Marijuana // Current

WAMM issues press release supporting medical marijuana dispensaries

Santa Cruz, CA. – The Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM), would like... more

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House of straw passes fire test

A house built from straw-bales and panels of hemp has passed an industry standard fire... more

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Buy American Pot!

We all know that a lot of people are harmed by prohibition, but who benefits?... more

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No Dope: Ft. Lauderdale Man to Smoke 115,000th Joint

When you think of the world's most prolific pot smokers, certain names come to mind:... more

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Stories that changed the world

During World War II, citizens responded by volunteering as air raid wardens, auxiliary... more

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Four forgotten Civil War battlefields

September 1861 was a hopeful time for the Confederacy. General Sterling Price had... more

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Marijuana-Related Health Costs Minimal Compared To Those Of Alcohol, Tobacco

Health-related costs per user are eight times higher for drinkers than they are for... more

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State Medical Association says pot prohibition is 'failed public health policy'

In a laudable nod to the obvious, members of the California Medical Association's... more

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Ark. lawmaker suggests legalizing marijuana to address prison overcrowding

A state senator says that legalizing or lessening criminal penalties for marijuana may... more

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James Grey testifies at marijuana legislation bill.

It seems certain politicians are now gaining a back bone and some common sense,... more

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Coburn to Holder: The #1 Risk to Kids? Marijuana!

Senator Coburn November 18, 2009 C-SPAN. Coburn's seen Reefer Madness too many times.

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Cannabis, Tobacco and Alcohol Use - Comparing risks of harm and costs to society

Health-related costs per user are eight times higher for drinkers than they are for those who use cannabis, and are more than 40 times higher for tobacco smokers, according to a report published in the British Columbia Mental Health and Addictions Journal.

According to the report, “In terms of [health-related] costs per user: tobacco-related health costs are over $800 per user, alcohol-related health costs are much lower at $165 per user, and cannabis-related health costs are the lowest at $20 per user.”

The review, authored by researchers from the Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia at the University of Victoria and the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse at the University of Ottawa, stated: “Alcohol is used by a very large number of people with the vast majority of these using in low- or moderate-risk ways. Conversely, cannabis and tobacco are used by far fewer people. The majority of cannabis use is low- and moderate-risk, however, while the majority of tobacco is high-risk.”

The study reported that social costs applicable to marijuana are primarily “enforcement-related.”

The authors concluded: “The harms, risks and social costs of alcohol, cannabis and tobacco vary greatly. A lot has to do with how the substances are handled legally. Alcohol and tobacco are legal substances, which explains their low enforcement costs relative to cannabis. On the other hand, the health costs per user of tobacco and alcohol are much higher than for cannabis. This may indicate that cannabis use involves fewer health risks than alcohol or tobacco.

“These variations in risk, harms and cost need to be taken into account as we think about further efforts to deal with the use of these three substances. … Efforts to reduce social costs related to cannabis, for example, will likely involve shifting its legal status by decriminalizing casual use, to reduce the high enforcement costs. Such a shift may be warranted given the apparent lower health risk associated with most cannabis use.”

According to a recent Rasmussen national poll of 1,000 likely voters, Americans believe by more than two to one that alcohol is “more dangerous” than marijuana.

http://blog.norml.org/2009/11/17/do-the-math-tobacco-related-health-costs-800-booze-related-health-costs-165-pot-related-health-costs-20-any-questions/
http://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/publications/cannabis/bck/7Health-related costs per user are eight times higher for drinkers than they are for... more