Source: @norml @WeedConnection
Posted By: norml@weedconnection.com
media :: news - Tue, 01 Jul 2014 04:20:21 PST
Study: Habitual Marijuana Smoking Not Associated With Increased Risk Of Lung Cancer
Toronto, Canada: Subjects who regularly inhale cannabis smoke possess no greater risk of contracting lung cancer than do those who consume it occasionally or not at all, according to data published online ahead of print in the International Journal of Cancer.
An international team of investigators from Canada, New Zealand, Great Britian, and the United States analyzed data from six case-control studies involving over 5,000 subjects (2,159 cases and 2,985 controls) from around the world.
Authors concluded, "Results from our pooled analyses provide little evidence for an increased risk of lung cancer among habitual or long-term cannabis smokers."
The team had previously presented their data at the 2013 annual meeting of the American Academy for Cancer Research.
Their findings are similar to those of a 2013 review published in the journal Annals of the American Thoracic Society, which concluded: "[H]abitual use of marijuana alone does not appear to lead to significant abnormalities in lung function. ... Overall, the risks of pulmonary complications of regular use of marijuana appear to be relatively small and far lower than those of tobacco smoking."
An accompanying commentary appearing in the same journal affirmed, "[C]annabis smoking does not seem to increase risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or airway cancers. In fact, there is even a suggestion that at low doses cannabis may be protective for both conditions."
Preclinical studies have documented that cannabinoids possess potent anti-cancer properties, including the inhibition of lung cancer cell growth. To date, however, scientists have yet to conduct controlled clinical trials replicating these results in human subjects.
Full text of the study, "Cannabis smoking and lung cancer risk: Pooled analysis in the International Lung Cancer Consortium," appears in the International Journal of Cancer.
New York: Lawmakers Approve Medical Marijuana Compromise Measure
Albany, NY: State lawmakers and Democrat Gov. Andrew Cuomo agreed late last week to compromise legislation that seeks to provide qualified patients with access to limited preparations of cannabis. The last-minute changes to the bill were demanded by the Governor, who is expected to sign the revised measure into law imminently.
Under the proposed plan, state regulators intend to license five producers of cannabis-based preparations and up to 20 dispensing centers.
In order to be eligible to participate in the state's program, patients will need to possess a physician's recommendation and be diagnosed with one of the following qualifying conditions: cancer, HIV/AIDS, Lou Gehrig's disease, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, Huntington's, epilepsy, inflammatory bowel disease, neuropathies and "damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication on intractable spasticity." (A decision whether or not to approve other potential qualifying conditions, including Alzheimer's, muscular dystrophy, dystonia, PTSD, and rheumatoid arthritis, must be made by the state health commissioner prior to the program's implementation.) Physicians will be mandated to receive special educational training before they are permitted to legally recommend cannabis therapy to their patients.
However, unlike almost all other state medical cannabis programs, the New York plan does not permit qualified patients to possess or obtain whole-plant cannabis. Instead, the forthcoming program mandates that state-licensed distribution centers provide oils, pills, and/or extracts prepared from the plant. These products will be subject to a 7 percent state-imposed excise tax. The Department of Health is in charge of determining limits in regard to the quantity of cannabis products that a qualified patient may possess at one time.
The measure mandates the program to be implemented in 18 months, though it also contains a sunset provision -- meaning that lawmakers would have to reapprove the program in seven years. Moreover, provisions in the legislation allow for the Governor, upon recommendation by the state police superintendent or the state health commissioner, to suspend the program at any time.
Philadelphia: City Council Approves Marijuana Citation Ordinance; Police Commissioner Vows To Ignore The Law
Philadelphia, PA: Members of the Philadelphia City Council voted 13 to 3 last week in favor of municipal legislation decriminalizing marijuana possession penalties.
Under the proposed measure, which passed with a veto-proof super-majority, penalties pertaining to the possession of up to one ounce of cannabis would be reduced from a criminal misdemeanor to a civil violation, punishable by a $25 fine - no arrest and no criminal record.
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has until September to act on the measure, which, once implemented, is estimated to save up to $4 million in annual police and prosecutorial costs.
Yet despite last week's supermajority vote in favor of reclassifying cannabis, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey has publicly vowed to ignore the ordinance, stating, "State law trumps city ordinances."
Under Pennsylvania law, the possession of up to 30 grams of marijuana is classified as a criminal misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in hail and a $500 fine.
Since 2010, some minor marijuana offenders have been eligible to receive a summons to participate in a diversion program in lieu of facing criminal charges.
A 2013 review of marijuana arrest data by PhillyNORML reported that African Americans are arrested in Philadelphia for minor marijuana violations at five times the rate of whites despite both races consuming the substance at nearly equal rates.
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