I read this about marijuana, what do you have to say?

There is a misconception that marijuana kills brain cells but what actually happens is this: Neurons are made of two parts; the cell bodies and axons. The cell bodies contain fiberous extentions called dendrites which receive information from the axon terminals of the adjacent cell. That information is then channeled through the neuron to the axon terminal and again to the dendrite of another cell. Frequent marijuana use will cause the dendrites to shorten therefore widening the synapses between cells making information get lost in transmission. Heres the kicker... Even with regular use, dendrites grow back after a month or two of not smoking. Here is an essay I recently wrote about the subject.





A letter to the religious right involved in Reagan's war on marijuana



I am not a Christian nor am I a pothead, however, after speculating over the role of the Christian right in the criminalization of marijuana usage and possession, I found it necessary to make an argument using Christian methods against it. I feel that it is necessary to add that I was raised christian so I do not intend to use bible verses that I know nothing about. I know the bible just as well and better than many Christians. I am also a psychology student in college and the psychological information I will use in my argument came directly from textbooks and lectures on the subject. I have two arguments to discuss, the first using strictly biblical elements and the second with human physiological elements to enhance and accelerate the original.



The arguments involved are sophomorically simple.



Genesis 1:9-13 Says this: 9And God said, "Let the waters beneath the sky be gathered into one place so dry ground may appear." And so it was. 10God named the dry ground "land" and the water "seas." And God saw that it was good. 11Then God said, "Let the land burst forth with every sort of grass and seed-bearing plant. And let there be trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. The seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came." And so it was. 12The land was filled with seed-bearing plants and trees, and their seeds produced plants and trees of like kind. And God saw that it was good. 13This all happened on the third day.



27-31: 27

So God created people in his own image;

God patterned them after himself;

male and female he created them.

28God blessed them and told them, "Multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. Be masters over the fish and birds and all the animals." 29And God said, "Look! I have given you the seed-bearing plants throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. 30And I have given all the grasses and other green plants to the animals and birds for their food." And so it was. 31Then God looked over all he had made and he saw that it was excellent in every way. This all happened on the sixth day.



The kicker... After God kicked Adam and Eve out of the garden, he had this to say to them: 3 17And unto Adam He said, "Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, `Thou shalt not eat of it,' cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.





18Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field.







These three excerpts tell us two things: God created the plethora of plants that we have on Earth and gave them to humans and animals for their consumption. Now before the reader suggests that we were to eat the fruits and seeds were for the birds, the second part of my argument must be considered. Marijuana and tobacco are the only drugs that grow naturally and do not have to be processed and synthesized before consumption. Alcohol has to be processed and it is legal. Marijuana is not. The devil, serpent, satan, whatever you want to call the spirit of darkness has never and will never have the authority to change the godly composition of Gods creations. The devil did not put the active ingredients in the marijuana plant and it would be impossible for him to cause the second part of my argument involving the physiology of humans nervous systems. The only power he has is to deceive and deception cannot change the fact that God made plants and people the way we are physiologically.



The active ingredients in marijuana pass through the blood-brain barrier and enter the central nervous system where they bind to three different receptor sites on the neurons. These receptors are called Delta 9 THC, 2-AG, and Anamine receptors. These receptor sites are activated only by cannabinoids from the marijuana plant and nothing else. Nicotine works in much the same way though there is only one receptor. All other drugs work by manipulating natural receptors in the brain that neurotransmitters use normally. For example, PCP works as a glutamate antagonist, blocking the natural processes of glutamate which works in opposition to the neurotransmitter dopamine. When glutamate is blocked, dopamine takes over and too much dopamine in the brain causes hallucinations, odd behavior, and delusional thinking. Cocaine works as an agonist for dopamine and other neurotransmitters causing more to be in the system than normal. Unlike marijuana, drugs like PCP, cocaine, heroine, designer drugs, etc. work by taking over the natural processes in the brain and bastardizing them to work in ways that do not occur naturally.



Marijuana, unlike any other drug, does not affect the brainstem. The brainstem is a system of regions in the back of the brain at the base of the spinal cord that monitors vital statuses like breathing rate and heart rate. There are neurotransmitter receptor sites all over the brain including the brainstem but there are no cannabinoid receptors in the brainstem. Take alcohol just as an example: by opening the sites for Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter, the nervous system slows down. Since alcohol affects the brainstem, breathing and heart rate slow down too. An overdose of alcohol can slow systems down to the point where they stop and the user can die. Because it does not affect the brainstems regulation of vital functioning, marijuana is the only drug that someone cannot die of an overdose from.



God designed our bodies. God designed our nervous systems. God pieced our brains together long before scientists figured out how they worked. God put these three receptors in our brains on purpose. There must be some significance there. He created these three receptor sites in our brains before the original sin was committed. Many religions have considered the marijuana plant holy in the past. Mind you, I do not advocate a world where everyone smokes pot all the time. Anything can be abused. Too much of anything is bad Too much food can cause obesity or heart problems, Too much sun will cause a sunburn, Too much water can kill you, too much vitamin A will cause blindness, Too much alcohol can cause liver damage. Im not advocating that everyone should participate in marijuana consumption either. The only argument I am making is that to criminalize a plant created by God that human bodies are designed to process is not only un-Christian but unethical, immoral, illogical, ignorant, and an infringement on our rights as Americans to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

I read this about marijuana, what do you have to say?
good for migrains to
Reply:amazing!!!!!!! marijuana is my best friend, and its really good for hangovers lol Report Abuse
Reply:Check out christiansforcannabis.com.



There's is a lot of interesting literature on the topic. There's a good book called Women and Cannabis that I'd like to have a look at myself!



God knew what he was doing, but I think it does say (in the Bible) to follow the law of the land, unless it goes against what he's told us to do.



But the trouble is, God did put the plant here for our use, so do we break the law and use it because we have His permission? Or do we follow the (earthly) law and use prescribed pharmaceuticals with harmful side effects? Do we eat foods that are not as nutritious and contain poisonous chemicals? Do we wear clothes that are grown with harmful pesticides and put together in sweatshops?



The whole hemp plant has MANY good uses. It's the best oil by far, the seeds have great protein, it can be made into really strong fibre, grown without pesticicides... and so on.



Marijuana and tobacco are not the only drugs that grow naturally. Many many many plants can be used without chemically processing them, to help people. Willow bark tea is great for headaches. Cramp bark tea is great for menstrual cramps. Neem can be chewed to prevent cavities. Look into naturopathy and homeopathy for more examples.



I don't believe that scientists have uncovered all the secrets of the brain enough to be able to determine that there are only three receptors for cannabis and one for tobacco, but that's a minor point.



Maybe scientists have completely unravelled all the secrets of the human body, but I don't think so. I think it's one of those things where the more you learn, the more there is to find out!



I don't know the answer to your question, but I would like to. I look forward to checking back!
Reply:too bad we cant get politicains to read this
Reply:Although I'm not sure what the question is, I will say that the author of the article has confounded the issue like no other I've read in a long time. A typical student's effort to peace together this complex world, I'm sure. I stress the word world because there's a lot more to the world than the good old U.S. of A. Right next door to this articles author is Canada, where I'm from. I am also an authorized user of medical marijuana. I have had multiple sclerosis for over 30 years now and have used marijuana through out this time. The benefits are widely known and largely accepted. Here in Canada our national health care Representative, Health Canada recognized this fact many years ago and started implementing a national medical marijuana access program. Our national access to medical marijuana program is under constant review and revision. This program has expanded its eligibility criteria and relaxed some of its licensing restrictions. It is my opinion that our medical marijuana policies are indicative of the Canadians view on the whole subject and that is; Left in the proper hands marijuana like any other therapeutic drug can be used successfully. But to think that marijuana is without side effects is foolish and simply not true. Further more, to present a case for the legalization of marijuana based on excerpts from some neurology text book and God is a disservice to all. Make no mistake MARIJUANA IS A DRUG and like all drugs it has dangerous and life altering effects. It is my experience and considered opinion that persons wanting to live a healthy life style should not smoke pot. It's a simple as that. I also firmly believe that the legalization or decriminalization of marijuana is foolish and not lightly to happen any time soon, nether in Canada nor the U.S. Why? Professionals know that the effects of marijuana on our youth is tremendous. I have worked in enough hospitals and treatment centers to know that pot does kill. Your author is wrong about that also. Although it is piratically imposable to over dose using marijuana. Clinically, a dose of about 300 grams would most likely kill you, but that's not how most, to use your authors derogatory term, potheads die. Marijuana users face their own mortality in car accidents, house fires and making bad decisions that have equally bad consequences. Please if you really want a free and just society then 'keep drugs out of the reach of children' and fight for the right of people with disabilities to get the drugs we need. The facts is the facts. Marijuana works but it's a drug and should be handled as such. The benefits of marijuana are undeniable and many governments around the world agree. The same is true for several states in the United States, These enlightened leaders have made access to medical marijuana a reality for persons with disabilities. To further this cause; education, understanding and tolerance are key. I believe that through a comprehensive and well run government program that provides high quality medical grade marijuana to qualified patents works! Of course this approach seems to do little for the ADULT recreational smoker but it has a very interesting and I believe unforeseen beneficial effect; and that is. It seems to educate people which helps them separate marijuana from the other useless street drugs your author talked about. It quickly becomes clear that marijuana has creditability as a therapeutic treatment for many conditions, If properly managed the negative effects are minimal. It will be through this understanding that tolerance will emerge. I approached this opportunity to hopefully advance our mutual goal. understanding. I also hope that somewhere in this long drawn out dissertation their is an answer or at least part of one. If you would like information about medical marijuana in Canada please visit my web site mckenziegordon.com
Reply:thank you, good stuff compare with what they write somewhere else
Reply:This is the most thorough and accurate opinion that I have read considering the legality of marijuana. I'm no doctor, but I'm going to share this with any anti-marijuana people I know.



Note: I do not support the consumption of marijuana or any other illegal substances...so legalize it already!!
Reply:Wow thats an eye full
Reply:interresting...but sorry honey it so doesnt matter how much we complain they arent going to legalize pot...................VERY EDUCATIONAL THOUGH GOOD JOB
Reply:coming from a non smoker(pot) sound like you with us thanx for that n God bless oh yeah one thing I noticed is that im an Alcoholic but i can prevent relapses by smokin weed and just that stops me from going to jail for causing madness
Reply:very interesting...but i dont think anyone is going to legalize pot....they may legalize more for cancer patients but i think that is all you are going to get out of it.....but i know one thing pot influences infertilty....
Reply:I have also heard that marijuana kills brain cells; I think it's just a way to try to spook people out of using it. I don't know about any of this other stuff you wrote about, but personally, I approve of marijuana use. There is no medical proof that it causes life threatening situations; after all, if it was so bad, then why is it that some states have been given approval for marijuana use for medicinal purposes? I have been told that the only reason marijuana can't be legal is because the state can't tax it. I agree that all this crap surrounding marijuana use should be left alone.
Reply:good job,i'm impressed!

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