or another. As far as I know, a specific group of Americans targeted not so much marijuana… but the Mexicans who were importing it into the cities. Maybe you could be more specific next time.
9) Just like number 8, this one varies from person to person. For me, I can get pretty horny when I smoke, but my boyfriend isn’t always up to it after a few bowls. It just depends on how much a person has had to smoke, and the person themselves. All aphrodisiacs work that way.
!0) I wish this were always true. Marijuana by itself may not make a person violent. Alcohol by itself may not always make a person violent. The two combined however can have all sorts of different effects. I have a few friends who become pretty belligerent when they mix the two. Still, for the most part… marijuana has a calming affect. Once again, I would think that there are the exceptions.
skunk isnt just a word to describe all … its its own breed of plant
“Skunk No. 1 was the first true stabilized hybrid to enter the Dutch Cannabis greenhouses. Sacred Seeds created it in the late 1970s from Afghani Indica, “Acapulco Gold” Mexican Sativa and Columbian Gold Sativa.”
Oh my Jesus God Christ shit on a stick, I would never, ever, ever even DREAM of driving while high. Are you insane? Good Lord, I hope you never run someone down.
well…first time i smoked was on april 20th, i drove home within 10 minutes of smoking for the first time and i was fine. i loved it actually. who knows.
Having multiple teenagers in the car is more dangerous than driving stoned.
For all you shit strewers out there–READ THIS
Cannabis Culture Magazine Search CC | Subscribe to CC
www.vancouverseed.com
advanced search
CC Store
cc store
pot-tv.net
pot-tv
BC Marijuana Party
bcmp
Stoned drivers are safe drivers
by Dana Larsen (11 Jan, 2005)
Two decades of research show that marijuana use may actually reduce driver accidents.
The effects of marijuana use on driving performance have been extensively researched over the last 20 years. All major studies show that marijuana consumption has little or no effect on driving ability, and may actually reduce accidents. Here’s a summary of the biggest studies into pot use and driving.
A 1983 study by the US National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) concluded that the only significant affect of cannabis use was slower driving - arguably a positive effect of driving high.
A comprehensive 1992 NHTSA study revealed that pot is rarely involved in driving accidents, except when combined with alcohol. The study concluded that “the THC-only drivers had an [accident] responsibility rate below that of the drug free drivers.” This study was buried for six years and not released until 1998.
A 1993 NHTSA study dosed Dutch drivers with THC and tested them on real Dutch roads. It concluded that THC caused no impairment except for a slight deficiency in the driver’s ability to “maintain a steady lateral position on the road.” This means that the THC-dosed drivers had a little trouble staying smack in the center of their lanes, but showed no other problems. The study noted that the effects of even high doses of THC were far less than that of alcohol or many prescription drugs. The study concluded that “THC’s adverse effects on driving performance appear relatively small.”
A massive 1998 study by the University of Adelaide and Transport South Australia examined blood samples from drivers involved in 2,500 accidents. It found that drivers with only cannabis in their systems were slightly less likely to cause accidents than those without. Drivers with both marijuana and alcohol did have a high accident responsibility rate. The report concluded, “there was no indication that marijuana by itself was a cause of fatal accidents.”
In Canada, a 1999 University of Toronto meta-analysis of studies into pot and driving showed that drivers who consumed a moderate amount of pot typically refrained from passing cars and drove at a more consistent speed. The analysis also confirmed that marijuana taken alone does not increase a driver’s risk of causing an accident.
A major study done by the UK Transport Research Laboratory in 2000 found that drivers under the influence of cannabis were more cautious and less likely to drive dangerously. The study examined the effects of marijuana use on drivers through four weeks of tests on driving simulators. The study was commissioned specifically to show that marijuana was impairing, and the british government was embarrassed with the study’s conclusion that “marijuana users drive more safely under the influence of cannabis.”
According to the Cannabis and Driving report, a comprehensive literature review published in 2000 by the UK Department of Transportation, “the majority of evidence suggests that cannabis use may result in a lower risk of [accident] culpability.”
The Canadian Senate issued a major report into all aspects of marijuana in 2002. Their chapter on Driving under the influence of cannabis concludes that “Cannabis alone, particularly in low doses, has little effect on the skills involved in automobile driving.”
The most recent study into drugs and driving was published in the July 2004 Journal of Accident Analysis and Prevention. Researchers at the Dutch Institute for Road Safety Research analyzed blood tests from those in traffic accidents, and found that even people with blood alcohol between 0.5% and 0.8% (below the legal limit) had a five-fold increase in the risk of serious accident. Drivers above the legal alcohol limit were 15 times more likely to have a collision. Drugs like Valium and Rohypnol produced results similar to alcohol, while cocaine and opiates showed only a small but “not statistically significant” increase in accident risk. As for the marijuana-only users? They showed absolutely no increased risk of accidents at all.
LINKS AND REFERENCES
1983 National Highway Transportation Safety Administration study: Stein, AC et al., A Simulator Study of the Combined Effects of Alcohol and Marijuana on Driving Behavior-Phase II, Washington DC: Department of Transportation (1983)
www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_myth12.shtml
1992 National Highway Transportation Safety Administration study: The Incidence and Role of Drugs in Fatally Injured Drivers, by K.W. Terhune, et al. of the Calspan Corp. Accident Research Group in Buffalo, NY (Report # DOT-HS-808-065)
www.drugsense.org/tfy/nhtsa1.htm
1993 National Highway Transportation Safety Administration study: Marijuana and actual Driving Performance, By Hindrik WJ Robbe and James F O’Hanlon. Institute for Human Psychopharmacology, University of Limburg
www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_driving4.shtml
1998 University of Adelaide and Transport South Australia study:
www.ukcia.org/research/driving4.html
1999 University of Toronto Study, Marijuana Not a Factor in Driving Accidents:
newsandevents.utoronto.ca/bin/19990329a.asp
2000 UK Transport Research Laboratory study on Cannabis and Driving:
www.mapinc.org/newscc/v00/n1161/a02.html
2000 UK Department of Transportation’s Cannabis and Driving report:
www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_rdsafety/documents/page/dft_rdsafety_504567.hcsp
2002 Report of the Special Senate Committee on Illegal Drugs
www.parl.gc.ca/37/1/parlbus/commbus/senate/com-e/ille-e/rep-e/repfinalvol1part4-e.htm
July 2004, Journal of Accident Analysis and Prevention, Psychoactive substance use and the risk of motor vehicle accidents.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15094417
For a less scientific and more amusing study of the combination of drugs and driving, go here:
www.techno.de/mixmag/interviews/Driving_on_drugs.html
A BETTER WAY TO TEST
Performance testing is better than drug testing
Cannabis Culture, January 2005
cannabisculture.com/articles/4130.html
Alternatives to Drug Testing: Performance testing Non-testers List
www.nontesterslist.com/nontesters/ptest.html
Performance testing can add an extra measure of safety
HR Magazine, February 1996
www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3495/is_n2_v41/ai_18159115
An Alternative to Drug Testing
Inc Magazine, April 1995
www.inc.com/magazine/19950401/2235.html
MEDIA REPORTS ON “DRUGGED DRIVING” LAWS
UK Launches Drug Driving Tests
Daily Telegraph, December 22, 2004
www.mapinc.org/ccnews/v04/n1821/a02.html
Drug Office Out To Convince Teens Pot Impairs Driving
Lexington Herald-Leader, December 3, 2004
www.mapinc.org/ccnews/v04/n1726/a05.html
Growing danger: Drugged driving
USA Today, Oct 21, 2004
www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-10-21-cover-drugged-driving_x.htm
Zero-tolerance drugged driving law doing the job
The Daily Press, July 8, 2004
www.mapinc.org/ccnews/v04/n977/a05.html
Lawmakers Aiming for ‘Zero Tolerance’ Of Pot-Smoking Drivers
The Athens News, May 5, 2004
www.mapinc.org/ccnews/v04/n683/a02.html
Drugged Driving Statutes Pushed
Boston Globe, March 21, 2004
www.mapinc.org/ccnews/v04/n464/a02.html
New Legislation To Allow Police To Conduct Roadside Tests for Drug Impaired Drivers
Ottawa Citizen, February 23, 2004
www.mapinc.org/ccnews/v04/n319/a07.html
Too Many One Toke Over Line, Police Say
Globe and Mail, February 1, 2003
www.mapinc.org/ccnews/v03/n173/a01.html
Drug Czar, Prohibition Establishment Seek ‘Zero Tolerance’ for ‘Drugged Driving’
The week online with DRCNet, November 22, 2002
www.mapinc.org/ccnews/v02/n2157/a04.html
British Police Plan New Drug Tests For Drivers
Reuters, August 3, 2000
www.mapinc.org/ccnews/v00/n1105/a12.html
Marjiuana Report Too Hot Too Handle
Australian Broadcasting Corporation, October 1998
www.norml.org.nz/Marijuana/Driving.htm#abc981014b
“Steer Clear of Pot” Media Campaign
US Office of National Drug Control Policy
www.mediacampaign.org/steerclear/index.html
Email this article to
CC Home - Sitemap - About CC - Current Issue - Backissues - Subscribe - Outlet Locator - Forums - Pot-TV - Newsfeeds - Bud Photos - Shop CC - Grow Store - Advertise - Advertisers - Classifieds - Tokers’ Bowl - Contact Us
CANNABIS CULTURE MAGAZINE
www.cannabisculture.com
307 West Hastings Street Vancouver BC
V6B 1H6 Canada
headshop how to pass a drug test
“;
’skunk’ is indeed ‘genetically altered’ but then so are tomatoes and wheat and corn and okra and cows and soybeans and….well you get the point. Whenever you choose plants with certain specific traits you want to promote and you get those plants to pass these traits on to their offspring, you have altered their genes. The implication that gene splicing or any such lab procedure is responsbile is bogus.
Speaking of being responsible, don’t smoke and drive. If weed didn’t alter your perception, why would you smoke it? It probably is less dangerous than driving drunk, but just try taking a test while bonked and tell me how little your reasoning has been diminished.
Finally, there is no weed 30x the potentcy of good commercial Columbian or its equivalent, which has maybe 3 or 4% thc. Even a third grader would tell you that 30 times 3.5 equals weed with more than 100% thc, which is of course ludicrous. The very best weed is probably thai stick, which tops out at around 35%, or ten times as potent as typical street weed.
The fact of you saying that know one has died from a drug overdose (OD) is completely false by the way. A 26 year old Female from Japan actully ate 2 oz of weed and died. But i think…thats the only way you could “die” from it, but i could be wrong?
bryan you can not die from weed unless it is laced her shit was probbably laced for a fact plus she ate 2 ounces of weed it probbably fucked up her immune system n shit but ive been smokin weed for 5 years now n ive smoked like a quarterpound of dro in one session thats 4 oz’s n i just felt really fucked outta my mind but not to even the point where i felt like i was overdosing most cannabis is a clean calm high =)