Hemp // Current

"The Preposterous War on Pot"

Seven million Americans have been arrested since 1995 on marijuana charges and 41,000... more

FishaHouse777
added this
7 hours ago
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5 comments

Civil disobedience has a role to play

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/07/al-gore-interview-climate-change I... more

Conniepae
added this
1 day ago
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0 comments

Pot Gangs Infiltrate Indian Reservations

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125736987377028727.html?mod=igoogle_wsj_gadgv1&... more

rodstradamus
added this
4 days ago
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24 comments

Medical Marijuana Movement

Aaron Houston on Wolf Blitzer Situation Room discussing Marijuana Reform

hunzedog
added this
14 days ago
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12 comments

Fact-checking Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey

"Tim Lynch appeared on the CNN program Lou Dobbs Tonight last Thursday (Oct. 22) to... more

LibertynJusticeforAll
added this
14 days ago
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2 comments

what the world needs now, is bud sweet bud.

not just for some, but for everyone of us !

hunzedog
added this
14 days ago
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2 comments

Big Buds

some things are worth fighting for !

hunzedog
added this
15 days ago
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1 comment

The Bong Cult; ........Because The Bong is Better

Comparison with other smoking methods

Diagram of a bong in operation.
The rationale behind the use of a bong is the claim that the cooling effect of the water helps to reduce the chance of burning the mouth, airways, and lungs, thus many claim that using a bong to smoke is safer. The water can trap some heavier particles and water-soluble molecules, preventing them from entering the smoker's airways.[5] Thus the mechanics of a bong function similarly to those of a laboratory gas washing bottle. This "filtration" can lead to the belief that bongs are less damaging than other smoking methods.
However, a 2000 NORML-MAPS study found that "water pipes filter out more psychoactive THC than they do other tars, thereby requiring users to smoke more to reach their desired effect".[6] In the study, smoke from cannabis supplied by the NIDA was drawn through a number of smoking devices and analyzed. An inhalation machine, adjusted to mimic the puff length of cannabis smokers, drew smoke through a standard bong, a small portable bong with a folding stem, a bong with a motorized paddle that thoroughly mixes the smoke with the water, and two different types of vaporizers. Comparisons to traditional non-filtered smoking methods were not included in these experiments.
MAPS[7] also reviewed a study that examined the effects and composition of water-filtered and non-filtered cannabis and tobacco smoke. It found that when alveolar macrophages were exposed to unfiltered smoke, their ability to fight bacteria was reduced, unlike exposure to water-filtered smoke. It also found substantial epidemiological evidence of a lower incidence of carcinoma among tobacco smokers who used water-pipes, as opposed to cigarettes, cigars, and regular pipes. "It appears that water filtration can be effective in removing components from cannabis smoke that are known toxicants... The effectiveness of toxicant removal is related to the smoke's water contact area.
Specially designed water pipes, incorporating particulate filters and gas-dispersion frits, would likely be most effective in this regard; the gas-dispersion frit serves to break up the smoke into very fine bubbles, thereby increasing its water-contact area."[7] This study suggests that a bong's smoke is less harmful than unfiltered smoke.Comparison with other smoking methods Diagram of a bong in operation. The... more