Since medical marijuana was legalized in California in 1996 (the latest one, Maryland, in 2014), more deaths have been reported from the use of this substance.
Early this month, a college student visiting Denver jumped to his death from a hotel balcony after ingesting marijuana infused cookies. In February this year, a report from Germany revealed marijuana “likely triggered fatal complications (cannabis intoxication) that led to the deaths of two men with underlying health conditions. Marijuana-related driving accidents and mortality are expected to increase.
More than 10,000,000 annual deaths in the US, including the 134,000 in Colorado, are due to marijuana use alone (accidental deaths not included), according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
In 2012 alone, marijuana induced deaths in 50 most populated countries show the death rate highest in China (63,463,094), followed by India (48,293,129), USA (10,029,023) and the lowest, Mozambique, 1, 034,287. The Philippines is 12th on the list, with 5,126, 928 deaths).
What is marijuana?
The flowers, dried leaves, stems, and seeds from hemp plant Cannabis sativa are referred to as marijuana, which is loaded with psychoactive (mind-altering) chemical known as delat-9-tertahydrocannabinol or THC, and other substances.
What is hashish?
This is concentrated resin of marijuana, a most potent form of cannabis, and its sticky black liquid is called hash oil. The mind-altering effects of hashish are greater.
What is opium?
Legalizing marijuana in more than 20 States in the USA, not only for medicinal use, but also for recreational use, reminds me of a substance that has ruined dynasties, businesses, and tens of million of lives in the past, opium!
Opium, whose use as a recreational drug in the 15th century, and which led to the Opium War of 1839-1842 in China, is the dried latex produced from the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum. Opium contains about 12 percent morphine, which is processed to produce the illegal substance, heroin, and which also contains codeine, thebaine, papaverine, noscapine. In 1905, it was estimated that about 25 percent of males in China were habitually using opium. People of many other countries were also using opium for recreation. The Ming dynasty in 1483 considered opium to be as valuable and expensive as gold. The massive use of opium led to the downfall of countless officials, businesses, and private citizens in many countries, but most especially in China. Could the legalization of marijuana in the United States result in the same cultural-social deterioration?
How is marijuana used?
Marijuana is most often smoked in hand-rolled “cigarettes” or in pipes or water pipes, but now it also comes mixed with food items, as cookies, etc. It could also be brewed as a tea. Some enterprising businessmen may come up with other lucrative ways to peddle this dope.
Does marijuana make one violent?
Yes, it does. Its other psychotrophic effects include hallucination, paranoia, memory impairment, learning disabilities, distorted perception (time, touch, sound, sight), loss of coordination, severe rapid heart rate, anxiety, panic attacks, frequent respiratory problems lung infections. It also causes psychosis, lack of motivation, depression, and suicidal tendencies. It adversely affects driving, operating machineries, and the persons behavior. Among pregnant users, this substance causes neurologic, memory, and development problems. Marijuana also contains the same, if not more, of the cancer-causing chemicals in cigarettes. Marijuana users are 4 times more prone to heart attack. Studies showed that among teen users, there was an :average loss of 8 points in the IQ between age 13 and 38, and the loss of cognitive abilities were not restored,” even after quitting.
Does marijuana have medicinal value?
Marijuana has been found to be effective in treating some neurologic problems, especially among children. Its clinical use includes pain relief, treatment for movement disorders, spasticity, glaucoma, and nausea. It also is improves appetite and is used for patients with HIV, AIDS, dementia. Some initial studies suggest cannabis might be neuroprotective and preventive of some cancers. These are only preliminary findings and not yet proven valid, and not accepted as standard of care at the present. The medicinal aspect of cannabis was used by those with vested financial interest as a ploy to get the substance legalized and approved for recreational use. Referenda in various States in America supported its legalization for both uses. It has not been proven that the medical usefulness of marijuana outweighs its negative health risks. Statistics are coming out about the deleterious impact on health, life, and society as a whole, of the recreational use of cannabis, that it might be obvious soon that the move was a mistake.
Is marijuana addictive?
It is a myth that marijuana is not addictive. It is in fact addictive among 19 percent of users, and those who started young get hooked even more. Up to fifty percent gets addictive among daily users. Quitting causes withdrawal symptoms, with irritability, decreased appetite, impaired sleep, craving and anxiety and other irrational behaviors.
What is user-impact of marijuana use?
The impact of marijuana on the user’s life includes impaired mental and physical health, higher rate of dropping out of school, inferior academic and career achievements, overall lower life satisfaction, a greater sense of failure and unhappiness.
How is the sales of marijuana?
The sales of marijuana as a recreational drug last month in Colorado alone topped 14 million dollars through its 550 cannabis dispensaries. This brought in $7.6 million in taxes and fees for Colorado. California makes $14 Billion a year through their1000 dispensaries, much more than the number of McDonald, Burger King, Starbuck franchises, combined. Illegal marijuana in America was a $36 Billion-a-year industry, and legal marijuana, $100 billion annually. The legalization reportedly “has saved the tax-payers $41.8 Billion annually on prohibition enforcement costs, and the $1 Billion prsion cost of marijuana inmates.”
Does legalizing marijuana make sense?
The legalization of the medical use of marijuana makes a lot of sense because there are millions of patients who would be legitimately benefited from its use, where no other drugs are effective. Children and adults with seizures and other neurologic disorders and conditions where only marijuana works are medical and humane justifications for legalizing marijuana. The recreational use of this substance is another story. Ancient world history has clearly shown how a stoned society, brought on by a dangerous “recreational drug,” could crumble and devastate lives. Like many, I see no wisdom at all in legalizing marijuana or any other dangerous substance for recreational use.
I am afraid we are now doomed to repeat a sad epic in the history of mankind here.
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Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: [email protected]
