Tag Archives: marijuana

Marijuana Not “More Dangerous” Than Alcohol, Says President Obama

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that marijuana has been legalized in two states, Colorado and Washington. People have been jumping out of the woodwork to either praise or condemn the decision.

marijuana legalization

A common argument against the legalization of marijuana is the perceived danger of the plant. Many suggest its use is more dangerous than alcohol consumption. President Obama turned heads this week we he announced he disagreed with that view.

“As has been well-documented, I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life,” he told New Yorker magazine. “I don’t think it is more dangerous than alcohol.”

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Posted on January 21, 2024 by Elizabeth

Hemp Declared Next ‘It’ Food; Finally Overcomes Marijuana Misnomer

Hemp does give a damn about its bad reputation. This particularly trusty strain of Cannabis has been besmirched by its illicit cousin marijuana, a cultivar of Cannabis that is smoked for recreational purposes. Hemp has a microscopic and harmless amount of THC—the chemical in marijuana that gets you high—and has an extremely versatile skill set.

Hemp Foods

From nutritious foodstuffs to composite plastics for automobiles, hemp can be used for more than kitschy, hippy jewelry. In addition to its wide range of applications, the hemp crop is easily cultivated; its water and soil purification properties help to renew farm fields and can even kill weeds. Unfortunately, industrial hemp has been illegal to grow in the U.S. since 1958—save Colorado, of course—and can only be enjoyed legally by importing hemp products from Canada or other parts of the world.

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Posted on July 12, 2024 by Patrick

INFOGRAPHIC: Will Smoking Pot Make You Skinny? New Research Says Maybe

why are pot smokers skinny

As seen at Number 1 on Visual.ly! Embed This Graphic!

Are people who use marijuana thinner than those who don’t? Though scientists can’t say conclusively that smoking pot makes you thin, a recent study shows a correlation between smaller waist circumference and marijuana use. Users not only seem to be thinner, but also somewhat healthier than their non-using counterparts. An exact reason for the trend hasn’t been discovered, but scientists are still intrigued by the results of the study.

More than 4,600 people participated in the study. Waist circumference and other weight-related factors were assessed in those who currently are marijuana users, those who used but don’t anymore, and those who never used. Other studies had found lower prevalence for obesity and diabetes in marijuana users, but this was the first study to also include tests for insulin, glucose and insulin resistance. (more…)

Posted on July 8, 2024 by Elizabeth

The Doctors Discuss the Peanut Butter Recall and Roseanne’s Bid for President

Tune in Wednesday, October 24 as The Doctors talk peanut butter, health headlines, and Roseanne Barr’s campaign for president.

The peanut butter recall, traced to products manufactured by Sunland Inc., has infected 36 so far, although no fatalities have been reported. Most were children, and eight people required hospitalization. The Doctors talk about what products are recalled, from ice cream to granola bars to peanut butter moon pies.

Next on The Doctors are shocking health headlines that may make you cringe. They examine new health dilemmas caught on tape, like the bagel head documentary, Japan’s beauty trend that injects saline into people’s skin to make a temporary bagel shape appear on their forehead. (more…)

Posted on October 22, 2024 by SarahS

Sex, Drugs and Lies: What is the Future of Anusara Yoga?

Seekers of enlightenment sometimes get sidetracked, as is the case with several swamis, gurus and world-renowned yoga teachers claiming to be holy, or at least ‘holier than thou.’ The latest attention sucking scandal involves John Friend, the founder of Anusara Yoga. Unimpressed and indifferent, those outside the yoga community just see it as some ordinary freak that smokes pot, fudged some paperwork and likes to have sex; lots and lots of sex. But inside the yoga community there are lines being drawn, mass exoduses by those affiliated with his school of yoga, and sides being taken.

Those who love John Friend are calling him just an ordinary human for allegedly lying about employee pension plans, smoking pot and having sex with his students. “Everyone makes mistakes, that is how we grow spiritually, and John Friend is no exception,” read a comment on Facebook. The other camp however, those who can smell a fraud from a mile away, are in no way calling his behavior excusable, and they are making it known.

Yawn. It is not just high-esteemed master yogi’s that have fallen victim to inappropriate self-indulgences. The Catholic Church has experienced its fair share of sex scandals, politicians frequently get caught lying or cheating, and the high school valedictorian surprises everyone by getting busted for selling cocaine. To mull over another ‘good guy gone bad’ story is a waste of time indeed, but we all love to paw at people’s misfortunes. Some might call this fussing or fretting an addiction in itself, one that feels nearly impossible to break, as we stay glued to the tabloids and blogs that dig up the latest dirt on authority figures.
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Posted on February 14, 2024 by Jill

Casual Pot Smoking Presents No Harm to Lungs

The proof is in the pudding, or doobie, as it were. Despite all our preconceived thoughts about the lasting dangers of marijuana, it turns out it’s not that bad for you after all.

New research has concluded that casual pot smoking does not affect the functioning of the lungs. Casual is defined as smoking up to one joint per day.

These statistics were gathered from a two decade-long study of 5115 men and women. The study was conducted by the University of California, San Fransisco and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The results were published in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association. (more…)

Posted on January 11, 2024 by Lacy

Soda vs Marijuana – Which Do You Think is Worse?

There’s a chart that has been floating around the Internet for a while comparing various health effects of soda and marijuana. The agenda doesn’t appear to be pro-pot as much as it is pointing out societal hypocrisy and the serious dangers associated with foods most of us have no moral issue with.

I would be the first to get in line with people who think the demonizing of marijuana in Western culture has always been taken to an extreme level. However, if you think it somehow comes without any serious health risks, you need to consider putting the bong down for a moment and read on. Let’s take a look at how soda and marijuana really compare:

Carcinogens – Let’s start with the biggest hole in the chart’s argument: that there are no carcinogens in marijuana. According to Donald Tashkin, MD, a researcher at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, there are as many or more carcinogens and co-carcinogens in marijuana smoke as in cigarettes. Inhaling carcinogens for a long period of time can’t be harmless, can it? (more…)

Posted on November 10, 2024 by Jason

Is Marijuana the Secret to Weight Loss?

The stereotypical image of a person smoking marijuana includes the ever present “munchie” food – certainly those who have tried smoking pot report a craving for salty, sweet and junky foods. But often, users report that they find weight loss to be an unexpected and welcome side effect. Is there any truth to the rumor?

In 1985, the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Behavioral Biology at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore conducted a study. Nine male volunteers were asked to spend 25 days in a secluded laboratory. During the first part of the day, each subject participated in planned work, and after that work was completed, they were allowed to socialize with the other participants. Cigarettes containing either marijuana or a placebo were provided and smoking was allowed during both the work and social times.

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Posted on April 13, 2024 by Carmen