Cannabis 'worse for mental health'

[Guest niall]

I've asked Mark aka smokin.moose to write the first media release from the soon to be inc. Medical Cannabis Reseach Board (Australia) P/L to rebutt some of these claims.

 

Grace I am so happy to read this, this is EXACTLY what we need to move forward. The public, and the media, will only listen to a legally registered entity that is willing to take a stand on this issue. I've PM'd you again to offer my help if you want it - I'm happy to put my name and contact details on any PR release if others are unwilling to do this. But I suggest that MCRB aim towards responding to every single PR release and high profile media story regarding cannabis, and eventually to act proactively and set our own agenda instead of simply reacting and opposing.

 

I was very excited when this National Cannabis Prevention and Information Service was announced - can't find the bloody thread but my point there was that we win either way. At the time they had only just been announced, they hadn't started spouting propaganda yet, and so my take on it was that this is a great step forward for two reasons: they will either tell the truth, or they will lie. Either way we win!

 

Countering their propaganda with a credible, common-sense voice is exactly what we need to do. They're making our job very easy here, and by pushing their agenda they are ensuring this topic remains in the public eye. We can't afford advertising like this they are giving it to us for free!

 

Onto their claims and general commentary:

 

but I tend to agree cannabis can cause other problems for some users. When you have people with problems such as schizophrenia, bi-polar, aspergers, post traumatic stress disorder, add, adhd and the list goes on self medicating with cannabis and no doctors advising or regulating then some can develop issues. Some medicines don't suit some people. Blaming the cannabis for this though is putting the cart before the horse imo.

 

<snip>

 

unlike the many other medications they have been given legally that don't help and in cases where other issues do develop, have it addressed by their doctor before it becomes a problem

 

Precisely MongyMan. Cannabis can cause problems for some people, we cannot ignore this and in fact this is the point that we need to be very clear on: Not everyone should use cannabis. Some high risk groups have already been identified by research: minors and young adults up to about age 20-25, anyone with an existing mental illness or a predisposition or family history, elderly patients with heart conditions. Adequate research will probably identify other high risk groups and confirm existing suspicions amongst researchers in this area.

 

And this is common sense! Certain people shouldn't use alcohol: minors; anyone about to drive or operate machinery; some people with mental illness; alcoholics... And some people shouldn't use certain medications. This is completely normal and we accept guidelines and restrictions with all of our intoxicants and medicines, even food. Why would cannabis be any different?

 

We should be shouting this from the trees - there are definitly groups that should not use cannabis, but we need more research to determine exactly who. The answer is not everyone, at either extreme, the answer lies somewhere in the middle. Current policy is to hide our head in the sand and pretend that nobody should use cannabis when we have a long established history of widespread, effective and safe use.

 

There was even research proving there was a genetic link between cannabis and "psychosis". There was a news story on this a few years ago, but it seems to have been hidden away. If anyone can find this I think this is a huge piece of ammunition - it basically said there is about 1-3% of the population with a certain gene and this group experiences mental health issues when using cannabis. It mentioned that there was no test yet, so we couldn't be sure on the % and identify exactly who is at risk, but the story made International news and then quietly disappeared...

 

On the topic of seemingly contradicting research - some research says cannabis causes depression, some says it prevents it. Some research says it causes seizures, some says it prevents them. The answer is BOTH! Cannabis acts on the endogenous cannabinoid system within our bodies. It's a trigger in virtually every single regulatory system within the human body. Everyone is different - we all have a slightly different mix of receptors throughout the body, and some people produce relatively lower or higher amounts of our endogenous cannabinoids like anandamide. Some people don't produce enough and need supplementation, some produce too many and suffer regulatory problems or extremes.

 

One particular strain may affect you in a specific way, and your friend in the opposite way. Research has been showing this for decades, each paper contradicting a previous one, but the pattern is only now emerging: we are the variable! There is evidence on both sides, but insufficient control for the variability in participants' receptors and endogenous cannabinoid levels! Cannabis does not DO THIS or DO THAT, it DOES BOTH! It is a regulatory trigger, your body then decides what to do in reaction to this trigger.

 

Research is finally figuring out the mysteries of our endogenous cannabinoid system, hence the recent goldrush by pharmaceutical companies and others. "Cannabis is the aspirin of the 21st century" - this was an significant understatement in my opinion, it is shaping up to be the basis for an entirely new way of thinking about the human body and medicine. In the long term, it's bad news for pharmaceutical companies and good new for us. But it first needs to be proven and its efficacy understood and accepted.

 

But back to propaganda and PR releases

 

This issue is polarising. It's been the anti-cannabis crowd vs. the pro-cannabis crowd for decades, and the public is stuck in the middle. Who do they believe? They've got zealots from either side ranting at them, spouting obvious bias and propaganda, and there's no middle ground of common-sense and reasonable compromise. This is exactly how the prohibitionists want this debate to remain!!! The only way that we will win is to re-frame this debate away from the extremes and instead provide a solution somewhere in the middle, based on evidence and experience from around the world.

 

Every viewpoint can be proven with research and statistics - we cannot win this game! The trick is to change the rules.

[Dragonfan]

Guys, it seems that Professor Copeland will not speak with me . . . Mark

 

Why oh why does this NOT surprise me? That this hypocritical 'Professor' would not deign to speak with you! I wonder who the hell she thinks she is? Obviously not a sufferer of any affliction that is untreatable with 'accepted' pharmaceuticals . . .

 

Wtg Niall!

 

Thank you for putting in a very neat nutshell the problems with promoting cannabis as the efficacious herb it truly is [but not for everyone as you so succinctly state]!

 

For us poor bastards that pharma-chemicals have dismally failed, what choice do we have? Live with our afflictions, live every day in some form of suffering or other . . . I think not, how is that in any way FAIR and whatever happend to the good old Aussie fair go!?!?

 

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I agree wholeheartedly with what you've said and would love to be able to help in any way to push this line of 'argument' forward . . .

[mull]

This issue is polarising. It's been the anti-cannabis crowd vs. the pro-cannabis crowd for decades, and the public is stuck in the middle. Who do they believe? They've got zealots from either side ranting at them, spouting obvious bias and propaganda, and there's no middle ground of common-sense and reasonable compromise. This is exactly how the prohibitionists want this debate to remain!!! The only way that we will win is to re-frame this debate away from the extremes and instead provide a solution somewhere in the middle, based on evidence and experience from around the world.

 

Every viewpoint can be proven with research and statistics - we cannot win this game! The trick is to change the rules.

 

 

That's close Niall.

 

What we see is the public in the middle, made up of those strongly for and strongly against cannabis and many who don't care either way. All of us governed by the strongly against side and made watch, read or listen to their propaganda, constantly. And all of us must fund the strongly against side, while they move forward on vested interests in government and philanthropic trust grants, their companies with patents for thc, etc.

 

Ok, expand on how we change the rules please mate, lets into it.

[Smokin Moose]

Professor Copeland has in fact contacted me. It turns out that she has been in meetings. She called me late yesterday but I was out. I am pleased that we will be able to discuss this matter, and I am keen to apprise her of my recent advances with the tinctures.

[grace]

Professor Copeland has in fact contacted me. It turns out that she has been in meetings. She called me late yesterday but I was out. I am pleased that we will be able to discuss this matter, and I am keen to apprise her of my recent advances with the tinctures.

 

 

Good luck with it Mark

Just remember you're talking with a lady

and what we spoke about ... the defamation stuff

But great to see your not backing down

Take care

grace

[grace]

Grace I am so happy to read this, this is EXACTLY what we need to move forward. The public, and the media, will only listen to a legally registered entity that is willing to take a stand on this issue. I've PM'd you again to offer my help if you want it - I'm happy to put my name and contact details on any PR release if others are unwilling to do this. But I suggest that MCRB aim towards responding to every single PR release and high profile media story regarding cannabis, and eventually to act proactively and set our own agenda instead of simply reacting and opposing.

 

I was very excited when this National Cannabis Prevention and Information Service was announced - can't find the bloody thread but my point there was that we win either way. At the time they had only just been announced, they hadn't started spouting propaganda yet, and so my take on it was that this is a great step forward for two reasons: they will either tell the truth, or they will lie. Either way we win!

 

Countering their propaganda with a credible, common-sense voice is exactly what we need to do. They're making our job very easy here, and by pushing their agenda they are ensuring this topic remains in the public eye. We can't afford advertising like this they are giving it to us for free!

 

Onto their claims and general commentary:

 

 

 

Precisely MongyMan. Cannabis can cause problems for some people, we cannot ignore this and in fact this is the point that we need to be very clear on: Not everyone should use cannabis. Some high risk groups have already been identified by research: minors and young adults up to about age 20-25, anyone with an existing mental illness or a predisposition or family history, elderly patients with heart conditions. Adequate research will probably identify other high risk groups and confirm existing suspicions amongst researchers in this area.

 

And this is common sense! Certain people shouldn't use alcohol: minors; anyone about to drive or operate machinery; some people with mental illness; alcoholics... And some people shouldn't use certain medications. This is completely normal and we accept guidelines and restrictions with all of our intoxicants and medicines, even food. Why would cannabis be any different?

 

We should be shouting this from the trees - there are definitly groups that should not use cannabis, but we need more research to determine exactly who. The answer is not everyone, at either extreme, the answer lies somewhere in the middle. Current policy is to hide our head in the sand and pretend that nobody should use cannabis when we have a long established history of widespread, effective and safe use.

 

There was even research proving there was a genetic link between cannabis and "psychosis". There was a news story on this a few years ago, but it seems to have been hidden away. If anyone can find this I think this is a huge piece of ammunition - it basically said there is about 1-3% of the population with a certain gene and this group experiences mental health issues when using cannabis. It mentioned that there was no test yet, so we couldn't be sure on the % and identify exactly who is at risk, but the story made International news and then quietly disappeared...

 

On the topic of seemingly contradicting research - some research says cannabis causes depression, some says it prevents it. Some research says it causes seizures, some says it prevents them. The answer is BOTH! Cannabis acts on the endogenous cannabinoid system within our bodies. It's a trigger in virtually every single regulatory system within the human body. Everyone is different - we all have a slightly different mix of receptors throughout the body, and some people produce relatively lower or higher amounts of our endogenous cannabinoids like anandamide. Some people don't produce enough and need supplementation, some produce too many and suffer regulatory problems or extremes.

 

One particular strain may affect you in a specific way, and your friend in the opposite way. Research has been showing this for decades, each paper contradicting a previous one, but the pattern is only now emerging: we are the variable! There is evidence on both sides, but insufficient control for the variability in participants' receptors and endogenous cannabinoid levels! Cannabis does not DO THIS or DO THAT, it DOES BOTH! It is a regulatory trigger, your body then decides what to do in reaction to this trigger.

 

Research is finally figuring out the mysteries of our endogenous cannabinoid system, hence the recent goldrush by pharmaceutical companies and others. "Cannabis is the aspirin of the 21st century" - this was an significant understatement in my opinion, it is shaping up to be the basis for an entirely new way of thinking about the human body and medicine. In the long term, it's bad news for pharmaceutical companies and good new for us. But it first needs to be proven and its efficacy understood and accepted.

 

But back to propaganda and PR releases

 

This issue is polarising. It's been the anti-cannabis crowd vs. the pro-cannabis crowd for decades, and the public is stuck in the middle. Who do they believe? They've got zealots from either side ranting at them, spouting obvious bias and propaganda, and there's no middle ground of common-sense and reasonable compromise. This is exactly how the prohibitionists want this debate to remain!!! The only way that we will win is to re-frame this debate away from the extremes and instead provide a solution somewhere in the middle, based on evidence and experience from around the world.

 

Every viewpoint can be proven with research and statistics - we cannot win this game! The trick is to change the rules.

 

 

Thanks for all this Niall

It's a great post

I will put up a draft media release soon and

will be taking on board everyone's comments

Just need to get some legal things in order and looking at

a small office and research premises

No fancy budget for a website but

I love this site so we might just hang out here for a bit

If we behave and keep a low profile OZ may not mind

grace

[Al Fish]

Cannabis is the sinister Usher, because once you use it there's no turning back. I've seen real, married He-men become disgraceful, unapologetic homosexuals after only a couple of cones. Families are destroyed, little kids lives warped and dreams burnt to ash with every inhalation! Show me the person who says that Marijuana is not the most viciously insidious nightmare and I'll show you a coward, liar and criminal!

The use of Dope makes you worthless and weak; a degraded liability to your family, friends, country and deep-down: to yourself.

Who are you to deny the pharmaceutical and alcohol companies just a little bit more profit? What about suffering being good for the soul?

(I've just forwarded this to Sarah Palin to use in her campaign and she's just so stupid she probably will.)

[Smokin Moose]

Good luck with it Mark

Just remember you're talking with a lady

and what we spoke about ... the defamation stuff

But great to see your not backing down

Take care

grace

Cheers Grace. I am mindful of the need to show respect. I am looking forward to talking with Prof. Copeland.

[grace]

Cheers Grace. I am mindful of the need to show respect. I am looking forward to talking with Prof. Copeland.

 

Looking forward to some feedback

Respect works both ways and that's something we have not been given

Take care mate

Talk soon

[Al Fish]

The sad, inescapable fact is that we live on a planet full of absolute arse-holes, mental cripples and nonsense believers – most of them inexcusable stupid and totally expendable. All of our governments are founded on violence, enslavement, puerile propaganda and endemic hopelessness.

It is impossible attempting to fight a battle of wits against unarmed opponents; to explain anything to those who pray that God is on their side rather than praying that they are on His.