The Real Truth about MARIJUANA

Dear World,

This is a wake up call blog that could easily be a book as there is literally so much to write about.

Here is a laser look at this most commonly used illicit drug.

Just google it and check out some of the street names for this drug that alters our natural state.

Grass   Dope   Weed   Hash   Joint   Spliff   Puff   Pot   Mary Jane   Bud   Indo   Bong   Hydro   Green Goddess   Chronic   Buddha   Locoweed   Wacky Tabacky   Herb   Home grown  Sinsemilla   KGB (killer green bud)   Hashish   Bhang   Smoke   Skunk   Boo   Charge   Gage   Jive   Gold   Green   Mezz   Kef   Dagga   Hemp   Charas   Ganja   Resin   Draw   Texas tea

What are the names telling us here?
Why on earth are there so many names for this drug?
Is the bud from this green plant killing us like the KGB?
When did Buddha endorse this drug?
Is this the new tea in Texas?
What is Goddess about this green drug?
Who comes up with names like this?

FOR THE RECORD – Marijuana and Cannabis in this article are exactly the same.

What is Marijuana?
What forms does this come in?
Why is it illegal in many countries?
Why is it the most widely-used illegal drug in the UK?

What are the statistics on this mind-altering drug?
What are the side effects?
What are the long-term effects?
Why is it legalised in some countries?

What is medical marijuana?
What is the research telling us?
Who is funding the research?
Why is there limited research on this drug?
Why are we not asking for more evidence?

Who is writing the websites on Marijuana?
Why are young children aged 12 using Marijuana?
Why is this drug more potent today than 20 years ago?
Why does the internet allow social media to advertise cannabis clubs?
Why do we allow advertising of where to go to get your next bong? 

Do we as a world know enough about this drug?
Are we asking questions so we can KNOW the Truth about Marijuana? 

Why is Marijuana possession illegal in most countries today?
Is this a clear sign that this is a harmful substance to the human body?
Why are we not uniting on our views about this drug?
Is there something missing?
Have we looked at what the root cause is?
Is recreation merely an escape from the Responsibility we do not want?
How responsible are our governments and policy makers – honestly?
Is it time to stop finding solutions and get to the Truth about Marijuana? 

Marijuana alters our natural state. Fact.

Marijuana is one of the most commonly used illicit drugs in the world today.

Marijuana comes from the hemp plant.
The main psychoactive ingredient is THC.
THC – Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol is the mind altering chemical.

Other than THC, the Marijuana plant contains more than 100 other cannabinoids. Illegal manufacturers have produced cannabinoids in the lab which are extremely powerful (1) and this will be another blog about synthetic drugs in our Real Truth series about Drugs.

Cannabinoids are chemicals related to THC, Marijuana’s main mind-altering ingredient.
The body also produces its own cannabinoid chemicals. They play a role in regulating thinking, memory, concentration, body movement, awareness of time, appetite, pain and our senses – sight, touch, smell, hearing and taste (1).

According to Frank (a UK Government funded website) it is a sedating and hallucinogenic drug and the effects give you a feeling of time slowing down (2).

A hallucinogenic is a drug that alters the natural state of the mind by distorting the way users see and hear things. It also gives feelings of calm, peace and contentment.

Regular Marijuana use is known to be associated with an increase in the risk of later developing psychotic illnesses including schizophrenia; and if you have a family background of mental illness, you may also have an increased risk (2).

A review of Marijuana research published in the British Medical Journal found those driving under the influence of cannabis had nearly double the risk of a crash (2).

Everything in our world is going fast and is this why Marijuana is the most popular recreational drug today?

Is it used to bring a false sense of time so we can cope?

Do we use this drug to avoid our problems?

Is this drug supporting us to function in life?

Is this the solution to our daily life now?

Are we addicted to this drug to fill the void we wake up with every day?

Those who smoke get an instant hit and it is now popular to put the drug in cakes and cookies. Edibles take longer to digest and produce a high so people consume more to feel the effects faster and this of course is very dangerous.

Next – Dabbing is yet another growing trend. This is a new way of ingesting Marijuana that has become popular because they often contain 70-90% THC (3) so therefore stronger effects. Street Marijuana has around 15% concentration of THC.

There are currently no studies on the health impact of dabbing. Also called dabs, honey oil and BHO (butane hash oil).

Did you know butane is a flammable gas and is used in bottled form as a fuel?

What exactly is this telling us?
What is this spelling out to us?
Why are we not spending resources on studies?

Are we interested in what Marijuana users are up to these days?
Do we know how much Marijuana is passing through our prisons today?
Have we checked the websites that are talking of the dangers of BHO?
Why are users wanting more concentration of THC?
Why are they calling this the new “crack” of Marijuana?

Could it be possible that things are actually getting worse and more is needed as the regular stuff just doesn’t cut it anymore?

Could it be possible that higher concentrations are needed to deal with the inner turmoil of that which is being buried, that we are not willing to deal with?

‘Most dabbers are experienced marijuana users who have developed a tolerance to the effects of THC. Likewise, dabbing is believed to pose risks to novice users and is not recommended for those who smoke cannabis infrequently.’ Says the truth on pot website (3).

Did you know –

Marijuana can cause feelings of anxiety, suspicion, panic and paranoia.
Marijuana can cause long-term mental health problems.
Marijuana can affect your sleep.
Marijuana can make you feel depressed or behave aggressively.
Regular use can increase the risk of developing psychotic illnesses.
Using Marijuana with alcohol has serious consequences.

There are no FDA-approved medications to treat Marijuana addiction (4).

This is well worth noting. Nothing out there can deal with this addiction.

Could it be possible that we do have the answer and it is inside us?

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (5) are saying about the effects of Marijuana –

Short Term Effects on the Brain

‘When a person smokes marijuana, THC quickly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream. The blood carries the chemical to the brain and other organs throughout the body. The body absorbs THC more slowly when the person eats or drinks it.’

‘THC acts on specific brain cell receptors that ordinarily react to natural THC-like chemicals in the brain. These natural chemicals play a role in normal brain development and function.

Marijuana overactivates parts of the brain that contain the highest number of these receptors. This causes the “high” that users feel.’

Questions
Do we actually need to over activate our brain in any way?
Is this the mind-altering affects we are seeking to numb us from feeling our pain?
Is this the drug of our choice to avoid taking Responsibility for our lives?
Are we tampering with nature here?

Longer Term Effects on the Brain

Marijuana affects brain development. ‘When Marijuana users begin using as teenagers, the drug may reduce thinking, memory, and learning functions and affect how the brain builds connections between the areas necessary for these functions’ (5).

‘Marijuana’s affects on these abilities may last a long time or even be permanent’ (5).

Are we aware of the actual cost to our society with teenagers using Marijuana?
How is this going to support our world when they become our older generation?

There is now enough evidence to show that those who use cannabis particularly at a younger age, such as around the age of 15, have a higher than average risk of developing a psychotic illness, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (6).

Research between 1993 and 2003 showed that regular Marijuana use in adolescents doubled the risk of them leaving school early, of cognitive impairment and psychoses in adulthood (7).

A Rise in Marijuana’s THC Levels (5).

‘The amount of THC in marijuana has been increasing steadily over the past few decades.

For a new user, this may mean exposure to higher THC levels with a greater chance of a harmful reaction.

Higher THC levels may explain the rise in emergency room visits involving Marijuana use.’

A USA organisation, marijuana-anonymous.org defines the problems of Marijuana as follows:

If Marijuana controls our lives and our thinking, and if our desires centre around Marijuana – scoring it, dealing it, and finding ways to stay high. We lose interest in all else.

The UK Home Office have a published guide on how to cut down and stop Marijuana use.

It suggests a range of things you can do to successfully stop using, including:

  • Draw up a list of reasons for wanting to change
  • Plan how you will change
  • Think about coping and withdrawal symptoms
  • Have a back-up plan

OR

You could try a do it yourself – work through the leaflet on FRANK website (6).

Really?
Where is the success?
Where are the evidence-based studies confirming this method works?

Let’s get real for one moment.

Do you know anyone who uses Marijuana?
Have you spent time hanging out with Marijuana users?
Do we have experience working with those who are addicted to Marijuana?
Do we honestly think they are going to commit to planning?
Do we think they will make a list by nominating reasons for wanting change?
Do we feel that they will be interested in having a back-up plan?
Is a DIY truly going to have lasting change on this addictive drug?

Is this our governments’ answer to a serious and dangerous problem that we are currently facing?

There are 182.5 million Marijuana users globally (2014) (8).

Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug, with more than 45% of American adults reporting that they have used it (9).

In 2014 a British Drugs Survey of 1,080 adults revealed that –
93% of drug users (more than 14 million people) said that they had taken Marijuana. 82% also said that Marijuana was the 1st illegal drug that they had ever taken (10).

Marijuana has the largest drug market globally with the 2015 World Drug report stating that it has an ‘extremely extensive web of trafficking flows’ (11).

In 2005, the United Nations World Drug Report said that the total value of the world’s Illegal Marijuana Market was worth $141.80 billion (12).

45% in USA officially reported and how many more are using it that are not on the statistics?

What are the true statistics if we are to get deeply honest here?

What are the real statistics on young teenagers?

Why have we not made it our business to find out more about this harmfull substance?

On the official USA government website:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/state-laws-related-to-marijuana

the following quote confirms their current view –

‘It is important to note that Congress has determined that marijuana is a dangerous drug and that the illegal distribution and sale of marijuana is a serious crime.’

So the officials are saying it is a ‘dangerous’ drug yet some of the states in this country now have made it legal. In case you are confused let us spell it out here –

The Central Government, which is based in Washington says that Marijuana is a dangerous drug. This means that it is illegal according to the federal government and it cannot be transported between legal states like Oregon and Washington.

Hello – do you get this? Both states have it legalised but federal law says it is illegal to transport it.

How did legalising Marijuana in Washington D.C. happen during 2012?
Where did the law come from?
Who was asking?
Who is making the law?
Who is actually saying this law makes sense? 

Why is Marijuana legal in some states but is illegal throughout the USA?

The Whitehouse is based in Washington where Marijuana is legal.
Are the law makers enjoying a Mary Jane while making the law?
What is recreational about this ‘dangerous drug’?
Why is Congress saying it is a ‘serious crime’ to sell this drug?

Are we re-creating something here in the name of enjoyment, which means Recreational?

How can we call this enjoyment and legalise it on one hand and then on the other call it a ‘dangerous drug’?
This is coming direct from one of our largest nations and so here you see the whole thing exposed for what it really is.

The ADAI (Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute) University of Washington (13) have guidelines on their website as Marijuana is legal in Washington. They call this ‘science based information’.

Billion dollar question we should be asking right now is
‘Does science have ALL the answers?’

Could we for one moment suspend all our beliefs and put our common sense hat on?

Can we interview parents of young children who have taken Marijuana and are now addicted?

Could we speak to teenagers struggling with mental health problems unable to continue education?

Could we talk to those who have real life stories about Marijuana abuse, like the author of this article?

Could we study the real cost to our society and the global cost of the harm this drug is causing?

Can we go inside prisons and document the real harm that comes from using this drug?

As the writer here, I have worked inside prison and there is a lot more we need to be aware of regarding the use of this so called “recreational” drug. It is well known that many inmates live on this during their time in prison and the officials turn a blind eye as it seems easier than dealing with the problem.

The World Health Organization found that in European countries, 12-70% of prisoners have tried Marijuana; this is higher than in the general population. Marijuana also had the highest prevalence of lifetime drug use amongst prisoners, compared to any other illicit drug (14).

Having lived experience working with those in society who are addicted to Marijuana, it is confirmation that we need more awareness about this mind altering drug that is deeply harmful.

Check out the video on the ADAI website http://learnaboutmarijuanawa.org/consumers.htm
and take note of the signs of someone taking this drug. Police report heart rates of up to 160 beats per minute. Our average normal resting heart rate can be as low as 60-80.

Can we stop for one moment and just re-read this again?

HELLO – imagine driving with a heartbeat of up to 4 times the average?

Let’s go back a few decades now.

In 1982 the USA Surgeon General issued a Public Health Warning on the damaging effects of Marijuana (15). The Surgeon General is the leading spokesperson in the USA on Public Health.

At that time the General said:

The use of Marijuana had increased 30-fold since 1962.

A report was submitted to Congress by the Department of Health and Human Services and the findings were:

‘Acute intoxication with Marijuana interferes with many aspects of mental functioning and has serious, acute effects on perception and skilled performance, such as driving and other complex tasks involving judgement or fine motor skills.’

The known or suspected chronic effects of Marijuana are:

  • short-term memory impairment and slowness of learning
  • impaired lung function similar to that found in cigarette smokers. Indications are that more serious effects, such as cancer and other lung disease, follow extended use
  • decreased sperm count and sperm motility
  • interference with ovulation and pre-natal development
  • impaired immune response
  • possible adverse effects on heart function
  • by-products of Marijuana remaining in body fat for several weeks, with unknown consequences. The storage of these by-products increases the possibilities for chronic, as well as residual, effects on performance, even after the acute reaction to the drug has worn off.
  • Of special concern are the long-term developmental effects in children and adolescents who are particularly vulnerable to the drug’s behavioural and psychological effects.

So here we have the kingpin for public health spelling this out to the government and what does this country do 34 years later – endorse it as safe to use in some states.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime have stated that the evidence suggests that more drug users are suffering from cannabis use disorders and that cannabis may be becoming more harmful as reflected in the high numbers of people seeking first time treatment in several places in the world (16).

So why do countries want to make Marijuana legal?
Who really benefits?
Is this about the money or is it about the true health of people?

Have you read these headlines – Daily Mail – 2 July 2016 –

Cannabis kiosks in Jamaican airports to welcome tourists.

The article states that officials are looking at ways the country can ‘cash in’ on cannabis.

Since the drug was decriminalised last year, they hope to emulate the USA where legal sales of the drug raised £4 billion in 2015.

What is this message really spelling out to us?
What would the UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) have to say about this?
What is our World Health Organization now going to do?
What would the parents of a young teenager addicted to Marijuana have to say?
What are our governments now going to tell us?

Could it be possible that other countries will want to consider profits before people or is this already happening?

What is medical marijuana?

The term medical marijuana refers to treating a symptom or disease with the whole unprocessed marijuana plant or its basic extracts (1).

WEBMD – our website medical doctor tells us the main reason it is prescribed is for pain.

Medical marijuana is not monitored like FDA-approved medicines. This means when using it, you do not know its potential cause to cancer, its potency, its purity or side effects (17).

Medical marijuana should not be used for people with heart disease, pregnant women and those with a history of psychosis (17).

So is there a clue here that it affects your heart, your mind and a tiny foetus.

FOR THE RECORD – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not recognised or approved the Marijuana plant as medicine (1).

However, scientific study of the chemicals in Marijuana called cannabinoids has led to two FDA-approved medications in pill form, (dronabinol and nabilone) both used to treat nausea and boost appetite (1).

However, some states like California have legalized medical marijuana.

Did you know – Estimated annual revenue that California would raise if it taxed and regulated the sale of marijuana: $1,400,000,000 (18).

That is 1 billion and 400 million dollars and that is just one state in the USA and one drug we are talking about.

HELLO World are you getting this?

Imagine all the states in America and then add all the countries in our world and you get a clue how huge the money is involved in Marijuana?

Next – Orson Boon (not his real name) is the Head of the London Cannabis Club. He is in a senior position in the medical field saying “people come to exchange samples, try new strains and have a chat”.

There are 49 clubs in the UK united by the UK Cannabis Social Club primarily operating through Facebook and they come together to discuss topics like Self Medication and Campaigning for Decriminalisation. They want to offer a safer medicine and recreation option to current legally available drugs such as alcohol, tobacco and coffee.

They say that domestic cultivation of this drug harms no one.

Is this really the Truth?

Could it be possible that because they take this drug they are in an altered state and it is from this state they are saying it does not harm?

The Guardian (19) states ‘The fact that growing and possessing cannabis is illegal in Britain does not deter many cannabis clubs across the UK from using social media to publicise meetings.’ Boon says that many members keep their involvement private as “Many of the people I have met have families, high profile jobs, mortgages and all sorts, and are terrified of losing everything.”

  • What message is this giving to the law makers in the UK?
  • What is this saying about the non-policing of social media?
  • How does it feel to know a senior medical professional is behind an illegal drug?
  • Why are members wanting privacy and terrified of losing everything?
  • Why is this going on openly on the internet?
  • Why do we classify Marijuana as a drug but some feel it is just a hobby and not harmful?

Who benefits if we legalise this drug that has been in our black market for a long time?

Do we actually get to stop and feel what is the real harm here or do we just campaign as it suits our own needs?

Are we interested in our youth who are damaged by the effects of taking this drug?

Does anyone know the true global cost of what this drug is doing to us as a race of beings?

What is clear is that our laws about Marijuana are not unified across the globe and this divide is fuelling this illegal drug.

There is enough evidence to conclude that this drug is harmfull and what is interesting is there is limited research on the long-term effects of Marijuana.

The question we need to be asking now is WHY?

  • Why are we not funding research to confirm what this drug is really and truly doing to us?
  • Why are we not making enough noise and voicing what we know is killing our youngsters today?

Sir Robin Murray, Professor of Psychiatric Research at King’s College, London says:

‘Nobody knows what is in the cannabis that people are smoking in the UK. Politicians realised that studies of cannabis just cause them problems so they prefer not to know what is in cannabis.
If there was a big study that showed the potency of cannabis was further increasing, as I suspect it has, then this would cause headlines and more pressure on politicians and they want to avoid that, so they don’t fund the studies. It’s like if we didn’t know what was in that bottle of whiskey or what was in a bottle of wine; what the alcohol content was or the content of cigarettes, but here we are – the population’s favourite illicit drug; we really have no idea what is in it.’ (20).

Does our unwillingness to know more about the world’s favourite illicit drug say something about us?

Why on earth would any government not want to fund studies that expose the problems that this harmful drug is causing? 

Is it time to bring this subject to the headlines and bring more awareness, more facts, more real life cases of the harmfull effects, as let’s face it, we have a serious global problem here.

Dear World, do we really want to know what is going on?
Is it time we asked the WHY question?

Additional References

(1) (2015, July). Drug Facts: Is Marijuana Medicine? National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana-medicine

(2) FRANK
http://www.talktofrank.com/drug/cannabis

(3) (2014, July 2). What Is Dabbing?
http://www.truthonpot.com/2014/07/02/what-is-dabbing

(4) (2016, April). Commonly Abused Drugs Chart. National Institute on Drug Abuse
https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/commonly-abused-drugs-charts#marijuana

(5) (2016, March). Drug Facts: Marijuana. National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health; U.S Department of Health and Human Services
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana

(6) (2014, June). Cannabis and Mental Health. Royal College of Psychiatrists http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinfo/problems/alcoholanddrugs/cannabis.aspx

(7) Hall, W. (2013). What Has Research Over the Past Two Decades Revealed About the Adverse Health Effects of Recreational Cannabis Use?
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/add.12703/abstract

(8) United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). World Drug Report. (p.43). New York, 2016
http://www.unodc.org/wdr2016

(9) (2014, July 25). 10 Facts About Marijuana. Drug Policy Alliance
http://www.drugpolicy.org/resource/10-facts-about-marijuana

(10) Mann, J. (2014, October 5). British Drugs Survey 2014: Drug Use is Rising in the UK – But We’re Not Addicted
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/oct/05/-sp-drug-use-is-rising-in-the-uk-but-were-not-addicted

(11) United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). World Drug Report. (p. 37). New York, 2015
http://www.unodc.org/wdr2015

(12) Havocscope Global Black Market Information
http://www.havocscope.com/tag/marijuana

(13) (2015, March). Learn About Marijuana. Science Based Information for the Public. ADAI
http://learnaboutmarijuanawa.org/consumers.htm

(14) Montanari, L, Royuela, L, Pasinetti, M, Giraudon, I, Wiessing, L, & Vicente, J. (2014).  Drug Use and Related Consequences Among Prison Populations in European Countries. Prisons and Health. World Health Organization. (Chapter 13, p.108); Regional Office for Europe

(15) (1982, August 13). The Surgeon General’s Warning on Marijuana
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00001143.htm

(16) (2016). 2015 World Drug Report Finds Drug Use Stable, Access to Drug & HIV Treatment Still Low. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/2015/June/2015-world-drug-report-finds-drug-use-stable–access-to-drug-and-hiv-treatment-still-low.html

(17) Harding, A. (2013, November 4). Medical Marijuana. WebMD
http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/features/medical-marijuana-uses

(18) (2016). Drug War Statistics. Drug Policy Alliance
http://www.drugpolicy.org/drug-war-statistics

(19) Whitehead, S. (2013, November 17). Cannabis Clubs Blossoming in the UK
https://www.theguardian.com/society/shortcuts/2013/nov/17/cannabis-clubs-blossoming-uk

(20) Chambers, I., & Sample, I. (2016, April 15). How Harmful is Cannabis? – Podcast
https://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2016/apr/15/how-harmful-is-cannabis-podcast

 

 

 

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Comments 184

  1. This is a great site Bina, well done for collating all this information about drugs. We need to get this out into the world very urgently to educate people so they are aware of how the choices they make will affect the rest of their lives. If youngsters read all this, they may think twice before trying drugs.

    1. Yes we do need to get this out into the world as you say here Gill Randall. It is time to wake up everyone so they get to know actually what this recreational drug is doing and why it has become such a huge global problem.
      I agree if we inform our youth there is a chance that they may choose to not take this drug which is deeply harmfull.

  2. So many questions we all have that are unanswered and when asked fall on deaf ears. There is no question of the downside of smoking Marijuana. The real question that needs to be addressed is why are so many using it to check out on life? It’s like blaming guns for killing others!

    1. Correct Steve Matson – why are so many people choosing to check out from life?
      Could it be possible as this blog says that they need to numb themselves as they do not want to take Responsibility?
      The blame game is big in our world. We have a tendency to blame anything and everything as if it has nothing to do with our own choices. I like what you say here about blaming guns for killing others. Time we looked at this deeply and got serious about what drugs are doing to us and writing blogs and comments like this means more awareness.

  3. “…do we really want to know what is going on?” good question…
    The more we all accept marijuana the less we feel the need to ask questions…
    What is it about human beings that has us choosing to go deeper and deeper into denial ?

    I dont listen to politicians and I take scientific studies with a large grain of salt but I do know that I have always felt there is something very wrong with smoking pot; it made me paranoid and the heavy smokers I knew had very muddy energy and even seemed cloaked in darkness. This I ignored for a long time… Why?

    1. Great question you ask here Jo Billings as a previous pot smoker.
      Having worked with many addicted to marijuana, it feels like they need something to numb themselves and not feel life or commit to life. A bit like they have given up and this checked out feeling (that doesn’t last) when the take their spliff keeps them going, albeit short term.
      I know plenty of people today who live on cannabis and life without it is not even possible. I can assure any reader right now they are NOT on any statistic as they have never admitted they need dope everyday and they sure don’t want anyone to know their secret. This confirms very clearly out stats are not real as so many are under the radar so to speak.

  4. I resisted smoking weed when I was young, I knew it was bad. Eventually I ignored my knowing and tried it. Then my body told me again that breathing smoke is bad. I eventually ignored that message too. What is allowing me to ignore all these signals that pot is not good for me? Thank you Bina Pattel and Serge Benhayon for supporting me to understand why I made these terrible choices.

    1. Great you are openly sharing your experience with smoking weed. Amazing that from a young age we know when something is bad and yet we grow up and ignore that knowing and try it out or for some get addicted to it.
      To get to the root cause we have to go to the why questions and until then it will be a bit like a band aid to a bullet wound. In other words it will not work.
      You are a living testimonial Ken Elmer that there is another way and the author and Serge Benhayon have supported you with a deeper understanding, so you could deal with it and move on as you have clearly done so.

  5. Brilliant blog Simple Living – exposing the truth around marijuana from every angle. Your question is pertinent – “Why are we not funding research to confirm what this drug is really and truly doing to us?” and why do we continue with it knowing we dont truly know the effects it is having on us, and on our world today?

    1. Correct Jane Keep – Simple Living Global has worked hard at doing our best to expose the Truth about Marijuana from every angle possible and bring it to the world in a simple and easy read style.
      The questions raised are serious and if more of us do not speak up then funding is not ever going to be made available for this harmfull drug that is doing damage that many do not really want to know about. Why?
      Why is there so little interest in getting this type of stuff out onto the news headlines and on billboards.
      Who is behind this? and the big question is – Who actually benefits?

    2. Could it be possible Jane that the reason we are not funding research to confirm what this drug is really doing to us is because we would have to face up to how big this global problem actually is.
      I say there needs to be more Responsibility from the governments but also the people need to ask more questions. Imagine making news headlines about Marijuana and spelling it out like this blog does.
      Instead we have newspapers reporting where the next marijuana kiosk is at the airport. Is this a way of advertising this harmful drug?
      Does this actually help us as a race of beings to deal with this out of control problem?
      Who makes up these laws and who is in authority?
      These are questions we should all be having so that it brings this topic to the front page of the news one day soon !

  6. Why do I see every single day people smoking joints?
    Why do I smell every single day marihuana?
    Why is there a coffee shop opposite my house?
    Why are there coffee shops in Amsterdam?
    Why do I see so many tourists walking around stoned?
    Why is marihuana legal in Holland?
    Why do I have to deal with this every single day?
    Why do we accept and tolerate this?
    What does this say about the country I live in?
    What is going on and has been going on for many many years?

    1. Thank you Mariette Reineke for writing from Holland where Marijuana is legal and you for one are asking the WHY questions. It is this asking and not accepting things as they are that will bring about change. Not saying anything, not questioning anything and simply going about our day like it does not affect us is not the answer.
      More of us need to know about the harmful affects of drugs and Simple Living Global is committed to bringing more awareness by writing blogs like this.
      No campaigning needed or ra ra here. Just expressing Truth in a simple style that is accessible to all.

    2. It’s so interesting to hear, Mariette, that legalising marijuana in Holland has had this big an impact – made smoking it so widespread.

      I wonder what proportion of the population is high day to day.

  7. Just in the news: over the last year the police in Holland discovered 16 pot fields a day. Most of them were found in people’s houses or in office buildings. 16……now what does this number tell us?

    1. This is huge what you are saying here Mariette and thank you for sharing. So what is not making sense is that Holland have legalised Marijuana and yet the police are saying they are discovering 16 pot fields a day. Hello.
      Have we gone bonkers. If it is legal why are the authorities concerned.
      Who is making the law?
      Who is the authority here?
      Why are we not asking more questions?
      Surely we can read between the lines and realise that something is not quite right and we have a duty to find out what is the Truth.

  8. Thank You Felix Kremer for your comment. As the author I did stop and take note that what you say is very important. This blog is very needed and has to go big. It was the word ‘big’ that made me stop. I realised a blog is not enough. This needs to reach more and more people, globally and in places like prisons where there is no internet.
    The politician bit made me laugh out loud as I have no intention ever of going down that road but I could sure advise them regarding drugs and new policy changes that are much needed.
    I most certainly care for people and it is for this reason that I am willing to spend around two weeks reading and researching to get a blog like this out there. A lot of hard work, time and effort has gone into this and I see it as an honour and a blessing that I have the ability and the resources to be able to do this for humanity, so the world is no longer unaware of the real Truth.

  9. I used to believe that pot was natural, harmless, more ‘peaceful’ than alcohol, something some needed to slow down or have fun… BUT I had to constantly convert all the evidence I saw and felt that did not match this picture I wanted to hold, for instance:
    *I’ve had many friends who could not stand to be without it-(this is significant) they were not OK w/out it & not themselves on it
    *It is not from a place of wellbeing that we want to get high… so is pot a true “fix” to correct our ills or just another “fix” to (temporarily) escape?
    *Iv’e had partners who used it daily to not-feel their anxiety & unhappiness but it never resolved anything; not a single thing… (Is this good medicine?)
    *I have felt that many people use it to help them not really care about anything
    *I’ve used it to escape and not deal with straightening my life out, even though…
    *It made me paranoid and that was horrible
    *I’ve used it not-to-be-myself & not to feel my inner voice asking me to get real
    *I’ve it to ignore the fact that I was not in loving company
    *Only a pot smoker could be OK with their child using pot and most of them are not… if it’s not good enough for our kids why is it good enough for us?
    *I feel we use it to get a form-of-happiness instead of building a life we can feel joyful in.(The easy way but a way that doesn’t get us ‘out’ of anything).

    I ask the question: “If we feel we “need” something, how open will we be to feeling/seeing indicators that “it” may not really be the positive thing we ‘need’ or ‘want’ it to be?

  10. This is brilliant information……..thankyou so much for aĺl you have done, in gathering all this truth on this drug and sharing it with us all. So much is happening in this world ànd we’re not getting the full truth. Thank you for exposing a part of it.

    1. Thank You Jody Bladin for your comment and appreciation of the hard work that went on to get this information out into the world. It was a huge task and something that Simple Living Global feels it can do, as it has a commitment to expressing Truth and bringing awareness through this website.
      I agree so much is happening in this world and those of us who have the ability need to speak up and spell it out literally in a simple accessible language so people get it.
      No fluff, no fancy words and no banging on trying to convert, preach or teach anyone anything. Just clear simple stuff that we all need to know about and then its up to us what we choose to do with this ‘brilliant information’ as you call it.

    2. I agree Jody, Simple Living Global are exposing the Truth of what is going on and thank goodness I say as without eye opening blogs like these and the commitment of the writer to share with the world what is happening, how else do we get to see more and understand what is going on?

      Today on my high street within 20 minutes, I saw two different sets of teenagers smoking cannabis. This is on a busy high road on a Saturday afternoon in an affluent area, no slum and there it is for all to see, the reality of what is going on for our youth of today. This would have been more hidden before, but as things are getting more intense, young people are smoking more and more cannabis openly.

      The key question as always is Why?

      Whats is going on for our youth of today that they are taking more and more cannabis?

      What is presented in this blog by Simple Living Global is well worth considering, if we are at all interested in getting to the root cause of this.

  11. When I read this Mariette it’s an example of how wayward and uncaring we have become and how harmful marijuana is to our bodies. This is the thing, anyone that smokes marijuana, if they’re really honest can tell you that they don’t feel vibrant and healthy. Just taking one drag of it into your lungs, our lungs are not left feeling spacious and expansive. We have become masters at lying to ourselves and not being honest about what our body is truly saying. Did we create this drug so that we don’t have to be honest and take Responsibility for our lives? Does it suit us to say that marijuana is healing so that we can continue to not take Responsibility for our lives?

    1. Great questions here Shevon and one that we should all be discussing at the dinner parties and at every other opportunity we have.
      The word RESPONSIBILITY sticks out here. How responsible are we that we create a harmful drug to alter our natural state so we move further away from who we truly are. Where is the intelligence in that and where on earth is this coming from? should be the question we all need to start asking.
      If we are honest is it because ‘it suits us to say Marijuana is healing, so we can continue to not take Responsibility’ as Shevon says in her comment.

  12. Listening to a discussion on radio this morning on legalising drugs what struck me was the emotion involved with everyone discussing. The way that the discussion was conducted detracted from the issue of drugs itself; it was like being in a war room. The panel were not united.

    This blog makes many points and this is one:

    ‘What is clear is that our laws about Marijuana are not unified across the globe and this divide is fuelling this illegal drug.’

    I agree. We are asking the wrong questions. We need to be asking WHY? we need Marijuana and at young and younger ages.

    Focusing on the debate on whether it should be legal or not and bringing in all sorts of clever arguments is not getting to the root of the problem and only leads to warfare like I witnessed in the radio discussion this morning.

    The top line is that this and every other drug are harmful to the human body – FACT. Any acceptance that this is not the case is just fuelling the problem.

    Simple Living Global is really onto something here. Just consider blogs like these –

    Questions, Questions https://simplelivingglobal.com/questions-questions/,

    The War Inside Us https://simplelivingglobal.com/the-war-inside-us/

    International Drug Abuse & Illicit Trafficking https://simplelivingglobal.com/international-day-against-drug-abuse-illicit-trafficking/ and

    World Day Against Trafficking in Persons https://simplelivingglobal.com/world-day-against-trafficking-in-persons/

    as well as this blog – Do we not then have the answer to the world’s drug problem and many other social issues in these blogs and on this website?

  13. Thanks Bina ,for your very informative and awesome article of Marijuana and its legalisation in so many places on the planet has got me wondering ,what the hell is going on? As a long term user in the past , I see many issues with the mind altering , and highly addictive marijuana and see that there is a lot of money involved with the large amount of dope addicts in the world . So could it be that in certain places governments want to be able to profit from the Tax of all weed sold?
    We dont really know the long term effects and for some the effects can be catastrophic ,and lead to permanent mental illness as so many medical statistics have proven . So we can say that it is not safe as it effects some people in such a negative way .
    I feel there is a high level of irresponsibility in humans and that to be able to light a joint or pipe and be in other dimension within minutes ,really attracts people as they feel they can escape feeling and the parts of life etc that they dont want to know about.
    As the world needs much more committed and clear workers and citizens , to help work through and clean up the mess we have made globally it really feels like another great manipulation of evil .
    By the the highly increased usage ” 30 fold since 1962″ and “There are 182.5 million Marijuana users globally (2014) (8)”
    This definitely would have to be contributing to the high rate of mental illness statistics world wide and leading people to depression and wanting to give up and not fully commit to life . Making for a larger human cargo of ill passengers in the ship we call life on earth.

    Theses statistics and questions are well worth – opening up the conversation about as we are talking a lot of users of a serious mind altering psychedelic substance – the so called soft, natural drug that causes behaviours that are not natural .

    1. “… the world needs much more committed and clear workers and citizens, to help work through and clean up the mess we have made globally…” – this really rings loud, Greg.

      In the UK, a bus driver has recently shared on social media, photographs showing the extent of drug abuse in Manchester and Wrexham in the north. There has apparently been a surge in the use of the drug ‘Spice’, a synthetic drug that is supposed to mimic the affects of cannabis. It is mixed with a tranquilliser for transporting large fish and it is so cheap it is turning into the new heroin or crack cocaine, particularly used by the homeless. He has described and photographed countless users in the streets, catatonic, ‘frozen’ upright like statues or falling face down from standing without putting out their hands. He has also shown the extent of drug paraphernalia left in public areas around the bus station.

      A couple of things strike me. Firstly, how quickly something like this takes hold and spreads. What is happening for these people that results in such an epidemic? And what was already happening, way before this point, that we weren’t looking at?

      Second, how shining a light on these very human problems can actually make a difference. The bus driver who chose to record and release what was going on said he wanted to show the reality of ‘every day life for the addicts that use there and the mess that they leave for the public…’, and that he wants ‘people to come together to find a solution…’ before deaths start happening. If talking about what we see makes a difference then don’t we have a responsibility to do that and to have really honest look at what’s going on?

      Here is the news article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-39178982

  14. Absolutely top comment Greg Jordan and thank you for taking the time to share and be honest about the fact that you were a long term user of Marijuana in the past.
    What the hell is going on as you say. In answer to your question about the profits made by legalising this drug, I feel there is some truth here. We have lost the plot and profits before people has become the norm in business and in governments.

    As you say we do not know the long term effects and what is clear is there is not enough funding going into research and our question should be Why not?
    Why is this huge global money making problem not at the top of all government agendas?
    I would say the statistics quoted are not real or accurate. I know many people who are not on that list and are most certainly addicted to Marijuana.
    True story – I had a man come to see me recently who was smoking 11 joints a day and working. He said his partner was also doing the same and my question is do employers turn a blind eye or do they know what is going on?
    I agree with you regarding the point you make about marijuana statistics contributing to mental health. I know from first hand experience and the obvious reason is, it is a mind altering drug as are all drugs including caffeine and alcohol.
    There is absolutely nothing natural about Marijuana and it is time to wake up world to that fact. This blog is confirmation of that fact.

  15. How is it possible that in this day and age we consider it okay and just part of our collective evolution if one person is signed off as being mentally ill from the use of a drug? Why is it that when the first person went off the rails we did not STOP and ask what is going on here… For is it possible that as a global community we turn our collective backs hoping that some one else will do it for us?
    As a young man I experimented with drugs of all varieties, my least favourite was Marijuana as it made me lose focus on what was real and actually made me very anxious and paranoid. Why do we choose to partake in drugs that actually send us into states of mind that harm our well being and consequently those around us? For me it was wanting to escape and using anything possible to hand – even if it was something I did not really like the experience of – every once in a while I would try it to see if the result was different – insanity?
    This article represents a new marker in the world for the truth on drugs, the truth on why we are choosing to escape ourselves; and the truth about what the authorities, those whom are usually voted in to oversee the global population, are actually doing about these people crushing issues. Thank you.

  16. What you say here Simple Living Global makes so much sense. I love the very common sense way that you look at things. It doesn’t make sense to me, that newspapers would use valuable space to report and in a way advertise that Marijuana is available at an airport kiosk. The harmfull effects of this drug are no joke. Increasingly in the work that I do, we see young people and adults deeply affected by drug induced psychosis from Marijuana use. In a recent meeting a professional shared that they had come across young people with drug induced psychosis as young as 13. If anyone close to us was affected by this drug in this way, we would be asking more questions, but at the end of the day as much as we might like to turn a blind eye, we are all part of one family called the human race and therefore we ALL do suffer the harmful effects of one person not reaching their potential and being ill affected by this drug. Treating the symptoms is not enough, we do need to be asking the WHY questions. WHY is Marijuana the most used drug? and WHY do we need it? In my view and from reading this article, any use of Marijuana for medicinal purposes is just as harmfull.

  17. Thank you Simple Living Global for this very enlightening blog. The statistics here are very shocking and shows the amount of people that are using this drug to check out on life. One of the details that stood out for me was the contradiction of the US Government. The official US website, whitehouse.gov, states that they have determined that Marijuana is dangerous and it is illegal to distribute and sell, but on the other hand, some states have made Marijuana legal. Surely logic dictates that you cant have the main Federal government saying something is illegal but then have individual states making their own rules.
    There is no logic in this so the question is: what is the real reason behind allowing this contradictory policy?
    We can only speculate as to the reasons but, what is not speculation, is the message it sends.

  18. Canada is set to make the use of recreational marijuana legal in the Spring of 2017.

    Research has found that people are more likely to use marijuana if it is legal.
    http://globalnews.ca/news/2995390/canada-will-see-900000-new-pot-smokers-under-legalization-poll-implies/

    In 2016 more states in the USA legalised the use of marijuana. We have California and Massachusetts who legalised adults (those over 21) to use/possess marijuana.
    Florida, North Dakota and Arkansas legalised the ‘medical’ use of marijuana.

    On 1st January 2017 the possession and use of marijuana for recreational use became legal in Nevada.
    Maine is close behind where the drug could become legal by the end of January 2017/the beginning of February.
    http://www.pressherald.com/2016/12/19/maines-new-marijuana-law-may-take-effect-by-end-of-january/

    This really is a case of supply and demand as it is actually us, the people, who are voting for marijuana to become legal. The citizens are asking for it and therefore there will always be a steady supply from the drugs industry.

    We can’t blame the governments or the people who deal and traffick marijuana – collectively is time we started asking WHY we need marijuana?

    Whether we smoke marijuana or not, is it time for us to truly contemplate the questions in this stupendous article so that we can dig deep and understand why we desire something that is harming us all so much?

  19. Research published in the Psychopharmacology Journal states that scientists have confirmed that cannabis users who inhale a small amount are less likely to choose a high-effort task while intoxicated.
    It will raise fears that long-term use of the drug could affect an individual’s motivation even when they are not high.

    We deal quite often with youngsters who are high achievers before they start smoking cannabis, but see their grades drop considerable as a result.
    Lucy Dawe – Cannabis Skunk Sense Charity

    It has always been know that cannabis is a depressant and slows everything down, so it is hardly surprising that if you smoke cannabis you would end up less motivated to do what you planned.
    Harry Shapiro –Director Drugwise

    If this blog is taken seriously then this news is simply a confirmation.
    Lets join the dots here and keep it simple.

    Even a small amount of cannabis has an effect.
    Our youth who choose to take it suddenly see their grades drop.
    This drug is a depressant and this is a known side effect.

    How many more scientific studies and research and research do we need to tell us without any doubt that ALL drugs alter our natural state of being and that means they are harmfull?
    We can of course ignore certain facts as it suits our own lifestyle or we may need to not challenge these things as it upsets others.
    We may know of friends and family or work colleagues who are hooked on the stuff and we see it as a ‘tiny’ bit of harm so its ok.
    We may know our kids are on it and so better we keep our mouths shut.
    We may simply be afraid that by speaking out we will be attacked by those who champion and defend it as a drug that is good for us.

    If we all sit back in silence, ignore scientific evidence like this, then we can comfortably say the statistics in this blog will increase.
    If we truly want real change that is lasting, then it maybe wise to start with our blog –
    Get Real, Get Honest and Get to Truth
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/get-real-get-honest-and-get-to-truth/

  20. There is an article in the daily mail recently about a drug called ‘Spice’.

    I had never heard of this drug before and was shocked at what I was seeing and reading.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4302806/Spice-synthetic-drug-turns-users-living-dead.html

    Looking at the pictures in the Daily Mail of the users, the word ‘Zombie’ seems very apt.

    Spice was first produced as a supposedly ‘safe’ cannabis alternative and was available from a legal high shop. It looked like a cigarette and was odourless which was one reason why users felt no need to hide their habit.

    Because of a new law that came in last May, which banned all psychoactive substances said to impact mental health, these legal high shops were only closed down, belatedly by the government, because of several deaths.

    Cannabis itself is very harmful. According to some experts, one spice joint is like smoking 100 cannabis joints and you can get addicted to it within 3 days.

    With the above figures, one can see how addictive and catastrophic this drug is.

    One reason why Spice has emerged so quickly is the price and ease in which to make the drug. With it being less risky than importing drugs like heroin and cocaine, Spice is a very desirable alternative.

    Manchester seems to be the centre of this issue but it is rapidly spreading to other cities and the drug is very prevalent in some prisons. The Piccadilly area of Manchester is now a no-go area for the police.

    The efficacy of this drug is quite startling and has the potential to become an epidemic.

    The lifeless, comatose photos of the users in the Daily Mail is a huge message to the authorities to stamp out this extremely harmful substance.

    Thousands of lives have already been ruined and with the cheap price and availability of this drug, thousands more will be ruined.

    1. Tim Bower, what you say about this synthetic drug, spice, got my attention.
      I looked at the article and, like you, I am shocked (and I’m not easily shocked).

      I know people who would choose total non-existence in a heartbeat if such a thing really existed, I have seen people try to choose self annihilation when they have given up on life and I know those who have tried to avoid consciousness by taking high levels of sleeping and pain drugs during the dying process…

      …but there is no drug, no pill, no amount of money or fame, there is no one anywhere, not even death or God who can ‘take it all away’ for us because it is ours; our creation, our responsibility, our learning.

      No one can stop the nightmares of even the deepest drugged sleep, no one can erase the situation we have created through our many ill choices…

      …except ourselves. By making new choices, choices that are for us not against us, choices that are supportive and honoring, choices that are steps toward ourselves and not further away we can return to our natural sense of well being and true way of living.

      I know this is true as I have witnessed this transformation in many people and I too am living proof that making choices to get Back to Basics and support one’s foundation does turn life around.

      So this synthetic drug, Spice, annihilates a person ‘on-the-cheap’ but there is a HUGE cost; it is only going to offer the furthest reaches of torment without an ounce of true relief.

      Those trying to buy oblivion (in any way) will not escape the fact that they will wake up much deeper in the hell they already thought unbearable…

      Can we afford to look the other way because this extreme is only happening to poor people, homeless people or those who are deeply given up?

      Has it gotten bad enough yet or do we wait until it gets worse?

      It is time each of us looks at what it is we are trying to escape form; by shopping, hoarding, hiding in luxury, hiding in misery, playing small, doing good deeds, using socially acceptable recreations or other distractions, using drugs, numbing out, avoiding people, avoiding life, blissing our, checking out, going hard etc. etc…

      because, although we have different outlets available to us we all carry the same discomfort and potential within…

      could the discomfort be there because we do not allow our potential?

      I know we are all in this together.

  21. https://consumer.healthday.com/public-health-information-30/marijuana-news-759/pot-use-tied-to-higher-odds-for-stroke-heart-failure-720422.html

    New research analyzing millions of U.S. medical records suggest that marijuana use raises an adult’s risk of stroke and heart failure.

    Researchers looked at 20 million health records of patients across more than a thousand hospitals.

    If we just stop here, consider the cost of this enormous task to prove that something is going on with those who take this mind altering substance.

    Of course the classic line remains “more research will be needed”. This is because we as the public keep asking for more and the more is never enough and we all know research goes out of date even before we get the information.
    So here we are in 2017 and this research which they call ‘new’ is dated 2009-2010.

    The question is – what is the real truth if this study was done today?

    This news article says “..the researchers concluded that marijuana use was independently associated with a 26% increased risk of stroke and a 10% increased risk of heart failure.

    Of course we have those who defend and disagree with this and so back to the drawing board we go, asking for more and more research.

    What we all need to consider as individuals is our own personal Responsibility as society gives us this free will thing, which means do what you want. So if we honestly think that there is a safe way to take cannabis and other drugs then it is our choice.

    Could it be possible that the sensible and wise approach would be to educate and be well informed, so we can come to the decision as to whether this blog and comments like this make sense and are spelling something out, that may support our true health and well being?

    Finally, do we all need to hang around and wait for more findings to be published in peer-reviewed journals to validate them or can we make our own minds up with a dose of common sense?

    1. It is a yes from me Simple Living Global. A dose of common sense, to educate and inform, as does this website and blogs, is a great way to address the enormity of this problem. Practical simple ways to take responsibility, change lifestyle habits and choices in all areas of life are all here on this site.

      Back to basics with Simple Choices is there for us all to change our world, and the quality we live our lives… together.

  22. There was a recent article in the news about marijuana – http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/oxford-university-medical-marijuana-research-programme-10-million-neuroscience-zameel-cader-kingsley-a7633596.html – with research into its potential use for medical purposes. It states:
    “Calls for cannabis to be legalised for medical use have been growing in the UK, with some MPs urging the Government to change the plant’s status under current drug laws so it can be prescribed by doctors for conditions including chronic pain and anxiety.
    But the Home Office has said there are no plans to make the “harmful drug” legal.” – so why are we spending £10 million on researching it when it is, harmful, and illegal? doesnt make sense?

  23. This is a real reality check of an article Simple Living Global thank you. Reading it I have learned much about this drug, it’s harmful effects, the huge number of people taking this globally, and the seriousness of the problem we have as a humanity with it. ‘Recreational’ doesn’t seem to fit at all with a substance that causes so much harm.

    The effects on the brain, awareness, psychological and physiological wellbeing are very concerning with enormous numbers of people using this drug. It makes me question that not only does it cause such level of harm on the health and lives of the people using it, but also what is the knock on effect on everyone in their lives too?

  24. Well I wrote this blog as it has my name at the top and so I have to be aware that it may not make me popular as there are many who would not agree with what is being said in this blog.
    So more and more people are looking at ways to relieve pain with medical marijuana and we want it legalised for both social and medical reasons.
    The question we need to all be asking is what is the real cost here to society and if this drug was so great then how come some governments are not making it legal?

    Are we choosing to ignore the real harm, for whatever reason, because it suits us and our lifestyle?

    Are we unwilling to admit that we may actually be wanting this as it helps us to numb out and check out from the ugly stuff going on in our lives?

    Take it from me who has lived experience with working with people taking this substance and they all say they wish they never started, as it gets you hooked. For many it has ruined relationships, affected their work and sleep. For some it has led to a life of more alcohol, drugs and crime.

  25. Marijuana is hailed as Americans next big market.

    In this article Fresh Toast state that ‘according to Forbes, the marijuana industry was estimated to be worth $7,200,000,000 (billion) in 2016 and is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 17%.’

    https://thefreshtoast.com/cannabis/the-us-is-set-to-be-left-out-of-the-7-2-billion-marijuana-industry/

    The article also states that medical marijuana is a ‘growth industry’. However marijuana is still a schedule 1 drug in the US, which means that it has “no currently accepted medical use”

    In 2015, arrests for marijuana in the US outweighed those made for all violent crimes COMBINED, including murder and rape, according to the NGO Human Rights Watch.

    It gets worse –

    Mexico have passed a bill authorising marijuana for medical and scientific purposes.

    Mexican marijuana is now a commercial good.

    Medical marijuana is expected to bring in between $1,000,000,000 – $2,000,000,000 over the next 10 years.

    This is big BUSINESS.

    Canada’s medical marijuana market is expected to be $1,000,000,000 by 2020.
    Whilst recreational marijuana’s prospects are $22,600,000,000.

    The main thread of the article in this link is about how the US will miss out on this multi-billion dollar industry if the new administration proceed with their zero support for marijuana stance.

    Nevertheless the article provides some shocking statistics on how big this industry is.

    It is no surprise really as anything that does harm to the human body, usually has a large money making interest behind it – otherwise it would not exist.

    I know there are many supporters of marijuana being legalised, but to be honest whether it’s legalised or not the most potent form of addressing all of the issues that go along with this drug like poor mental health, poor physical health, subsequent unemployment or inability to be present at work and in daily tasks, crime, relationship breakdowns and homelessness is to educate on the harms and really ask WHY we need it?

    We have gone way beyond the to legislate or not legislate argument. I work in the homelessness sector and have seen young people lose it as they go into psychosis as a result of this drug and therefore from my lived experience there cannot be any true good or medicinal use from this drug.

    Just reading this article from Simple Living Global on marijuana is enough to let us know that marijuana has no healing benefits.

  26. An article from ABC News, May 2017, says ‘Doctors are worried about increased marijuana use in pregnant women’.

    http://abcnews.go.com/Health/doctors-worried-increased-marijuana-pregnant-women/story?id=47745458

    The use of marijuana continues to climb as more and more states legalise the drug and the number of pregnant women using it is starting to concern doctors.

    The American College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (ACOG) recommend pregnant women avoid marijuana due to evidence that it affects the foetus and that it may interfere with brain development.

    The article states that 14% of pregnant women aged between 12-17 reported using the drug in the past month, compared to 6% of non-pregnant women using the drug.

    Experts believe that the acceptance of marijuana – recreational and medicinal – is playing a significant role in the drug’s popularity.

    Between 2001-2013 Marijuana use in the USA has more than doubled and the rates of pregnant women using it has jumped from 2.4% to 3.9% in 2001-2014 respectively.

    One reason could be that some people use marijuana for nausea, so women who are pregnant may think the drug is a ‘natural’ way to combat morning sickness.

    An addiction psychiatrist and the past President of the American Society of Addiction Medicine says, “That is unfortunate because it implies that it is safe. Yet nothing could be further from the truth.”

    In the USA, if a pregnant woman is using marijuana, the doctor has an obligation to notify Child Protective Services and if the woman doesn’t stop using the drug, they run the risk of losing the baby.

    With all the evidence pointing to the fact that marijuana is very harmful, why are the doctors only concerned with pregnant women?

    Of course they should be very concerned as marijuana, like alcohol, alters our natural state and this has an effect on our entire body which includes the foetus of a pregnant woman but marijuana is just as harmful to all people, pregnant or not, so why aren’t the doctors giving them the same amount of concern?

    The questions I would like answered though, is, if marijuana is known to be exceptionally harmful, how can ‘medicinal marijuana’ be justified and why are there some states in the USA that have legalized this drug?

  27. An article from “refinery29” talks about how a medical marijuana dispensary in the US has just started to make “weed pizza’s”.

    http://www.refinery29.com/2017/06/158246/marijuana-dispensary-pot-pizza

    They found that adding marijuana to not only sweet foods but savoury foods as well, went down a treat.

    They also sell marijuana infused olive oil and peanut butter and they are currently working on a vegan mayonnaise.

    This story is by no means a surprise to me but the statement at the bottom of the article from refinery29 is worth mentioning – it reads:

    ‘Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity and would like to remind its readers that marijuana usage continues to be an offence under Federal Law, regardless of State marijuana laws’.

    If federal law is what the USA abides by, and federal law says that the use of marijuana is illegal, how is it possible that individual states are able to make their own legislation?

    How has a harmful and addictive drug like marijuana been able to become legalized in several states?

    What will stop individual states making other drugs or crimes legal?

    Is it possible that this paradoxical policy of whether marijuana is illegal or not is making the enforcement of the federal law unattainable?

    Is it not ridiculous that federal law says marijuana is illegal but there are shops that are selling marijuana infused foods?

    1. When we have states ‘allowing’ things which are illegal on a federal level we have to consider Tim’s question:
      “What will stop individual states making other drugs or crimes legal?”

      The legalization of marijuana is a supply and demand issue but do we understand what is behind our demand?

      We need to consider that when we feel we ‘need’ something we do not discern if it is truly good for us or not; we will rationalize anything to get that ‘need’ met.

      What if pot is needed not to feel the pain of not living our life true to who we are?

      What if medicating this pain prevents us the chance to get to the root of our issues?

      What if the growing use and acceptability of pot is actually taking us further from our natural ability to feel what is going on and make the changes needed to heal and live our lives as who we truly are?

  28. An article from ‘edition.cnn.com’ talks about ‘A catch-22 of medical marijuana transplants’:

    http://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/31/health/medical-marijuana-organ-transplants-explainer/index.html

    A rise in the use of medical marijuana has spurred a debate about organ transplantation and it is changing some laws across the nation.

    A kidney patient was removed from an organ donation list due to his use of medical marijuana because of a health risk associated with the drug.

    The patient is now speaking out in support of a bill in Maine that would prohibit hospitals from determining a patient’s suitability for transplantation solely on the basis of medical marijuana use.

    Several other states have already passed similar legislation.

    Whether or not we feel the transplantation of organs should be done is our own personal opinion, but is it possible there is a bigger question here?

    Is it possible that there is a level of hypocrisy here when a patient is offered medical marijuana by doctors, then they are told by the same doctors that they cant have a different treatment because of that same medical marijuana?

    Is it possible that medical marijuana is just being used as a convenient way of keeping people quiet?

    Is it possible that the medical world needs to look at the use of a scientific proven harmful drug that is being used to medically suppress someone’s pain?

    Marijuana may have some pain relief properties for some people but is it possible that the pain relief is simply because we are checking out and it has the same affect as alcohol – it just numbs us?

    Is it possible that medical marijuana is not helping the issue but simply getting a patient addicted to this drug?

    Whatever the short term benefits of medical marijuana, the simple fact is that it is a proven harmful drug that alters our natural state and can possibly cause greater complications further down the road.

  29. This blog is eye opening… it spells out what I feel we already know but have felt too overwhelmed or too comfortable to deal with…

    (Link below to an article about the increasingly popular synthetic versions of marijuana.)

    These compounds are far stronger than the plant itself, causing more extreme reactions such as psychotic illnesses including schizophrenia… this is heavy duty drug.

    I have been noticing a strong trend in advertising to appeal to our growing desire for better health, for more natural, local, sustainable products…

    What I see is that we need to deal with our willingness to be fooled.

    Do we have the luxury to continue seeing anything to do with marijuana as friendly?

    Can we stop and consider if what the author of this blog has to say makes sense – that we are all reaching for more and more intense ways of distraction away from the louder and louder voice, feeling of discomfort from inside us?

    Are we willing to ask what is this anxiety, empty feeling, unrest that we trying to muffle trying to tell us?

    If we listen to the messenger doesn’t he stop delivering the message?

    Marijuana plays out differently in society than alcohol; I feel the destructive effects are more internal, less obvious at first, than the violence associated with alcohol use.

    In this article (link below) we are asked to consider the health of the more vulnerable groups in society such as homeless people, young people and anyone with previous psychological issues.

    I often speak with homeless people, or attempt to – many of them have lost touch with the world around them.

    To lose the ability to sense what is going on in such a way that there is no direct way to communicate has to be the most intense illusion of utter separation.

    I can fathom nothing more painful or terrifying than to feel so utterly alone, forgotten and out of reach of love, care and human interaction.

    So the effects of us not getting real, getting honest and getting truthful about the empty feeling we carry within and medicate in various ways can be very devastating.

    Can we afford to continue not to deal with what does not feel right?

    Can we live with the consequences of our continual seeking out ways of escaping what we don’t want to feel when people are literally loosing themselves by the fact that the ‘comforts’ they can afford and reach push them over the edge?

    Every time I get a glimpse into the windows of someone’s eyes, I know it is worth facing our every hurt and coming back to who we are.

    https://theconversation.com/what-is-spice-and-why-is-the-drug-so-dangerous-60600

  30. It’s interesting how many people will swap alcohol for marijuana – acknowledging the harms of alcohol – particularly if they have a medical condition – and ignoring the fact that there are any possible harms from marijuana use.

    I know many young people who drink little alcohol but smoke marijuana daily.

    The rise in the use of ‘medical’ marijuana, is not helping the issue.

    Reading both the blogs on Alcohol and Marijuana on the Simple Living Global website leave me in no doubt of the harms of both.

  31. https://consumer.healthday.com/dental-and-oral-information-9/misc-dental-problem-news-174/marijuana-may-make-your-gums-go-to-pot-723112.html

    A new study by Columbia University School of Dental Medicine, published in the Journal of Periodontology is suggesting that people who frequently use Marijuana are twice as likely to have periodontal disease. It is well known that tobacco use increases the risk of gum disease.

    We are at a time where legalisation of recreational and medical marijuana is increasing its use and we all need to be aware of these possible side effects.

    It would be true to say that scientific studies are always going to come up with stuff in support and against drugs of any kind.

    Would it be wise for us all to just be honest and get real, put our common sense hat on and join the dots?
    Marijuana alters our natural state.
    Period as they say in USA.
    Full stop as they say in UK.

    Are there really any more studies needed when our innate intelligence knows absolutely that something is not right with any drug taking and it harms our body?

  32. https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/marijuana-users-three-times-more-likely-die-high-blood-pressure-1634107
    International Business Times – 9 August 2017

    Marijuana users three times more likely to die from high blood pressure.

    Studies have linked marijuana use to cardiovascular problems.

    It is now a public health priority to look at whether marijuana use increases cardiovascular mortality. This is because more countries are moving to decriminalize marijuana.

    If we read this blog and what it is presenting, are we really in need of more research and do we have time on our side?

    The fact that the headlines in this news story is speaking volumes – are we just going to ignore it and think that blood pressure tablets will nail it for us or are we going to stop and join the dots?

    SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT and if we just simply start with this, we are bringing a form of honesty to the table so that this topic is up for discussion.

    How many of us are interested in knowing the ins and outs of pot, weed or the other plethora of names given to this mind altering substance?

  33. An article in The Week magazine, 19th August 2017, talks about cannabis being linked to hypertension.

    Cannabis smokers are three times more likely to die from high blood pressure than those who have never used the drug, researchers have found.

    The risk also grows with every year of use according to the scientists from the School of Public Health at Georgia State University.

    The findings published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, suggested no association between marijuana and dying from heart and cerebrovascular disease, such as strokes. But the link with hypertension deaths could influence the debate over the legalisation of marijuana in the US and elsewhere.

    One of the co-authors of the study said: “If marijuana use is implicated in cardiovascular diseases and deaths, it rests on the health community and policy makers to protect the public”.

    This article is looking at the number of States in the US and the other countries that are following the trend with the legalisation of marijuana, it seems that the message about the harmful effects of this drug is being ignored even though some of the effects of cannabis on blood pressure are well understood and documented and the studies describing positive effects are limited and the fact that findings from animal studies don’t always neatly transfer to human subjects.

    There has also been a lot of exposure on the amounts of money that Governments will receive through the taxation from the legalisation of marijuana.

    If marijuana has a proven record of being harmful to the human body, and governments are still going ahead with legalising it, is it possible that money is the motivating factor here?

    Is it possible that, if there is any doubt whatsoever about the health implications of this drug, or any other drug for that matter, then to legalise it would be very irresponsible?

  34. It looks like marijuana is becoming even more mainstream.

    There are now marijuana strains to match TV shows. The strains have been specifically created to alter the physical and mental state of the person taking them, depending on the mood that would most complement the show. E.g. more laughter inducing for a comedy, emotion inducing for a drama or hallucinogenic for a fantasy.

    With all the side effects of marijuana, why is it becoming so mainstream? Why are well known companies getting in on the action?

    Why are we not questioning this more?

    1. You make some really valid points here JS, the use of marijuana and other derivatives from the hemp plant have become far too normal and acceptable.

      I recently stepped into a health food store and saw that they were selling cannabis oil. This is a shop that I have been going to for 10+years and was quite surprised as I know the owners.

      On my next visit I asked the owner why they were selling it and she said as it is really good and it is not the same as the marijuana that sends people crazy as it is a different part of the hemp plant. She said that she had tried it and it had helped her to sleep.

      My question is and was to her – How can a plant produce something extremely harming like marijuana but the rest of it be OK?

      CBD – cannabidiol is the part of the hemp plant heralded to have the amazing healing properties in cannabis oil.

      I have read literature about cannabis oil and many people are talking about pain going away after taking the oil or back problems improving. It’s popular because it’s legal but at one time many drugs that are now illegal were legal.

      I am dubious of any true healing effects of cannabis oil.

      Anything that does not get to the root cause of any issue is harmful in my view and has nothing to do with health, healing, wellness or well-being.

      There is no true healing in anything that takes away pain without the patient understanding fully why that pain has come about in the first place.

  35. I was talking to an ex-heavy smoker of marijuana and she was sharing how it often begins.

    So you are in a group; someone passes round a joint. Everyone is watching – you smoke it. You hang out with this group a fair bit. You smoke what is passed around. After a while, you feel bad you are not contributing and passing around your own.

    So you buy some.

    You learn to roll your own.

    You pass it around.

    Now you have it at home so you also smoke on your own.

    People come over to your house and you pass yours around.

    The cycle begins again…

  36. Due to the demand for medical marijuana, we now have universities issuing degrees in Marijuana!

    What is going on?

    Have we well and truly lost the plot?

    How can a degree in Marijuana be of any use to mankind?

    If I am not mistaken degrees are advanced level studies which enable people to be experts in subject matters particularly for employment and career purposes?

    What are the career prospects of someone who has a degree in Marijuana?

    Will we now have legal dealers?

    How does this evolve humanity?

    How does an illicit substance become a legal one just because we say so?

    Should we be asking more questions about ‘medical marijuana’ and why the demand for this is there?

    Marijuana for ‘medical’ use is often used to numb pain.

    Are we asking why we are so ill and in so much pain that we will do anything and take anything to numb it?

    Are more questions needed like asking what type of pain it is we are choosing to numb?

    Is it simply physical or is it possible that there is a deeper emotional pain that needs to be addressed?

    Could it be possible that the complete denial of the root cause of any issue and the choice to bury emotional pain is behind all of this?

  37. Things have gone from bad to worse.

    A friend who keeps me informed on what is going on in the world, sent me an article yesterday on the new ‘it’ beauty product – cannabidiol (CBD).

    Have we Lost the Plot?
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/have-we-lost-the-plot/

    CBD is being put into beauty products that hydrate skin, relieve swollen spots and reduce under eye bags.

    There is also research being carried out into the use of cannabis in dermatology treatment.

    Cannabis is even being used as a fragrance in some products and is used in lip balms and in fibre papers for blotting oily skin, papers that can also be used for rolling cannabis joints.

    We get the picture – so no longer are people just smoking cannabis or eating cakes but there is such a craving for it that we are prepared to have it seep through our pores into our precious bodies under the guise of beauty treatments.

    Where is this going to go to next and have we lost the plot?

    Could it be possible that there is something seriously wrong with the way that we are living that leads us to crave and seek cannabis in anyway possible?

    Surely this is not a healthy and eau natural way to live.

    I will continue to speak up about cannabis and any other harmfull but yet acceptable products in the world as we all deserve to know the Truth about what is really harming us.

  38. Dr Max – 3rd June 2017

    Reports that the link between cannabis and psychosis is well established.

    He also says that research is emerging that in some people, the use of cannabis can shrink the orbitofrontal cortex in the brain. One of the orbitofrontal’s responsibility’s is empathy.

    This shrinkage can have a very damaging affect in social interactions.

    Max shares how he has received backlash from people who are pro-cannabis, in response to a previous article he had written about the detrimental effect cannabis use can have in one’s interactions with others.

    Most of the messages he received were from people aggressively stating that cannabis does not make people aggressive: Max points out the irony.
    A friend of his was even contacted and threatened.

    I have worked in a sector for the last 13 years where most of the client group smoke cannabis. I have seen first hand how aggressive people can become when using it.

    The difficulty I have found is that there is often no awareness of the connection between the aggression and cannabis use that it can be very difficult to speak with them about it, as they have no insight.

    Max concludes the article by saying the following:

    ‘A study published earlier this year by an eminent professor of psychiatry looked at cannabis use and violence in the U.S. and found that the drug was the single most common variable in violent crimes.

    The paper concluded: ‘Greater marijuana accessibility, resulting in more use, will lead to increased health risks in all demographic categories across the U.S…’

    Cannabis is very harmfull, no matter how we may try to dress it up.

  39. Now that marijuana is legal in so many states in the US, I have been reading about how companies are putting it into coffee, particularly in to ‘cold brew’ coffee.

    So people can now discreetly drink their marijuana.

    And the experience is a very ‘normal’ coffee-type experience, rather than a drug or smoking-type experience.

    You can balance the ‘hit’ of coffee and the ‘taking the edge off’ of marijuana.

    For how long will we continue to push the limits of experimentation and indulgence?
    It seems the products will keep pace with us, either way.

  40. I recently read a news article that stated that in one country people can smoke cannabis if they are of a certain religion. In this particular case a man was let off after being found with a couple of ounces of cannabis. He claimed that it was a sacred herb used for meditation.

    So what happens – does a harmfull substance suddenly become un-harming because it is being used for religious purposes?

    Do we believe that it suddenly becomes sacrosanct?

    If this is the case this is a great illusion. Cannabis is harming whether it is used for ‘religious’ reasons or not and so I have to ask – what kind of religion and connection with God would allow the use of a harmfull substance?

    Is it possible that we are being lied to here?

  41. I read in a magazine recently that a very high profile businessman and celebrity has urged Kiwi farmers to swap dairy farming for cannabis cultivation.

    “You should legalise it, grow it, tax it and regulate it”, he said.

    Is it truly responsible for anyone to condone the use of a proven harmful drug?

    Whether we have a high profile businessman or your average Joe on the street, how is it possible that something like this can be justified?

    For me personally, I don’t eat dairy because of the health implications and the harm it does to my body and so I cannot say that farming dairy is better than farming cannabis as any product that causes ill to the human body is poisonous.

    Marijuana is a drug, a proven harmful drug that alters our natural state.

    If we are not ourselves, the potential for us to do things we wouldn’t normally do is very high.

    Where is the responsibility in this?

  42. A news report tells us that ‘pot for pets’ is booming in the U.S., with a focus on managing dog anxiety and chronic pain.

    “Hundreds of thousands of animals” are being given cannabis products.

    Cannabis in human strength is poisonous for dogs so they are giving it to them in diluted form.

    The side effects are sleeping and needing to drink more water.

    Have we really studied this to the nth degree?

    We acknowledge that in certain strengths the drug is poisonous, but what if it is a toxin to the body in any strength? Have we considered that the excessive sleeping might be the dogs’ body’s way of processing the drug out of its system? Or that drinking more is the body’s way of trying to flush it?

    In one story, an owner shares that after one dose, “[the dog] hopped right down from her chair when I called her to go outside – usually I have to call several times and start pushing her off”, and the next day “she came over just to say hi and lick me on the leg. I almost cried; it’s been so long since she’s done that”.

    Are we truly prioritising what is needed for the dogs here or is the focus on what we want and how we want them to behave?

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42222187

  43. I was walking towards the local train station yesterday afternoon and started coughing. The smell was not a cigarette as I know that smell. This was different and I thought surely, no one would be smoking a spliff so I caught up with the guy and yes it was Marijuana for sure.

    This is illegal in the UK and yet it seems to now be normal on the street. I have lost count how many times when I go walking I see small groups standing in the cold, having a joint and reading this blog it is super clear this drug is harmful and the long term effects are very damaging.

    Talking to a local business owner, they were saying how they can tell when someone is very ‘chilled and relaxed’ all the time and eyes look dazed, like they are not there, as it is always because they are taking pot. She knows of many and she said she can spot it easily now.

    What is clear now is that there is more use of this drug and we have not got to the root cause of WHY people take it in the first place. The biggest concern we should be all talking about is how young children are trying out this mind altering addictive substance.

    What is going on for a child in their life that they make a choice to use a drug to alter their natural state?

  44. Why is marijuana becoming legal in more places in the world?

    In California there is talk of how it will help their economy.
    New businesses are starting up everywhere. State and local governments are looking at ways to tax marijuana.
    Farmers have a new crop that pays so much better then growing broccoli.

    What will it take to start making decisions around people rather then money?

    How about thinking from our heart?

  45. https://scienmag.com/cannabis-abuse-alters-activity-of-brain-regions-linked-to-negative-emotion/

    Science Magazine – 16 January 2018

    New Study – published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging

    Young people with cannabis dependence have altered brain function that may be the source of emotional disturbances and increased psychosis risk that are associated with cannabis abuse.

    The alterations were most pronounced in people who started using cannabis at a young age.
    The findings in this study reveal potential negative long-term effects of heavy cannabis use on brain function and behavior, which remain largely unknown despite the drug’s wide use and efforts to legalise the substance.

    The brain alterations were also associated with heightened feelings of negative emotionality, especially alienation, where one feels a sense of hostility or rejection from others. The link points to a potential biological mechanism for why feelings of alienation are often profoundly increased in people with cannabis dependence.

    What we have here is more evidence and those of us who know any teenager or young adult using cannabis will know the signs and symptoms that become clear as day – that behaviour changes and the person is not who they were before taking this mind altering drug.

    Marijuana, pot or cannabis – all the same just different names.

    This blog presents the real truth about marijuana and there is no stone left unturned in terms of presenting valid and poignant questions to the reader and one day to all of humanity when they are ready.

    Until then, Simple Living Global will continue to research and report on any news that confirms this potent and dangerous drug is not for human consumption and we have a long way to go before we all agree on this.

    What we have today are opposing views, beliefs and opinions about cannabis.
    There are now many countries and states within a country legalizing it for medicinal and or recreational use.

    The fact we remain divided on this topic speaks volumes.

    The question we should be asking is who stands to gain from this poison?

    At what cost is it to the human frame and all those who suffer as a consequence?

    Have we bothered to carry out observational studies and collated anecdotal evidence which may bring light onto what is really going on or are we not interested?

    Finally, what will it take for humanity to demand real answers and ask the obvious question as a starting point –
    What is the root cause of WHY any young child or adolescent starts to smoke pot or ingest it by other forms like vaping?

    Would that be a question worth asking at the World AGM?

  46. I read a news article about a headteacher who has blasted parents for smoking marijuana directly outside of the school gates.

    With more and more teenagers smoking marijuana, what chance do they have of seeing that there is another way to live and that smoking marijuana is very harmful?

    We need real role models to reflect to our Youth what a truly healthy lifestyle is and this does not include smoking marijuana.

    I take my place in society seriously and even though I do not have children I do interact with children and teenagers through my family and at work.

    I am aware that how I behave gives a message to them as to what adulthood is about and so I have a choice to reflect harming behaviour or to be an inspiration. Our behaviour always has an effect.

  47. Thanks for reporting this Jacob.

    I was just reading today in The Week, Issue 1157 that this is the 6th USA state to legalise the sale of marijuana for recreational use.

    We need to be asking “What is going on?”

    I agree with you that 1 is too much.

    Our bodies are not designed to take in such a harmful substance, so why are we promoting it?

  48. I was recently talking to citizens of California and learned stuff important to share on this blog.

    In the USA there is the Federal then the State then the County and then the City.

    Sounds all very complicated as each have their own laws.

    The world knows that the State of California have made this drug Marijuana legal but that is not the full story. Some of us may not be aware that Federal Law is not in agreement and there is currently a battle about this.

    There are also different rules that apply to city and county so even more complications.

    Many people are either growing Marijuana, selling it or taking it – or all 3.
    It is a big business, but the side effects are clear as day.

    People can suffer from severe anxiety, depression but above all consistent scary nightmares.

    I wonder if those passing these laws have really sat down and thought about the big picture and the real effects of this mind altering substance?

    Is it this altered state that leaves a person with daily nightmares and a constant state of fear and unable to work?

    Is this law to legalise Marijuana going to help the economy if we have people unable to work because of the side effects?

    Have we looked at the real cost to society and have we stopped to interview and study these people who are not doing great after using Marijuana?

    Is there more that we the general public need to know and is this blog spelling it all out to us so that we are not left in any illusion about what Marijuana really is?

  49. Recreational marijuana has just been legalized in California and I have never seen anything take off with such wrecklace abandon…

    After decades of harassment of herbalists by the FDA and red tape around herbal medicines having to undergo the same lab testing and regulations as pharmaceuticals we have given the full green light to this mind altering drug despite all we know about it, as named in this truthful article (above).

    All over the cities of California we have:

    Bill boards along freeways and on public buses touting its safety & ‘medicinal’ qualities.
    Dispensaries equipped with smoking bars.
    Dispensaries dressed up like medical clinics.
    A great number of people who either grow, process, sell, distribute, eat, smoke or invest in it.

    Here are some of the products now containing THC that I have personally seen or had people tell me they use:

    Vaginal lubricant- touting more pleasure for the woman during intercourse.

    THC cream for sore muscles.

    THC bath salts- for muscle relaxation.

    THC infused honey in a syringe-style-dispenser.

    Endless “edibles” – foods containing THC

    “Cannabis Tincture” – but when I looked closely at the bottle it said “made with MCT oil & Full plant extract” but there was a little white sticker been placed over the word “FULL”…
    (My herbology education tells me that it has been processed to the point that it is at least partially synthetic and this white sticker was all the FDA has required to comply with the ‘truth in labeling act’).

    …So how often are people wanting to believe they are taking a ‘natural’ plant extract but are instead getting a synthetic version of it, In other words, a synthetic drug?

    Where has our discernment gone?

    Why are we so desperate for the kind of relief THC offers us?

    How are we living that leaves us needing to alter our mental state?

    What are we doing that leaves us needing to hush the discomforts of our body and/or mind?

  50. I have noticed the smell of marijuana a lot over recent months.

    On the street. Walking past benches in busy parks. On the beach.

    This used to be a rare thing and hidden.

    It feels like we are becoming more permissive over its use.

    Is this one of those slippery slope moments where we look back later and wonder where it all started to go wrong?

    1. I agree with you JS as I have noticed the same and a friend and I have discussed this many times.

      Having read your comment it has reminded me of a newspaper article that reported on a cannabis club where members openly smoke cannabis. The club has registered as a limited company and is making up to £3,000 a night.

      The club is said to be run by a man who has been convicted of drug dealing.

      Even though the club is registered as a limited company, the newspaper article states that they have not referred to cannabis in any of their registration paperwork.

      There is no buying and selling of drugs at the club, the money is made by the sale of refreshments and tickets for special events. Subscriptions for being a member of the club also brings in revenue.

      A Police and Crime Commissioner is said to have visited the club and has supported its presence, likening it to people going to pubs.

      This is a serious issue. We appear to have more and more smokescreen companies that trade on the outside as one thing and then inside they are actually operating a different kind of business.

      What make us think that we can get away with this underhand behaviour?

      Cannabis is an illegal substance in the UK which is deeply harming to our health.

      We have countless studies that have shared the harms and in truth, one need only observe a cannabis user for a day to see that they are not themselves and that the drug causes erratic behaviour.

      It is well worth reading this blog by Simple Living Global on cannabis to be reminded of the harms of cannabis use.

  51. BBC news story about a driver who died with 5 others when he lost control at 100 mph, had Cannabis in his system.

    The driving limit on the road was 40 mph.

    Two of the passengers were thrown from the high powered vehicle and suffered fatal “catastrophic head injuries”.

    The only survivor denied drug dealing but admitted smoking drugs.
    However the Sergeant said “based on the movements of the vehicle, intelligence surrounding this vehicle and the occupants, it would be a reasonable grounds to suspect they were in the area, dealing drugs from that car.”

    Tests found the driver also had traces of cocaine and another substance in his system.

    We can take what we want from this tragic news story.
    The purpose of this comment is to confirm what this blog is spelling out to all of us.

    The human body is not in any way designed to take drugs, but we seem to have laws that set limits so somehow it is ok and we hope our rational sensible mind allows us to think clearly when we take the wheel.

    Could it be possible that with a mind-altering drug, we are simply not capable of any form of Responsibility?

    Could it be possible that once we have the drug in our system, our perception changes and so our choices are not natural and caring for self and others?

    Could it be possible that this is one case to hit the news because of 6 deaths and there maybe more smaller accidents that have gone under the radar and will not make big news?

    Could it be possible that when we take drugs of any kind, we are not considering the impact of our choices in that moment?

    Has anyone stopped long enough to consider the knock on effect – the real ripple effect left from one ill choice as in this story?

    The lives of all those connected with those who have died and what they must be going through?

    Would this story change anything for those who continue to use cannabis and drive?

    Do we need to make rubber tight all driving laws and bring total bans on alcohol and drugs?

    In other words, not have a legal limit because for some one unit could be all it takes.

    Are those who champion and agree it is ok to have safe limits when it comes to drugs, fooling themselves and using their power to influence others because it suits them?

    Is it time to have policymakers who walk the talk and live the life that is drug free?

    In other words, those who are completely and absolutely free of alcohol and drugs and have a track record of 10 years + with no substances on their radar.

    Would these people be those we vote in for the future, who can lead our world back and restore the harmony of who we truly are as a race of beings, so that we can truly evolve?

  52. BBC News – 14th June 2018

    Cannabis Addiction ‘Rising Among Women and Over 40’s’ – University of York study finds

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-44482270

    Although the number of people using cannabis is said to have decreased, in the past 10 years the number of women who have cited cannabis as their sole concern in treatment centres has doubled from 471 to 1008.

    Women often see cannabis as benign and it remains the most popular illegal recreational drug in the UK. As more people are growing cannabis domestically rather than importing this enables growers to make the potency stronger.

    Resin can now be almost three times the strength of drugs on the street in 2005.

    Ian Hamilton, University of York has likened the current strength equivalent of cannabis to that of someone going straight into drinking vodka.

    Some reasons have been given in the article as to why more women for example are using cannabis, like it is cheap, but is there more to this that we need to be looking at?

    Why are women and especially older women choosing to use cannabis?

    Is it possible that there is something going on for them in their lives that they are having difficulty dealing with that leads them to reach for this drug?

    Do we need to spend more time speaking to women about how they feel about themselves and their lives, so that we can get to the root of why we have this increase?

    Is it possible that we are not asking the questions needed to unearth the Truth as to WHY more women and those over 40 are smoking more cannabis?

  53. Medicinal cannabis is something that is very topical at the moment and due to the rise in use of cannabis and the difficulties that police are having with prosecuting people, the UK Government are considering relaxing the laws by allowing medicinal cannabis to become legal.

    Something is not right when a proven harmful substance can be used for ‘medicinal’ purposes.

    Is this really the answer?

    Has anyone considered what actually happens to the symptoms that are abated through taking cannabis, even for medicinal purposes?

    Do they truly go away and are they healed?

    Could it be possible that the symptoms are just buried and could this cause complications in the body later on that cannot be traced back to the use of cannabis?

    Are we insisting on quick fixes that can have detrimental consequences later on instead of really and truly getting to the root cause of why we have whatever ailments we have?

    Do we have a responsibility to be truly honest about what is going on in our lives so that we can get to the root cause or is that too confronting?

  54. A news story in CNBC today talks about a country as it marches towards recreational legalisation and how a company CEO is optimistic about marketing marijuana-based products to a broader audience.

    The bigwig feels confident that the focus needs to be on marijuana products and not cannabis as a commodity. By selling the primary ingredient, in a few years there will be too much produced but transforming it into beverages and sleep aids is the way to go.

    Marijuana in beverage form has attracted a lot of attention and major investment lately.
    There will soon be cannabis infused water sold around select locations in California.
    Having cannabis in beverages as a way to mood modify and socialise – make people more positive, uplifted and has a feeling of having a beer or glass of wine with zero calories.

    The sleep aid market it to target “middle aged” people with “a chronic something going on.”

    Dear World

    What is this saying?
    Are the tides turning?

    Are we really on the front foot coming up with new products, using a drug that has numerous scientific studies confirming the harm to humans?

    Before we point fingers and blame – where is the demand coming from?

    Are we in mid life – given up and in need of a quick solution to take the pain away that seems so ingrained?

    Are we ever going to stop and ask how our everyday lifestyle choices may be contributing to sleep issues that seem to be getting worse?

    How creative is our current form of intelligence that does not seem to take into account ALL aspects, all angles, all dimension of the spherical living human beings that we are?

    Can we be absolutely honest here and ask some serious questions –

    What is behind our need to use a mind altering substance and think it is ok?

    Does it suit us in some way to accept this drug because it supports our irresponsible choices?

    Are we seeking more of this type of drug as part of normal everyday living because it continues to feed our irresponsibility?

    Do we hate blogs and websites like this that are calling ALL of us to Responsibility?

    In other words, to not live at the mercy of what’s next but get on the front foot, take full Responsibility for all the choices we make, end the blame game and get on with it.

    Our world is currently is a bigger mess than ever before.

    Using drugs to treat the human frame is not and will never be the answer and deep down we ALL know this.

    No different to cigarettes – a century later we all agree it is killing us.

    Do we need to wait for more studies and more research or is it wise to use our common sense, re-read this blog and all others on this website, get informed and then make the choices?

  55. An article in the Evening Standard, 19th June 2018, says: “We won’t review case for making cannabis legal, Javid tells Hague.”

    The Home Secretary today defended the law banning cannabis for recreational use despite calls from the ex-Tory party leader to legalise the drug.

    Lord Hague said today the war on marijuana has been “comprehensively lost” and the Government should be “as bold” as Canadian MP’s who last night voted in favour of legalisation.

    A source close to Home Secretary said: “The current law is right. There is no suggestion that the Government will review its classification for recreational use.”

    In a Home Office blog, it says: “The Home Office is clear that there is strong scientific and medical evidence that cannabis is a harmful drug which can be detrimental to people’s mental and physical health. The Government has no intention of reviewing the classification of cannabis…and the penalties for the illicit possession, cultivation and trafficking of cannabis will remain the same.”

    Lord Hague said that Canada’s push for a regulated market for recreational use involves stores selling cannabis with limited strength. Expected benefits include reduced harm for addicted users, a major reduction in the black market and less pressure on the police and courts.

    Do we live in a weird world, or what?

    Here we have so called intelligent people advocating the use of a well recognised, scientifically proven harmful substance.

    Let’s look at the ‘expected benefits’ of this lower strength cannabis:

    They say it is reduced harm for addicted users…Does this not infer that cannabis IS harmful and if it is harmful, do we really need to look any further?

    They say there will be a major reduction in the black market…Surely there will still be a black market for those that want stronger grades of cannabis and is it possible that that may create even more demand in the black market?

    They say there will be less pressure on the police and the courts…Is it possible that the above will create more pressure on the police and the courts?

    Cannabis in all of its forms and derivatives is very harmful to the human body and at the very least, like any other drug, it takes us away from our natural state.

    Is it possible that any country that wants to legalise cannabis is doing so because of the predicted revenue income?

    We have to ask, when those in authority start to champion something that is harmful to a person’s way of life, are they championing it for others, for that so called ‘good cause’, or are they championing it for themselves?

  56. Young People Now ‘See Cannabis as Safer than Alcohol’ – BBC News – 19 June 2018

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-44533537

    This article has a couple of young people speaking of their experiences of using cannabis.

    One said –

    “For me having cannabis in the evening is the equivalent to having a glass of wine on a Friday night.”

    She goes on to say that the education system is struggling to keep up with the drugs trends and that a message of: “Just Say No” does not prepare youngsters for the realities of a society where drugs are widely available.

    You’re told your whole life, ‘These drugs are bad for you and they could kill you,’ and then when you do these drugs and your fine and having fun, you reflect on your education and think that maybe everything that you have been told is wrong”

    In the 80’s in the England there was a big campaign about drugs and there was a song that went with it also that said “Just Say No”. So I remember the message clearly. What this young lady is saying is important as it tells me that we have not changed our approach to drugs education and are simply stating that drugs are bad for you, don’t do it and that’s that.

    But what if, like this blog and all of the other articles on this website by Simple Living Global, we actually spell out what the harms are and what they are doing to the human body?

    Would that leave room for our young people to make informed choices, knowing the facts?

    Another young man in the article says that smoking cannabis may have had a detrimental effect on his exam grades and general achievement.
    “I’ve done great. But maybe I could have done better? That’s the conflict I have daily with smoking weed” he says.

    “It’s lovely in the moment. But then the guilt kicks in an hour later. And it’s costly. And it makes me lazy, sometimes.”

    Statistics show that secondary school children in England are more likely to have tried drugs than cigarettes.
    NHS Digital (November 2017)

    12,051 pupils in 177 schools were interviewed with 24% of 11 – 15 year old saying that they have tried recreational drugs at least once. This is a 9% increase from 2014 survey

    Lord Hague who has recently been asking the Government to legalise cannabis says:
    “Surveys of young people attest that they find it easier to purchase cannabis than virtually anything else including fast food, cigarettes and alcohol”

    So how can cannabis be accessed so easily –

    “You walk out of work or the shopping centre and there are people who sell weed and they’ll have no issue approaching you” one young man says.

    He also adds –

    “It’s much more normalised now. People think of it as teenagers on the street corner – but it goes far beyond that…There are mothers out there smoking it. There are grandparents, police officers, teachers.”

    This one article alone is letting us know that this is a widespread issue hitting people from all walks of life.

    Have we looked in depth at the lives of cannabis users to establish whether there are any common dominators as to why they are using it, or have we focused all of our resources on the legalise, don’t legalise debate?

    As I have said before – to legalise or not legalise is not really the issue but what if the important question we need to be asking is – WHY has the use of cannabis gone up so much?

    Could it be possible that the drug is giving us something that makes us feel that we can escape from the responsibilities of everyday life?

    Are we prepared to find out what the real costs of using cannabis are?

  57. The big debate is on regarding medicinal cannabis in the UK.

    I read a newspaper article just recently in The Times – 20th June 2018 which said the following:

    ‘Campaigners believe that up to a million use it to alleviate the symptoms of illness from multiple sclerosis (MS) to cancer.
    The MS Society has said that one in five sufferers take cannabis, meaning that up to 10,000 people are having to break the law…
    YouGov poll (May 2018) – 75 per cent of the public said they backed cannabis on prescription, with 12% opposed.’

    It is one thing reading about things in the news but to have real life encounters and discussions, I feel brings any subject matter even closer to home.

    Today I was in a health food store paying for some items and there were a couple of people around the till talking with the cashier about products.

    I looked up and saw the CBD oil or capsules that has now become popular. The people around the till were discussing how there is no THC in this and stated that the THC is the stuff that makes you high.

    I asked what them what the CBD oil is supposed to do and one of the men said assist with inflammation and started imparting information about how good it was.

    I stopped him and stated that I had no intention to purchase this. I posed that we need to start questioning what will be the long term effects of taking this product.

    The gentleman responded that it has been very successful in treating those with MS and if someone has MS they don’t care about what may or may not happen to them 20 years down the line.

    I suggested that we need to start asking why we get any disease in the first place and not consistently look for band-aids.

    He replied that food was the reason why we get sick.

    We have a plethora of reasons why we get sick to blaming the microwave, the sun rays, our cat and dog and our food.

    But what if none of this is true?

    What if any illness is trying to tell us something about our human frame and how we are living?

    What if taking things like CBD oil end up masking what we really need to learn from any illness?

    What if we are stopping our own evolution by continually looking for the next ‘medicinal’ treatment?

  58. Cannabis Legislation Around the World

    The Telegraph – 19th June 2018

    As mentioned previously in the comments above, the debate on the use of cannabis in the UK is rife and not just medicinal cannabis.

    This article in The Telegraph gives us a snapshot of how countries around the world are dealing with cannabis.

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/cannabis-legal-drug-uk-countries-theresa-may-tories-medicinal-recreational-a8406776.html

    Uruguay

    2013 – first country to legalise recreational use of cannabis
    This was a way to combat drug-related organised crime and health issues.

    Legal cannabis is now carefully controlled by a small number of chemists who distribute what is said to be ‘an affordable high quality product’. It is also said that it provides an ‘excellent high’.

    Banks fear handling money from cannabis-related accounts as it is largely illegal across the world.

    Portugal

    2010 – decriminalisation for possession of most drugs as long as the amount does not exceed a ten day personal supply.

    One of the countries to have the world’s lowest use of Spice and other former legal highs.

    Drug overdose deaths very low.

    Spain

    1990’s – decriminalised and cannabis can be grown on private property for use in personal space.

    Non-profit cannabis clubs are popular means of growing and smoking cannabis.

    Catalonia – limited programme introduced to allow prescriptions of Sativex to people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and cancer. Sativex is a mouth spray used to treat various conditions including pain and bladder control problems. It is the only cannabis-based medicine licensed for prescription in the UK.

    No medical cannabis programmes exist elsewhere in Spain.

    Switzerland

    2012 – decriminalisation of personal supplies of cannabis – flat fine of 100 Swiss Francs for possession.
    Some regions began to allow the cultivation and use of cannabis.

    2017 – Fine system has almost stopped as the courts ruled the law had been administered incorrectly. Regional police are now stopping prosecuting people for possession of small quantities of cannabis.

    USA

    1996 – California first state to make medicinal cannabis legal.
    It is now legal in 29 states.

    State rulings different to Federal law.

    2014 – States that have legalised medicinal cannabis have protection from Federal law as an amendment prevented the US Justice Department from spending money on interfering with state medicinal cannabis laws.

    2018 – 8 states have made recreational cannabis legal: Maine, Massachusetts, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada and Alaska.

    Netherlands (Holland)

    1953 – decriminalised for personal use

    1976 – cannabis available in coffee shops and possession of up to 5 grams for personal use was decriminalised.

    Five varieties of medicinal cannabis available through pharmacies and regulated by the Office for Medicinal Cannabis.

    Norway

    2016 – medicinal cannabis became available by special approval.

    2017 – Norwegian parliament announced that cannabis would be decriminalised for personal use. However those caught with up to 15 grams (the amount fOR personal use) will receive a fine.
    One kilo or more = serious jail sentence.

    Medical treatment also to be provided to users rather than fines and prison sentences.

    Sweden

    Cannabis is illegal and has no recognised medicinal use.

    Canada

    1999 – access granted to legal medicinal cannabis

    Licensed producers are allowed to grow, manufacture and sell cannabis products for medicinal use. Individuals can also grow cannabis for medicinal purposes.

    200,000+ Canadians are registered as users of medicinal cannabis.

    C$1 billion (£570 million) medicinal cannabis projected to exceed.

    2018 – law will come into effect which legalises recreational cannabis. The sale of cannabis will be taxed and annual sales are estimated to be C$4 billion (£2.29 billion).

    France

    2013 – Limited prescriptions for medical cannabis derivatives available but can only be prescribed once all other medicines have failed.

    Legal loophole allowed THC free strains of cannabis to be sold in shops.

    18th June 2018 – French Government decided to crackdown on this after queues forming outside recently set up shops.

    France said to be one of the countries in Western Europe who have the strictest laws on cannabis

    Reading all of the above one is left confused and without any clarity about the real harms of cannabis based on legislation – some countries say yes to medicinal cannabis, some say no, some say yes to both medicinal and recreational cannabis. Some limit how much medicinal cannabis is prescribed and some do not.

    What message does this give out?

    Why do we have this dichotomy across the globe of the different ways that we are dealing with cannabis?

    Why are all countries not working together and in the same way to address this issue?

    What if by having this divide of different ways of classing cannabis, we are delaying getting to the root cause of why we have this drug problem in the first place?

    We do have to ask – why is this drug so popular and why at this time?

    Something is clearly not right.

    1. This comment is like an update to this blog. It expands on what is being presented thus far.
      I agree with you Shevon that SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT

      We as a world need to unite on what cannabis is really doing to the human body.
      Until we all agree – we cannot get to a one unified Truth.

      What I find interesting in this comment is that if it was totally and absolutely ok – why are some countries putting limits on the consumption amount?

      If it is doing no harm then we need studies to confirm this but as we know, this is not the case.

      It is high time we got honest and started speaking to people like me, who have first hand experience with people who use cannabis and are addicted.

      The effects on the mind and body are enough for me to write 3 books but that is not the point here.

      These people are suffering and they know beyond doubt that cannabis is not good for them but something inside their mind takes over and they go for it again and again and they just don’t know how to break the cycle.

      For some they see it as a ‘chill out’ relax time after work and it makes them have less alcohol, as the pot does the job and helps them forget what they don’t want to deal with.

      If we are being honest, could we agree that something is not right.

      ADD to that news reports of cannabis whilst driving causing accidents and we get the confirmation that something is altered in our internal physiology when we consume this drug.

      So why do we have lobbying and championing going on when we do know the Truth?

      Would it be more honest to say we are seeking the currency of irresponsibility and our drug of choice is cannabis?

      In other words, we don’t like stuff in our life and we are not going to take Responsibility and deal with it and so we find a substance that takes it away and buries it further down as in Truth, it never goes away.

      The other question we do need to ask at the world AGM for humanity is WHY are kids now taking cannabis?

      Ask me and I will show you real harm where taking it from age 11 has led to serious mental health and I doubt this young man will ever work or be able to contribute to society, as he is on many drugs just to keep his mental ill health stable.

  59. An article in The Times, 20th June 2018, says, ‘Canada to reap $400m marijuana tax’.

    Canada will become the first G7 nation to legalise recreational marijuana which will provide tax windfall of C$400m for the government from a multibillion market.

    The law is due to change in September after the Canadian prime minister said: “A ban was not preventing young people from having easy access to cannabis and that a regulated market would better protect communities and children”.

    In the US, recreational use is legal in nine states and the District of Columbia. Evidence suggest that legalisation has had little impact on the overall use of cannabis. A survey of 16-17 year olds in Washington State, after legalisation, found that the same proportion – 17% – had smoked marijuana in the previous month.

    A joint study between Harvard University and the US consumer protection watchdog found that although there was a link to higher amounts of petty crime such as shoplifting, legalising marijuana may have reduced the abuse of harder narcotics such as cocaine and heroin. Another report from Colorado State University found that the rate of fatal opioid overdoses was 25 per cent lower in marijuana-legal states.

    A study in Pueblo county, Colorado, found that legalisation had contributed $58 million annually to the local economy with about $23 million in costs.

    It has also been attempted to show that there is a saving in terms of reduced prosecutions. In 2010 it was estimated that complete legalisation could save the US justice system $8.7 billion a year.

    This estimate has since been questioned. An analyst at the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau said: “In states that have already legalised cannabis, arrests have dropped significantly, but overall law enforcement spending has remained pretty constant. This suggests that police departments may be shifting their resources to fighting other crime”.

    Marijuana is a proven harmful drug that alters our natural state.

    Why do we think that by legalising a product that up till now has been illegal, that it will suddenly solve all the problems associated with the use of marijuana?

    They say that legalising marijuana has decreased the fatal opioid overdoses by 25 per cent but does that then mean the use of marijuana has now increased?

    Is it possible that, by the legalisation of this potent drug, people that have never thought about taking marijuana before, who now see it is legal and therefore assume it can’t be that bad, will start taking it?

    And if they do, is it possible that this then could lead them onto harder drugs such as cocaine or heroin?

    There of course will be those of us with cynical minds thinking that this is just a money making exercise and that everything will now be rosy, but is it possible that those in authority have made this decision because they are the ones who need this drug?

    What is interesting is that a Canadian senior official has declared that they have smoked a joint ‘5 or 6 times.

  60. Cannabis is now to be sold as a perfume and it is ‘set to become the scent of the summer’.

    Shops claim a cannabis themed scent will give the wearer “an edge of risk”.
    The controversial fragrance retails at £60 for 100ml and describes itself as “an energizing potion of vibrant ginger & burning cannabis”.

    Cannabis has become one of the biggest buzz words in the beauty world with brands and retailers launching ranges infused with the plant extract.

    The claim is that the perfume includes Cannabidiol which is commonly known as CBD, a non-psychoactive compound derived from the cannabis plant.

    If there is no harm and it really is having no effect then WHY would there be any demand for CBD products which are flying off the shelves, as retailers and suppliers keep up with what we want?

    Are we going to find out in years to come the real harmfull effects of cannabis be it CBD or the THC component of this mind altering drug?

    Do we need to re-write the facts and say Marijuana/Cannabis is not for humans. Full stop.
    Saying it is not for human consumption will no longer cut it as we now have perfume.

    If this drug was in any way safe and medicinal as so many now claim, then WHY is the world not united on this.

    WHY are many countries and governments classifying it as an illegal Drug?

    This in itself should confirm quite clearly that SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT.

  61. Independent – 15th July 2018

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/cannabis-decriminalisation-oil-uk-cigarettes-alcohol-bmg-research-poll-a8445631.html

    Public Backs Legislation of Cannabis so it Can be Sold Like Cigarettes and Alcohol, Poll Reveals
    (BMG Research)

    51% of people are in support of cannabis being legalised in UK.

    52% of people support the decriminalisation of cannabis. This means that cannabis would not be available for sale on the market like cigarettes and alcohol, but there would be no prosecution for possession.

    The UK cannabis market is said to be dominated by high potency skunk.
    Study by Kings College London looked at 1,000 police seizures of cannabis.

    94% were high potency skunk, also known as sensemilla. Concerns have been raised that the proliferation of strong cannabis poses a significant risk to users’ mental health.

    One expert says that the market has been dominated by this strong ‘weed’ for the last decade.

    Durham police chief – Mike Barton has said
    “The status quo is not tenable. It’s getting worse. Drugs are getting cheaper, stronger and more readily available and dangerous…”

    A major research study has found that there is a 41% increase in a person’s risk of developing psychosis if they have ever used cannabis.

    Reading this article a few questions arise –

    Is it just ‘strong’ weed that is affecting users’ health?

    Are we relying just on the pieces of research that tell us this without observing for ourselves what is happening to those that are not using the ‘strong’ stuff?

    Why are we not questioning why drugs are getting cheaper, stronger, more readily available and dangerous?

    In light of all of the debate on cannabis for medicinal purposes the UK government are carrying out an investigation to find out whether there are significant medical benefits to the use of cannabis and if this is proven cannabis will be re-classified. It is currently a Class B drug which means imprisonment for up to 5 years for possession.

    I know that with any research if there is any bias it is very easy to find what we are looking for and so how truly objective will this research be and do we need it?

    Surely there is enough evidence staring us in the face to tell us that it is harmfull.

    Is there some kind of vested interest in making cannabis more accessible to people and if so why?

    1. Thank you Shevon for expanding this blog by sharing a news story that brings us up to date with what is going on in the world of cannabis.

      If we just listen to a police chief who obviously sees it all on the front line – “drugs are getting cheaper, stronger and more readily available and dangerous”

      THIS IS SERIOUS
      SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT

      We need to get together all those who have first hand experience working inside the police, prison, social care who are NOT taking any form of mind altering substances including legal poisons like Tobacco and Alcohol. That means they do not have the vibration of drugs on their radar.

      These people who have observed through their work and lived experience – get them talking about what is going on and what they know.

      Then we put the facts together, present this blog and all its comments to educate everyone using every platform we have from street talk, to communities having presentations, in schools everywhere, internet and beyond. Let the media report without any bias – just lay the facts down and see where it goes.

      Go to every single town we have in our country with a booklet taken from this blog called The Real Truth about Marijuana.

      Then and only then can we ask the public is this drug or any drug safe if we are to be honest.

      What we all know is something is not working and our solutions are not cutting it.

      Simple Living Global is on the front foot when it comes to delivering cutting edge well researched articles like this outstanding and monumental blog.

      They have no intention of stopping and have much more to deliver by way of presenting what the public need to be aware of so they can make up their own mind instead of not knowing the whole truth.

      There are currently very few websites in our world dedicated to bringing the Truth to humanity without wanting any return – in other words looking for traffic, more business or more of anything.

      1. What a superb comment Simple Living Global.

        Imagine that – what if we put all of the wisdom together from all of the people who have no legal or illegal substances in their body, plus all of the facts and questions presented throughout this website AND ALL OF THE COMMENTS where would we be, what would we have?

        Is it possible that we would see a way out of this mess?

        Is it possible that when we do not have any poisonous substances in our body we are able to see clearly what is going on around us and what is needed?

        Is it possible that we are then able to understand our own behavioural addictions and then seek to change them?

        What if there is another way to live and that what we have accepted thus far as human life is not it?

  62. https://scienmag.com/uci-awarded-9-million-grant-to-determine-the-long-term-effects-of-cannabis-on-adolescents/

    Science Magazine – 30 July 2018

    A university in California has been awarded $9 million to determine the long-term impact of cannabis exposure on the adolescent brain. The money is coming from NIDA – The National Institute on Drug Abuse, which is part of the NIH – National Institutes of Health.

    “Studies suggest that adolescents who are exposed to cannabis are at risk for development of various neuropsychiatric disorders later in life, but there is much research still needed.

    It is especially important to understand at what times in life and at what dosages cannabis may become dangerous, and to develop preventative and therapeutic strategies to manage this risk.”

    Dear World

    If we just read the facts presented in this simple blog by Simple Living Global – could there be another way?

    What if 9 million dollars was used to educate from early age with the information this blog is presenting, so our kids know the harm when any mind-altering substance is ingested?

    Are our researchers telling us something that our common sense already knows?

    Can we look at all those who have been doing pot in their youth and interview them now and look at how well they are doing in life?

    Can we as a world come to a one-unified truth when it comes to what ‘doing well in life’ is and not have different versions?

    Is it time to use the public purse not to confirm what we know but get to the ROOT CAUSE of why any child, adolescent or young person gets on the cannabis road which for most is a strong addiction?

    Is it time to truly look at our policymakers and government institutions and find out what their addictions are in life so we know if they are substance free?

    In other words we want transparency so we the public know if there is any bias when decisions are being made that affect us on a big scale.

    What if those who are totally free of using any form of drugs, have something to say about cannabis?

    What we do know is that we spend millions on research but negate real life on the street evidence that can give us the answers right now.

    It seems that we value and champion science and all this hard evidence but forget that real life is where it is all happening.

    If we interview those who have lived experience of taking cannabis since their teens and observe the quality in how they live now as young adults, we could learn a lot at very little cost.

    As the author of this blog and website, I can talk from lived experience.
    Using pot since the age of 11 has left this adolescent on anti-psychotic medication indefinitely and the inability to function and engage in life. Building relationships is not possible and he lives with mental health issues that he says are a direct result of taking cannabis.

    There are many many more but this highlights one thing – SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT

    Maybe it is time for us to all consider another way of how we get to knock out the cannabis epidemic that has become as normal as smoking cigarettes in our world.

  63. IOS Press – 21 August 2018

    Largest known Brain Imaging Study of 62,454 Scans Identifies Drivers of Brain Aging
    https://www.iospress.nl/ios_news/largest-brain-study-of-62454-scans-identifies-drivers-of-brain-aging/

    Cannabis use is one disorder that is related to accelerated brain aging.
    Other disorder include Alcohol and Schizophrenia.

    So here we have the evidence that cannabis (also known as marijuana) prematurely ages the brain.

    “The cannabis abuse finding was especially important, as our culture is starting to view marijuana as an innocuous substance. This study should give us pause about it and invite us to rethink its effects on the brain.” Lead author Psychiatrist – Daniel G. Amen

    So are we ready to stop and pause and think about what is being said here?

    WHY are we seeing and thinking that cannabis is not harmfull when this blog presenting the facts is telling us otherwise as are many many studies about this drug?

    Are we in pain and we need the relief and at that moment all else goes off our radar – out of the window, so to speak?

    In other words, we seek a solution to something we are not wanting to feel in our body and we use this recreational drug that is becoming legal in some countries to give us the chill out, checked out and altered state of being that we want.

    If we ask any young cannabis user – would they be interested in how the cerebral blood flow is affected in the brain?
    If we ask the adults using marijuana for recreational purposes, would they care if it meant their brain will be aging at an accelerated rated?

    If we educated children and adults with all the facts and stats as presented in this blog and the numerous comments relating to this topic, would it bring about some change?

    Is it important to allow everyone to get the details and then they can make the choice?

    Are those who casually light up a joint, use pot in their edible ingesting or have the latest product with cannabis inside it, fully aware that this accelerated brain aging prediction is telling us that cannabis abuse is next on the list and right under Schizophrenia?

    Is that enough to set off alarm bells or is our agony and suffering as such that the relief to numb it all is far more a priority to us than considering the harmfull aspects of this mind altering substance?

    How many studies will it take to listen, be honest and admit that something is not right if we think ingesting cannabis in any form is actually good for us, when it clearly is not?

  64. The Guardian – 8 September 2018

    A famous multi billionaire in our world on a live web show smoking pot because he can, as his country has legalised Marijuana.

    He says that he is not a regular smoker of weed because it is not good for productivity.

    The question here is what sort of message are we putting out to the world?

    The photo clearly looks like someone who is not looking anything like himself and is this the confirmation we need to say Cannabis/Marijuana/Weed/Pot – (all the same) alters our natural state?

    So how will people interpret this message about smoking pot?
    Many want to be millionaires and a multi billionaire tells us that is epic proportions that most of us could not even fathom.

    Why would someone with such a vast amount of wealth and fame need a drug that is harmfull?

    If it was amazing, healing and powerful, in a good way, then why would it not be good for productivity?

    Can we agree that something is telling us – this is not all adding up.

    Could it be possible that the real harm is that this message reaches more people, as the medium is a live show which of course has an audience?

    People who want to get rich may consider smoking as their role model is doing so.

    Is it possible we hear what we want to hear and see what we want to see?

    In other words, we will not hear about the bit that says weed is not good for productivity and we will not see the person looking aweful in the photo because it suits us and we do not want the absolute Truth.

    Possible ?

  65. A very topical issue at the moment – the legalisation of cannabis for both medicinal and recreational use. Here are a few articles that I have come across on the money making potential of this burgeoning market –

    CNBC – 27 September 2018

    Marijuana stocks have risen following the reclassification of a cannabis-based drug by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), to its least restrictive category.

    https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/27/pot-stocks-tear-higher-after-dea.html

    Daily Mail – 25 August 2018

    Headline: Can Marijuana Offer a Smoking Return?

    This article gives some insight into the scale of the business across 3 countries –

    UK

    2.1 tonnes – the amount of cannabis shipped abroad in a year from the UK, the world’s largest marijuana exporter

    3.6 million – the estimated number of active cannabis users

    £5.4 BILLION – the estimated size of the UK cannabis black market

    CANADA

    The only G7 country to legalise cannabis both medically and recreationally.
    The market is read as being bigger than the market for wine.

    2001 – the year Canada legalised cannabis for medicinal use

    17 October 2018 – the date it will legalise recreational cannabis use

    £5 billion – the estimated size of the demand for cannabis (both illicit and medical) in 2018

    USA

    More is spent on recreational cannabis than ice-cream

    So why is the marijuana-cannabis industry such big business?

    What is this drug giving us consumers as to why the demand is so high and is coming from people in all walks of life?

    In reading this detailed article by Simple Living Global on Marijuana and this one on Drugs https://simplelivingglobal.com/international-day-against-drug-abuse-illicit-trafficking/ – do they give us an insight into the deeper issues that humanity are struggling with?

    We can continue to profit from the use of this drug – but the question arises – what will be the long term effects – not just financially, but physically and psychologically from using this substance?

    Is it possible that there may be more harm, than true good being done from this current upscale trend in cannabis use and if so, what will be the real ill effects be?

  66. An article in the Daily Mail, 6th October 2018, talks about how serious mental health issues as a result of cannabis use are well established.

    It goes on to say that many of the staff working in mental health and drug addiction have long worried about other effects they have observed in patients.

    A new study from the University of Montreal has shown the damage cannabis can inflict on teenage brains. The drug appears to have a direct affect on the pre-frontal cortex, shrinking a part of the brain involved in memory, mental processing, decision making and, crucially, empathy.

    This will have an obvious effect on the users ability to engage with other’s emotional responses.

    Some scientists have likened the brains of cannabis users and ‘autistic’ brains in this respect.

    Of course, this type of research is routinely dismissed by the pro-cannabis lobby groups, which seek to legalise this harmful drug.

    Many people will say that cannabis is a drug that chills people out and makes them amiable but like alcohol, it may relax some, but in others, it makes them aggressive.

    It seems there is more and more evidence coming out that shows cannabis to be a very harmful drug and it seems this evidence just pushes the pro-lobby groups into further denying the harmful effects even more.

    Of course, drugs like alcohol, will always affect us in different ways, but whether we get chilled out or become raging animals, there is one immutable fact – drugs, like alcohol, alter our natural state of being and when that happens, it is not us that are doing the things we do.

  67. More on Cannabis –

    The Telegraph – 18 September 2018

    South Africa’s Top Court Legalises Personal Cannabis Use

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/09/18/south-africas-top-court-legalises-personal-cannabis-use/

    The top court in South Africa has decided that private, personal cannabis use is legal.

    This decision was made in what is called a landmark case.

    The verdict has been described as unanimous.
    This means that those who made the decision were fully in agreement.

    The judge is said to have declared the banning of marijuana in private for adults as “unconstitutional and therefore invalid”.

    There were cheers from the public gallery as the verdict was read out.

    In addition, the court ordered parliament to draft new laws within 24 months to reflect the order.

    Outside the court, pro-cannabis campaigners were said to have lit pipes and rolled joints to celebrate the news.

    One person is quoted as saying: “Now we can get police to focus on real drugs and thugs”.

    Are we truly evolving?

    I have seen first hand the harm that the use of cannabis can do to a person’s mental, physical and emotional states. I have also witnessed that of all the drug users I have spoken with, cannabis users are the hardest to penetrate. In my experience, it is very difficult to speak with a cannabis user about their use of the drug and the potential harms. It has often felt like a brick wall and it has led me to question – what is it about this drug that makes us so protective of it?

    I have witnessed people be unproductive at work and less able to have meaningful relationships with others if it does not involve cannabis; with a reduced ability to communicate and relate to others, so I question why we would be promoting this?

    Is it really worth it and if we are honest what quality of life is this drug providing for any human being?

    Why has cannabis become so popular, to the point that globally on different levels it is being legalised?

    For top courts to be making these decisions is it showing us that this is what the masses want?

    Is it that we want the unproductiveness at work and poor relationships and so we seek a drug that will lead us to behave in this way?

    I remember speaking with someone once, who said that it was only when he tried giving up cannabis that he realised that he was addicted. Up until that point (and he had been smoking it for decades) he said he was not aware.

    The ever increasing legalisation of cannabis is concerning – what if this article by Simple Living Global is presenting the real facts for anyone that is wanting the real truth about cannabis?

    As one reader I say – thank God it is here online, as we have nothing else giving us a reality check in this area.

  68. Metro News – 30 October 2018

    A vulnerable teenager was driven to a forest and raped by a gang.

    The prosecutor said she was given cannabis and was ‘high as a kite’ during the attack.

    Does this in itself tell us that cannabis is a drug that alters our natural state to the point that we not aware of what is going on in our body that is grossly harmfull – in this case gang rape?

    To give a young teenager this substance would have devastating effects, as the mind and body are still in developmental stage.

    We are hearing more and more stories of young children and young people using cannabis and with countries now legalising this drug, we can only assume things will get worse.

    Whilst there is an age limit for recreational use, could it be possible that as with most drugs those who want it, will find it and take it?

    Could it be possible that if we make the drug widely available and a ‘cool thing to do’ some youngsters will be trying it, in particular if they have siblings or parents smoking pot like it is a normal thing to do?

    Back to the story – we can be sure that cannabis is strong and potent as it allows the body to block the pain of gang rape. Sounds a bit simple but could this actually be true?

  69. On a train today in a busy carriage.

    2 men were playing loud music and rolling a joint.

    The smell of the marijuana was strong. The joint was huge.

    They were doing this in plain sight. Seemingly keen to draw attention to themselves. Confident no one would challenge them.

    It struck me how the act of rolling a joint still feels illicit.

    There is still something about it that we know is ‘off’. It may happen more out in the open, but it is something that people going about their daily lives do not often come across or think about.

    You could feel the discomfort in the carriage, but it was clear no one knew what to do about it, other than ignore it and pretend it was not happening.

    It feels like this is a big part of why we end up with problems in society – feeling uncomfortable, but politely letting things pass by.

  70. Cannabidiol (CBD) infused products are the latest trends with the shift moving away from supplements to food and drink.

    CBD infused sparkling water, empanadas (Spanish/Latin pastry), pizzas, cookies, lattes, chocolates the list goes on.

    Everyday there seems to be new products.

    Whilst CBD is being hailed as being able to treat anxiety and the symptoms of physical ailments the question arises – Where is our Responsibility?

    What if we started to ask why we have anxiety or physical health problems?

    What if as a society we choose to ask the WHY question as our baseline for dealing with illness and disease well before we seek any products?

    Are we only seeing this influx of CBD infused products because as a society we are only interested in the quick fix and a fast way to take away our pain, without getting to the root cause?

    Are these products simply in abundant supply because we the consumer are demanding it?

  71. USA Today – 22 January 2019

    https://eu.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/01/22/marijuana-mental-health-schizophrenia-risks-tell-teens-column/2596052002/

    Marni Chanoff psychiatrist on the Faculty at Harvard Medical School and MacLean Hospital writes –

    Marijuana is now legal for medicinal use in 33 states in the USA and recreational use in 10 states.

    Increasingly there are more and more potent forms of cannabis that is becoming more widely accessible and fewer adults are considering marijuana problematic.

    Recently 15% of 12 – 17 year olds reported using marijuana.
    Approximately 1.6 million adolescents used marijuana in the past month.

    For anyone with a family history of severe mental illness, long term or heavy use of cannabis is also associated with increased chances of developing schizophrenia.

    Research shows that initial psychotic episodes can occur two to six years earlier in people who use cannabis daily, particularly among high potency users.

    Marni writes – Marijuana needs warning labels like tobacco for associated mental, physical health risks.

    She speaks of how important it is for parents to speak with their children about family history of mental illness and the increased risks when using cannabis.

    Whilst this is important, what if all adults talking to children about drugs and the harmfull effects, regardless of whether there is a family history of mental illness is of equal value?

    What if we are all susceptible to the harms of marijuana use?

    What if all of this legalisation that we are doing is causing more harm than good, as in essence we are legalising a drug and saying that it is safe to take, when research lets us know it is not?

    I have seen in both a professional and a personal capacity many people under the influence of cannabis and I can honestly say that their behaviour is not that of someone who is sound and stable, with many zonked out, hardly able to hold a conversation, with a total lack of presence, often distracted and without the ability to focus. There is no vibrancy, vitality, sharpness and alertness with marijuana users.

    What if we started to go deeper to ask what is it that our children are missing that makes them go for marijuana or any kind of drug that alters their natural state?

    Have we stopped to ask – WHY altering our natural state has become so appealing?

  72. I was reading today about anger management workouts a new thing just out using sledgehammers and baseball bats.

    What I got thinking about was a guy who used pot daily to ‘chill-lax’ after working hard in the building and decorating world.

    I was friends with his partner and this young man was what most of us would call ‘lovely’.

    But I got to see another side and it scared me at the time, which was well over ten years ago. He just happened to be doing work at the place where I was working for the day and his movements reminded me of a sledgehammer being used to vent some deep anger and it was then coming through his mouth and it left me shaking.

    I told my friend could it be the marijuana that is doing this to him and of course I was totally and utterly dismissed for even thinking such a thing.

    But today I can’t help but ask myself how much does smoking pot alter our natural state of being and where does it end up showing in our lives.

    My time in and out of prison running programmes for offenders, I got to meet a lot of pot smokers. In each one I could literally see the anger and the cover up of hurts.

    It was clear as day to me and one day I would love to be in a position to carry out a study to confirm what I know is true.

    Before we judge those who ingest cannabis we need to be asking some serious questions and this blog gives us a head start on those much needed questions.

    Simple Living Global are on the front foot – they are holding steady and delivering non stop about much needed topics like Marijuana.
    Add to that all the daily regular comments and we have a website for the world, one day when they are ready for the absolute Truth.

  73. The Telegraph – 13 February 2018

    40% risk of depression in adulthood for teenagers who smoke cannabis.

    A landmark study examined 11 major studies involving more than 23,000 individuals from adolescence until their 30s.

    The study by researchers from University of Oxford and McGill University in Canada is the largest meta-analysis in the field.

    37% higher risk of depression between ages 18 and 32 for those who tried cannabis in their teens and more than 3 times the risk of attempting suicide.

    Professor Andrea Cipriani from Oxford University said “It’s a big public health and mental health problem.”
    He also goes on to say “Regular use during adolescence is associated with lower achievement at school, addiction psychosis and neuropsychological decline.”

    Fellow researcher Dr Gabriella Gobbi from McGill University said teenagers often thought cannabis was safe because it was derived from plants.
    “Today, it is not the 1980s and 1990s when THC was about 3% in joints.
    Now we have 10% 20% 30% and even more per cent and adolescents must be aware of this.”

    How serious is this and what are we all going to do, knowing that these are our future adult generations?

    Do we really need to continue with animal studies, which suggest a link between exposure to cannabinoids, which is the active component in cannabis and the onset of depressive symptoms in adulthood?

    Can real life anecdotal evidence be the way forward?
    How about we simply open our eyes, observe what is going on in our neighbourhood, get real, super honest and use that common sense we seem to have but forget to use?

    Add to that we all start talking and sharing what we have clocked on the streets, with neighbours, in our communities, around schools and colleges, at dinner parties, work and on the public transport that we use everyday.

    What would we see that could offer real life science, which cannot be negated for research purposes?

    Would this mean that our animals would be left alone to have their own life and evolutionary path, instead of being subjected to substance abuse in trials inside closed conditions that we call labs?

    Back to common sense – we all know that exposing a teenager to cannabis is going to affect the developing brain.

    This blog spells it out clearly that cannabis | pot | marijuana and all the other names we give it, alters our natural state of being. What if we just leave it at that simple immutable fact.

    The key questions in all of this are –
    WHY are our kids using a substance like cannabis?
    What is going on in their minds and in their lives that we need to know?
    How are we parenting and raising our children and where is our Responsibility?

    Next – can we agree that solutions like band aids to a bullet wound will not work as this big issue is escalating faster than we can discuss it, right under our nose?

    In this news story, a father of two teenagers is suggesting the importance of education and prevention programmes.

    Reflecting on just this one comment, it is high time we started with real education.

    Simple Living Global are world leaders now researching and informing the general public what there is to know and be aware of with topics that matter, like this one.

    A quick search on the Internet “THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT MARIJUANA” and one will find Simple Living Global as the number one in the world.
    This ranking has come from hard work and consistency in reporting the truth and not wavering or deviating from the facts we know and reporting by way of regular comments, so that we can bring more awareness.

    We are not interested in employing any organisation to keep us at the top page of google as we have no agenda.

    Just report the truth – nothing more and nothing less.

    On that note –
    Can Simple Living Global be the real education parents are seeking for themselves and can this blog alone and the author be presenters of programmes needed in the future, that deliver the truth with the stats, facts and questions asking participants to consider deeply on what is being presented?

    Could this simple, cost effective way support to reduce cannabis use in our adolescents, while we wait for more and more research and the government and policymakers to get on the front foot?

  74. A new health shop just opened locally and there are things there that I like and I am always interested in what they sell.

    I also learn as I know what they supply comes directly from what the demand is.

    The owner told us there was hummus half price as the date is coming up and then he said we could have it even cheaper.

    Firstly, I would never buy hummus coming to end of sell by date, simply because the stuff goes off so quick.

    Second – I saw hemp hummus and thought no thanks. Then I saw CBD hummus.

    What next – is there any area that we are not getting creative with when it comes to adding cannabis?

    I found it interesting that it is simply not selling hence the half price offer.

    My main concern is that there are many who would pick up hummus or think it’s a new thing to try with green plants as pictures and it’s sold in a health store so it must be “healthy”.

    Many healthy busy mums give hummus and carrot sticks to their young children.
    Mothers are busy and not reading the detail and it’s on offer, so they buy it.

    Have we thought about that and what effect this may have?
    Will we wait for a law suit or some big news story to alert us of this?

    I am not an alarmist but a real earthy citizen in this world that holds a deep integrity and feels a responsibility when it comes to human health.

    Absolutely nothing will stop me from expressing the real truth about Marijuana even if the whole world and its brothers are championing it and legalising it wherever they can.

    This blog is a tablet of truth that is well worth reading over and over again.

    I have no doubt scholars of the future will one day study this and know that the real truth about this mind altering drug was out there on the Internet medium we currently call ‘online’.

  75. Daily Mail – 29 January 2019
    p.13

    Take Trendy ‘Cannabis Oil’ Off the Shelves, Say Watchdogs

    Watchdogs are moving to ban sales of the popular ‘wellness’ supplement CBD oil, which is derived from cannabis.

    The number of people using the oil, which is sold legally on the High Street and online is rising amid claims it helps with anxiety, insomnia, muscle and joint pain.

    However, a decision by British and European food watchdogs to classify cannabinoid oil as a ‘novel food’ means it now needs to go through an approval process?

    UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) has indicated that it will ask local council trading standards officers to remove products from sale until this approval process is complete, which could take 12 – 18 months.

    Under the new system sellers would have to show that the oil, which can be taken in capsule form or by pipette, is safe and has the effect claimed. The oil ranges in price from £25 – £70 and is sold at leading retailers.

    A product is defined as a novel food if it cannot be shown to have been in long term and safe use before 1997.

    This is the first time that I have heard that CBD oil is referred to as a wellness supplement?

    What could be wellness producing from anything derived from cannabis?

    Why are we trying all sorts of ways to get this drug to be accepted?

    Is reclassifying it as a ‘novel food’ the answer?

    Why do we not want to call out anything deriving from the cannabis plant as the harmful product that it is?

    Why is it that we are in such denial when it comes to this drug?

    Who does it serve and what can we do?

    Articles like this one by Simple Living Global are well needed in our world today in order to bring more awareness to humanity, that CBD oil and any derivative from cannabis may not actually be producing the health-giving qualities that we believe they do.

  76. CBD oil for pets – new product lines in development to help reduce stress and anxiety.

    So the question arises – how is it that pets develop stress and anxiety?

    They do not have the responsibilities of human life of work and paying bills that many of us cite as a reason that we feel stressed, so how is it possible that pets can experience stress and anxiety?

    Is it possible that there is something about human life that we are transferring onto our pets?

    Is it possible that the stress and anxiety that we live with is ill affecting our animals?

    Are we then interfering with their natural evolution and then we look for solutions by giving them products to quell the human symptoms?

    Is there a responsibility that we have to not get sick through an ill way of living, so that our pets are not then harmed?

    Is it possible that the symptoms that they experience have a root cause that we have a hand in, which we are choosing to be blind to?

  77. Talking to a lady this week who was sharing how much ‘CBD gummies’ help her.

    She said they take the edge off life and off her anxiety.

    She said they are not marijuana because they come from a non-active part of the plant.

    She has them every day and since she has been taking them she has found life much more manageable. Things don’t get on top of her so much.

    She is getting her mother on to them too.

    We talked about this concept of ‘active’ and ‘non-active’ parts of a single plant and whether that makes sense. And we talked about the aspects of life she found hard and about the anxiety. What was at the root of that.

    It struck me that so many people suffer from anxiety and find life challenging. If they don’t feel equipped to deal with that and/or they have no support, is it any surprise people turn to drugs of one kind or another? Anything to help them get through.

    Or if the drugs present a seeming short route to wellbeing, would it not be tempting to go that way – quick fix, job done, on we go.

    I always question shortcuts. Can they really work or are they just delaying the real work that needs to be done?

    It strikes me that what is needed here is some proper root cause analysis. Some true human review.

    Why do we have anxiety levels off the chart?

    Is anxiety a key reason people turn to marijuana?

    What support do people really need with anxiety?

    If we have that discussion and study people who are living without anxiety, won’t we learn something that massive swathes of humanity sorely needs?

    And then we can review our product choices accordingly.

    Maybe we would find drug consumption drops off a cliff and conversation and community support go through the roof.

  78. The Telegraph – 19 March 2019

    Medicinal Cannabis Has Opened a Pandora’s Box, Chief Medical Officer Says

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/03/19/medicinal-cannabis-has-opened-pandoras-box-chief-medical-officer/

    Dame Sally Davies told MPs that despite being recently legalised for medical use, there is currently insufficient evidence to prove the products are both safe and productive.

    She also expressed concerns about the safety of the drugs for some patients, warning that until widespread trials have been completed, medicinal cannabis should only be prescribed as a “last resort”.

    Despite the change in law in the UK, which came into effect on 1st November 2018, making it legal for specialist doctors to prescribe the drug, there has been widespread refusal to prescribe medicinal cannabis by NHS doctors. Dame Sally said that many doctors were reluctant to hand out medicinal cannabis until evidence through clinical trials emerged.

    Have we stopped to ask whether we need anymore evidence ?

    Does this response from The Chief Medical Officer, not confirm what has been said previously, that this drug is not good for our well-being as we are being sold?

    What part of us wants to believe that medicinal cannabis being good for us is true?

    Dame Sally goes onto say that we have opened a Pandora’s box with this and that THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) has an impact on the brain and causes depression, schizophrenia and brain development problems in youth and adolescents.

    Important to take note of the fact that – The Chief Medical Officer is talking about THC at the same time as she is speaking about medicinal cannabis. THC has been deemed to be the very aspect of the cannabis plant, that gets us high. So why would we want to prescribe this to someone who is sick?

    And what about this Pandora’s box – what does this mean?

    A quick Google search reveals that Pandora’s box means ‘a process that once begun generates many complicated problems’.

    https://www.google.com/search?q=pandora%27s+box+meaning&oq=pandora%27s+box+mean&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l5.10388j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

    Can we really say under any circumstances that it is legally safe to take and prescribe this drug?

  79. The Guardian – 19 March 2019

    https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/mar/19/high-strength-cannabis-increases-risk-of-mental-health-problems

    Frequent cannabis use and high strength varieties like skunk are likely to increase the chance of mental health problems among users, according to researchers behind the largest study of its kind.

    Experts have previously flagged a link between cannabis use and psychosis, particularly among vulnerable people with heavy use of the drug. Now research suggests the potency of the cannabis is also important, with patterns in cannabis use linked to how often new cases of psychotic disorders arise in cities.

    The researchers found that 30% of first time cases of psychotic disorders in South London and half of those in Amsterdam could be avoided if high potency cannabis was not available. The team said that would equate to 60 fewer cases per year in South London.

    This is a significant figure.

    Data from 2018 revealed that 94% of police seizures in UK of cannabis were of the high strength variety.

    The biggest link between daily cannabis use and having a psychotic disorder was in Amsterdam, where the chances were 7 times higher than those who had never used the drug: almost all cannabis sold in “coffee shops” in Amsterdam is high strength.

    Incidences of psychosis were higher in Amsterdam than most other locations studied, with only South London surpassing it.

    So this is a drug that has just been legalised for medicinal use – is this wise given the report above?

    Why do we have higher strength varieties that are now in large supply?

    Is it the users that are asking for this and if so why is it needed?

    Increasingly we have more and more reports about the harm caused by cannabis but are we willing and ready to listen?

    Do we need to rely on expert opinion when many people have been saying the same through actually seeing people lose themselves through smoking cannabis?

    Why is the real life in our face examples not enough?

    Whilst this research is valuable confirmation for those of us who need this type of hard evidence – do we need to spend our time money and resources on anymore research studies to confirm what we already know?

    Are we willing to settle with the fact that it is just high strength cannabis that is an issue or are we wiling to see the impact of any strength of this drug that is used?

    Cannabis is a seriously harmfull drug with devastating effects to the user, those that know them and society at large.

    Will we continue to advocate for this drug or start to question why we use it and why higher strength varieties are being called for?

  80. Global News – 28 March 2019

    https://globalnews.ca/news/5096541/marijuana-cannabis-edibles-canada/

    In Canada, cannabis edibles will be legalised for recreational sale no later than 17 October 2019.

    The edibles industry in USA and Canada is set to reach $4.1 billion by 2022.

    Have we stopped to ask questions about this or do we just accept this trend of legalisation as normal?

    Are we really mitigating the risks from marijuana by saying that cannabis edibles are not to contain alcohol; they must have limited caffeine and that they must come in plain, child resistant packaging?

    Do we truly stop any harm by saying they must not be appealing to youth and the packaging cannot advertise dessert or confectionery flavours?

    Are these actions really going to be deterrents?

    People who are heavy consumers of THC (the active part of the Marijuana plant that is said to get us high; it is the psychoactive ingredient) and like to ingest it can consume hundreds if not thousands of milligrams of THC in a day.

    Is it true that this drug is less harmful if we take the recommendations of ‘moderate use’?

    Have we ever questioned why we are still trying to prove that this drug is not harmful?

    What is this whole move towards legalising Marijuana really about and who stands to gain?

  81. In the Wellbeing section of the daily newspaper today on the train, I was reading about a new style of gym stretching classes. CBD patches to increase efficiency of the exercises.

    HELLO

    Just because this has now been approved by the US sports competitions bodies, where many states have approved cannabis for recreational use, can we go with that and get the masses on board?

    Note – the UK still views cannabis as illegal and there are many scientists and the government saying there is not yet enough research to confirm if it is safe for human consumption.

    We have a captive audience as we love what our eyes see so when we advertise this with two women who clearly look like they are having an orgasm, it is going to pull in those who want that relief.

    Why not we could say, when life is dishing out so much stress and ugly crazy stuff daily.

    But what if we need to consider WHY we want a patch that contains something inside that numbs our pain and thus allows us to override that factor by giving us the relief we seek?

    What if we got really honest?
    Are we ready for the stats and the facts or do we just want the next thing to push our bodies which are in pain?

    CBD is the latest trend and its in everything now and not just edibles.

    A wise move would be to ask questions as we have a world that is divided when it comes to this topic.

    We do not yet have a one-unified truth about cannabis and the effects of cannabis in any form and that includes CBD.

    If read this blog and the 100+ comments, we could be open to the possibilities that this substance in any form does alter our natural state of being.

    Next – if we done our own research through observation, common sense and a discerning mind, we could learn that people who ingest cannabis in any form are telling us SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT in their life, which leads to the choice of taking a mind altering substance.

    We can find different names or a plethora of good relief names of what this wonder drug can do in its various forms but the bottom line is – this is a drug and all drugs by design have side effects for the human frame. We just cannot get away from that immutable fact.

  82. Business Insider – 13 April 2019

    A mysterious condition makes marijuana users violently ill and it reveals a hidden downside to the drug’s popularity

    https://www.businessinsider.com/marijuana-syndrome-vomiting-nausea-symptoms-do-i-have-chs-2019-4?r=US&IR=T

    Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) is a syndrome affecting frequent marijuana users with symptoms of severe nausea and repeated vomiting. A tendency to use extremely hot baths and showers for relief of the symptoms also goes with the condition. For as long as the water remains scalding, the pain and nausea from CHS subsides.

    Apart from this lIttle is known about the CHS.

    The disease was identified in early 2000s and initially believed to be rare, CHS has increasingly cropped up in medical journals and emergency rooms around the world, there is no known cure and the only lasting treatment is quitting cannabis/marijuana completely.

    With more states legalising cannabis and research showing that more adults are using cannabis in recent years this is of great concern.

    The article continued with ‘most say they’ve consumed cannabis several times a day for between 2 years and up to multiple decades. They describe a condition that appears suddenly and without warning, sometimes hours after marijuana consumption. For people who have been using marijuana for years, it’s as if a switch gets flipped. After the first occurrence, every time someone with CHS uses cannabis, they risk becoming violently ill. Using pesticide free marijuana, edibles, concentrates, CBD-only products or vape pens don’t make a difference.’

    CHS causes flare-ups that are difficult to predict, patients can sometimes go weeks with no symptoms and then suddenly suffer a particularly bad bout.

    Complications range from mild to severe with problems such as infections, kidney failure and significant weight loss.

    If left untreated CHS can be deadly.

    One man shared that what struck him about the condition was the feeling that he urgently needed to rid his body of something such as a toxin.

    “You feel like your insides want to come out – like your trying to push something out” he said

    Are we really wise to champion marijuana as any kind of healing agent or super-drug having read the above?

    Is the sharing from this man revealing?

    Could this be telling us more about marijuana – that it is a toxin that the body does not want and that the sickness is related to our bodies wanting to clear itself of the toxins?

    Is it possible that our bodies can only take so much abuse and misuse and so it has to show us in the form of a debilitating illness what we have done to ourselves?

    Does this drug really have healing benefits as we want to believe or will we still say that consumption in moderation is acceptable?

    Is taking marijuana for our pain now causing secondary complications?

    How many more diseases will we become aware of in the coming years that are related to marijuana use?

    Is it possible that we may see even more diseases in the times to come with the new off-shoot called CBD?

    Will there be severe consequences to pay in our overall health and well-being from taking this drug – consequences we cannot yet imagine?

    Do we need to be taking this much more seriously – upping our education and willingness to understand what this drug really does to us when we consume it and why we use it in the first place?

    Is there much much more for us all to understand about marijuana and why it has become so popular?

  83. Business Insider – 1st May 2019

    People Who Use Marijuana May Need More Sedation Medication for Surgery.

    https://www.businessinsider.my/does-marijuana-affect-sedation-medication-for-surgery-2019-4/
    According to a new study, people who regularly use marijuana could need higher levels of sedation medication before surgery.

    If a person is given too much sedation medication, it could cause their blood pressure to drop or make them unable to breathe on their own.

    Researchers believe cannabis may potentially de-sensitize certain receptors in the body that affect how sedatives are processed.

    Regular marijuana use could affect a person’s ability to stay sedated during surgical procedures that require anaesthesia.

    In a study of 250 people, researchers found that those who reported regular marijuana use either with smoking or edibles needed more medication to remain sedated during medical procedures. 25 of the records reviewed came from people who said they used marijuana regularly and 225 of the records came from people who did not report regular use.

    The researchers found that people who used marijuana daily or weekly needed 14% more fentanyl, 19.6% more midazolam and 220.5% more propofol (all medications that are used for sedation) for the full length of their procedures, than their counterparts who didn’t use as much marijuana.

    The lead study author stated that regular marijuana users don’t have to worry about waking up during procedures, since doctors can give them more medication in order to stay sedated, but he did warn of the risks associated with increased doses of these drugs.

    He said: “The real risk is suppressing the respiration and shutting off someone’s breathing.”

    When a person is sedated during surgery, they are typically able to still breathe on their own since they are still conscious. The more sedation medication a person receives, however, it could affect their ability to remain conscious and breathe independently of a respirator device.

    According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), if a person needs a respirator during a procedure, it increases their risks of developing pneumonia, lung infection and lung damage.

    Large amounts of sedation medication could also cause a person’s blood pressure to spike, or make it more difficult to wake up following the procedure.

    Doesn’t it make sense that if we consume marijuana, which is known to be a sedative, our bodies will become accustomed to being sedated and when we need that extra sedation (as in surgery), the normal amount of sedation will not have the same efficacy?

    Is it possible that, the fact that regular users of marijuana need more medication to keep them sedated, shows that marijuana has an adverse effect on us?

    Is it possible that, if any more proof were needed that marijuana is harm-full to us, here it is?

    We can champion the use of marijuana as being recreational or medical, but what does it say about us who knowingly and willingly put a substance in to our bodies, that takes us away from our natural state?

    Is there a responsibility on our part to ensure, we go into surgery knowing we will provide the hospital staff with no added complications and to make their job as easy as possible?

  84. Metro News – 28 August 2019

    https://www.metro.news/the-singing-detectorists-spiked-cannabis-cake-puts-13-in-hospital/1691670/

    During a birthday event, a chocolate cake had been laced with cannabis and 13 people needed hospital treatment.

    We can leave it at “random lunacy” “an irresponsible, poorly thought through joke” or we can express more?

    Simple Living Global are world leaders when it comes to The Real Truth about Marijuana, which is simply another name for Cannabis.

    Reading this blog and the numerous comments added, it will leave the reader in no doubt about the harmfull effects of this mind altering drug.
    If we need more proof – this short news story is confirmation.

    The fact that 13 people ended up in hospital because of cannabis ingested, albeit without their knowledge, speaks volumes.

    We can laugh it off or simply accept it as a prank, talk about it down the pub and move on, OR we can start with saying SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT.

    Some would say the person who actually put the poison in the cake is the one who is accountable as it was done with intent. So they get the consequences and in this case some would say it is his/her karma.

    But let us question this further dear reader –
    If another form of poison was in the cake, there would have been news headlines, someone arrested, taken to court and possibly a jail sentence. But it is cannabis and that means it’s ok as most of us turn a blind eye to these so called recreational drugs.

    Have we just introduced a form of reductionism here?

    Are we not seeing it for the huge big fat sign that it is?

    Are we having different standards – so whilst cannabis is a poison for whatever reason we simply don’t call it for what it is and so this type of behaviour continues as us, the masses allow it?

    Next question dear reader –
    What about the knock on effect – have we even stopped long enough on this news story to think about it?

    Our health systems are overworked and in debt – how has this one incident added to the burden?

    Can we call it a small incident if we are using up our hospital resources to treat 13 people when that time and energy from the medical world could be spent where it is needed?

    If no one is called to account, we can be certain there will be no change.

    What we can be assured of is that there will be more of this type of stuff happening as no one is standing up and saying this is unacceptable and we have to stop it.

    We have created our world as it is today and each of us has a Responsibility through the choices we make and how we live to evolve or continue to delay our evolution on this plane of life.

  85. Evening Standard – 28 August 2019

    300kg of cannabis was found inside a coffin when police stopped a hearse in routine traffic in the Santander region of Columbia.

    Before cartels turned to cocaine, Columbia was a major producer of marijuana.

    This news story confirms that cannabis is well and truly going on under the radar and our suppliers seem to be a step ahead with their ideas of how to transport this illegal drug.

    As always, we have to look at the supply and demand, before we say anything else.
    If there was not a demand then the suppliers would be out of business pronto. The End.

    We are the ones who need our mind-altering drugs and that is the demand.

    Until we get to this understanding, no amount of catching the criminals who supply it will stop, because they will simply find another way.

    This has been going on for years and years and what we all know is the demand is now higher than ever before.

    So are we really surprised that a coffin has drugs hidden, as chances are we are not going to be looking in there.

    Now cocaine has taken over so it would be wise to ask WHY?

    Is it possible that the effects of marijuana are no longer strong enough and we need a bigger poison to alter our natural state and cocaine happens to fit the bill for now?

    The war on drugs has not worked and will not work.
    This blog and all the comments posted thereafter gives us further insight into WHY.

  86. Daily Mail – 28th September 2019

    Vets Warn on Cannabis ‘Cures’ for Poorly Pets.

    Pet owners are being sold cannabis based treatments that claim to cure conditions from cancer and arthritis to anxiety in animals.

    Veterinary experts have warned there is insufficient ‘robust evidence’ to prove they are effective and now the Government has written to dozens of manufacturers and retailers of cannabidiol (CBD) for pets, warning them against making bogus medical claims.

    CBD has become trendy among people in the past year, often sold in the form of liquid drops and claimed by fans to help with conditions such as pain and insomnia. It is legal provided it is sold as a food supplement but requires authorisation if offered as a medicine.

    Despite this, medicinal CBD pet products on sale to British owners have proliferated online. One site, which has a range of CBD oils for animals including cats, rabbits and hamsters and sells from £20 says: “Like many conventional pharmaceutical drugs, CBD can be used to relieve symptoms including anxieties, allergies, inflammation and arthritis.”

    Another site for UK pet owners says: “CBD is known to have a positive effect on conditions like severe and chronic pain, feminine issues, headaches, stomach issues, anxiety, sleep issues, loss of appetite, cancer, skin issues and hair issues.”

    The site says it does not consider its CBD oil for pets to be veterinary medicinal products.

    A third website sells gluten free CBD dog biscuits containing turmeric and coconut oil for £39.95.

    The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD which is part of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), said: “There are currently no CBD based products that have been granted a UK veterinary marketing authorisation.”

    To anyone that uses marijuana for medical purposes and champions the use of it to alleviate our symptoms, is it possible that our bodies are telling us that something is wrong and all we are doing is using this drug to temporarily fix something rather than looking at the root cause of what is ailing us?

    It’s one thing for a so called ‘intelligent’ human being to choose to take a well-known harm-full drug to alleviate pain, suffering, anxiety etc. but giving it to animals who can’t choose, is without doubt one of the most ridiculous things I have heard.

    The manufacturers and retailers will not be the ones to target here, their interest is only the balance sheet and how much profit they can make. It is us, the pet owners, that must take full responsibility in this case.

    Without doubt, these manufacturers and retailers are going to promote this to the enth degree, even without medical authorisation, because CBD may well have some of the effects that they have stated but at what cost?

    It is well known that marijuana alters our natural state and has a negative affect on the human body.

    What affect is marijuana having on animals?

    Like any other drug, the risk of addiction is very high.

    Is it possible that we are going to see an in influx of people bringing their pets to the vet for addiction issues?

  87. The Times – 1st October 2019

    Why Athletes Think it’s High Time They’re Put Out to Grass.

    Exercise fanatics believe that they have found the missing ingredient in the pursuit of physical perfection: Marijuana

    The acceptance of using marijuana is becoming increasingly mainstream as the recreational use of marijuana is legal in 11 US states and across the whole of Canada.

    Present and former elite athletes and amateur gym goers are embracing cannabis products to help to speed recovery from workouts, ease pain and counter boredom.

    A trainer, model and licensed nutritionist who estimates that 5% of her daily calorie intake is cannabis cookies says: “My body is a well tuned machine. I would never do something destructive.”

    The World Anti Doping Agency (WADA), acknowledges that cannabis can “cause muscle relaxation and reduce pain during post workout recovery” as well as decrease anxiety and tension, which is why marijuana is on its list of banned substances for athletes competing in international competitions such as the Olympics.

    Researchers at Harvard University have shown that smoking marijuana carries health risks, including a raised heart rate. Yet numerous retired stars say that cannabis use is widespread in America. A well known sportsman who won a basketball championship said, “All my best games, I was medicated.”

    For some amateurs though, combining cannabis with exercise can be counter-productive. A gym user overdid his consumption at the gym and forgot to exercise!!

    This may be a subject for another discussion but is it possible that the fact that we need something to speed our recovery from workouts and pain is telling us that we are pushing ourselves too much in the first place?

    If we take marijuana before a workout session, is it possible that we are not going to feel the full effects that this workout is having on our body, because we are so checked out by consuming this drug we have no idea when our bodies are saying enough is enough?

    And likewise, is it possible that if we take marijuana after a workout, we will never get to know what our bodies are telling us because we are numbed out?

    Is it possible that those who champion the use of this drug, are those that use and need marijuana just to get through the day?

    Although there are some places where marijuana is legal, why is the majority of the world still saying marijuana is illegal?

    Marijuana is an addictive toxic drug and alters our natural state.

    If something is said by someone that champions the use of this very harm-full drug, is it possible that whatever is said, it cannot be the truth?

  88. A famous rap artist was in the newspapers for celebrating his birthday in trademark style and receiving a bouquet of almost 50 cannabis joints from a cannabis floral designer.

    Did we all know that this exists – a designer bouquet packed with cannabis joints?

    This singer employs an assistant whose only job is to prepare his marijuana joints.
    It is a big salary to simply roll and light his spliffs.

    We now have a growing body of research saying that marijuana may not be healing or have any medicinal benefit but yet we have many states in the United States taking a different view.

    We have famous artists and celebrities openly endorsing it and we buy their music so what does that tell us?

    What and who are we actually listening to?

    On the note of listening – what happens to our own inner voice when we consume a mind altering substance called marijuana?

    Many of us dare not to admit what we feel about this drug because there could be a backlash from those who champion and advocate this stuff, but the question that remains unanswered is – If marijuana was medicine and it worked, then how come we as a world are all not united and unified and in agreement?

    Even if one person, one company or organisation does not agree, then we cannot and will not get to a one unified truth.

    Simple Living Global is sticking their head out of the parapet and hanging out there saying SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT.

    We only have to read what this article is presenting with the facts and talk to those who are addicted to this mind-altering drug, to know it is not designed for human consumption because our body tells us so.

    We can create anything we want in this world and so far we are going for it with all the edibles and products now available with cannabis inside it.

    What we need to be asking is why has it got to this point and how?

    When famous people reflect to us it is ok to take marijuana as they do it everyday, we buy that and never bother to question why or what that is all about. We blindly follow and we fit in as the masses are all doing the same.

    Do we need to ask – At what cost?
    And further down the road, will we need to ask – Was it worth it?
    Both the above questions would need a big dose of medicine first called HONESTY.

  89. The Week – 29th October 2019

    https://www.theweek.co.uk/104024/medicinal-cannabis-does-not-help-depression-and-anxiety

    Medicinal Cannabis ‘Does Not Help Depression and Anxiety’.

    New research suggests the use of the drug can worsen psychotic conditions and cannot be justified because there is little evidence that it works or is safe.

    The authors of the report analysed the results of a total of 83 trials dating back 40 years into the effects of medicinal cannabinoids on patients with conditions including depression, anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Tourette syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psychosis.

    The researchers concluded that evidence of a positive effect was rare and THC, one of the derivatives of cannabis, was found to make people with psychosis worse.

    They say, “A large body of research suggest that cannabis use can increase the occurrence of depression, anxiety and psychotic symptom. Further high-quality studies directly examining the effect of cannabinoids on treating mental disorders are needed.”

    This news comes as marijuana is becoming more mainstream than it has ever been, with many US states and the whole of Canada legalising marijuana for medicinal and recreational use and that THC is being used in a variety of products from vaping, food, beauty products, dog food, and water.

    A professor at Yale University School of Medicine argues that, “in light of the paucity of evidence, the absence of good quality evidence for efficacy, and the known risk of cannabinoids, their use as treatments for psychiatric disorders cannot be justified at present.”

    Earlier this year, new research connected marijuana use among teenagers to depression and suicide in early adulthood. Researchers found that “the odds of attempting suicide were almost 3.5 times worse among those who used cannabis before the age of 18 than those who did not.”

    Here we have more research saying that marijuana is no good for us but will we listen to this, or will we carry on regardless?

    Marijuana is arguably the most harm-full drug we can consume.

    It has been legalised for medicinal and recreational purposes in many places around the world and, for many, the legalisation makes it acceptable to use irrespective of what evidence is produced to the contrary.

    Like all drugs, marijuana takes us away from our natural state.

    Medicinal drugs have been approved though a rigorous testing system for human consumption and these drugs are decreed by everyone in authority as being safe.

    Drugs that have not been decreed safe are therefore made illegal to manufacture, sell and consume.

    Most of the world still sees marijuana as being an illegal drug so why are we not all in agreement here?

    Why are certain areas allowed to legalise this drug?

    How much more research is needed before those in authority take notice of the overwhelming evidence that marijuana is a very insidious harm-full drug?

  90. The Guardian – 16th November 2019

    Britons Barred from US for Smoking Marijuana in States Where it is Legal
    https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/nov/15/britons-who-legally-smoke-cannabis-in-the-us-risk-being-deported

    A legal expert at one of the largest immigration firms has warned British tourists if they smoke marijuana in US states where it has been legalised, they risk being barred from the country for life.

    UK visitors would still be arrested and deported from the US even if they consumed cannabis in states where the drug is legal.

    There has been an upsurge in cases where British holidaymakers and green card holders – people who have been granted authorisation to live and work in the US on a permanent basis – were being expelled or denied entry because of cannabis consumption in states where cannabis is legal.

    The legal expert gave an example of Americans at a party in a US state that has legalised cannabis who were caught smoking it by the police but could not be prosecuted, whereas British and other foreign tourists at the same party would be arrested, deported and branded as unfit to re-enter the US.

    A growing number of states have legalised cannabis. Despite that change, under federal legislation the drug remains illegal.

    The expert said: “Even if you are a foreigner in a state where it’s legal, it’s still illegal for you federally. If, for example, you buy cannabis from a legal dispensary and that dispensary asks you for your passport details for ID, that information might be discoverable. It could then trigger, as can admission of drug taking, immigration issues, because immigration is covered by federal law, not state law.”

    Even investors in, or shareholders of firms that supply equipment for legal cannabis producers in states where the drug is legal ran the same risk.

    The law firm has advised non-US technology companies to “be careful” if they are supplying IT services to US cannabis companies.

    The lawyer said: “Custom and Border Protection state that they have the right to question you about your travel to the US and the industry you are in. So if you are going to do something related to the cannabis industry then, yes, you could find yourself inadmissible to enter the United States.”

    Do these laws seem counter intuitive?

    Marijuana is well-recognised as a drug that is very harming and yet we have one of the biggest and most advanced countries in the world not coming together on this.

    We have a country as a whole that says a drug is illegal and within that country, we have certain parts of it that say the drug is NOT illegal.

    But because the country as a whole has greater authority than the parts, those people that take this drug in the parts of the country where it is legal to do so, could be penalised for doing so.

    We have some pretty absurd laws in this world and this one has to be up there with them.

    Countries need to decide on whether it is legal or illegal.

    Marijuana is a substance that alters our natural state.

    Because it alters our natural state, is it possible that we cannot be fully aware of our actions?

    If that is so, is it possible that marijuana should be made illegal?

    Is it possible that, all this does is send a message that those in authority do not know what to do?

    Is it possible that they are unwilling to take a stance either way?

    But what about the ‘innocent’ people that can be caught up in this?

    Are we really that innocent knowing that this drug is very harm-full?

    Are we really that innocent knowing that this drug is legal or illegal simply depending on where we stand?

    Do we have to ask the question WHY we need this drug in the first place?

  91. The Times – 13th January 2020

    More than a Million Britons Buy Cannabis Illegally to Treat Illness

    Nearly a quarter of a million people with arthritis, 100,000 cancer patients and 50,000 multiple sclerosis sufferers are among 1.4 million unwell Britons who are being forced to buy cannabis illegally to treat their symptoms.

    A landmark YouGov poll of more than 10,000 people has found that almost 3 per cent of the adult population use cannabis to treat a medical condition, with the usage across all age groups, social classes and genders.

    More than half are using the drug every day and the average spend is £163 a month. This means patients are spending more than £2.6 billion a year on black market cannabis.

    Medical cannabis has been legal in Britain for more than a year but strict conditions mean that only a handful of patients have so far been able to obtain a prescription on the NHS.

    Patients who can afford to pay for a consultation and private prescription can obtain the drug without such constraints.

    Patients caught with cannabis without a prescription face up to five years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

    Taxpayers have spent more than £2.5 billion processing up to 8,000 people a year for cannabis offences since 2015.

    The survey suggests that those with Huntingdon’s Disease, Parkinson’s and MS use cannabis to alleviate their symptoms, but those with Depression are the single biggest group self-medicating with cannabis with more than 650,000 taking the drug. The next highest categories of users are anxiety, chronic pain and insomnia.

    A report by the Centre for Medicinal Cannabis – an organisation representing medical cannabis manufacturers – calls on the government to urgently review the policies that are blocking people from accessing cannabis medicines legally.

    The medical establishment has been reluctant to prescribe cannabis to patients until the efficacy of the drug has been proven in clinical trials.

    However, pharmaceutical companies have not wanted to invest in trials because the cannabis cannot be patented.

    Those of us who say that marijuana helps to alleviate our symptoms, do so because this drug makes us feel euphoric and removes us from our natural state, so naturally, we feel that the drug is working.

    So yes, those that use marijuana for medical purposes will swear by it but as the medical world states, it is used to just alleviate our symptoms – it doesn’t look at the root cause of why we have these conditions.

    The medical establishment says they have been reluctant to prescribe cannabis to patients until the efficacy of the drug has been proven in clinical trials – if that is the case, why are they allowing a drug to be used when they have no idea if it is truly beneficial to the patients?

    Taking aside the possible hypocrisy of allowing an illegal drug to be used legally for certain circumstances, is it possible that money is the leading factor here?

    It appears that if we are wealthy, we can have all the legal marijuana we need but if we are not, and we rely on the NHS, we are subject to whatever the prevailing conditions are.

    And then we have the pharmaceutical companies who are unwilling to invest in clinical trials because the cannabis plant cannot be patented.

    Is it possible that this statement makes it very clear that the only interest is, not in helping people, but to make as much money as possible?

    First and foremost, marijuana is an illegal drug, so why have we allowed this drug to be used for medicinal purposes?

  92. Cannabis – A Toxic and Dangerous Substance [1966]

    The following article was written by Dr. Ed Day, Consultant – Senior Lecturer in Addiction Psychiatry | Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust | King’s College London

    First published: 01/10/2016 | Last updated: 19/03/2020
    https://www.addiction-ssa.org/knowledge-hub/cannabis-a-toxic-and-dangerous-substance-1966/

    This paper published by Dr P.A.L. Chapple in the 1966 edition of the British Journal of Addiction presents a discussion of the effects of cannabis based on a study of 80 users presenting to a psychiatric outpatient clinic. Using a variety of methods, it presents a picture of the psychiatrist’s understanding of cannabis and its subjective and objective effects on the individual, its effect on crime, neurochemistry and laboratory based techniques for detecting it in the body.

    Note – All “ ” quotations taken from 1966 article.

    The increase in use of cannabis in the developed world.

    “It seems clear that interest in cannabis is increasing among adolescents, as the recent survey among university students… has shown, and among the general population at large, as the increase in convictions shows.”

    The tone of the paper infers that cannabis use was rare and exotic in 1966, the preserve of Jazz musicians and ‘habitues of hard drug use’. This paper appeared at a significant point in the social and political history of the UK, as the year after its publication the ‘Summer of Love’ ushered the use of cannabis and other psychoactive drugs into the public consciousness. `Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Brian Jones were all arrested for possession of drugs in 1967, and the reaction to their arrests saw cannabis use debated in the mainstream press. Fifty years later cannabis has become the most prevalent of ‘unsanctioned psychoactive drugs’ used globally (Gowing, 2015), with cannabis use reported by 3.7% of 16 to 69-year-olds in the UK in 2014/15 and 8.4% of those aged 16-24 reporting use of cannabis in the last month.

    Cannabis and Addiction

    “… they talked of cannabis in terms of great enthusiasm, and in general they were agreed that there were no dangers attached to the taking of cannabis, and that it “was not a drug of addiction”

    The concept of dependence has been refined over 50 years, and there is now clear agreement that cannabis dependence exists (albeit that DSM-5 has abolished the term). The cannabis withdrawal syndrome has been defined more clearly, and the number of cannabis users seeking help to quit or control their cannabis use has increased during the past 2 decades in the USA, Europe and Australia.

    Medical Use of Cannabis

    ‘There are no apparent medical uses”.

    Fifty years on, UK law still does not see medical marijuana as having any therapeutic value and it is therefore not licensed for use. However, the situation is very different elsewhere in the world, and there is a growing move towards acceptance of the use of cannabis for symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, pain and muscular spasm. As this summary explains, medical marijuana use is legal in 25 states in the USA and is part of an international move towards legalisation of the drug. Research in this area is challenging for many reasons.

    In this respect, the views of the research participants in 1966 may be confirmed…

    “The general feeling was that the situation was perhaps comparable to alcohol in the days of prohibition in the United States. That, sooner or later, opinion would change, and the drug would be legalised.”

    However, before we get carried away with the prospect of cannabis becoming a mainstream, legal substance like alcohol, it is also important to review the large-scale epidemiological studies conducted in the past 20 years.

    As Wayne Hall illustrates in his recent regular review, cannabis use in adolescence approximately doubles the risks of early school leaving and of cognitive impairment and psychoses in adulthood (Hall Addiction 2014). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/add.12703

    Dear World

    It is worth noting that 55 years ago we have an article questioning the use of marijuana.

    We have Simple Living Global consistently reporting about this drug which alters our natural state.

    What we ought to do for starters is to get honest.
    There are no solutions and there are no victims.

    Let us put down our judgement, blame and finger pointing and get to the root of WHY and HOW we are where we are at today in society, when it comes to marijuana use.

    It’s high time we educate ourselves, get a real understanding about the effects of marijuana on the body, which includes the brain and then make our choices from there.

    It is well overdue that we bring this type of real education into schools as this is where it starts.

    We can change the way the systems are enforcing education and remind them that the so-called intelligence we are using is simply not working. WHY – we have more and more of our kids ingesting illicit substances or even the legal stuff, like alcohol and tobacco.

    There is zero true intelligence if we have a society that is plagued by drugs like marijuana.

    Is there another way, because this current form of intelligence that we have all been subscribing to is showing us it is not intelligent?

  93. Daily Mail – 10 April 2020

    Headlines –
    Cannabis is Addictive
    Users Trying to Quit Suffer Serious Withdrawal Symptoms, Says Study

    Cannabis can be highly addictive, causing serious withdrawal symptoms in half of regular users, research suggests.

    A study of 23,000 people found those who tried to quit suffered from numerous disorders such as anger, depression and sweating – often at the same time.

    The results of 47 studies were pooled together by academics, which found that nearly half of regular users suffered from what they described as ‘cannabis withdrawal syndrome’. They said the more someone uses the drug, the greater their risk of developing the issues.

    Some of the major symptoms that someone develops within seven days of giving up the drug include irritability, anger, aggression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, restlessness, depression, headaches, sweating and nausea.

    Men were found to be at greater risk of suffering the syndrome as were those who were also tobacco smokers or users of other drugs.

    The study, led by Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada is thought to be the biggest of its kind and said this should be a wake up call.

    They wrote in the JAMA Network Open Journal that the research adds to growing awareness of the damage of long-term cannabis use, which could include ‘addiction, altered brain development, poor educational outcomes, cognitive impairment, diminished quality of life, increased risk of chronic respiratory tract and psychotic disorders and suicide’.

    Hello

    We are being told by the researchers of this supposedly biggest study of its kind that this is a wake up call. BUT one factor we may not have noted is the obvious. This study was carried out in Canada and this happens to be one of the first countries in the whole world that has legalised it.
    WHY is this not making any sense?

    Big study stating the obvious facts of what happens if we are to ever come off this mind altering substance, but where is this going?

    If the research is in a country where there is freedom to purchase cannabis and no more illegal trading, who is going to pay attention or listen to the serious withdrawal symptoms?

    Is this the actual wake up call? In other words we need to wake up and note that doing research in the country that promotes legalisation of a drug is not going to work, regardless of how big the study is and the resources used to get to the facts.

    If we go back and re-read the major symptoms listed above, we are left in no doubt of the harm that this drug causes. ADD to that the facts in this presentation – call it a tablet of truth or a blog and we can be certain that cannabis, aka pot, weed, marijuana was never designed for the human frame in any way, regardless of how we would like to think it is, because it suits our personal lifestyle choices.

    What we need to go back on is WHY on earth the whole world is not united on the legalisation of this drug and WHY in some countries it remains classed as a highly dangerous drug?

    Could it be possible that the facts and the evidence we have thus far confirm to us that we cannot negate or ignore that cannabis is not for human consumption simply because it alters our natural state and harms our mind and body. Full stop. Period.

  94. A British cannabis producer has been acquired by a US-based private equity fund in a multi-million pound deal which some say could accelerate the legalisation of the recreational drug in the UK.

    The farm concerned, a horticulture company, based in Lincolnshire, has been bought by a private equity firm for £66 million. They have a large portfolio of companies that sell and advocate the use of cannabis for a number of different purposes including for medicinal use.

    Announcing the deal, the fund said it expected the huge financial pressures on governments around the world after the coronavirus pandemic could see cannabis legalised to make it taxable.

    A senior analysis at Transform, a charity that advocates for drugs policy reform, said such acquisitions may reveal shifting dynamics in the medical cannabis market, but tell us less about the wider legalisation debate.

    He said: “The UK may be ahead of the game on medical cannabis production but we are way behind on actually making medical cannabis available. And unlike the UK, other countries like Canada, Uruguay, Mexico and Luxembourg are taking steps to legally regulate non-medical cannabis markets as well. Those reforms are changing the public debate globally, and helping shift opinion on wider legalisation in the UK too. The question is not if we should legalise, but how to do it properly.”

    Despite the drug still being illegal in Britain, the farm has a government licence issued by the Home Office to produce and export cannabis to countries such as Canada where the drug is permitted.

    12 licences have been awarded.

    The managing director of the farm said the impact of Covid-19 and Brexit on the industry resulted in an increased demand for high quality, sustainably grown products.

    She added: “We have invested over £45 million in one of the most advanced, environmentally sound cultivation facilities in Europe. We have over 60 acres of fully automated, sustainable cultivation and production space and we are looking forward to realising the full potential of our scale and facilities for the benefit of our customers.”

    The company, which also produces ornamental plants and herbs for supermarkets, has another facility where it produces hemp for use in cannabidiol (CBD) oil, commonly used to treat anxiety, and also stronger cannabis for other medicinal purposes.

    If cannabis is illegal in this country, why are there multi-million pound businesses, LEGAL businesses, being allowed to operate?

    Can we, in all integrity, honesty and truth, have a distinction between the drug being illegal in this country but still being able to produce it and sell it to countries that have legalised marijuana?

    Why do we have contradicting policies that say cannabis is illegal and we will prosecute individuals selling it but we will give you a licence to produce and export it?

    Is it possible that the reason for this contradiction is that there is plenty of tax revenue to be had?

    Marijuana is a drug.

    At present it is classed as an illegal drug by the policymakers in this land but with the introduction of medicinal cannabis and certain cannabis laden products, like many other country’s, this country is heading towards legalising this very harm-full drug.

    Of course, legalising drugs or products that have harm-full effects on us is nothing new – alcohol and caffeine have been deemed to be acceptable by society and the dependence on these two are clear to see.

    Are we going to go down the same road with marijuana and in 10, 20, 30 years time, have all the health problems associated with the consumption of another legalised drug?

    The consumption of any drug changes us. It takes us away from our natural state.

    How is it possible that anyone, especially a medically trained, academically intelligent person, could even consider making a drug like this legal?

  95. Consumer.healthday.com – 29th May 2020

    High Potency Pot Tied to Big Rise in Psychiatric Issues
    https://consumer.healthday.com/public-health-information-30/marijuana-news-759/high-potency-pot-tied-to-big-rise-in-psychiatric-issues-758097.html

    Marijuana has long been linked to a host of mental health risks, but new research suggests the potent strains sold today may amplify dangers.

    The study author said: “We know that people that use cannabis are more likely to report mental health problems than those who don’t use cannabis, but we don’t fully understand how recent increases in the strength and potency of cannabis affects this.”

    For the study, researchers examined data from a large ongoing British study and focused on more than 1,000 people who were born in the early 1990’s and reported recent pot use when they were 24. The scientists were also able to track which participants had suffered mental health problems as adolescents.

    Among those who said they had used pot in the previous year, 13% said they had used high-potency cannabis.

    The researchers found the those who used high-potency pot were four times more likely to have problems with marijuana and two times more likely to suffer from anxiety than those who consumed lower-potency weed.

    This is not the first time marijuana has been tied to mental health problems: Research published in April in the journal, Advances in Preventative Medicine, found nearly half of people who have been or are now dependent on pot have some form of mental illness or dependence on another drug. That compares with 8% of people with no history of pot dependence.

    Another study author told Healthday at the time that the study doesn’t answer which came first, nor does it prove heavy pot use causes mental health problems, but it does show a strong link. She said: “Not everyone that uses pot is going to develop mental health problems.”

    Why is it that, when reports like this are presented, although all the evidence and indications are there that a drug like marijuana is the cause of all the abnormal behaviour of people who use it, the reports never definitively say so?

    Instead phrases like: “marijuana has been tied to mental health problems” or “It does show a strong link” or “we know that people that use cannabis are more likely to report mental health problems.”

    How many more reports/studies/articles do we need to tell us that smoking marijuana is harmful to our physical and mental health?

    Do we really need a study to tell us that anything that is labeled ’high potency’ is going to have a more profound effect on us?

    Is it any wonder that the ‘Marijuana’ debate is not going anywhere when numerous studies have shown that marijuana has an adverse effect on us but yet, those in ‘authority’ are either saying that it is an illegal drug or that it is acceptable for use as a medicinal relief and it can also be used in many other products?

    Put simply, marijuana, like any other drug or stimulant, takes us away from our natural state.

    And as such, if something takes us away from our natural state, is it possible then, something could replace that which is not so natural?

    1. Thank you Tim.

      This is a huge topic, especially with the massive rise in mental health problems. 

      Mentally ill people wander onto our closed campus everyday, part of my job is to ask them to leave, often they are unable to have any kind of normal conversation, they are usually very under dressed for the weather and sometimes they are dehydrated or having other health issues due to being unaware and therefore unable to tend to the basic needs of their bodies. Sometimes we have them escorted to a hospital but this is only done when they are threatening to kill themselves or are in obvious need of a doctor…

      It makes no decent sense to be shamelessly advertising marijuana (for money) with no balance whatsoever on educating people of the ‘known’ but little known and scarcely mentioned side effects of the drug. 

      I have had many pot smoking friends throughout my life and many of them had what I would call mental illness. 

      A younger sibling of mine had a close friend in the teen years (a very sweet, kind person), his doctor had told him that due to his pre-existing mental illness (schizophrenia symptoms) he should not smoke pot as it could make it far worse… most of his friends smoked, he smoked less but still did smoke. A year later he committed suicide.

      Everyone was totally shocked and devastated…

  96. Neuroscience News.com

    https://neurosciencenews.com/autism-cannabis-pregnancy-16795/

    Cannabis Use in Pregnancy Linked to a Greater Risk of Autism

    In the largest study of its kind, researchers in Ottawa, Canada found that children whose mothers reported using cannabis during pregnancy were at greater risk of autism.

    500,000 women were included in this study and 3,000 reported using cannabis during pregnancy.

    The findings were published in the prestigious medical journal Nature Medicine.

    Most of us are aware that recreational cannabis is now legal in Canada.
    However, health professionals recommend against pregnant or breastfeeding women using cannabis and health warnings to this effect appear on cannabis packaging.

    “Despite these warnings, there is evidence that more people are using cannabis during pregnancy. This is concerning because we know so little about how cannabis affects pregnant women and their babies” said the Chief of the Department of the University of Ottawa and the senior author of this study.

    As cannabis becomes more socially acceptable, health-care researchers are aware that some may use it to treat morning sickness.

    With due respect to all that has been presented here – can we expand on this …

    Half a million participants is a huge study – think about the resources involved to pull this off?

    Next – the majority of us are aware and do know that anything that alters our natural state will affect us. ADD to that a growing foetus and it spells danger.

    WHY are our health professionals not endorsing cannabis during pregnancy, but see it as ok for others in the name of recreation?

    Are we seriously missing the point here about what this so-called not harmful drug is doing to the human frame?

    Are we going to wake up in 20 years from now with a trail of mistakes that lead us to the point where countries that started endorsing cannabis as ok, find out we have even new dis-eases and symptoms as a result of pot smoking for pleasure?

    If cannabis was safe in any way whatsoever, there would be no studies needed or any doubt or concern as the whole world would unite and ALL agree that it was good medicine, but the fact is Cannabis/Marijuana/Pot – all the same thing just different names, is a mind altering drug that has a profound ill effects on our body.

    If the reader at this point is in any doubt – please re-read this blog and then the 120 comments thereafter.

    Then ask this question and respond with a deep honesty –
    WHY are we so clear that cannabis should not be ingested whilst pregnant or breastfeeding?

    Whilst we spend our resources on research – WHY not consider spending that on real education?

    If our youngsters and all the adult population had real education like this blog and others on this website, chances are they would think twice before jumping on the bandwagon of drug taking.

  97. The Times of Israel – 12 November 2020

    Israel has announced plans to legalise cannabis for recreational use.
    Marijuana will be sold to users aged 21 and up but not for consumption in public.

    Have the ministerial team, the policy makers and all those who make decisions for and behalf of their people been fully informed with all the facts and stats about the drug we call cannabis or its other popular name Marijuana?

    If this substance is safe then WHY are other countries not all uniting and coming to the same decision. For example WHY is the UK based on research evidence calling this a Class B drug?

    If found in possession there is a prison sentence up to 5 years, an unlimited fine or both.

    If involved in supply and production of cannabis, up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.
    https://www.gov.uk/penalties-drug-possession-dealing

    Is Israel making real ‘progress’ by legalising cannabis?

    This news story tells us that this is significant, holistic and responsible reform and that the State of Israel is not ignoring the reality and is going in the footsteps of developed countries.

    Are we really using a holistic approach when we look at so-called ‘developed countries’?

    For example the US have states that have legalised marijuana and other states within the SAME country are opposing it based on scientific research evidence.

    To reference the whole of the country and everything going on which we could say is a ‘holistic’ stance, then we need to look no further and get our reality check from this website.

    Our end of year articles 2018 News and 2019 News gives a snapshot of what has been going on in our world and this includes the US.
    Then go to our Independence Day blog and there will be more statistics exposing the real state of what is actually going on in our big developed nation.

    https://simplelivingglobal.com/2018-news/
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/2019-news/

    https://simplelivingglobal.com/independence-day-july-4th/

    Then read statistics in the US on our Obesity, Diabetes and Opioids blogs.

    https://simplelivingglobal.com/the-real-truth-about-obesity/
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/diabetes/
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/the-real-truth-about-opioids-part-1/

    There are more articles but this will give the reader another angle on how well a developed country is really doing.

    The US are not all in agreement with the legalization of recreational cannabis and this in itself should get us questioning why.

    As a world we seem to have a great flaw when it comes to a one unified truth about a word.

    For example – what one may call and use the words ‘holistic’ or ‘reality’ for can mean something different to how another would use the word in a similar context.

    Back to Israel and their rules and regulations for this drug use –

    To avoid customers going to the black market, the state will ensure prices are reasonable.

    The drug will not be allowed to be taken out of the country.

    Stores allowed to make deliveries but barred from selling cannabis edibles that resemble candy.

    Blanket ban on smoking cannabis in public spaces.

    Home growing without a license will not be allowed – but this will be reviewed at a later stage.

    Cannabis adverts will remain prohibited.

    The government of Israel favour legalisation because decriminalization does not provide solutions for problems such as the black market.
    They plan to become a ‘major exporter’ of cannabis.

    So will this ‘solution’ of making recreational cannabis use legal, be the answer?

    Do Solutions really work and before we attempt to answer that question – read our blog on this website called Solutions, Solutions.
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/solutions-solutions/

    What we need to be asking is how will the State of Israel police and manage to uphold the rules and regulations mentioned above?

    If marijuana alters our natural state, what certainty do we have that the user is going to adhere to the strict rules and regulations pertaining to the laws of recreational use?

    AND finally, do we need to at least consider the question – are there benefits for a country to legalise cannabis?

    Will it profit from more tourism or trade in this drug which is in high demand?

  98. Talking to a friend that tells me we have cannabis tea at the local butchers. They also have a cannabis meat rub and we could say “what next?”

    We, most of us know that it’s in popcorn, bath products, candles, sleep remedies and so many more items that we can ingest or consume for our pleasure because we choose to.

    At my department store, my face cream is popular and it comes as no surprise they have a new edition in gold and green packaging, very eye candy stuff and its got CBD oil.

    We may all think this is ok and we go along with it, but what if in years to come our researchers tell us with various studies that any form of a cannabis derived product has some kind of harm-full effect on the human body?

    Dear World

    Are we going to wake up one day and be told, just like smoking tobacco that marijuana in any form is not for human consumption?

    What if we got on the front foot and read all of this blog and the 120+ comments and then made our choice because we have information presented that may just make sense.

    We hear over and over again that we need education so that the public, us, humanity, the masses can understand and be informed. It is then our will, our choice what we then do or not do with it when we get it.

    Nothing is working and we seem to opt for the solutions and another way to get through human life without perhaps exploring or checking to see if there is another way.

    This blog and the other 220+ on this website are presenting another way to live life that may just be the antidote to merely existing in life and finding ways to function and get through our days that deep down feel like we are missing something.

  99. University of Bath Press Release – published 15 November 2020

    https://www.bath.ac.uk/announcements/cannabis-strength-soars-over-past-half-century-new-study/

    A new research – the largest study to date shows that over the past 50 years street cannabis across the world has become substantially stronger carrying an increased risk of harm.

    Synthesised data from over 80,000 cannabis samples tested in the past 50 years collected in the USA, UK, Netherlands, France, Denmark, Italy and New Zealand. The findings are published in the journal Addiction and the research was funded by the Society for the Study of Addiction.

    The research team previously found CONSISTENT EVIDENCE that frequent use of cannabis with higher levels of THC carried an increased risk of problems such as addiction and psychotic disorders.

    “As the strength of cannabis has increased, so too has the number of people entering treatment for cannabis use problems. More Europeans are now entering drug treatment because of cannabis than heroin or cocaine” says lead author Dr. Tom Freeman – Director of the Addiction and Mental Health Group at the University of Bath.

    “Cannabis resin or ‘hash’ is often seen as a safer type of cannabis but our findings show that it is now stronger than herbal cannabis. Traditionally, cannabis resin contained much lower amounts of THC.

    We all now know that Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in the world and legalised now in Canada, Uruguay and many states in USA.

    The findings of this study are confirming that we are not all approaching and viewing this drug as harmfull hence why we have a division with some countries legalising and others saying it needs to be classed as a strong drug, alongside cocaine and other strong mind altering substances.

    Question – is the answer to reduce harm reduction by implementing strategies like those used for alcohol, such as standard units and public guidelines on safer consumption limits? Is this going to really work having seen how alcohol is on the rise with more and more addiction?

    The fact that the potency and the strength of cannabis is ‘substantially stronger’ now than it was 50 years ago is telling us that consumers are now needing more powerful effects but we are not asking WHY?

    We seem to all be focused on either championing and legalising pot smoking like it’s ok and better than cigarettes, or we are saying let’s carry on but make it safer like responsible drinking of alcohol. The thing we forget is when we are taking a mind altering substance, then it is not going to be the well connected responsible human being making the movement. In other words, we are not going to be in control like we think we are because of our altered state of being. Trying to work things out and become responsible in an altered state of mind is simply not possible.

    This is the largest study we have here dear world.

    What more do we want to confirm that things are not right? Pretending this drug is ok or better than some of the others out there is not the answer. We do know that but yet it suits some of us and so we continue to find ways to make it ok and acceptable.

    The fact that many countries still class Marijuana/Cannabis (same thing, different names) as a potent drug tells us that we are not all on the same page. This study took 50 years and yet we can work things out in 5 minutes, with a dose of honesty and our common sense hat on, but the thing is we don’t want to as it suits many of us to say it’s ok just like we do for the scientific proven poison we call alcohol.

    Will we one day get the scientific evidence we keep waiting for to tell us that cannabis is super harmful to the human body just like they now tell us cigarettes are?

  100. Metro News – 17 November 2020

    Scientists are calling for labels similar to that on alcohol, as cannabis has now become 24% stronger over 50 years, leading to a greater risk of addiction and psychosis.

    This study from the University of Bath needs to be front page news headlines for a week so that the nation can see and feel that something is seriously not right in the way we are operating, in other words living daily life.

    With due respect to scientists and their calls, is this really going to do it?

    Let’s put this into simple perspective so we all get it. 50 years and the potency is stronger.

    Do we stop and question WHY or do we find a solution and hope it will change things?

    If we are seeking a mind altering drug of choice, will a label make any difference to how much we consume or not?

    24% stronger is telling us that we need it as the old stuff was not giving us the hit we need.

    Why else would be ingesting something with even more potency?
    WHY do we need to have stronger cannabis now than in the past?

    Looking at this study, one might want to consider how strong it will get in the next 20 years.

    This blog makes it very clear that cannabis, call it marijuana (same thing, different name) is a mind altering substance and it has serious side effects, which includes addiction and psychosis.

    Has anyone noticed that our solutions are failing us and treatments are not working so do we need to consider Is there another way?

    Next – read The Real Truth about Alcohol –
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/the-real-truth-about-alcohol/

    A very thorough presentation on this website and then read every comment thereafter and the reader will realise that alcohol consumption is on the rise and that means the labels are not cutting it.
    We seem to ignore labels when it suits us and that is just how it is.

    What makes no sense is cannabis is not legal in a country where scientists are asking for labels like they have on alcohol.

    Do we wait for even more research and more theories and findings or do we wake up and admit that we have millions and millions addicted to cannabis and we are yet to know the real devastation that is being created?

  101. Science Magazine – 8 January 2021

    https://scienmag.com/more-than-half-of-people-using-cannabis-for-pain-experience-multiple-withdrawal-symptoms/

    More than half of the people that use medical marijuana products to ease pain ALSO experience clusters of multiple withdrawal symptoms, according to a new study published in the journal Addiction.

    Younger people in particular, experience worsening of symptoms over time.

    The lead on the study at University of Michigan Addiction Center said “many of them would not recognize that these symptoms come NOT from their underlying condition but from their brain and body’s reaction to the absence of substances in the cannabis products they are smoking, vaping, eating or applying to their skin.
    When someone experiences more than a few such symptom, it is called cannabis withdrawal syndrome and it can mean a higher risk of developing even more serious issues such as cannabis use disorder.

    Sleep problems were the most common symptom and others included depressed mood, decreased appetite, craving, restlessness, anxiety and irritability.

    The findings suggest a real need to increase awareness about the signs of withdrawal symptoms developing to decrease the potential downsides of cannabis use.

    The perception of cannabis as “harmless” is not correct says Lara Coughlin, Ph.D., Addiction Psychologist who led the analysis.

    In addition to a general craving to use cannabis, withdrawal symptoms can include anxiety, sleep difficulties, decreased appetite, restlessness, depressed mood, aggression, irritability, nausea, sweating, headache, stomach pain, strange dreams, increased anger and shakiness.

    Previous research has shown that the more symptoms and greater severity of symptoms a person has, the less likely they are to be able to reduce their use of cannabis, quit using it or stay away from it once they quit.

    They may mistakenly think that the symptoms happen because of their underlying medical conditions and may even increase the amount of frequency of their cannabis use to try to counteract the effect – leading to a cycle of increasing use and increasing withdrawal.

    Note – there is no medically accepted standard for medical cannabis dosing for different conditions. Coughlin says some products could pose more risk for development of withdrawal symptoms than others.

    Cannabis use is expected to grow as more states legalize cannabis for medical or general use, including several states that will legalize its use based on the results of last November’s election.

    Enough said to make the point – are we understanding what is being presented here?

    We can look at it any way we want – using a mind-altering substance that plays havoc with our brain and body is not for human consumption. Period. The End.

    The opioid crisis has left many wanting something else – another solution to fix the pain in the hope it will not create addiction or overdose. The very nature of drugs means we have side affects so whilst we seek it to relieve us from one thing, it creates a whole host of other ills that we tend to ignore as we just want it to give us the relief.

    What on earth are we doing allowing states to legalize cannabis when the whole country is not united and in some states this drug will continue to be illegal?
    Something is not right and it makes no sense.

    It would be worth having Independent research with real life people involved – observational and anecdotal evidence so those that are even contemplating or considering taking medical marijuana are informed up front about the strong chance of addiction and withdrawal symptoms which include a catalogue of side effects.

    Then they can make their choice – align to what this drug offers or start so ask deeper questions: How did the pain start, what was going on at that time and why has it been ignored when the first signs were there?

    Our world needs a reality check – we need to join the dots, ask questions and not keep seeking relief from the pain we feel. Deal with the pain and stop using every solution we can find and we might just get us back on track and that means the road to evolution.

    We could say that is total and utter nonsense but nothing is working, our body is telling us – so why not look at life from another perspective.

  102. CNN Health News – 11 January 2021

    https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/11/health/weed-marijuana-smokers-toxins-wellness/index.html

    A new research study has found that smoking marijuana can expose the user to the same type of toxic chemicals found in tobacco smoke.

    Those who only smoked marijuana had higher blood and urine levels of several smoke-related toxins, such as naphthalene, acrylamide and acrylonitrile than non-smokers.

    Naphthalene is associated with anaemia, live and neurological damage.
    Acrylamide and Acrylonitrile have been associated with cancer and other health issues.

    Acrylonitrile is typically used in the manufacturer of plastics and fibers.
    Symptoms of acrylonitrile poisoning include: limb weakness, laboured and irregular breathing, dizziness and impaired judgement, cyanosis, nausea, collapse and convulsions. Statistically significant increase in the incidence of lung cancer has been reported in several studies of chronically exposed workers,” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said.

    Naphthalene, which is used in mothballs, can cause “headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, malaise, confusion, anaemia, jaundice, convulsions and coma,” according to the EPA.

    The highest concentrations of naphthalene in indoor air occurs in the homes of cigarette smokers.

    “Marijuana use is on the rise in the United States with a growing number of states legalising it for medical and non-medical purposes, including 5 additional states in the 2020 election.”
    Dr. Dana Buzda, lead author – Principal Investigator in Cancer Immunology and Virology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston.

  103. Aljazeera – 12 January 2021

    https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/1/12/mexico-moves-to-create-worlds-largest-legal-cannabis-market

    Mexico moves to create the world’s largest legal cannabis market.

    The reforms would allow the legal cultivation of marijuana on Mexican soil after decades of violence between drug cartels and authorities.

    Mexico’s cannabis reform includes the recreational use of marijuana and would create the world’s biggest national cannabis market in terms of population.

    The country has been bedeviled for decades by violence between drug cartels, which have profited in the illegal production and smuggling of marijuana into the U.S.

    So what does this mean and how will these changes impact ALL of us.
    Just because something is going on in another country, it does not necessarily mean we will not feel the ripple effect or in some way be unaffected.

    Will the drug cartels not be too concerned as there are millions of dollars that can be made through cocaine, meth and heroin to name a few?

    If we re-read this insight-full presentation The Real Truth about Marijuana and then continue reading ALL the comments thereafter, we would be left in no doubt that the side effects of marijuana or call it cannabis are not to be dismissed.

    If the whole world united and agreed something like this drug was for human health, then we would not have this article or this comment as it would have no value. But we all know that in some countries like the UK, marijuana is classed as a drug and there is a prison sentence applied in cases of possession or in the production, so that tells us we are not all on the same page.

    WHY have Mexico decided to do this reform?
    Who stands to really gain and is this for real and true benefit of ALL the people or just a few?

    Will the recreational use open up their borders to invite all those pot smokers from around the world to enter and raise the tourism industry and support the government to gain profits from taxes or whatever else they plan to do in the name of legal marijuana?

    Will those that endorsed and supported this reform to become real find out later on in years to come that this was a grave and ill error on behalf of the people because cannabis was not potent enough for them and they went over to the illicit drugs like cocaine and the drug cartels continued to be ahead of the game, whilst the authorities struggled on the back foot as they are not reading what is coming ahead of them.

    Our war on drugs has not worked and never will.
    Making an illicit drug legal for whatever reason is not a confirmation that we have won the war on drugs.

    And Finally – will we one day wake up, like we have for Tobacco and try and stop the people taking weed, as every research study points to the harm it causes the human frame?

    Are we certain that marijuana is better for us or are we being fooled thinking that it is ok for human consumption because it suits our agenda?

  104. Metro News – 25 March 2021

    Several children in south London have fallen ill after eating gummy bear sweets, laced with cannabis.

    There have also been similar incidents that have taken place.

    How serious is this and what are we – the general public going to do with this information now that we know about it?

    What is our usual mode of operating when we hear stuff like this which is out of the ordinary?

    Do we wake up and remind ourselves this is a 911 world emergency?

    Do we ask some important questions like where did this originate from and how long has it been going on?

    How do dealers get children as customers for an illegal substance?
    Do those that create a new type of sweet which contains cannabis have any understanding about the far reaching consequences?

    What we do know is these sweets and their producers would be out of the door, on the streets with zero business if there was no demand.

    On that note, we better start asking why are children, even if it is the minority here, are seeking sweets laced with poison because like any drug – marijuana, call it pot, weed or cannabis is exactly that – Poison.

  105. Metro News – 14 April 2021

    Police in Essex have seized 40 cakes and some cookies containing cannabis.

    They say that these edible items recovered “look innocent” but they are illegal.

    We could say what next ?
    We have a choice of desserts now containing cannabis and before we give our opinion, please consider the following –

    We can blame suppliers behind the scenes baking to order or just finding creative new ways to deliver the pot, weed, hash, dope, marijuana or whatever name we want to call cannabis.

    But there is no supplier without the customer – so it is us – yes the punter, the one that makes the demand, and we all know there is a huge demand for this Class B drug in the UK.

    How are we going to stop the trade knowing that cutting off the supply is not the answer as it will simply drive it even more underground and business as usual will continue, as it does for more potent drugs?

    What if we start with a dose of honesty and admit our war on any drug has failed us and it is time to find another way?

    What if we need to educate people and bring them a real understanding about what this drug does to the human frame and then once they know, they have a choice and they also know that their choices come with consequences?

    Offering little or no education to the masses about our current drugs allows more and more people to dabble or become addicted to drugs.

  106. A court in France has made the decision to not put a man on trial who killed his elderly neighbour back in 2017.

    Most of us would want to know Why, as it makes no sense.

    It was because his mental state had deteriorated due to cannabis use.

    The Supreme Court of Appeals upheld rulings that the man who has admitted the killing, cannot be tried because he was too high on cannabis and hence “cannot be criminally responsible for his actions”. At the time of the incident, the court said the man, now in his 30s was suffering from delirium. He was a heavy cannabis smoker when he killed her.

    It was said that he entered her apartment, called her a demon and threw this 65 year old woman out of the window. The man said he had felt as if he was “possessed” when he attacked her.

    7 psychiatrists confirmed that this man was “delusional” at the time of the attack.

    The man has said “I felt like oppressed by an external force, a demonic force”.

    Enough said, we could start with a serious question – WHY are countries legalising cannabis or even considering to allow a mind altering substance to be available?

    The Jewish community this woman was a part of, are rightly up in arms because they want justice for a crime BUT are any of us considering what the actual drug is doing to people and the effects, as clearly stated in this tragic case?

    We seem to report and read news of this kind, accept it and move on. When are we going to just STOP and dig deeper and ask more questions?

    What is cannabis really doing to someone where they feel possessed and it is like they are oppressed by an external force? Are we going to leave this to our imaginations or the next scary movie, or do we wake up now and at least consider this may just be true and actually going on?

    No human in their right mind would ever consider harming or inflicting with intent danger on another human. We have to be out of our mind to do such an ill. Let’s call it ill because it sure is not a good or true thing to be doing, ever.

    This well researched article and all the comments thereafter confirm one thing loud and clear. We cannot ever negate that marijuana, call it cannabis or pot or weed – same thing is good for human health. It is not and it never will be. We do ALL know that even if we are currently on the bandwagon of advocating how much it works and how easily accessible it is becoming.

    Possessed and demonic are serious words and we can skip this stuff or pretend this story is a one-off or we can ask our own questions, like – what enters a person when they smoke cannabis that makes them act in this way?

    What is this force and where is it coming from?

    Do we need to be alerted to something we have up til this point been ignorant about?

    Have we all heard about possession in this sense or do we leave that for the dark ages history books and hope it never happens in modern day, so-called civilization?

    Something is not right and just saying that is a start.

  107. I work at bus garage as a supervisor and part of my duties is to process any lost property that is handed in from drivers or the cleaning staff.

    I have to record what the item is and all of the contents, if applicable.

    Recently, I was handed a woman’s handbag and duly went through the contents.

    There was an empty can of a well-known caffeinated drink, an ID badge and lanyard belonging to a student of a well-known London University and a plastic bag with a cartoon pink character for young children.

    The plastic bag contained two pouches of tobacco, three lighters, two contraptions that were devices to crush or grind something and a very small bag of what looked and smelt very much like marijuana.

    I had only ever tried marijuana once as a young man in my mid twenties. It did nothing for me and didn’t really taste that good.

    A colleague of mine who used to smoke marijuana later confirmed the contents what I suspected and he also confirmed the two contraptions are used to crush and grind the marijuana.

    So here we have a student at university smoking marijuana and drinking caffeinated drinks.

    Is it possible that this is not an isolated incident of a single student taking drugs and stimulants but more so a microcosm of the whole higher education system?

    Drugs like marijuana and stimulants like caffeinated drinks take us away from our natural state, which means we are not our true selves when we choose to ingest or imbibe these products.

    What then would the quality of learning be for us if we were taking products that remove us from our natural state?

    What then is the quality of our future leaders in corporations, in business, in governments?

    If we are taking these substances, what then is the quality of the decisions we make?

    Is it possible there is a lack of integrity shown here, not just by the students but also by the whole education system itself?

  108. Euro News – Albania – 4 May 2021

    https://euronews.al/en/news/2021/05/04/cannabis-cultivation-grew-during-2020-the-situation-in-kruja-most-problematic/

    The production and cultivation of narcotics continue to remain of concern for Albania authorities.

    2020 brought an increase in production and cultivation of cannabis in Albania. The situation appears problematic in the city of Kruja.

    Based on statistical data, 41% more cases have been referred to court compared to 2019.
    24% of all cases come from Kruja, followed by Tirana with 20%.

    Police forces are now monitoring the entire territory across the nation. Monitoring has started from the air and on the ground, around open spaces and indoors, where there have been clues and indications pointing to the exercise of this type of illegal activity.

    We could say this is good news for the police and the authorities, but will this type of effort drive the drug business more underground?

    It cannot be negated that the world was in lockdown due to a pandemic for the most of 2020 and so there is a strong correlation with the rise in drugs like cannabis, also known as marijuana.

    Could it be possible that with strict border restrictions and not much active movement on the ground or in the air, the suppliers had to find alternative ways to meet the demand which has been increasing?

    We do not have studies yet to confirm how many people turned to drugs like cannabis during this lockdown period or upped their consumption. However, we can use our common sense, join the dots and read more about the drug world and what is going on globally right now.

    What we can be assured of is that those involved in the cultivation, production and supply of illicit drugs were not relaxing or sleeping or watching movies on the net. They were busy – on the front foot finding ways to continue supplying, as the demand has gone to the next level. Yes you read correctly – more of the world now want drugs.

    What we do have now are news stories like this coming through bringing awareness, so that more of us wake up to what is really going on in our world.

  109. Forbes shares a story about tastings and seminars for over 2,500 festival goers for cannabis food and wines.

    This has come about because Cannabis is now legal in some US states and is a fast growing industry.

    This is a wellness mission to captive audiences to introduce them to new products, enhance their experience and share new trends.

    Luxury cannabis – decadent and effective edible CBD infused edibles, tinctures and skincare. Signature cocktails and it is called an exciting time for food, wine and cannabis.

    Award show season embraces and stamps approval of this category. Fine dining experiences now with cannabis on the menu and it is clear how this industry will grow and appeal to even more of us who are seeking an altered state of being.

    CBD sparkling waters – non alcoholic and a plant based drink is the selling point.

    This is the work of scientists and bio medical engineers, with a mission to normalise the pursuit of mental wellness. It has been discovered as a refreshing alternative to alcohol, to use as an early morning recovery aid or end of the day wind down.

    Cannabis remains a grey area as the world is not yet united on this drug that alters our natural state.

    CBD infused beverage industry has grown from $7 million in 2017 to $318 million today, according to a Cannabis Research group.

    Once FDA gives clearer guidelines, we can expect this amount to grow. The stigma around this drug is diminishing and the bucks are rolling in for those coming up with new and more creative ways to bring cannabis into our home, our lifestyle choices and our experiences that we seek. Cannabis tourism is where some countries are looking to for more revenue.

    Honey with CBD is a trend called honey nectar and hemp for our nutritional health and well-being.

    We are being sold that this is not having the same effects as THC – the component that is known as harmfull. We forget it is ALL part of the same source – coming from the same plant. Bit like saying one segment of the orange is ok to consume because the other part has the poison, but we forget the whole may be contaminated because of that one tiny part that holds the poison.

    Dear World

    How can we educate all of us about the real Truth of what cannabis is?

    A great start would be this article, followed by the comments that expand on the very fact that there is nothing beneficial or healthy to the human frame when it comes to cannabis or call it marijuana or pot – all the same.
    Before we join the CBD bandwagon, which is inviting us under the umbrella that it is merely a good component and not harmfull like the other THC stuff.

    What if in years to come, we discover it is not great at all? Bit like us being told once upon a time that tobacco smoking was cool and we should have no health concerns because even doctors back in the day were promoting it with the film stars. But today we are viewing it very differently and finding other ways to get our altered state of being. Yes, you read correctly, smoking, vaping or cannabis ALL alter our natural state of being and they happen to be addictive and we do know that. Let us not forget that but be up front and honest.

    People are learning about cannabis and what we ought to be asking is – who on earth is teaching them and what is this about? Is it biased in anyway?

    Are the educators themselves regular users of cannabis?

    How can we be better educated about cannabis and are we really going down the right track when it comes to our TRUE health and well-being?

    Before we join the bandwagon of CBD, which is inviting us in under the statement that it is perfectly ok, it would be wise to check if that was a false statement. We as individuals need to take responsibility and find out for ourselves and then make our choices. That way we cannot blame if 10 years down the road, we display symptoms similar to those that are ingesting full blown cannabis, whilst we were on the wine and edibles with CBD, the so-called safer option.

    Next –

    Are we absolute and certain that there are no hidden surprises that we may just find out because our body will display them in days, weeks, months or even years from now?

    If all this hype was really and truly for the benefit of ALL then how come we as a world are divided on this topic?

    In other words, WHY have we globally not unified and made this a one-unified truth if cannabis was what some state it is and the benefits it apparently brings?

    On the note of ‘benefit’ – let us remove ALL profits and those that stand to gain, then let’s see how the industry is fairing?

    How many stand to gain from this relatively new and fast growing industry and how would they promote this if there was no ‘profit’ and no gain whatsoever?

    And finally, are we going to wake up in a few decades down the road and discover – like we have with tobacco smoking that there are zero health benefits?

    We may not be concerned now as we are having a good time dancing with this new legal drug in our country, but we all know that ingesting an illicit substance (still not legal in the majority of countries in our world) must have some form of adverse consequences to our body).

    WHY else would it be called illicit, illegal and not for human consumption?

  110. According to a national newspaper journalist reporting on 8th October 2021, supporters of cannabis legislation are like the tobacco companies denying the link between smoking and cancer. His article states that the tolerance of cannabis is growing, just as our scientists are showing us that it can actually cause insanity.

    We have a famous singer promoting pre-rolled cannabis because they happen to be a fan of the company that sells packs by saying this will make cannabis approachable and help to de-stigmatise it, especially for those that find it helpful for their mental health.

    For the record – online advertising for cannabis (marijuana) in the U.S. claims that it is an antidote for depression.
    We have one of the world’s largest delivery companies trying to get marijuana legislation at the federal level.

    It is no surprise that not everyone agrees that cannabis which was once seen as a drug used as a criminal issue, is now one of health. This shows the change in culture accordingly to a former leader UK politician.

    What is interesting is that more countries are under way to commercialise cannabis and more states in the U.S. are legalising it. At the same time, scientists conclusively prove the link between cannabis and psychosis (another word for insanity or madness). Cause and effect is today as well established as it is between cigarette smoking and lung cancer.

    “Numerous prospective studies have shown that cannabis use carries an increased risk of later schizophrenic-like psychosis”.
    Quote from an article by Sir Robin Murray of the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London and Wayne Hall of the National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research at the University of Queensland.
    They cite a study showing that, although Portugal is held up as a pioneer in dealing with drugs, the rate of hospitalisation for psychotic disorders has increased 29-fold since decriminalisation 15 years ago.

    Another study calculates that between 30% and 50% of new cases of psychosis in London and Amsterdam would not have occurred if the individual affected had no been smoking high-potency cannabis.

    Next – in Colorado, the first state to legalise recreational use of cannabis, the THC can reach as high as 70%. Once it was as low as 3%.
    THC as stated in this article is the psychoactive substance in cannabis producing the “high”.

    So if cannabis has already had its “tobacco moment” when the damage it causes has been scientifically proven, then why on earth would celebrities want to de-stigmatise it and persuade consumers that it will improve their mental health?

    Why are we allowing this and let us all be reminded – these celebs have huge followings across social media and are powerful influencers because there are people out there that want to emulate and be like them.

    Next –

    Commercial pressure is not to be ignored. There are a lot of businesses that can see there is a lot of money to be made in this industry. Projected legal sales of cannabis will be worth $66 BILLION by 2025.
    With that amount of money the big profits can easily pay for advertising and lobbying campaigns that will champion the drug and put in doubt or divert attention from the actual harm that it causes.

    We all know the cigarette industry did this a century ago by funding so-called Independent experts who sought to blur or dis-credit the evidence that told us smoking caused cancer. Governments were sold the lie and were happy to receive high tax revenues from tobacco sales and were reluctant to curtail them or make any real changes. The celebrity movie stars of our past happily glamourised cigarettes, same as is happening now with cannabis.

    Next –

    We ought to pay attention to everything out there now. Those in favour of greater tolerance towards drugs say cannabis is less nasty than heroin or cocaine. But speak to psychiatrists and there is a different response. Their long term experience being shared tells us that cannabis is more dangerous than the other drugs because it has the potential to damage many more people.

    The 2017-18 drugs report by Dame Carol Black states 3 million people take illicit drugs in England and Wales and 2.5 million of those consume cannabis.
    Much of the cannabis is produced in the UK, sometimes by Vietnamese organised crime groups using slave labour.

    The legislation of cannabis will do nothing to hurt organised crime groups but it will make the drug much more widely available. It is naïve to think that the government will be tightly regulating its quality and sale when we know they cannot currently control it when it is illegal.

    Let us be reminded legalisation will send the message that taking cannabis is a benign activity when it is not. The deterrent of illegality will go and the drug will become no different to alcohol and tobacco.

    Once it becomes commercially available, some young celebrities will “de-stigmatise” the drug as they are doing so now and give it the gloss of youth and fashion.

    In the past, the victims of tobacco companies coughed up their lungs and the masses did not notice. Now the victims of cannabis will disappear into mental hospitals and the wider community will take little or no notice.

    1. This comment above speaks volumes. There is much here for us all to consider now.

      At the end of the comment there is mention of the journalist’s views about victims of cannabis today will ‘disappear into mental hospitals and the wider community will take little or no notice.”

      Well it may not be the case as I represent part of the wider community and clocked the guy at the bus stop causing fear among others because he was shouting and certainly displayed signs of paranoia.

      I could tell he had mental health problems and before you know it he was sitting next to me on the back of the bus. Yes we talked and he told me he was 53, done lots of partying in his younger days and was consuming chocolate like I had never seen anyone do in this way. He was beyond doubt addicted to chocolate and said he eats loads of it. His shopping bag was full of different types of chocolate and it was like he was taking drugs, got some relief momentarily and then going for the next hit and the next…

      He could barely walk and had flip flops on which of course are not supportive or practical.

      I asked him a sensible question – did he do any drugs at any time in his life?
      He responded and said he tried almost everything but stayed hooked on Skunk. This contains higher levels of THC and it has been known that it can lead to people developing psychiatric issues.

      According to this news story – see link, most cannabis being sold illegally is super-strength skunk linked to a higher risk of psychotic mental health episodes.
      https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-43196566

      We do not need to wait for more evidence or more cases – we need to simply admit that this is going on and perhaps at a bigger and wider scale than we care to consider.

      We have guys like this that I come across on my travels across the city. Today was the day I had to engage as he sat next to me. He could have sat anywhere but he chose to be next to me so I wasn’t going to waste time entertaining him or acting like I am scared when I am not.

      He smoked skunk for decades and still does it now. He is not under the radar or disappearing into a mental hospital, so the wider community can see this is clearly going on and being afraid of these mentally ill people changes nothing and does nothing.

      We have a 911 on our hands.
      WHY are we not up in arms and doing something?
      WHY are we championing a drug and lobbying to get it legalised, when this is going on in our communities?
      WHY are we allowing more people to suffer ill mental health because of a drug that we want to use for ‘recreational use’?

      As it says in the above comment, taking cannabis or call it marijuana, is NOT a benign activity, so let’s get that straight – for the record.

      If marijuana in any form was good for our health and well-being, we would have by now, the whole world united and be in agreement to use it but we don’t.

      As a world we are way off the mark when it comes to a one-unified truth about Marijuana. For now, we remain divided.

      My take is first get a reality check – read the so-called facts out there and then read this article and what is being presented. Answer the questions and then make your choices thereafter. No point endorsing something when we know little about the actual harm it causes to the human frame.

      One day we may get to this in our life –
      Any harm at all = not worth it.

  111. CNN Health News – 25 October 2021

    https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/25/health/marijuana-teen-vaping-wellness/index.html

    Vaping Marijuana by teenagers has doubled in the last 7 years (2013 to 2020) according to a new study.

    Reported use within the last 30 days rising seven-fold during the same time period.

    The Study was published in JAMA Pediatrics and it analyzed 17 studies throughout Canada and the United States, with almost 200,000 adolescents involved.

    The study found teenagers in their senior year at high school were most likely to be vaping marijuana compared to younger adolescents.

    2018
    1 in 3 grade 12 students reported vaping weed.

    One study showed adolescents reported a preference for vaping cannabis extracts over dried herbs to get the buzz desired from THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis – the one that produces the “high” users desire.

    According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) today’s “high” is much more intense than in the past, even that of a decade ago. Modern ultra potent strains of weed can contain over 15% THC and in the 1990s this was 4%.

    The study author Carmen Lim says “The use of cannabis products with high THC used through vaping, is not only linked to poorer cognitive development in adolescents, it could increase risk of dependence, other substance use and many other health, social and behavioural problems later in life.

    The use of marijuana by teenagers in any form is concerning because weed affects the adolescent brain differently, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

    CDC also stated that the use of weed by teenagers is linked to poor school performance and an increased likelihood of dropping out. In addition the CDC warns that it has been linked to a range of mental health problems in teens such as depression and anxiety and even psychosis.

    Heavy use of marijuana by teenagers and young adults with mood disorders, such as depression and bipolar disorder, is linked to an increased risk in self harm, suicide attempts and death.

    1 in 6 teenagers using marijuana become addicted says the CDC.
    Cannabis use disorder is on the rise, especially in those who started using it as teenagers.

    Those who start using marijuana before the age of 18 are 4 to 7 times more likely to develop marijuana use disorder than adults. The NIDA stated.

    Dear World

    We have a study here with 200,000 youth – our future adult population.
    This is serious and this is a world emergency 911.

    WHY are we accepting that cannabis, call it weed or marijuana is ok for human consumption at any age?

    WHY are we championing to legalise it and at what cost will this be to human life?

    While we have evidence based scientific research telling us of the harmfull effects of this toxic substance, it would be wise to consider everything before jumping on the bandwagon that all things cannabis have health benefits. Let us examine the whole and not a part of it that suits us because we get some kind of relief and never deal with the real underlying issue.

    Time to get real and honest about everything we are choosing to ingest and everything we ignore because it suits our lifestyle choices.

  112. CNN Health News – 16 November 2021

    https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/16/health/pregnancy-weed-children-aggression-anxiety-wellness/index.html

    According to a new study, researchers have found a link between marijuana use by expectant mothers and autism and childhood psychosis.

    This study shows how cannabis can affect the placenta and may be linked to higher levels of anxiety, aggression and hyperactivity in children.

    “This new study supports a growing body of evidence that smoking cannabis during pregnancy is associated with adverse outcomes for women and their children.
    We know from previous studies that using cannabis during pregnancy is linked to impaired foetal brain development, stillbirth, low birth weight and pre-term birth. This new evidence adds to these existing safety concerns, suggesting that cannabis use in pregnancy could lead to higher anxiety, aggression and levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the children.”
    Dr. Daghni Rajasingam – Consultant Obstetrician and spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in UK.

  113. CNN Health – 16 November 2021

    https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/16/health/pregnancy-weed-children-aggression-anxiety-wellness/index.html

    Using cannabis in pregnancy is linked to higher levels of anxiety, aggression, hyperactivity and levels of the stress hormone cortisol in children, according to a new study.

    More and more women are using weed, also known as marijuana or cannabis during pregnancy.

    Researchers have found a link between marijuana use by expectant mothers and autism and childhood psychosis.

    This new study supports a growing body of evidence that smoking cannabis during pregnancy is associated with adverse outcomes for women and their children.

    Whilst we wait for more research as that is always what we get at the end of any study, can we simply join the dots and put our common sense hat on?

    Maternal cannabis use is to support stress and reduce anxiety and relax. This human study shows that in utero exposure to cannabis has the opposite effect on children.

    Is it worth it and what are we endorsing when we champion a drug and legalise it and ingest it because it suits our lifestyle?

    How long will it take for us to all wake up and realise this will be like the smoking cigarettes bans and ‘Oh my god, its bad for our health, let’s stop the world smoking’.

    Is cannabis even worse for the human frame but we have not gotten there with our research studies yet but what if it is, then what?

    This in depth article by Simple Living Global and the comments thereafter which confirm something is not right about cannabis or call it marijuana, is well worth taking note of. We need to bring this type of study into our awareness so we do not walk around ignorant to the facts that are spelling out The Real Truth about Marijuana.

  114. University of Ottawa – 10 January 2022

    https://www2.uottawa.ca/about-us/media/news/cannabis-poisoning-young-children-increased-nine-times-afterlegalization

    Cannabis poisoning in young children increased 9 times after legalization, according to a new study.

    Ontario saw nine times more ED – Emergency Department visits per month for cannabis poisonings in young children under 10 after Canada legalised recreational cannabis.

    During the entire study, there were 522 ED visits for cannabis poisoning in children under the age of 10. The average age was 3 years and 9 months.

    32.7% required hospitalization.
    19 visits required Intensive Care Unit admission.

    Emergency Department visits for cannabis poisonings increased the most after commercial edibles were legalised and more of these visits required hospitalisation – 39%.

    Dear World

    WHY are we legalizing a drug that alters our natural state when we are clearly seeing the harm it is doing to young children?

    Having cannabis in any form is harmful and whilst we may think we are getting away with it, are we going to wait for more research to tell us what we all actually know right now?

    Is this going to be the same as Tobacco that one day in the future we will ban because science told us it is so harmful?

    Before we retaliate, refute or dismiss what this author is saying, re-read this whole article by Simple Living Global and then each and every comment.

    There is nothing in cannabis that is healthy or benefits the human body.
    We know that and we can ignore that immutable fact as we have a choice.
    If we are championing it and endorsing it, then let’s be honest and upfront and ask WHY?

    No parent, no adult and no custodian of any child would ever want a harmful drug to be ingested but yet it happens. This study is the evidence.

    How much more proof and evidence based scientific research are we going to wait for, while our emergency departments continue to be overwhelmed with visits that could easily stop such as cannabis poisoning in children?

  115. University of Ottawa – 10 January 2022

    https://www.uottawa.ca/about-us/media/news/cannabis-poisoning-young-children-increased-nine-times-afterlegalization

    Cannabis poisoning in young children increased 9 times after legalization in Ontario.

    9 times more emergency department visits per month for cannabis poisonings in young children under the age of 10 after Canada legalized recreational cannabis, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.

    While single hospitals have reported on child cannabis poisonings before, this is the first study to look at an entire region.

    The legalization of cannabis edible products appears to be a key factor” said lead author of the study – Dr. Daniel Myran, family physician, public health and preventative medicine specialist.

  116. CNN Health – 4 April 2022

    https://edition.cnn.com/2022/04/04/health/cbd-thc-pregnancy-dangers-study-wellness/index.html

    Pregnant women exposed to cannabis products that contained THC and CBD were more likely to have children with Obesity and higher blood sugar by the age of 5, according to a new study.

    “THERE IS A MIS-CONCEPTION THAT CANNABIS IS SAFE” says study author Briana Moore, assistant professor at the Colorado School of Public Health in Aurora.

    Studies show connections between marijuana use during pregnancy, low-birth weight in babies and behavioural problems later in childhood.

    Use of cannabis by pregnant women has been growing in the United States and other countries such as Canada in recent decades.

    In 2019, an analysis of over 450,000 American women by the National Institute on Drug Abuse found cannabis use in pregnancy more than doubled between 2002 and 2017.

    Past studies show cannabis use in pregnancy is linked to abnormal neurological development, autism and hyperactivity, attention issues and other cognitive and behavioural issues in children, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    Watch the video on this link.

    How many of us are aware that THC goes through our bloodstream, into our brain and latches onto receptors and when they are stimulated they release dopamine sending signals around the body making the user feel ‘high’?

    The other chemical in marijuana is known as CBD.

    What we are most certainly not aware of is that Marijuana has over 500 different chemical compounds and they ALL work together, known as the “entourage effect”.

    This is important as you cannot just take a chemical out of marijuana and make a medicine – you need the whole plant.

    How many of us know this before we go seeking this drug of choice to deal with our symptoms?

    Dear World,

    This website has consistently reported on news stories that support the immutable fact that cannabis, call it marijuana or weed (same thing, different name) is harmful to humans and our animals. It is not the so-called plant and therefore natural thing that is ok because that narrative suits our lifestyle choice or need to rid the pain or ill we feel.

    We have research study after study telling us, confirming to us and spelling it out that there is nothing positive or evolutionary for our species to ingest this toxic mind altering poison. Let’s start by calling it what it really is – a poison.

  117. Neuroscience News.com – 22 May 2022

    https://neurosciencenews.com/cannabis-endoscopy-sedation-20634/

    Cannabis users undergoing gastric endoscopy procedures require more sedation than non-cannabis users according to a new research study.

    This research is to be presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2022.

    As cannabis is legalised in more places and usage rises, clinicians should be aware of patient’s habits and prepare themselves and their patients for increased sedation and accompanying risks, researchers said.

    “Patients did not have increased awareness or discomfort during procedures but they did require more drugs” said lead researcher of the study Yasmin Nasser, MD, PhD., Assistant Professor at Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases Cumming School of Medicine – University of Calgary.

    Dear World

    How many more studies do we need to confirm from every angle that cannabis/marijuana is a harmful substance to the human body and it alters the natural state of our being?

    Do we continue going down the scientific ‘give us more evidence-based science’ or can we can admit we know and that means we need to take responsibility to make some rapid U–turns and get back on track?

    ALL drugs come with side effects, so who actually benefits if we look at the bigger picture?

    Legalising a drug may sound great from those that champion it, but we need to look at what is behind those that endorse a substance that up until recently was classed as an illegal drug.

    Wake up world, this is not going to evolve us out of the mess we are in with our unresolved past hurts, pains, issues and problems.

    What we can be assured of is it will help us to bury what we do not want to deal with and there is no getting away from that truth.

  118. Columbia | Mailman School of Public Health – 7 June 2022

    https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/public-health-now/news/daily-cannabis-users-less-likely-view-heavy-cigarette-smoking-dangerous

    More Americans are using cannabis as it becomes legalised for recreational adult use in a rapidly increasing number of U.S. states.

    A new study finds that adults who use cannabis daily do not perceive smoking a pack of cigarettes a day as being harmful or dangerous. The findings were published in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

    The findings align with previous work from the study’s lead author – Renee D. Goodwin, PhD, Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health and Professor of Epidemiology at The City University of New York, which showed that cigarette use is much more common among those who use cannabis and that cannabis legalization may contribute to observed increases in cannabis use and cannabis-cigarette co-use among adults.

    Accidental ingestion and poisonings have exploded in recent years in the U.S. with child and adolescent intentional use of these products.
    “Enacting legislation on the local and state level that reduced the appeal of cannabis products to youth – prohibiting product packaging that mimics foods and candies that are traditionally marketed to children may reduce potential unintended harms to the most vulnerable members of our community…” said Goodwin.

  119. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) – 17 June 2021

    https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/crash-rates-jump-in-wake-of-marijuana-legalization-new-studies-show

    More evidence is emerging that crash rates go up when states legalise recreational use and retail sales of marijuana.

    A new study by The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and another by the affiliated Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) show crash rates spiked in California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, following the legalization in these states.

    President of IIHS-HLDI, David Harkey said “Our latest research makes it clear that legalizing marijuana for recreational use does increase overall crash rates.”

    Over one-third of U.S. states have legalised recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older. The hefty tax revenues those states are earning have other states exploring similar legislation and recent polls indicate that 68% of Americans are in favour of legalisation.
    Consumption also appears to be expanding rapidly.

    This is a potential concern for those that care about road safety.
    Driving simulator tests show that drivers who are high on marijuana –
    React more slowly
    FInd it harder to pay attention
    Have more difficulty maintaining their car’s position in the lane
    Make more errors when something goes wrong than they do when sober

    Tests have also shown marijuana-impaired drivers are likely to drive at slower speeds, make fewer attempt to overtake and keep more distance between their vehicle than the one ahead of them.

    Dear World

    Even if there was one single crash associated with the use of marijuana, that is enough evidence to say SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT and not dispute, refute and find ways to make it acceptable, when we all know it makes no sense to ingest a toxic drug, which poisons the body and alters our natural state to be in front of the wheel.

    Do we really need more studies and another hypothesis?

    Worth re-reading this presentation called THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT MARIJUANA and then continue on to read ALL comments thereafter. We have enough evidence of what this drug is really about and how it affects people.

  120. https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2022/06/28/emergency-room-visits-marijuana-use/2221656444637/

    A new study shows emergency room visits on the rise with marijuana use.

    Physical injuries, lung ailments and gastrointestinal problems were the top 3 reasons why marijuana users had to go the hospital.

    Researchers in Canada found recreational marijuana use was associated with 22% greater odds of needing to visit an emergency room or be hospitalized.

    Lead researcher Dr. Nicholas Vozoris, Assistant Professor of Respirology at the University of Toronto said “a product that is now decriminalized and is being used with increasing frequency and at least some portion of the population thinks it is benign, does not cause problems and can be used safely.
    We are showing that it is associated with a significant risk of an important kind of hard outcome – coming to the emergency room and being hospitalized.”

    Linda Richter, Vice President of prevention research and analysis at the Partnership to End Addiction said the study is further evidence of the unintended consequences that could come with the spreading legalization of pot. “The growing notion that marijuana use is harmless and even medicinal for the general public – a belief pushed by the cannabis industry and the legalization movement – is especially dangerous given the steep rise in the drug’s potency in recent years, the many toxic chemicals that are in the various types of marijuana products and the increasing accessibility of the drug to people of all ages, especially children and adolescents who are the most vulnerable to its effects.

    As more and more states legalise the drug, it is essential for them to launch effective public education effort to dispel the myths and inaccuracies propagated by those who stand to gain financially from broader use of the drug.”

    Dear World

    Can this article – a very precise and factual presentation titled The Real Truth about Marijuana be a start to the “effective public education” that is now needed? As Richter said “to dispel the myths and inaccuracies..?”

    Without proper real education, how are we ever going to see the younger generations that will one day be our adults of the future make choices that will not harm their body?

    As Vozoris states, some of the ER visits from pot use are physical injury related to cannabis drowsiness or altered level of consciousness.

    There is nothing we can refute, ignore or deny here – cannabis, call it pot or marijuana, same thing, alters our natural state and that in itself is enough as a starting point to know it is not designed for the human frame.

  121. UPI Health News – 24 June 2022

    https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2022/06/24/THC-in-CBD-products/3941656075799/

    A new study finds THC in 60% of CBD products tests.

    THC – tetrahydrocannabinol is the chemical in marijuana that causes intoxication and researchers warned that most products contained just trace amounts of THC, but that is enough to accumulate in the body and cause a drug test to fail.

    THC is not allowed in many sports, but athletes use CBD to help them recover and for different facets of training says senior researcher Shanna Babalonis – Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.

    “Some of the CBD products contained enough THC to potentially cause intoxication in some people, particularly if they had no prior experience with pot.

    The public needs to question whether there is THC in their CBD products.” Says Babalonis.

    For the study, 80 different CBD products from online shops or stores in Kentucky were subjected to 9 analyses to determine whether they contained any THC.

    They found 52 of the 80 CBD products contained some THC and 47 of them contained THC levels higher than that in Epidiolex. This is the drug prescribed to help control epileptic seizures and its manufacture is rigorously regulated.
    Epidiolex is the only CBD product on the market that is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

    11 products had high concentrations of THC and Babalonis confirmed that a lot of elderly people do take CBD with a lot of other medications and they could have high levels of THC in their product.

    The study results show that stronger regulation is needed for CBD products.

  122. UPI Health News

    https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2022/07/19/marijuana-female-athletes/7701658246081/

    A new study from the University of Colorado connects regular Marijuana use in fit young female athletes to decreased anaerobic power, a component of physical activity involving short and intense bursts of exercise.

    The study also found that people who consumed cannabis products containing THC had a moderate increased risk of heart disease compared to non-users and the consumption method did not matter.

    Even after age was accounted for, the researchers noticed that cannabis users showed higher concentrations of a protein that indicates inflammation. The earlier the women began smoking, the higher the protein concentration.

    Athletes’ use of products containing THC is prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
    However, pure CBD – cannabidiol, which is the other component in Marijuana is permitted.

    Dear World

    A few very valid and important questions we ought to ask –

    If the whole is not permissible because a PART contains the illegal potent stuff, then could it be possible that one day in the near future, we will discover that the ill effects remain, regardless of what we have thus far researched and confirmed?

    Have we realised that not every single country or all governments class Marijuana as legal but actually have it as an illegal narcotic – a drug that cannot be used for pleasure purposes?

  123. University of Bath – 25 July 2022

    https://www.bath.ac.uk/announcements/high-strength-cannabis-linked-to-addiction-and-mental-health-problems/

    The largest ever study into the health effects of different types of cannabis, highlights concerns about stronger forms.

    The authors of the new study say that as the strength or potency of cannabis products have increased internationally over the years, so have rates of people being treated for cannabis addiction.

    The findings of this study suggests that people who use high potency cannabis are more likely to experience addiction than those using low potency products. They are also more likely to experience a psychotic disorder, such as schizophrenia.

    20 studies analysed
    120,000 people

    After Alcohol and Nicotine, Cannabis is the most widely used drug globally.

    1 in 5 age 16 to 24 years old in the UK used cannabis in the last year.

    Research studies from the same team at Bath University found that the concentration of THC in cannabis has increased significantly over time and that means that cannabis used today is typically much stronger than previously.

    76% increase in people entering treatment for cannabis addiction in the past decade.
    Data from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.

    Dear World

    Will our “strategies” work and is there really such a thing as “safe” cannabis use when the drug alters our natural state and many countries today still class it as an illegal substance?

    Will we always find those that champion and advocate drugs taking the lead when it comes to law and decision making?

    Are we a bit complacent and relaxed about the whole drug thing as it suits us to keep things as they are with no more exposure, thank you very much?

    Are we ready to interview all those that suffer when their children and the young adolescent population are addicted to cannabis and have no intention of making any changes?

    There is many many real life anecdotal evidence and that means real true stories, but yet we have the tendency to stick to what we want to know and the narrative we want to subscribe to that simply keeps things as they are.

    How many more times do we want our researchers to tell us that they are “unclear” and this means they require more funding for more studies, when we all know, that all drugs by their very design are to alter our natural state?

    NOTE – Cannabis is another word for Marijuana

  124. University of Colorado

    https://www.colorado.edu/today/2022/08/25/cannabis-legalization-boosts-use-double-digits-new-study-suggests

    States in the U.S. where cannabis has been legalised use marijuana 24% more frequently than those who are living in states where it remains illegal.

    According to a study by researchers at University of Colorado and University of Minnesota, of more than 3,400 adult twins, this study constitutes some of the strongest evidence yet that legalization of marijuana causes increased use.

    “Across America there is a trend toward using more marijuana but we found that the change is bigger in states where it is legal.”
    Stephanie Zellers – Lead Author

    “This is the first study to confirm that the association between legal cannabis and increased use holds within families in genetically identical individuals. This makes it much more likely that legalization does, in itself, result in increased use.”
    Professor John Hewitt – Co-Author | Department of Psychology and Neuroscience

    141 million Americans now live in a state with recreationally legal cannabis.

    Use among young adults aged 19 to 30 is at an all-time high and 43% reporting use in the past year, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

  125. NBC News – 12 September 2022

    https://www.nbcnews.com/health/womens-health/marijuana-use-pregnancy-may-harm-childrens-mental-health-rcna47280

    CANNABIS USE DURING PREGNANCY MAY CAUSE MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN

    Children whose mothers used cannabis after the 5th or 6th week of pregnancy may be more likely to develop mental health problems in early adolescence, according to a new study published in JAMA Pediatrics.

    The analysis of data from over 10,000 children aged 11 and 12 revealed that exposure to cannabis in utero was associated with a higher risk of developing disorders such as ADHD, aggressive behaviour, conduct disorder and rule-breaking behaviour.

    A 2019 study that looked at children when they were 9 and 10 found the same association between pre-natal cannabis and behavioural issues. It also exposed that children exposed to cannabis in utero had lower birth weight, lower brain volume and lower white matter volume.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6582258/

    The number of women using cannabis during pregnancy is growing.

    For pregnant women who rely on marijuana to help with nausea, the study’s first author – David Baranger, postdoctoral research associate at Washington University in St. Louis advised that they talk to their health care provider.

    The impact of cannabis use was seen in the middle of the first trimester with an indication that it may be because cannabinoid receptors have not yet developed in the foetal brain.

    “The use of cannabis during pregnancy appears to increase the risk of children having long-term problems with behaviour and cognition. That association is now shown to persist into early adolescence and in the future, could lead to further psychopathology. Cannabis use is really not desirable because it is a drug that goes through the placenta and gets into the fetus.
    Early on, cannabinoid receptors are widely expressed in the brain. Cannabinoids are important in orchestrating some of the processes that help guide neurons from the center of the developing brain to the distant spots that will become the cortex.

    If the person takes marijuana, it is going to artificially stimulate the receptors, which could cause deviations from the very specifically orchestrated process.”
    Dr. Nora Volkow – Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institutes of Health

  126. COLUMBIA | Mailman School of Public Health – 21 September 2022

    https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/public-health-now/news/adolescent-substance-abuse-declines-exception-cannabis-and-vaping

    Adolescent substance abuse declines, except for cannabis and vaping use, according to a new study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

    High levels of free social time, especially with low engagement in structured activities or low supervision were linked to substance abuse.

    1991 to 2019
    536,291 adolescents’ data was examined.

    Researchers say that the reasons for the phenomenon are not entirely clear.

    Substance abuse was higher overall in the highly social and highly engaged groups with less supervision. Time at a paid job was also significant factor in increasing the chances of trying illicit substances.

    Cannabis use increased among all groups, especially among adolescent workers.

    Nicotine vaping increased the most among the highly social and engaged group that was less supervised.

    Cannabis vaping increased most among social but disengaged teenagers.

    Lead author of the study – Noah Kreski said “Social setting where adolescents interact with peers, at parties for example, provide opportunities for substance use, especially in the absence of adult supervision. These social settings may produce peer pressure for adolescents to engage in substance use in order to fit in.”

    This may be particularly true for employed adolescents, who regularly interact with older teenagers and adults. Employed adolescents often come from lower income brackets and are propelled into an early “pseudo-adulthood.” Leading them to adopt the habits more typical of people older than they are.

    Cannabis users in particular, appear to seek out other cannabis users, leading to social circles in which the drug plays a significant role. Vaping was similarly correlated to social influence.

    Dear World

    It is inevitable that the researchers say at the end “further research is now needed…”

    While we wait for more research to tell us what we already know because we do know, it is creating a form of delay. It is like we want time to continue down the ill road and then one day – like tobacco, get the researchers to unite and say it is not for human consumption and is killing the human frame so let’s put stop to it now.

    What if vaping and smoking or ingesting cannabis is just another flavour of ice cream but they are all ice cream disguised in different names and come in all forms?

    In other words, we have not evolved out of tobacco, we have just found another way to alter our natural state. Let’s be real and get honest. Alcohol, cannabis or any illicit substance alters our natural state and there is no getting away from that immutable fact.

  127. Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health – 21 September 2022

    https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/news/adolescent-substance-abuse-declines-exception-cannabis-vaping

    28 year study tracked 536,291 young people across the United States.

    Substance abuse among U.S. adolescents declines with the exception of Cannabis and Vaping use, according to a new study by researchers at Columbia university Mailman School of Public Health.

    High levels of free social time, especially with low engagement in structured activities or low supervision was linked to substance use.

    Examining data between 1991 and 2019, a team of researchers suggests that while the reasons for this phenomenon are not entirely clear.

    Cannabis use increased among all groups, especially among adolescent workers. Nicotine vaping increased the most among the highly social and engaged group that was less supervised and cannabis vaping increased most among social but disengaged teenagers.

    “Social settings where adolescents interact with peers, at parties for example, provide opportunities for substance use, especially in the absence of adult supervision. These social settings may produce peer pressure for adolescents to engage in substance use in order to fit in,” says Noah Kreski, MPH – Department of Epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School.

    This may be particularly true of employed adolescents, who regularly interact with older teenagers and adults. Employed adolescents often come from lower income brackets and are thus propelled into an early “pseudo-adulthood,” leading them to adopt the habits more typical of people older than they are.

    Further, cannabis users, in particular, appear to seek out other cannabis users, leading to social circles in which the drug plays a significant role. Vaping was similarly correlated to social influence.

  128. American Society of Anesthesiologists – 23 October 2022

    https://www.asahq.org/about-asa/newsroom/news-releases/2022/10/cannabis-use-increases-pain-after-surgery-study-shows

    According to a new study – adults who use cannabis have more pain after surgery than those who do not use cannabis.

    Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States and is increasingly used as an alternative treatment for chronic pain.

    This study shows that adults who use cannabis are having more, not less – postoperative pain.

    The study was a much larger sample than previous studies and it did not include patients with chronic pain diagnosis or those who received regional anaesthesia, which would have seriously conflicted the results.

  129. American Dental Association – 7 November 2022

    https://www.ada.org/publications/ada-news/2022/november/half-of-dentists-surveyed-report-patients-high-during-dental-visits

    56% of dentists responded to a new ADA survey report, they are seeing patients who are high on marijuana or another drug during dental visits.

    The findings come at a time when recreational marijuana use is now legal in 21 states and medicinal use is legal in 37 states.

    The report highlights that being on a high for a dental appointment after recreational marijuana use, can limit the treatment that a dentist can provide. It can lead to needing an additional visit.

    More patients are reporting using marijuana regularly because it is now legal.

    Limiting a dental treatment is because of how marijuana and anaesthesia affect the central nervous system.

    46% of dentists surveyed reported sometimes needing to increase anaesthesia to treat patients who needed care.

    39% patients reported using marijuana with smoking as the most common form of use.
    25% of respondents vaped and of those respondents, 51% vaped marijuana.

    It is known that marijuana can lead to increased anxiety, paranoia and hyperactivity which could make the dental visit more stressfull. It can also increase heart rate and has unwanted respiratory side effects, which increases the risk of using local anaesthetics for pain control.

    Dear World

    What we have now that was not around in the past was the legalisation of marijuana which means easy access for those seeking an altered state of being. Let us start to get a bit more honest that there is absolutely no health benefits in ingesting marijuana in whatever form.

    What we also have now that was not around in the past is vaping marijuana. We do know that vaping is having a widespread effect on our teenagers and while we wait for even more and more evidence based scientific studies to tell us what most of us know now, is that things are not suddenly going to get better. We need a paradigm shift and we are way off in our approach when it comes to mind altering drugs that are prolific in our current times.

  130. ABC News – 15 November 2022
    https://abcnews.go.com/Health/smoking-marijuana-harmful-lungs-smoking-cigarettes-study-finds/story?id=93283206

    Smoking marijuana may be more harmful to lungs than smoking cigarettes according to a new study published by the Radiological Society of North America.

    The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates at least one-fifth of Americans have tried marijuana at least once. With more states legalising the drug, it has become the most commonly used drug that is still illegal at the federal level.

    Some health effects such as brain development issues, high blood pressure and increased risk of heart attacks and strokes have been studied.

    However, according to Dr Albert Rizzo, lung doctor and chief medical officer of the American Lung Association “We do not know the long-term effects of marijuana as we do for the long-term effects of tobacco”.

    75% of the marijuana smokers had emphysema, according to the scans.

    70% of tobacco-only smokers had emphysema.

    Emphysema is a form of chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) and is the third leading cause of death in the United States.

    In this case control study of marijuana smokers, non-smokers and tobacco-only smokers, smoking marijuana was associated with paraseptal emphysema, bronchiectasis, bronchial wall thickening and airway mucoid impaction.

    The conclusion of the study – airway inflammation and emphysema were more common in marijuana smokers than in non-smokers and tobacco-only smokers.
    https://pubs.rsna.org/doi/10.1148/radiol.212611

    Researchers from the University of Ottawa and The Ottawa Hospital have found marijuana smokers have a higher rate of emphysema and airway diseases compared to cigarette smokers.

    Giselle Revah, assistant professor at the University of Ottawa and radiologist at the Ottawa Hospital, where the research was conducted, was searching for answers on the effects of marijuana on the lungs and its health indications, especially with little information available in the current literature since marijuana only became legal in Canada in 2018. She says: “What is unique about this study is that there has not been anything comparing the imaging findings in tobacco smokers to marijuana smokers before. In fact, there is a lack of imaging research in marijuana, probably because it’s still illegal in many parts of the world and in many US states, which is why I think we were the 1st to do a project like this.”

    “I can tell if someone is a heavy or a long-time cigarette smoker when I look at a CT scan. With marijuana being the second most inhaled substance after tobacco, I was wondering: What does marijuana inhalation look like on a CT scan? Would I be able to tell if someone was a marijuana smoker, is it different from cigarette smoke?” said Revah.

    Despite the sample size, Revah’s findings suggest that marijuana smoker saw additional effects on the lungs above tobacco alone, including more instances of large and small airways diseases. “We have identified an association between marijuana smoking and damage to both the small and the large airways. We still need more research before we can affect policy changed”, she said.
    https://www.uottawa.ca/about-us/media/news/marijuana-smokers-show-higher-rates-emphysema-airway-diseases-smokers-study

    Global consumption of marijuana is increasing, but there is a paucity of evidence concerning associated lung imaging findings.

    1. So here we have a product – that is already known to be harm-full to ourselves – being finally studied and showing that smoking marijuana could cause more lung damage than smoking tobacco.

      Those in authority started to realise that tobacco smoking was harm-full in the 1950’s and 1960’s as a series of major medical reports confirmed that tobacco caused a range of serious diseases.

      In the UK, it took until the beginning of 2007 to approve regulations requiring pictorial health warnings on tobacco packages which came into effect October 2008.

      It took until 2016 for all tobacco products to be sold in plain packaging and placed behind closed cupboards.

      From those reports in the 1950’s, it has taken nearly 70 years to get where we are at today.

      According to the WHO, the tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing over 8 million people a year around the world. More than 7 million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while around 1.3 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second hand smoke

      https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tobacco

      How long will it take those in authority to realise the true harm of smoking marijuana?

      How many people will have to die before those in authority start to make the decisions they made to prevent tobacco smoking deaths?

  131. What is going on if we now have pretty marketing large sized cards through our letter box promoting a drink in the can with CBD.

    The claims made are:

    Award winning taste
    Crafted to help you relax into your best self
    Unwind
    Black Friday offer code
    The CBD is “premium”
    Deliciously refreshing
    Lightly sparkling
    Natural botanicals
    Stress-free sipping

    Unwind without hangxiety
    Hangover free way to relax
    Feel fresh the next morning

    Powered by natural ingredients
    Infused with premium CBD
    No negative side effects
    Low calorie and delicious

    Award winning flavours
    Under 21 kcals

    Dear World

    What message are we receiving here?
    What population will grab this and go?
    Who are those that market these products aiming at?
    What does a pink can on a leaflet through your door say?

    Has anyone joined the dots and realised some stuff is repeated in the long list above?

    If CBD is so great then how come we as a world are not all united on this?

    For those that require a reminder cannabidiol comes from the cannabis plant.

    For those that may not be fully aware, CBD does have side effects which include reduced appetite, dry mouth, diarrhoea, drowsiness and fatigue.

    Of course it will be even more harmful if taken with other medication or alcohol and we cannot rely on the purity and dosage of CBD in some products.

    Just because we can buy it at the local pharmacy, drug store or health shop, does not make it beneficial for our optimum health and well-being. If we are seeking a substance to check us out, numb us or forget the pain, then we may turn to CBD as it has become a fast growing trend worldwide.

    Those that advocate will have their take on the miracles of CBD.

    Simple Living Global is here to simply state the facts and present some valuable questions to consider. Nothing more and nothing less.

    This website and all its content is designed to bring awareness to humanity. What they do or don’t do thereafter is not on our agenda.

  132. Oregon Health & Science University – 7 December 2022

    https://news.ohsu.edu/2022/12/07/teen-cannabis-abuse-has-increased-245-over-20-years-study-finds

    245% increase in Teenage Cannabis use over 20 years.

    Research led by Oregon Health & Science University reveals adolescent cannabis abuse in the United States has increased drastically since 2000.

    The study, published in Clinical Toxicology found more than 338,000 instances of intentional abuse or misuse among American children aged 6 to 18.

    Mis-use and abuse of substances – cannabis, alcohol and others, among youth remains a serious public health challenge in the United States.

    Lead author of the study, Adrienne Hughes, M.D, assistant professor of emergency medicine in the OHSU School of Medicine said “Our study describes an upward trend in marijuana abuse exposures among youth, especially those involving edible products.”

    Dear World

    A question we ought to start asking is who on earth came up with edibles?

    What a way – an alternative option to have the pot, weed, without the obvious smell or smoke, but get the mind altering benefits. Our youth are seeking something to fill the void they have inside them and edibles seem to be an option.

  133. Washington State University – 9 February 2023

    https://news.wsu.edu/press-release/2023/02/09/youth-cannabis-vaping-highest-in-medical-marijuana-states/

    YOUTH CANNABIS VAPING HIGHEST IN MEDICAL MARIJUANA STATES

    More U.S. high school seniors reported vaping cannabis in states where it is legal only for medical purposes than states where all adult use is permitted, according to a new study finding that surprised researchers at Washington State University.

    27% of 12th graders in medical marijuana states reported vaping cannabis.

    The study could not identify exact reasons for the high rates of teenage vaping in medical marijuana states but the first author Christian Maynard said “it is possible the context of saying cannabis is for medical reasons is contributing to the fact that youth view it as less risky. The difference in availability may also be that adult use states are providing legal cannabis to a wider range of people, which may in turn tamp down on the illegal market and an adolescent cannot go to a dispensary”.

  134. American College of Cardiology – 24 February 2023

    https://www.acc.org/About-ACC/Press-Releases/2023/02/23/18/53/Frequent-Marijuana-Use-Linked-to-Heart-Disease

    FREQUENT MARIJUANA USE LINKED TO HEART DISEASE

    Researchers caution that cannabis use is not without risk

    People who used marijuana daily were found to be one third more likely to develop coronary artery disease (CAD), according to a new study.

    As cannabis becomes legal in an increasing number of U.S. states, this study is among the largest and most comprehensive to date to examine the potential long-term cardiovascular implications of using the drug. CAD is the most common form of heart disease and occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart become narrowed due to a buildup of cholesterol. CAD commonly causes chest pain, shortness of breath and fatigue and can lead to a heart attack.

  135. University of Illinois Chicago – 28 March 2023

    https://publichealth.uic.edu/news-stories/legal-cannabis-markets-linked-to-increased-motor-vehicle-deaths/

    LEGAL CANNABIS MARKETS LINKED TO INCREASED MOTOR VEHICLE DEATHS

    Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health found that there was a substantial increase in crash fatalities in 4 of the 7 states used in the study where legalized recreational markets were associated with a 10% increase in motor vehicle accident deaths.

    “To see a 10 percent increase is concerning. Previous studies found cannabis impairs driving ability and that driving while high is fairly common among regular cannabis users” said first author Samantha Marinelllo, Phd Health Policy and Administration.

  136. Washington State University – 19 April 2023

    https://news.wsu.edu/press-release/2023/04/19/cannabis-exposures-in-suspected-suicide-attempts-are-on-the-rise/

    CANNABIS EXPOSURES IN SUSPECTED SUICIDE ATTEMPTS ARE ON THE RISE

    Suspected suicidal cannabis exposures have increased 17% annually, over a period of 12 years, according to a Washington State University-led analysis of U.S. poison center data.

    92% of the attempts involved other substances in addition to cannabis.

    “This study adds to already ample evidence that cannabis use, particularly by younger people, has significant implications for mental health.

    We don’t have evidence that cannabis alone was the primary driver of a suicide attempt but we do know that cannabis can worsen certain mental health conditions and increase impulsivity.

    We have a significant shortage of mental health and primary care providers in the United States. We know that mental health needs not only changed but became even more acute during the COVID-19 emergency. Cannabis is one part of that.” Co-author of the study
    Tracy Klein – Associate Professor of Nursing at Washington State University.

    “Children and adolescents shouldn’t be able to purchase or access cannabis. We also need to educate kids and parents around the risks of cannabis. I think many people just aren’t aware the impacts cannabis can have on brain development and on behavioral and mental health, especially in adolescents and young adults.” First Author
    Janessa Graves – Nursing Associate Professor at Washington State University

    Dear World

    This is a very serious and an important study to take note of. Equally as important as this in depth article on the real truth and impact of marijuana, also known as cannabis.

    The first author and co-author are making some valuable contributions and directing those that can make changes to take note of what is needed.

    Simple Living Global have been on the front foot when it comes to drugs, such as cannabis. They can and will deliver worldwide, wherever the call is to bring awareness presentations on the impact of cannabis, so that they can reach the kids and parents by educating them on the facts and the real harm, not only to the human body but to society as a whole.

    While we wait for the shortages in mental health providers to be addressed, Simple Living Global can step in and start the process for much needed change now. They are true leaders in this field.

  137. CNN Health News – 16 May 2023

    https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/16/health/marijuana-harm-early-pregnancy-wellness/index.html

    More people use marijuana than tobacco in the United States, according to a new poll.

    A new study has found a significant health impact of marijuana use on foetal development as early as the beginning of pregnancy. The study looked very specifically at the first trimester and found a significant decrease in birth weight.

    “Low birth weight is one of the strongest predictors of a child’s health and development long-term. These kids are more prone to developmental delays, higher rates of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), learning disabilities and have higher rates of emotional problems.” Lead Author Beth Bailey – Professor of Psychology and Director of Population Health Research at the College of Medicine at Ventral Michigan University.

    In addition, if marijuana use continued during the rest of the pregnancy, the head circumference of the new-born was reduced.

    Pregnant women who used marijuana were significantly younger, more likely to be single and covered by Medicaid and less likely to have an education beyond high school than those who did not use marijuana and served as the control group.

    “Use of marijuana during pregnancy is on the rise. With legalization there seems to be the idea that it must be safe since it is legal and so a lot of people continue to use it during pregnancy.Today we have got marijuana strains with stronger THC levels, now that marijuana is commercially grown. We are seeing very large effects on the foetus in the last 10 years of research. The impact can be even worse when negative health behaviours are combined.
    When women combine smoking cigarettes and marijuana, we see an even bigger effect on birth weight than you would get from either of the two alone,” said Bailey.

  138. The Guardian – 25 May 2023

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/25/amsterdam-public-weed-smoking-ban-begins

    Amsterdam has banned public cannabis use in the red light district after years of complaints from local residents about wild behaviour from 18 million annual visitors.

    Tourists and residents face a fine of €100 for public cannabis smoking in and around the red light district to “reduce crowding and nuisance in the area”.

    Locals are sick of rowdy stag nights, piles of rubbish and their doorsteps being used as lavatories.

  139. The Guardian – 25 May 2023

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/25/amsterdam-public-weed-smoking-ban-begins

    Tourists and residents in Amsterdam now face a fine of €100 for public smoking of marijuana in and around the red light district to “reduce crowding and nuisance in the area”.

    After years of complaints from residents about wild behaviour from 18 million annual visitors, the municipality started a “stay away” campaign firstly aimed at misbehaving tourists from Britain. They banned alcohol sales in shops at the weekend and imposed earlier closing times for window brothels and pubs.

    Locals complain of rowdy stag nights, piles of rubbish and their doorsteps being used as lavatories.

  140. Columbia Mailman School of Public Health – 16 June 2023

    https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/news/cannabis-legalization-aging-binge-drinker

    A new study examined changes in binge drinking after the implementation of recreational cannabis laws.

    The national study found a decline in binge drinking among young people alongside rise in the behaviour among adults aged 31 and older.

    Until now, research on the relationship between recreational cannabis laws and binge drinking has been limited to data from a few states, small study samples and combined age groups.

    This study was one of the 1st to report associations between binge drinking and recreational cannabis laws in adolescents and adults at a national level.

    Dear World

    While we wait for more research studies, can we join the dots here and keep it simple?

    Recreational cannabis is the licence to smoke a joint, weed, pot or whatever the name is for Marijuana.

    What if this substance does more for us than binge drinking so we go for this drug but as we get a bit older (only a few years), we use alcohol or we use both? At this stage we are not aware if those older are still doing their pot and adding alcohol to the ‘recreation’ – the licence society gives us to use mind altering substances which remain illegal in other countries around the world.

    Marijuana aka cannabis alters our natural state and so does alcohol.

    What if we did not do any more research but got anecdotal evidence and started to observe closely how these youth are living, what their background is and that means how they attend to daily life, day in and day out, their responsibilities, their approach and how they cope with the stresses of life?

    Then let us dig a bit deeper and go to their background in terms of previous years and their childhood and teenage years. We could probably learn a lot and we could also no doubt summarise WHY on earth these young adults do what they do.

    How much more research studies are we going to churn out whilst we continue to ignore the obvious, which is using good old fashion common sense and questioning how and why until we get to the root of this?

  141. UT Health Houston News – 5 July 2023

    https://www.uth.edu/news/story/cannabis-use-associated-with-increased-risk-of-surgical-complications-according-to-uthealth-houston-study

    Cannabis use associated with increased risk of surgical complications, according to UT Health Houston study.

    People who are regular cannabis users are at an increased risk of experiencing complications before, during and after surgery.

    16.3 million people had a Cannabis Use Disorder in 2021, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

    Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) occurs when someone is unable to stop using cannabis even though it is causing health and social problems in their lives.

    Researchers found patients with CUD are 20% more likely to experience a significant postoperative complication than patients without CUD.

    Cannabis use falls into the category of a health-related issue. It may not be as harmless as people think; it can have a significant impact on your health said Paul Potnuru MD – first author of the study and Assistant Professor in the Department of Anaesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at McGovern Medical School at UT Health Houston.

    According to the study, patients with CUD had an increased risk of postoperative complications, including myocardial ischemia, acute kidney injury, stroke, respiratory failure, venous thromboembolism, hospital-acquired infection and surgical procedure-related complications. Additionally, the cost of hospital stay was higher in patients with CUD than those without it.

    With the growing rate of cannabis use and increasing potency of cannabis products, there are safety concerns for patients with frequent use of cannabis who undergo surgery.

    “From the anaesthesia perspective, cannabis users may need higher doses of anaesthetic medications during surgery. They can also have higher pain levels after surgery and require more opioids”.
    Paul Potnuru MD

  142. U.S. Health News – 14 August 2023

    https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2023-08-14/more-americans-than-ever-believe-marijuana-smoke-is-safer-than-cigarette-smoke-theyre-wrong

    As cannabis use has become legal in many U.S. states for medical or recreational use, more Americans than ever believe Marijuana smoke is safer that cigarette smoke and they are wrong, according to new research.

    Over 44% adults now believe smoking weed each day is safer than inhaling tobacco smoke.

    Lead study author – Dr. Beth Cohen, a Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine said “The research that has been coming out is actually suggestive that there is a lot of overlap in terms of the toxins and carcinogens that are in both cannabis and tobacco smoke. What we have learned in the past few years seems more concerning, not less concerning.”

    Cohen explained “One of the misconceptions is that, well cigarettes are bad for you because there are all these chemicals in them and that is absolutely true. That is part of why they are bad for you. But really a huge piece of the harm from cigarettes is simply that they are a material that is being combusted and you are inhaling that smoke.
    The particulate matter that smoke creates can get deep into the lungs.”

    Tobacco smoke has been studied for much longer than cannabis smoke and there has been a large public health effort to educate people about the dangers of Tobacco. There is not the same amount of data about cannabis, in part because it is ILLEGAL FEDERALLY making research a challenge.

    Where tobacco has been increasingly restricted with states and governments limiting where a person can smoke, cannabis has been increasingly legalized.

    The study also found that young people aged 18 to 29 were more likely to move toward the view that cannabis was safer. Being unmarried was also more aligned with a view that cannabis was safe.

    Dr. Albert Rizzo – Chief Medical Officer for the American Lung Association said “The main reason is that it is becoming much more freely used by younger people that it is a part of what their generation can do. The fact that it is being legalized more is another reason. People have to realise that just because it is legal, does not mean it is safe. It is not being made legal for safety reasons. It is being made that way because of people’s preferences and judgements.

    We don’t have long term studies to show the effects of COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) or cancer, but our concerns are that it is very similar in the way that it took years for us to figure out that tobacco led to, with definite science, led to things like cancer and the development of COPD.

    Public Health agencies like the American Lung Association need to double down on education and awareness efforts about what the potential problems are with cannabis smoking.”

  143. Columbia University – Mailman School of Public Health – 30 August 2023

    https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/news/blood-urinary-metal-levels-high-among-exclusive-marijuana-users

    According to a new research study at Columbia University – Mailman School of Public Health, significant levels of metals were detected in the blood and urine among marijuana users, concluding that marijuana may be an important and under-recognized source of lead and cadmium exposure.

    This is among the first studies to date, that links self-reported marijuana use to internal measures of metal exposure, rather than just look at metal levels in the cannabis plant.

    Marijuana is the 3rd most commonly used drug in the world after Tobacco and Alcohol.

    2022
    21 states and Washington D.C., covering more than 50% of the U.S. population have legalized recreational use of marijuana; and medical marijuana is legal in 38 states and Washington D.C.

    However, because marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, regulation of contaminants in all cannabis containing products remains piecemeal and there has been no guidance from federal regulatory agencies like FDA.

    48.2 million Americans report using marijuana at least once in 2022.

    28 states regulate inorganic arsenic, cadmium, lead and total mercury concentrations in marijuana products, regulation limits vary by metal and by state.

  144. UPI Health News – 14 September 2023

    https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2023/09/14/depression-marijuana-tobacco/5901694636831/

    Using both Tobacco and Marijuana is linked to a higher risk of Anxiety and Depression, according to a new study.

    Among 54,000 adults, those who used both substances experienced Anxiety and Depression at nearly twice the rate of non-users.

    The lead researcher – Professor Nhung Nguyen at University of California, San Francisco said “smoking weed and tobacco, does not help to deal with anxiety and depression and may exacerbate mental health issues in the long run. This is an emerging public health issue.”

    Co-use of Marijuana and Tobacco is increasing nationwide as more states legalize cannabis, researchers noted, suggesting this could set the stage for mental health issues.

    Why the combination might cause anxiety and depression is not clear. And the interaction between the 2 substances on health in general and on mental health in particular is not fully understood according to the researchers.

    Dear World

    While we wait for more scientific studies to explain what is currently not understood or clear, can we apply some common sense and read this article in full and then ALL the comments thereafter from Simple Living Global. Then consider the following question –

    Could it be possible that both Tobacco and Marijuana alter our natural state and with this fact in mind, could it simply explain why those combining both toxic poisons and inhaling/ingesting them into the body – there is going to be some kind of disturbance?

  145. Pennsylvania State University – 13 September 2023

    https://www.psu.edu/news/hershey/story/medical-minute-inform-your-health-care-provider-about-any-cannabinoid-use/

    As the use of medical and recreational marijuana, prescription and non-prescription cannabinoid and other cannabis products increases, scientists are warning consumers of potentially negative medical effects.

    Of particular concern is that cannabinoids, whether prescribed or not, may interfere with some prescription medicines and possibly causing serious health consequences.

    Over 1 million in Pennsylvania have requested and been issued with certifications for medical marijuana since it became available at dispensaries across the state in 2018.

    Professor Kent Vrana – chair of the Department of Pharmacoly at Penn State College of Medicine said “..marketed products, such as oils, lotions and gummies may not be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and can contain potentially harmful substances.
    The trouble is, the whole industry is not regulated by the FDA and it is like the Wild West out there.”

  146. University of California San Diego – 27 September 2023

    https://myhealth.ucsd.edu/RelatedItems/6,1665634027

    New research suggests that women over 50 are turning to weed in droves and menopause symptoms may be one reason.

    However, these women may not necessarily be getting the results they are looking for.

    Menopause experts say it is not clear from limited research whether the drug helps ease symptoms or exacerbates them.

    “People are desperate. They want to sleep. They want to feel better. And it has been pretty normalized at this point that cannabis is something that works for those issues. I want to clear that we don’t actually know if it works.
    The evidence is really mixed whether it is helping or hurting or maintaining or exacerbating sleep challenges and anxiety.”
    Study Author – Carolyn Gibson, University of California, San Francisco.

    Gibson has been increasingly seeing cannabis advertising targeting at women dealing with menopause. She had observed that more patients were self-medicating for issues like pain and anxiety.

    The study included data from over 5,100 mid-life women.

    40% used cannabis for recreational or therapeutic reasons
    28% to treat chronic pain
    22% for sleep problems and stress

    31% of those who used cannabis in the past 30 days, smoked it daily.
    19% used edible cannabis on a daily or near daily basis.

    Cannabis products now also have increasingly higher potency.
    Gibson said the addictive potential is a concern.

    “We used to think that it was not addictive and now we understand that it definitely is.”

  147. Fortune Media – 29 September 2023

    https://fortune.com/well/2023/09/29/marijuana-addiction-higher-risk-first-heart-attack-stroke/

    According to a new study from the University of Calgary, Marijuana Addiction can raise the risk of a 1st heart attack, stroke or another major cardiovascular event by 60%.

    Researchers examined the records of 60,000 patients who had not experienced an adverse cardiovascular event.
    50% of the study participants had cannabis use disorder, which is defined by the inability to stop using marijuana, even though it causes health and social issues.

    Daily marijuana use is linked with coronary artery disease.

    Those who use marijuana daily are one third more likely to develop coronary artery disease than those who have never used the recreational drug.
    https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/980567

    Marijuana smoke contains “many of the same toxins, irritants and carcinogens found in cigarette smoke, a known contributor to heart disease, as well as cancer.”
    There are restrictions on researchers to study further because its illegal at a federal level.
    https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/marijuana-and-heart-health-what-you-need-to-know

    Cannabis is legal at the federal level in Canada.

    That said, cannabis consumption has been shown to cause arrhythmia and fast heartbeat and potentially sudden death, as well as increase risk of heart attack.

    2 million Americans with known cardiovascular disease have used marijuana.
    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735109719384888

  148. Medical News Today – 28 September 2023

    https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/heart-health-how-cannabis-use-disorder-may-increase-cardiovascular-disease-risk

    A new study found that adults with cannabis use disorder were about 60% more likely to experience cardiovascular problems.

    Experts say the findings underline the importance of understanding the mechanisms at play when it comes to cannabis use disorder and cardiovascular disease.

    Lead author of the study, Dr. Anees Bahji – Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Calgary, Canada said that “researchers anticipated an association between cannabis use disorder and adverse cardiovascular events but the magnitude of the increased risk was surprising.”

    Mixing cannabis with other substances, such as alcohol can amplify the risks.

    Cannabis legalization in the U.S. is becoming increasingly widespread.

  149. Texas A&M University Health – 4 October 2023

    https://vitalrecord.tamhsc.edu/factors-associated-with-marijuana-use-among-high-risk-college-students/

    A new study sheds light on how and why college student use cannabis.

    Factors associated with marijuana use among high risk college students.

    The past decade has seen a significant increase in marijuana use among U.S. college students. This increase has coincided with notable changes in national and local cannabis laws and policies.

    Cannabis use by students continues to be a public health challenge throughout the United States.

    Many university education programs have limitations and fail to consider some of the modern risk factors for cannabis use among young adults.

    Although many states have now decriminalized or outright legalized cannabis, the drug remains ILLEGAL AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL and as such is largely banned from university campuses.

    Using cannabis can be problematic for college students, especially when used together with alcohol.

    For example – cannabis use is frequently associated with poorer academic performance and health outcomes such as substance use disorders, with over 70% of college students who actively use marijuana meeting the criteria for a potential cannabis use disorder.

    The researchers found that the top reasons for cannabis use reported by student were:

    To relax
    Relieve tension
    Feel good
    Get high
    Have a good time with friends

    Average age they started using cannabis was 17.

    The findings of this study highlight the need for cannabis intervention programs that address psychosocial risk factors and motivations for cannabis use.
    Better understanding the motivations behind marijuana use and the various factors and perceptions associated with use in college students could help reduce the risk presented by drug use.

  150. The Guardian – 12 October 2023

    UK Food Regulators Slash Recommended Dose of CBD over Health Risks

    https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/oct/12/uk-food-regulators-slash-recommended-dose-of-cbd-over-health-risks

    UK food regulators have slashed the recommended daily dose of cannabidiol (CBD), a cannabis extract present in thousands of high street products from muffins to coffees.

    Food Standards Agency (FSA) drops advised daily limit from 70mg to 10mg in surprise reversal, citing risk to liver and thyroid issues.

    The FSA and its Scottish counterpart have updated their advice on what was once hailed as a wonder ingredient.

    The FSA’s chief scientific advisor said: “The more CBD you consume over your lifetime, the more likely you are to develop long-term adverse effects, like liver damage or thyroid issues.”

    He added: “The level of risk is related to how much you take, in the same way it is with some other potentially harmful products such as alcoholic drinks.”

    The FSA said the change was based on new evidence from the industry as well as input from its independent scientific committee.

    At present, there are products on sale that contain more than 10mg of CBD per serving.
    However, the recommendation is only advisory, and regulators are not requesting that any products are taken off the shelves.

    CBD is one of the non-psychoactive chemicals found in the hemp plant – not the illegal mind-altering THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) that gets you high.

    During the 2010’s, sales of CBD took off with the ingredient added to everything from fizzy drinks to face cream.

    More recently, the industry has been in limbo after the FSA began to intervene. Classed as a “novel” food, CBD products must be approved before going on sale. As it played catch-up with the fast-growing industry, the FSA created a list of products for consumers to consult, although it has not authorised any of them.

    The FSA said there was “no acute risk” with consuming more than 10mg of CBD a day based on the data it had assessed.
    However, above this level, and over a period of time, “there is evidence of some adverse impacts on the liver and thyroid”.

    It also reiterated that CBD should not be taken by people in vulnerable groups, including children, those on medication or women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive.

    The FSA are saying that products that have more than 10mg of CBD can have adverse health impacts and is saying we should not be taking these but as the recommendation is only advisory, they are not requesting products be removed from sale.

    What is this actually saying – ‘Yes there is evidence that more than 10mg of CBD can be harmful but that’s OK, you can carry on taking it’.

    Mixed messages???????

    How is it possible that we can have someone in authority saying that a product is harmful to us but not take any steps to remove said products?

    Hemp and cannabis (marijuana) are not two different species of plant – they are just two different names for the same plant.

    There are a lot of studies and information around hemp being a very harm-full substance.

    It is also illegal in most countries.

    Why then, can we take a part of the hemp plant and package it for sale and not expect it to have any adverse effect on us?

    If CBD, which is one of the non-psychoactive chemicals found in the hemp plant, can have harm-full effects on our liver and thyroid, what then about the harm-full effects of the hemp plant that contains THC?

    What possible health issues could be caused by ingesting THC?

  151. Europol – 26 October 2023

    https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/78-involved-in-large-scale-cannabis-trafficking-arrested-in-spain-and-italy

    Europol supported Spain and Italy in dismantling a large criminal network behind several tonnes of cannabis being trafficked to the EU.

    78 arrests
    104 house searches
    350 kg cannabis seized
    Weapons
    Electronic equipment
    €845,000 worth of assets

    2019 – 2021
    Law enforcement authorities in Italy and Spain seized more than 6 tonnes of cannabis and hashish along with refills for cannabinoid-based electronic cigarettes.

  152. American Heart Association News – 6 November 2023

    https://newsroom.heart.org/news/marijuana-use-linked-with-increased-risk-of-heart-attack-heart-failure

    MARIJUANA USE LINKED WITH INCREASED RISK OF HEART ATTACK AND HEART FAILURE.

    Using marijuana regularly may raise the risk for heart failure, stroke or heart attack even after accounting for other cardiovascular risk factors such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.

    The use of marijuana, medically known as cannabis is gaining popularity across the U.S. as more states legalise it for recreational and medical use.

    2 new studies by separate research groups suggest its regular intake may damage heart and brain health.

    156,999 adults free from heart failure at the time participated. Researchers focused on the relationship between lifestyle, biology and environment in diverse populations and analysed the association between daily marijuana use and heart failure.

    Prior research shows links between marijuana use and cardiovascular disease like coronary artery disease, heart failure and atrial fibrillation, which is known to cause heart failure.

    In one study, daily use of marijuana raised the risk of developing heart failure by one third, even after considering other factors, compared to people who reported never using marijuana.

    34% increased risk of developing heart failure for those who reported daily marijuana use. The risk was the same, regardless of age, sex at birth or smoking history.

    In the second study, older people with any combination of Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol who used marijuana, significantly increased their risk for a major acute heart or brain event while hospitalised, compared to those who reported not using marijuana.

    The risk of heart failure in the secondary analysis dropped to 27%, suggesting that coronary artery disease is a pathway through which daily marijuana use may lead to heart failure.

    Dear World

    While we wait for even more research studies as these results like all other research studies are not absolute, so there is always more to study, can we get wise and honest?

    Marijuana has no health benefits and we are yet to unite as a world and agree on this.

    More importantly, are we the ones demanding more research as it buys us time or is this just what we could call DELAY? In other words, we all know that marijuana is not for human consumption as it alters our natural state. This article and the hundreds of comments thereafter are simply confirming this.
    It is inevitable that one day we will realise this and like tobacco cigarette smoking, we will start to make the call to have it banned or stopped.

    However, it may not be that simple as addictions are not that easy to just stop.

    What we need is another way that gets to the root cause of why and how anyone starts the use of a toxic substance like marijuana in the first place.

  153. University of Utah – 12 December 2023

    https://healthcare.utah.edu/press-releases/2023/12/cannabis-exposure-linked-13-times-higher-risk-of-unhealthy-pregnancy

    Cannabis exposure linked to 1.3 times higher risk of unhealthy pregnancy outcomes.

    In the last decade, the percentage of Americans who use medical marijuana has more than doubled as state-level legalizations become increasingly common.

    Despite its prevalence as a medication, the full health effects of cannabis remain unknown, especially for specific populations, such as pregnant women, that might be especially at risk of health complications.

    This large study of over 9,000 pregnant women from across the United States, researchers at University of Utah found that cannabis exposure during pregnancy is associated with a composite measure of unhealthy pregnancy outcomes, especially low birth weight and that higher exposure is associated with higher risks.

    Compared to previous studies, this study was larger and measured cannabis exposure more accurately, which allowed researchers to distinguish the effects of cannabis itself from those caused by other correlated health conditions.

    “Cannabis use is not safe. It increases the risk of pregnancy complications.”
    Robert Silver M.D., – Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at University of Utah.

  154. The American Association for the Advancement of Science – 10 January 2024

    https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1030496

    A nationwide study has found a link between people taking medical cannabis for chronic pain and abnormal heart rhythm.

    Arrythmia is when the heart beats too slowly, too quickly or irregularly. It includes conditions like Atrial Fibrillation.

    Recreational use of cannabis has been linked to cardiovascular disease but there has been very little research on the effects of medical cannabis.

    Researchers say the new study is important as a growing number of countries now permit medical cannabis.

    Patients taking cannabis who were aged 60 or older and those already diagnosed with cancer or cardiometabolic disease, such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes, had the largest increases in the risk of arrhythmia.

  155. Medical Express – 18 January 2024

    https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-01-seniors-weed-road-hazards.html

    Many studies have found that getting high on marijuana and then driving is dangerous for young drivers.

    A new research study has found it is no different for seniors. The researchers say that older adults may be particularly affected by cannabis, given age-related changes in cognition.

    Many seniors are also prescribed medications and the combination of those medicines with marijuana could also be problematic.

    The study participants were all longtime, frequent weed users – 40 years on average.

    The study proved that the theory of people who regularly smoke marijuana for decades might build up a tolerance was false.

    The study was published in the JAMA Network Open.
    https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2814053

  156. A ‘volatile cannabis user’ stabbed and killed his partner and 3 of her relatives.
    He then was naked praying when police found him and he claimed that he was doing nothing wrong.

    However, when the verdict was read in court, this man shook his head.

    This in itself confirms that cannabis alters our natural state and there is simply no getting away from that immutable fact.

    When we are not in an altered state then we are completely different and until we all wake up and realise that, Marijuana, also known to us as cannabis, is not safe at all for consumption.

    We seem to be avoiding and negating the numerous drug related horrors with families devastated and torn apart by these un-necessary violent attacks and deaths.

    Why are we not questioning the drugs that are the reason why someone behaves as they do in an altered state?

    Is it time to find out what is in control when we are in a so-called altered state because it sure is not in any way human?

    There is no human being in their natural state that is capable of acting out any crime towards a fellow human and we do all know that to be true.

  157. UPI Health News – 23 February 2024

    https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2024/02/23/worker-injuries-marijuana/9341708718803/

    Workplace injuries rise after states legalize recreational marijuana, new research shows.

    On the job injuries among younger workers aged 20 to 34 showed a 10% increase, the study authors concluded.

    The rise in injury among younger workers may be because “marijuana use diminishes workers” cognitive functioning or acts as a gateway to harder drugs”.

    The study was published in the journal JAMA Health Forum
    https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2815242

  158. Newsroom – 28 February 2024

    Cannabis use linked to increase in heart attack and stroke risk

    https://newsroom.heart.org/news/cannabis-use-linked-to-increase-in-heart-attack-and-stroke-risk

    A new study in the Journal of the American Heart Association finds that more frequent use of cannabis was associated with higher odds of adverse cardiovascular outcomes.

    An analysis of 430,000 adults in the US found that using cannabis, most commonly through smoking, eating, or vaporising it, was significantly associated with a higher risk of heart attack and stroke, even after controlling for tobacco use (combustible cigarettes and other tobacco products) and other cardiovascular risk factors.

    Although cannabis, or marijuana, is illegal at the federal level, 24 states and Washington D.C., have legalised the use of recreational cannabis. Additionally, the number of people who use cannabis has increased significantly in recent decades, according to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the US Department of Health and Human Services. The annual survey found that in 2019, 48.2 million people ages 12 or older reported using cannabis at least once, compared to 25.8 million people ages 12 or older in 2002 – an increase to 17% from 11%.

    The lead study author, Abra Jeffers Ph.D, a data analyst at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston said: “Despite common use, little is known about the risks of cannabis use and, in particular, the cardiovascular disease risks. The perceptions of the harmfulness of smoking cannabis are decreasing, and people have not considered cannabis use dangerous to their health. However, previous research suggested that cannabis could be associated with cardiovascular disease. In addition, smoking cannabis – the predominant method of use – may pose additional risks because particulate matter is inhaled.”

    The researchers specifically investigated whether cannabis use was associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes among the general adult population, among people who had never smoked tobacco or used e-cigarettes, and among younger adults (defined as men under age 55 and women under age 65) at risk for heart disease. They also factored in the number of days per month that people used cannabis.

    The analyses found:

    • Any cannabis use (smoked, eaten or vaporised) was independently associated with a higher number of adverse cardiovascular outcomes (coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction and stroke) and with more frequent use (more days per month), the odds of adverse outcomes were even higher.

    • Both daily and non-daily cannabis users had an increased risk of heart attack compared to non-users; daily cannabis users had 25% higher odds of heart attack compared to non-users.

    • The odds of stroke for daily cannabis users were 42% higher compared to non-users, with lower risk among those who used cannabis less than daily.

    • Among younger adults at risk for premature cardiovascular disease, cannabis use was significantly associated with 36% higher combined odds of coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke, regardless of whether or not they also used traditional tobacco products. A separate analysis of a smaller subgroup of these adults who had never smoked tobacco cigarettes or used nicotine e-cigarettes also found a significant association between cannabis use and an increase in the combined odds of coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke.

    Jeffers said: “Our sample was large enough that we could investigate the association of cannabis use with cardiovascular outcomes among adults who had never used tobacco cigarettes or e-cigarettes. Cannabis smoke is not all that different from tobacco smoke, except for the psychoactive drug: THC vs. nicotine. Our study shows that smoking cannabis has significant cardiovascular risks, just like smoking tobacco. This is particularly important because cannabis use is increasing, and conventional tobacco use is decreasing.”

    Study background and details:

    Survey participants were ages 18-74, with an average age of 45 years.

    About half the participants self-identified as female. 60.2% self-identified as white adults
    11.6% self-identified as Black adults
    19.3% self-identified as Hispanic adults
    8.9% self-identified as other.

    Nearly 90% did not use cannabis at all
    7% used it less than daily
    4% were daily users

    Among current cannabis users:
    73.8% reported smoking as the most common form of cannabis consumption
    More than 60% of total respondents had never used tobacco cigarettes
    28.6% of daily cannabis users had never used tobacco cigarettes
    44.6% of non-daily cannabis users had never used tobacco cigarettes
    63.9% of participants who did not use cannabis had never used tobacco cigarettes

    A professor of clinical pharmacy, medicine and physical medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine said: “The findings of this study have very important implications for population health and should be a call to action for all practitioners, as this study adds to the growing literature that cannabis use and cardiovascular disease may be a potentially hazardous combination.”

    And here we have yet another study showing the dangerous impact of this exceptionally harm-full drug.

    I say harm-full simply because, like alcohol, it is becoming more and more normalised.

    The more normalised we make it, the more we tend to ignore reports like this one.

    The more normalised we make it brings an entitlement to have it.

    How many more reports like this do we need?

    Marijuana, like alcohol and all illegal drugs, are poison to our bodies.

    Why do we choose, so freely, to bludgeon ourselves with this poison?

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