This University of Leicester study you cite takes one compound of marijuana smoke, injects it into cells from a calf (not your muscle, a cow baby), and finds this DNA damage. By contrast, 5,000 years of human history of marijuana use has not shown marijuana to cause cancer. Dr. Donald Tashkin’s thirty years of research at UCLA Medical School with the largest case control, long-term study ever published shows no link from even frequent, heavy marijuana use to head, neck, or lung cancer. Dr. Manuel Guzman has even shown THC to kill cancer cells in vitro and in vivo through many studies, showing that it targets cancer cells and leaves healthy cells alone, while also killing the blood supply to the cancerous cells.

Also, the whole “cannabis smoke has carcinogens” scare is meaningless if you vaporize cannabis (heat it to the point where cannabinoids evaporate, but plant doesn’t burn) or eat it in brownies or other edibles.

Or just use some logic, Beth: if heavy cannabis smoking caused cancer, don’t you think we’d see a huge increase in American cancer rates correlating with the rise in popularity of cannabis use? In the early 20th century, few people used cannabis. By 1979, the modern peak, 60% of high school seniors admitted trying it and 50% were annual users. But we don’t see cancer rates rising in correlation. You’d think we’d see more Rastafarians, hippies, and snowboarders with cancer, don’t you?

Also, Beth, nobody here ever claimed marijuana is harmless. Frequent heavy use can lead to bronchitis and excessive cough (but not emphysema, lung cancer, or COPD). While stoned, you have a greater risk of accident and injury. Some people experience a paranoia, anxiety, or panic when using cannabis. About 9% of users can develop dependence and face withdrawal symptoms like irritability, insomnia, and moodiness.

Our point is that marijuana is FAR less harmful to user and society than alcohol and tobacco, and marijuana prohibition is FAR more harmful than marijuana use.

2) How will this legislation get enforced? It’s not like they’re going to round up all weed and take it in for testing to determine THC percentages. Cops should be far more against this kind of B.S. legislation, in opposed to legalization, because of the assumed difficulty of determining what “Kush” is and what it isn’t if they found someone in possession of cannabis (they couldn’t just eyeball it to figure it out), and for the pure fact that it would add more to their already full plates.

I swear, we should make our politicians pass a critical thinking exam in order to run for office.

Only a person would no knowledge of how the economy works could suggest legislation like this. Where will all the demand for kush go? ..to the street!

The cartels will get fatter, the murders they commit will increase, their corruption will continue to spread through the government, police and army. Mexico, our immediate next-door neighbor, will fail as a sovereign nation and the security of the entire Nth American region will be put in jeopardy.

Thanks Captain Kirk, you moron!