The June 2015 issue of National Geographic on pages 31 to 57 has an article headlined, "High Science". I can only assume most of the information is correct since I have never used marijuana for any purpose..medical or otherwise and haven't had even a beer for many years. It seems to be pretty well balanced indicating both the potential and the perils which may be involved with marijuana, medicine, and medical research.
The medical research and uses by patients suffering from several varieties of diseases and afflictions is interesting. The over reaction of the federal government in classifying marijuana in the same category of drug as heroin also is discussed. The federal position prevents some research in the US that is moving forward in other countries.
The article also discusses Colorado which has legalized marijuana and the impact on society and economy there.
I think it is an article worth reading by all since it appears to be reasonably well balanced in coverage of negative and positive aspects. There is a bit of information for those opposed to marijuana and a lot of information which may be of interest to those hoping for development of medical uses of marijuana or chemical substances it contains.
It also should be read by those who see little purpose in giving long prison sentences to those using pot. It appears to me that marijuana use probably causes fewer costs to society than does alcohol. Likely all the direct tax revenue from alcohol fails to cover even the social costs associated with fatal crashes in which alcohol is a contributing factor. It is interesting that some advocates of marijuana are now pushing for a ban on alcohol sales so long as marijuana is banned.
I also heard an interesting comment today on public radio concerning entry of illegal aliens crossing the US-Mexican border. The number is down. The Hispanic reporter had a number of explanations, but one of them was the legalization of marijuana in some US states. Also note the batch of links below. TypePad reached the limit, but there are many more links and references to the National Geographic article than I could include.
***Stay tuned and stay sober--- Doug Wiken
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