Debates are raging across the States in the United States as
to whether or not marijuana should be legalized. Currently legal in Washington,
Oregon, Colorado and Alaska, these states are now starting to discover growing
pains when it comes to marijuana. Colorado for example has found that
marijuana-impaired drivers have made up about 12.5 percent of all citations for
driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
A health study by Northwestern University and Harvard
medical schools found that young adults who used marijuana only recreationally
showed significant abnormalities in two key brain regions that are important in
emotion and motivation, scientists report.
This is the first study to show casual use of marijuana is
related to major brain changes. It showed the degree of brain abnormalities in
these regions is directly related to the number of joints a person smoked per
week. The more joints a person smoked, the more abnormal the shape, volume and
density of the brain regions.
“This study raises a strong challenge to the idea that
casual marijuana use isn’t associated with bad consequences,” said
corresponding and co-senior study author Hans Breiter, M.D. He is a professor
of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School
of Medicine and a psychiatrist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
“Some of these people only used marijuana to get high once
or twice a week,” Breiter said. “People think a little recreational use
shouldn’t cause a problem, if someone is doing OK with work or school. Our data
directly says this is not the case.”
The study was published April 16, 2014 in the Journal of
Neuroscience.
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| Paul Welday |
In Michigan Oakland County Republican political
operatives Suzie Mitchell, a Republican political fundraiser, and GOP
consultant Paul Welday are behind a new advocacy group that is exploring a 2016
ballot initiative legalizing marijuana use
In the video below Matt Mardsen of the Michigan Cannabis
Coalition could not defend, the fact that former Michigan State Representative
Rocky Raczkowski brought up about marijuana flooding the black market and
getting into the hands of those under age. He also could not defend the risk to
the general public should
a surgeon or pilot be high on marijuana for example.
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| Rocky Raczkowski |
Mardsen says that Marijuana isn't addictive but he is wrong.
Marijuana is as addictive as alcohol.
Approximately 10% of people who smoke marijuana will get addicted to it. That means 90% of people can use it recreationally. But for the other 10%, marijuana is not a harmless herb. They will have difficulty controlling their use, and they will continue to use even though it has negative consequences to their life. Every day people enter rehab programs or go to a 12 step group to deal with their marijuana addiction.
Approximately 10% of people who smoke marijuana will get addicted to it. That means 90% of people can use it recreationally. But for the other 10%, marijuana is not a harmless herb. They will have difficulty controlling their use, and they will continue to use even though it has negative consequences to their life. Every day people enter rehab programs or go to a 12 step group to deal with their marijuana addiction.
One study looked at 2,446 young adults between the ages of
14-24, and followed them for a period of 4 years. Approximately 10% met the
criteria for marijuana addiction. 17% experienced withdrawal when they stopped
using, 14% had difficulty controlling their use, and 13% continued to use even
though they had health problems due to their marijuana use.
Marijuana users are 4 times more likely to develop depression. One study looked at 1,920 people, and followed them for 16 years. It discovered that people who smoked marijuana were 4 times more likely to develop depression.
Another study looked at 1601 students aged 14-15 and followed them for seven years. Approximately 60% of the students had used marijuana by the age of 20, and 7% had become daily users. The young women of the group who were daily users had a five time greater chance of developing depression.
Marijuana almost triples the chance of developing psychotic symptoms. A 3-year study followed 4,045 psychosis-free people. It came to the conclusion that marijuana smokers are three times more likely to develop psychotic symptoms (including manic-depression) than non-smokers.
Marsden, Welday and Mitchell are all longtime members of
Michigan's Republican establishment. Marsden worked for former Gov. John Engler
before serving as the chief spokesman for then-Senate Majority Leader Mike
Bishop and his successor, Sen. Randy Richardville. Welday is a fixture in
Republican circles who served as former U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenburg's chief of
staff before becoming chairman of the Oakland County Republican Party.
Mitchell, wife of Republican pollster Steve Mitchell, is a fund-raiser with
deep experience in southeast Michigan's GOP money belt.
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