Pubdate: Tue, 01 May 2012
Source: Arizona Daily Wildcat (AZ Edu)
Copyright: 2012 Arizona Daily Wildcat
Contact:  http://wildcat.arizona.edu/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/725
Author: Steve Shapiro

IN RESPONSE TO THE APRIL 30 ARTICLE

Why would you rely on government agencies who do not employ medical 
professionals but merely restate the old lies that have been passed 
around since the 1930s?

Cannabis does not increase DUI statistics - in fact in the Medical 
Marijuana states, fatal car crashes are down over 10 percent. Studies 
at UCLA, Harvard and USF are showing through studies that patients 
show increased lung capacity, improvement in heart health and 
improvement in brain function. In fact, just Saturday, I listened, in 
Tucson, to several doctors explain how after head injuries, one of 
the most effective treatments would be cannabis, but modern medicine 
will not study it. The brain's reactions to cannabis and the healing 
and restorative properties are responsible for the benefit.

If you would actually speak with varied mental health professionals, 
you might learn why it helps people with depression, anxiety, PTSD 
and many other conditions.

I strongly urge you to read about the Endocannabinoid system which is 
in all of our bodies. You will learn so much about why medical 
patients find benefit. You will also learn why social users are so 
adamant about their choice of herbs.

Read Andrew Weil's teachings about cannabis. He has a center at U of 
A for Integretive Medicine which is researching many uses of cannabis.

This is not to mention all of the industrial uses from clothes, to 
fuels, to food, to paper. Please educate yourself. As a journalist, 
your article's validity is important. Restating old opinions like Fox 
News will not work unless you are preaching to the choir.

Also two more important reads: Cannabinomics by Dr. Christopher 
Fictner and The Emperor Wears No Clothes by Jack Herer. In these 
books you will learn many things.

In Cannabinomics you will learn how the U.S. government knew that 
cannabis helped aids patients and went so far to make Drabinol, the 
first real RX that helped, Bush made it illegal in 1992.

You will also learn how in the 70s we knew it helped cancer and 
glaucoma. I learned that we knew it helped Grand Mal Seizure and any 
seizure patient avoid their episodes. It has also been known since 
the late 70s that MS patients are helped.

Please educate yourself. It's not too late. It may save your life or 
improve it.

- - Steve Shapiro
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom