Aspirin vs. Marijuana
References: http://www.onmarijuana.com/2007/03/24/marijuana-is-safer-than-aspirin/
and http://www.saferchoice.org/content/view/24/32/
This is a repost with a few edits…
When Bayer introduced aspirin in 1899, cannabis was America’s number one painkiller. Until marijuana prohibition began in 1937, the US Pharmacopoeia listed cannabis as the primary medicine for over 100 diseases. Cannabis was such an effective analgesic that the American Medical Association (AMA) argued against prohibition on behalf of medical progress. Since the herb is extremely potent and essentially non-toxic, the AMA considered it a potential wonder drug.
Instead, the invention of aspirin gave birth to the modern pharmaceutical industry and Americans switched away from cannabis in the name of “progress.” But was it really progress? There can be no doubt that aspirin has a long history as the drug of choice for the self-treatment of migraines, arthritis, and other chronic pain. It is cheap and effective. But is it as safe as cannabis?
History:
Marijuana has been used for over 5,000 years.
No one has ever overdosed on marijuana.
Aspirin has been used for 108 years.
Approximately 500 people die every year by taking aspirin
The Law:
Marijuana is a Schedule 1 drug, meaning the US government believes it is extremely dangerous, highly addictive, and of no medical value.
Aspirin is available for pennies and can be purchased by children at any drug, grocery, or convenience store. Often they are just handed out free by people with no medical education.
Marijuana side effects and dangers:
The dangers of marijuana include possible respiratory problems caused by the deposition of burnt plant material on the lungs. This danger can be eliminated with alternate forms of consumption such as eating or vaporizing the medicine.
For two to four hours, marijuana causes short-term memory loss, a slight reduction in reaction time, and a reduction in cognitive ability. (It makes you stupid for a little while.)These conditions DO NOT persist after the herb wears off.
Hunger
Paranoia
Depression
Laughter
Introspection
Creative Impulse
Euphoria
Tiredness
Forgetfulness
Aspirin side effects and dangers:
When taken with alcohol, aspirin can cause stomach bleeding.
Reye Syndrome in children: fat begins to develop around the liver and other organs of the child, eventually putting severe pressure on the brain. Death is common within a few days.
People with hemophilia can die.
People with hyperthyroidism suffer elevated T4 levels.
Stomach problems include dyspepsia, heartburn, upset stomach, stomach ulcers with gross bleeding, and internal bleeding leading to anemia.
Dizziness, ringing in the ears, hearing loss, vertigo, vision disturbances, and headaches.
Heavy sweating
Irreversible liver damage
Inflamation and gradual destruction of the kidneys
Nausea and vomiting
Abdominal pain
Lethargy
Hyperthermia
Dyspepsia: a gnawing or burning stomach pain accompanied by bloating, heartburn, nausea, vomiting and burping.
Tachypnea: Abnormally fast breathing
Respiratory Alkalosis: a condition where the amount of carbon dioxide found in the blood drops to a level below normal range brought on by abnormally fast breathing.
Cerebral Edema: Water accumulates on the brain. Symptoms include headaches, decreased level of consciousness, loss of eyesight, hallucinations, psychotic behavior, memory loss and coma. If left untreated, it can lead to death.
Hallucinations, confusion, and seizure.
Prolonged bleeding after operations or post-trauma for up to 10 days after last aspirin.
Aspirin can interact with some other drugs, such as diabetes medication. Aspirin changes the way the body handles these drugs and can lead to a drug overdose and death.
If you think that cannabis is actually safer than aspirin, you are not alone. In October 2000, Dr. Leslie Iversen of the Oxford University Department of Pharmacology said the same thing.
In her book, ‘The Science of Marijuana,’ Dr. Iversen presents the scientific evidence that cannabis is, by-and-large, a safe drug. Dr. Iversen found cannabis had “an impressive record” when compared to tobacco, alcohol, or even aspirin.
“Tetrahydrocannabinol is a very safe drug,” she said. “Even such apparently innocuous medicines as aspirin and related steroidal anti-inflammatory compunds are not safe.”
So if safety is your concern, cannabis is clearly a much better choice than aspirin. If you eat it or vaporize it, it just might be the safest painkiller the world has ever known.
yo "Pro Marijuana" you can vaporize this wonderful herb and have none of the adverse effects. Or bake it with some type of food using "cannabutter" haha look it up.
what was the reasons the government make it illegal? why alcohol not illegal? why cigarettes aren’t? i believe it must be be some kind of capitalism, because i haven’t found any big company produce marijuana. but you’ll see great brand on tobacco, alcohol, and drugs.
Most people believe that marijuana was prohibited due to racism against Mexican migrant workers who used to bring it with them from Mexico when they came here to work. The government wanted them out and making marijuana illegal seemed like an easy way to do it. Check out the documentary Hooked: Illegal Drugs and How They Got That Way that the History Channel put together.
btw, Bayer bought us a "non-addictive" opiate by the name of Heroin – doh!
There is a lot of positive things that can come from the legalization of pot. For instance i suffer from a minuet case of dyslexia. I find when i smoke pot its easier for me to concentrate on reading and writing. But there is some draw back to it that have yet to be mentioned. Like for instance pot stinks and its not commonly known as a pleasant smell out side of the views of a person who ingests pot. Don’t get me wrong i want to see it legalized as well but you have to take into consideration the rights of everyone. For instance I don’t know about other places but here in NY you are not allowed to smoke cigarettes in our around the entrance of publicly used buildings because of there offensive nature.
to docpervy I would gladly attend o conference in Amsterdam if you are paying for the travel expenses
@coot Sure if you smoke it. If more people VAPORIZED smoke and smell wouldn’t even be an issue.
very thanks for you..
Sure the government can tax it, when a company produces something in large quantities they can offer it at little cost along with quality controls and taxes being paid. I can grow almost any vegetable I want, but I don’t because it is convenient to buy it at the store. Because cannabis is illegal people sell it at huge markup (because of risks), as with all black market items. A pack of cigarettes is 4 bucks or so, but in many prison systems where tobacco is a contraband or black market item they sell at huge markups, I’ve seen single cigarettes sell for 5 bucks. But the truth is pot could be packaged and sold in cigarette form, (or like canned tobacco) for much higher profit margins than tobacco. Marijuana will grow almost anywhere as well as supplying greater quantaties (per weight) than tobacco for a similar cost thusly making it a much more versatile crop than tobacco. Pot is illegal because change is controversial, and controversy is what ends political careers. I know very few people who even though they would not use marijuana, want to spend tax dollars on enforcing the black market economy.
Sure the government can tax it, when a company produces something in large quantities they can offer it at little cost along with quality controls and taxes being paid. I can grow almost any vegetable I want, but I don’t because it is convenient to buy it at the store. Because cannabis is illegal people sell it at huge markup (because of risks), as with all black market items. A pack of cigarettes is 4 bucks or so, but in many prison systems where tobacco is a contraband or black market item they sell at huge markups, I’ve seen single cigarettes sell for 5 bucks. But the truth is pot could be packaged and sold in cigarette form, (or like canned tobacco) for much higher profit margins than tobacco. Marijuana will grow almost anywhere as well as supplying greater quantaties (per weight) than tobacco for a similar cost thusly making it a much more versatile crop than tobacco. Pot is illegal because change is controversial, and controversy is what ends political careers. I know very few people who even though they would not use marijuana, want to spend tax dollars on enforcing the black market economy.
Fuck off George! You gotta believe!
"No one has ever overdosed on marijuana. " Bollox! I have overdosed several times. You probably mean that there have been no fatal overdoses….
Maybe you need to put your purse down…
Ditto for Josh. My SAT score went up by 30 points on math, 20 on critical reading, and 100 on the writing section. I was high as a kite.
Aspirin has been used for way longer then 108 years. The father of modern medicine was Hippocrates, who lived sometime between 460 B.C and 377 B.C. Hippocrates was left historical records of pain relief treatments, including the use of powder made from the bark and leaves of the willow tree (Aspirin) to help heal headaches, pains and fevers. Other then that, intriguing post.
Aspirin has been used for way longer then 108 years. The father of modern medicine was Hippocrates, who lived sometime between 460 B.C and 377 B.C. Hippocrates was left historical records of pain relief treatments, including the use of powder made from the bark and leaves of the willow tree (Aspirin) to help heal headaches, pains and fevers. Other then that, intriguing post.
Actually, You seemingly ‘forgot’ to put down SCHIZOPHRENIA as one of the side effects of taking marijuana. The author of this is clearly biased to these drugs, particularly in saying that NOBODY has EVER overdosed on cannabis.
@ lachy : NOBODY has EVER overdosed on cannabis my friend. and by that i think he meant a fatal overdose and u can check any source yoiu want ,youèll never find any case of death caused by weed
gr8 post btw!!
Hello concerned citizens! A call is going out to all of the world’s organizations that claim to be working for a better world for us to live in. The world is waking up to so many discomforting realities, but at the same time we are reaching out to each other with words of encouragement. We can make moves. We can have peace of mind, by being on the right track. We are sharing the truth with each other and watching the miracles happen. This letter is from Citizens Against Marijuana Prohibition, which currently operates in the US, but is setting an example for the world. C.A.M.P. is dedicated to freeing innocent people from prison, and protecting those whose freedoms are threatened, as well as revealing the truth about the many beneficial properties of cannabis so that proper judgements can be made. We, like you, are doing the ridiculous thing. Trying to help others, who we don’t even know. Why would we do such a thing? Perhaps there’s something that motivates humans besides personal physical well-being. We think so. What can you do to help the cause of saving the world from ignorance? Of course you are already doing a lot. Thank you for everything. Keep up the good work. Now, what can we do to motivate people to change the legal status of the blessed cannabis plant? Some of the things we’re doing right now are lobbying at the New York State Legislative building and pressing for a meeting with Governor Paterson, while one of our members is fighting a legal battle to prove that his arrest for marijuana cultivation was unconstitutional. The evidence that the marijuana laws were established based on fraudulent testimony is enormous. We believe that by revealing the fraud and showing how harmless it is we can totally repeal all marijuana prohibition laws. The variety of uses of the cannabis plant include strong fabric and rope, bio-degradable plastic, eco-friendly fuel, high quality paper, highly nutritional foods, the most widely usable medicine, including the cure for cancer, and a pleasantly euphoric incense. There is a special window of opportunity right now, as the Presidential administration is changing and the majority of the legislators are now of the same party. Before the special interest agendas sink their teeth into the new regime, let’s inform the public about the hypocrisy of marijuana prohibition, and take a stand that will shake the foundations of the house of cards known as the "Drug War". I urge you to consider the possibility that these laws can be repealed. Changing our minds about the possibilities is the first step toward a major change. There has got to be a grain of goodness in the government that will grow with an inspired movement of the public. Let’s show them that the minority of activists are sincerely working for the majority of pacifists. As long as our intentions are truly benevolent, the good side of the general public will join in this nonviolent battle for justice. Help us to help the world. Whatever recognition we get we’ll share with you, by honoring your supportive actions. It is quite apparent that something great is happening to the hearts and minds of humanity. All we need to do is push together, and the ball will continue to roll, until the negative forces have no hope of resisting. It’s time to end prohibition! Please let us know that you are looking for a way to contribute, even if it is simply to encourage others to add their voices to the call to action. Every voice helps. Every movement towards a more compassionate society helps. Every motion towards cooperation helps. Right now the focus of C.A.M.P. is the rally in Albany on January 9, ’09 to get the attention of Governor Paterson and the legislature on this gross official misconduct. We are looking for as many people as possible to be there, but also telling people about it would help. Please call the legislators in your area and tell them that marijuana prohibition is against the public’s best interest and is based on fraud, and that THC oil is the cure for cancer. That would be a great act of compassion. Peace and Love, Abigail Storm Citizens Against Marijuana Prohibition http://www.nycamp.org
need to be careful when having the medicine as every medications have its own effects and side effects
I took the ACT in junior year, and the night before i had a couple hours of sleep because i was busy smoking pot all night. Come test time, the hottest girl in school (catholic school) was at the desk in front and to the right of me in her hiked up skirt looking sexier than ever. Needless to say I was majorly distracted, also becos I didn’t take my adderall before school which i was dependent on to be able to focus. I felt like shit the whole time like i couldn’t think straight and remember math skills i used to know, i thought i blew it big time. I don’t know how, but my score came back 28 ?? The straight kids i knew who took it seriously and studied and slept the night before didnt get above 25. hahahahahahahahahaha
I used a few years ago marijuana fermented on alcohol as a painkiller on an arthritis severe case, and works great, just rub the area with the liquid and that’s all!
This is scary.
pretty cool, but the conditions that you mentioned, ("short term memory loss, a slight reduction in reaction time, and a reduction in cognitive ability") do continue after smoking. i mean, if you smoke your first joint or even your tenth you probably wont notice. i dont care how many studies say that the effects dont continue, i know they do because i notice it!
What’s funny is that aspirin can cause false negatives on drug screens that test for marijuana
I am fourteen and smoke marijuana, several things I would like to mention. 1. I usually get into yelling matches with teachers 2. If I smoke a little before school I am relaxed and do not fight….. at all. 3. I took a test while high and got an A, then I asked for the same test while sober and got a c+. Thats about it.
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Let’s see Dr. JD Folts gave us the "Asprin a day" theroy in 1974 and since 1990 he has not perscribed a single a single asprin…….is he smoking then? LOL