Dear Barack Obama: Cannabis Is Medicine That Should NOT Be Compared With Alcohol

At the same time, he did express that it is not something he encourages, and that he has told his daughters it’s a bad idea, waste of time, and not very healthy.(3) President Obama is either extremely uninformed, or well aware that he is not really telling the truth. Sure, the fact that he states Marijuana is no more dangerous than alcohol is a positive step toward legalization, but cannabis is a healing herb gifted to us by nature, and should not be compared to alcohol or labelled “just as dangerous” as alcohol. It’s odd to think that alcohol and cigarettes are legal, while marijuana remains illegal in most parts of the world. Alcohol VS. Cannabis Alcohol is well known to cause cancer, diabetes, brain damage, liver damage, and much more. When it comes to alcohol and human health, there really is no debate, plain and simple alcohol is bad for you.

The Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) concludes that while studies have shown alcohol has some health benefits, their scope is limited.(2) They determined that the harmful effects of alcohol on the body as well as on society far outweigh the good.

The CPHA says “there’s nothing wrong with “kicking back” with a cool one after a long day, it’s what happens after more than one drink that is troubling.” Drinking alcohol should not be considered a health measure, and there are probably many out there that use that as justification for use. On the other hand, there is an enormous amount of evidence that proves that when we eat marijuana it can be used as a medicine. While we are on the topic of alcohol, a recent study from the University of Maryland concluded that a chemical in marijuana called cannabidiol (CBD) could be used to prevent alcohol-induced brain damage.

The study was published in September of 2013 in the journal Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior.(1) The study outlined how excessive alcohol consumption results in neuro-degeneration as well as behavioral and cognitive impairments, and can be treated with CBD when taken transdermally.

The number of studies showing that cannabis is an effective treatment for multiple diseases and ailments (including cancer) number in the hundreds, if not thousands. We’ve presented these studies in multiple articles that we’ve written on this subject: Truth is, cannabinoids may very well be one of the best disease and cancer fighting treatments out there. Cannabinoids are any group of related compounds that include cannabinol and the active constituents of cannabis.

They activate cannabinoid receptors in the body, and the body itself produces compounds called endocannabinoids which play a role in many processes within the body that help to create a healthy environment. Human breast milk even contains cannabinoids, including THC. In fact, blocking of cannabinoid receptor activation during early development can have catastrophic effects. Cannabinoids also play an important role in immune system generation and re-generation.

The body regenerates best when it’s saturated with Phyto-Canabinoids. Proponents would argue that marijuana causes an altered state of consciousness. I don’t disagree, however I see nothing wrong with exploring these states. This argument is often used to link marijuana to schizophrenia and other mental illnesses, there is absolutely no scientific evidence or proof for these claims. It’s also important to mention that marijuana is highly effective when we eat it, rather than when we smoke it. By eating, it does not mean in brownies or any other baked good, but simply eating it raw. Cannabis is a vegetable with every dietary essential we can’t synthesize. It is important to note that if you heat the plant, you decarboxylate the THC-acid, which get’s you high. If you don’t heat it, you can go up to five or six hundred milligrams and use it as a dietary cannabis, which pushes up the Anti-oxidant and Neuro-protective levels. At the same time, studies have shown that smoking it can potentially be beneficial for our lungs because it improves lung capacity and can reverse lung, throat and oral cancers. Nothing is definite here, and the relationship between marijuana smoking and complications that arise from it is not completely understood at this point. I hope I’ve presented enough information in this article to assist you in furthering your research about the medicinal benefits of cannabis. I’d also like to mention that I am skeptical of marijuana if it is not organic and/or GMO free. Sources: (1) http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091305713002104 (2) http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/is-alcohol-good-or-bad-for-your-health-1.983998 (3) http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2014/01/27/140127fa_fact_remnick?currentPage=all All sources are available within the related articles linked in this article .

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References:

• http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbc.ca%2Fnews%2Fcanada%2Fis-alcohol-good-or-bad-for-your-health-1.983998&ei=vLriUoSHBKKv2QXSnoAw&usg=AFQjCNHxjB1tH96q_GzMGYzxHaSFAowDOQ&bvm=bv.59930103,d.aWc
• http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091305713002104
• http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/is-alcohol-good-or-bad-for-your-health-1.983998
• http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2014/01/27/140127fa_fact_remnick?currentPage=all