“Marijuana use impairs attention, judgement and coordination. Don’t drive or operate machinery when using marijuana.

If you have a mental health condition, use marijuana with caution. Marijuana use might worsen manic symptoms in people who have bipolar disorder. If used frequently, marijuana might increase the risk of depression or worsen depression symptoms. Research suggests that marijuana use increases the risk of psychosis in people who have schizophrenia.

Smoking marijuana can affect your memory and cognitive function and cause harmful cardiovascular effects, such as high blood pressure. Long-term marijuana use can worsen respiratory conditions.”.

MAYO CLINIC

Let’s look at statistics of Marijuana:

Marijuana Statistics:

• According to the United Nations estimate, 141 million people around the world use marijuana. This represents about 2.5 percent of the world population.
• A survey conducted in 2005 by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) estimated 97.5 million Americans aged 12 or older tried marijuana at least once in their lifetimes, representing 40.1% of the U.S. population in that age group.
• The number of past year marijuana users in 2005 was approximately 25.4 million (10.4% of the population aged 12 or older) and the number of past month marijuana users was 14.6 million (6.0%).
• There have been over 7,000 published scientific and medical studies documenting the damage that marijuana poses. Not one study has shown marijuana to be safe.
• Another area of marijuana statistics is drug abuse violations and arrests. There were a total of 1,846,351 state and local arrests for drug abuse violations in the United States during 2005. Of the drug arrests, 4.9% were for marijuana sale/manufacturing and 37.7% were for marijuana possession.
• In fiscal year 2003, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made 5,679 arrests related to cannabis, accounting for 20.9% of all DEA arrests during the year. This is an increase from fiscal year 2002, when 5,576 cannabis-related arrests were made by the DEA, accounting for 18.5% of all DEA arrests.
• Reaction time for motor skills, such as driving, is reduced by 41% after smoking 1 joint and is reduced 63% after smoking 2 joints.
• A typical joint contains between 0.5 and 1.0 gram of cannabis plant matter, which varies in THC content between 5 and 150 milligrams.
• In 1995, 165,000 people entering drug treatment programs reported marijuana as their primary drug of addiction, showing they need help to stop using the drug.
• Among juveniles from 12 to 17 the average age of first marijuana usage is 14 years old.
• Marijuana contains 421 chemical components, 60 of which are the feature of only this substance.
• Since 1990, nearly 5.9 million Americans have been arrested on marijuana charges, a greater number than the entire populations of Alaska, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming combined.
• In 2000, state and local law enforcement arrested 734,498 people for marijuana violations.  646,042 Americans (88 %) — were for simple possession. The remaining 12% (88,456 Americans) were for “sale/manufacture”. This is an increase of 800 percent since 1980, and is the highest ever recorded by the FBI.
• The total number of marijuana arrests far exceeds the total number of arrests for all violent crimes combined, including murder, manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault.
• 75% of drug-related criminal charges are connected to marijuana.
• ******Is this worth bringing marijuans LEGAL???? NO******

Marijuana also affects brain development, and when it is used heavily by young people, its effects on thinking and memory may last a long time or even be permanent. A recent study of marijuana users who began using in adolescence revealed substantially reduced connectivity among brain areas responsible for learning and memory. And a large long-term study in New Zealand showed that people who began smoking marijuana heavily in their teens lost an average of 8 points in IQ between age 13 and age 38. Importantly, the lost cognitive abilities were not fully restored in those who quit smoking marijuana as adults. Those who started smoking marijuana in adulthood did not show significant IQ declines.  Great so I can use this in retirement BUT looking at this topic as a whole it would not be best for the CHILDREN and GRANDCHILDREN in AMERICA!  So honestly I am not for marijuana legally by thinking of ALL not just myself.

Marijuana use may have a wide range of effects, particularly on cardiopulmonary and mental health.

Marijuana smoke is an irritant to the lungs, and frequent marijuana smokers can have many of the same respiratory problems experienced by tobacco smokers, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, and a heightened risk of lung infections. One study found that people who smoke marijuana frequently but do not smoke tobacco have more health problems and miss more days of work than those who don’t smoke marijuana, mainly because of respiratory illnesses. It is not yet known whether marijuana smoking contributes to risk for lung cancer.

Many have called for the legalization of marijuana to treat conditions including pain and nausea caused by HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other conditions, but clinical evidence has not shown that the therapeutic benefits of the marijuana plant outweigh its health risks. To be considered a legitimate medicine by the FDA, a substance must have well-defined and measurable ingredients that are consistent from one unit (such as a pill or injection) to the next. As the marijuana plant contains hundreds of chemical compounds that may have different effects and that vary from plant to plant, and because the plant is typically ingested via smoking, its use as a medicine is difficult to evaluate.

However, THC-based drugs to treat pain and nausea are already FDA approved and prescribed, and scientists continue to investigate the medicinal properties of other chemicals found in the cannabis plant—such as cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid compound that is being studied for its effects at treating pain, pediatric epilepsy, and other disorders. For more information, see DrugFacts – Is Marijuana Medicine?

The marijuana plant contains several chemicals that may prove useful for treating a range of illnesses or symptoms, leading many people to argue that it should be made legally available for medical purposes. In fact, a growing number of states (20 as of March 2014) have legalized marijuana’s use for certain medical conditions.

The term “medical marijuana” is generally used to refer to the whole unprocessed marijuana plant or its crude extracts, which are not recognized or approved as medicine by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). But scientific study of the active chemicals in marijuana, called cannabinoids, has led to the development of two FDA-approved medications already, and is leading to the development of new pharmaceuticals that harness the therapeutic benefits of cannabinoids while minimizing or eliminating the harmful side effects (including the “high”) produced by eating or smoking marijuana leaves.  Check out more on National Institute on Drug Abuse.

This is even what “Simple Cannabis” blog states about marijuana, not saying it is safe.  It states the following:

There are several rules and regulations surrounding Marijuana and as per American regulatory authorities, marijuana is classified as a Schedule 1 drug along side LSD and Heroin. Further, it is defined as being potently addictive and does not have medical usage (which can be contradicted by many other studies pertaining to marijuana research that can prove this drug has medicinal properties).

Any researcher who wishes to study marijuana, must obtain it through the NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) and this particular crop has quite a few researchers willing to study this drug in numerous forms and finding out varied statistics out of it regarding its usage and consumption comparing the data from today to last several years since the time this drug was introduced as a form of drug. Since this drug generates millions of dollar business for several growers across the world, someone is arrested for marijuana offence in every 36 seconds and almost 89 percent of these offences are not a part of selling or manufacturing and might just be for possession of this drug.

While there might be several effects and harmful considerations of taking marijuana as listed in several of the websites and online journals; however it is best to stay aware and informed about such consumables prior to taking them and hence for the record there are multiple publications and books that have been written about the ill effects of Marijuana and can be accessed in the form of e-books online and even available in libraries that talk about marijuana facts and statistics.                                                                                                                                                         Such literary sources also talk about how marijuana affects the body internally and sensory perceptions as it has a strong addictive potential that results in strong symptoms and effects like irritability and sleeplessness along with loss of memory and slow unresponsive and nervous system that makes learning procedures a hard thing to do just about any kind of activity. It is necessary to have all the requisite information on marijuana before attempting on its consumption.

What do we as a society support the most the health of our people especially young ones future or our moment of getting high and feeling good?  My answer is the health of Americans.  If this drug was researched enough where it was approved by all involved on drugs it would not become legal unless it is for a MEDICAL CONDITION.

“Some of the main negative effects of marijuana are due to its illicit nature. Because marijuana is illegal, not only can people have legal action brought against them for growing, selling or buying marijuana, but users never know exactly what active compounds are in the marijuana they’re using.

Major harmful effects of weed are seen when tolerance develops and marijuana is abused. Once a user becomes tolerant to the effects of a drug, they tend to increase their dosage, increasing the likelihood of marijuana addiction and the other negative effects of weed. The state of tolerance also indicates the user will experience the negative effects of weed withdrawal during periods of drug abstinence.”

HealthyPlace.com/Natasha Tracy

How could this drug possibly cause a bad reaction to humans?   Well let’s look at how it works:

Cannabis has psychoactive and physiological effects when consumed.The immediate desired effects from consuming cannabis include relaxation and mild euphoria (the “high” or “stoned” feeling), while some immediate undesired side-effects include a decrease in short-term memory, dry mouth, impaired motor skills and reddening of the eyes. Aside from a subjective change in perception and mood, the most common short-term physical and neurological effects include increased heart rate, increased appetite and consumption of food, lowered blood pressure, impairment of short-term and working memory, psychomotor coordination, and concentration.  Is this how we want our society or too many Americans in society going to work in this state of mind.  People going high to work are not thinking clearly or straight whether you agree or not.  Facts are facts and look what it does to your thinking process.  If we make this legal we’ll just make sure we can’t take this at work and you think a job will have you pee in a cup every 2 to 3 months even at Mc Donald’s to make sure you’re not abusing the drug?  Hell no they have enough expenses and it would only be done if the law said they had too.  It’s very hard in seeing that all job facilities would monitor their employees drug use unless you’re under a contract for 3 months for an agency like as a RN or Doctor, etc…  It will get out of control,  look at alcohol and we just want to add to the list with easy accessibility.

Marijuana may increase risk of anxiety, depression, and a series of attitude and personality changes, known as “amotivational syndrome.” This syndrome is characterized by a diminished ability to carry out long-term plans, a sense of apathy, decreased attention to appearance and behavior, and decreased ability to concentrate for long periods of time. These changes can also include poor performance in school. Marijuana, just like any other drug, can lead to addiction. It affects the brain’s reward system in the same way as all other drugs of addiction2 – and the likelihood of addiction increases considerably for those who start young.

Taking another angle on this I can understand in seeing an adult without children or with children flown from the family over 21 y/o not looking at safety for the community as closely as those parents with children since it’s not a major priority in their life, like it was possibly when they had children young.  Let’s look at the community regarding young ones and school.   Do you want your children or grandchildren to go to school where teachers are allowed to use marijuana legally.  Just think of the problems it could cause for your child or grandchild.  Look at those with undesirable and unethical behavior in the average American eyes but under control and on this drug it may enhance with relax the teacher having the feeling to actually act on these feelings (I don’t even have children).  What about a teacher just not giving the full potential of their role to children in their class as a mentor and making the course simple (Does your child win? No).

AMERICA THINK SAFETY BEFORE PLEASURE TO ALLOW THIS DRUG LEGAL!   For when this drug becomes legal in all states it will be very difficult to change it back to illegal.

Another angle is look at the health of an individual and how does it affect the human body in a negative way?  Well let’s look at FACTS again in what this drug does to the body:

A 2013 literature review said that exposure to marijuana had biologically-based physical, mental, behavioral and social health consequences and was “associated with diseases of the liver (particularly with co-existing hepatitis C), lungs, heart, and vasculature”.   Every drug has side effects, adverse effects with consequences.  So why do legal drugs get available for society?  It is used for treatable diseases, preventative measures for the disease worsening and palliative measures.  NOT TO GET HIGH and FEEL GOOD.  Go have a drink or more and stay home having a great night or assign a designated driver.  By the way this is called being responsible to yourself and others.

^{It is like everything in life you need limitations and restrictions/rules/regulations to prevent a disaster.   Want examples? Let us take our government look what happen to Wallstreet-a disaster, look at our economy the past 20 years Crash in 1987, crash in1990’s (.com bust) or better the continous corporate bail outs in the past 6 years – all disasters to the USA economy; another example the American diet look at Obesity in our country with cardiac and diabetes (Type 2) since too many don’t follow a healthy safe diet of the 4 food groups with 3o minutes of some type of exercise daily.  This problem has increased in this country over the past 25 years. Now look at marijuana legal. How will SAFETY be in this country with no restrictions/rules/law on marijuana letting it legal?  In 25 years we will have people who use marijuana like alcohol is used and we’ll have brain dead with the people who have alcoholism due to one thing ABUSING THEM called alcoholic and drug abuse.  A DISASTER!  Remember history repeats itself (Let us look at war, look at crashes like the depression to the past 6 years, at wallstreet, drug abuse from the 1960’s to cocaine or even crack now and let us add marijuana legal.  What about smoking and what it causes.)}

 Let’s look at Cancer alone; it is question-able about marijuana causing the big “C”.  So with history repeating itself and       technology a lot quicker today let’s say in 25 years we might have commercials and further advertising to stop marijuana joints due to causing cancer and even more adverse effects.  Remember, like they did with cigarettes long after 50+ years being available to the public.   Let’s do more research before allowing pot or weed legal.  Why hurt humans if we can prevent it.  

^{Is this really a smart idea, to legalize marijuana, not just for you one person but for all including children and grandchildren (holistic approach)?  I say No with a capital N unless it is used for medical reason’s with sufficient research done about the drug so patient’s won’t have later adverse effects that affect the patient’s life or health; excluding a patient that is already with a fatal illness (ex. Stage IV cancer and need it for pain relief).} 

What’s your opinion?  Let striveforgoodhealth.com know under comment.

Stayed tune for part 3 tomorrow.

“According to the FBI Unified Crime Statistics, marijuana accounted for 3.3% of sale/manufacturing drug crime arrests and 36.8% of possession and use drug crime arrests in 2018.  As a result, marijuana arrests place a significant burden on our judicial system.

Drug busts of youth for marijuana offenses often carry harsh penalties that can cause undue social harm with lifelong consequences.”

ThoughtCo./Deborah White  Updated Feb 2020

Cannabis, commonly known as marijuana and by numerous other names is a preparation of the cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug and as medicine.   Pharmacologically, the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC); it is one of 483 known compounds in the plant,^[7] including at least 84 other cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), and cannabigerol (CBG).

Cannabis is often consumed for its psychoactive and physiological effects, which can include heightened mood or euphoria, relaxationand an increase in appetite.   Unwanted side-effects can sometimes include a decrease in short-term memory, dry mouth, impaired motor skills, reddening of the eyes  and feelings of paranoia or anxiety.  Have people on the streets or at work or in school with this kind of behavior or state of mind?  Is that safe in our society.  We have enough shootings in schools, malls, movie theatres, etc…, would this be a good move to our society?  More heads maybe blown off or poor judgment calls may be made with this enhancement including paranoia or anxiety (not thinking clearly).  So if alcohol does this why not legalize marijuana?  Why give another method of getting into a state of mind like that to adults & worse people under 21 y/o due to easy accessibility.  Even better why make it easier for people to drink and do weed legally at the same time.  People what about out countries safety?   Think first.  Is that better for our Nation?

In 2004, the United Nations estimated that global consumption of cannabis indicated that approximately 4% of the adult world population (162 million people) used cannabis annually, and that approximately 0.6% (22.5 million) of people used cannabis daily.  Now think, if it’s legal the statistics would go up too in the USA (probably double).

Now looking at drugs legal (alcohol, OTC or prescribed medications) and illegal drugs  (marijuana, heroin, crack, cocaine, hash, LSD-acid etc…);  do any of these get attempted by humans at some time in their life whether it be in high school or college or after college?   Yes; not all but enough.

Also, do people take these type of meds or drugs before going to work or even better before school/college or if legalized marijuana would allow people to be more opt in taking it before work, school/college or adult-hood?   High probability and by many people too much is taken or better it gets abused; like so many other things do by human nature (from  smoking to drugs of all kinds to power (even war) to money to welfare) and obviously by not everyone  BUT still too many, where it effects EVERYONE in society of the USA.  Just look at history and it repeats itself with all examples given to you that are abused with so many other things.  Now using common sense high odds the same will happen with marijuana; especially legal (look at alcohol alone).

Now being holistic about looking at all angles of this topic;  I could definitely understand from Susan Sarandon’s (which the media 3 days ago stated she was for it) or Whoopi Goldberg’s (she stated she was for it on the VIEW this past week) and many other actors or actresses points of view that marijuana should be made legal.  If who are in acting for comedy/drama including talk show hosting and the drug relaxes you and could even enhance the person’s performance on stage or in a movie possibly that would be great for their career with just feeling good in and out of work.

Now let us take another perspective the AVERAGE American who works 40 or more hours a week and goes to work taking this medication within a time frame.  Would you want to work with taking marijuana to do acting as a career.  Me, damn yes but now looking at reality NO I can’t do that not because it isn’t legal but it will effect me in my job performance and safety for my patients.  Look to the most average American, would you want to work with or better have the following interacting with you or your family/friends or most significant other as a:   SURGEON/RN/POLICE OFFICER/SECRET SERVICE MAN/FIREMAN/JUDGE/LAWYER/ To even who is our PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES at the time this becomes legal and thereafter.  Everyone can have it.  I don’t think I need to go on; you get the point if you have common sense.  Just think if you needed a person in these job roles to give their best performance in their job role which would be affected putting you at risk to a unhappy turn out.  Ex. At risk would be your health/life possibly and life down the road for a poor decision call by a judge or lawyer not thinking clearly.  What about an officer shooting at you due to poor judgment; or even better our President dealing with our American lives in making such vital and responsible decisions in where the U.S. stands from our economy to WAR.  Must I go on? How could this happen.

Well lets look at facts about this drug in how it works: I know Whoopi Goldberg or Susan Sarandon would probably not like this result on them or to the country but maybe they didn’t look at this angle of how it would be dangerous with marijuana being legal out of the Hollywood box or Hollywood world.  This statement is based on the interviews I have seen of these two highly respected women over the years who I feel are good people and great actresses.   I just feel they may have not looked at the whole picture in regards to how this would affect ALL in the America.

“Most people know that a major function of the kidneys is to remove waste products and excess fluid from the body. These waste products and excess fluid are removed through the urine. The production of urine involves highly complex steps of excretion and re-absorption. This process is necessary to maintain a stable balance of body chemicals.

The critical regulation of the body’s salt, potassium and acid content is performed by the kidneys. The kidneys also produce hormones that affect the function of other organs.  The kidneys are powerful chemical factories that perform the multiple functions”

National Kidney Foundation (www.kidney.org/kidneydisease/howkidneyswrk)

“Your level of C-reactive protein can be an indicator of how at risk you are for developing cardiovascular problems. This is because the development of atherosclerosis (laying down of cholesterol inside the blood vessel walls) is associated with inflammation within the vessel walls. The result is higher levels of CRP in patients with atherosclerosis than in those without atherosclerosis. ”

hopkinsmedicine.org

“Anyone can be infected with EEEV, especially if they live, work, or visit areas where EEEV is present. However, people over the age of 50 and younger than the age of 15 are at greatest risk for developing severe disease when infected with EEEV.  EEEV is maintained through a natural cycle between the Culiseta melanura mosquitoes and birds. The spread of EEEV to mammals (including humans and horses) occurs through the bite of certain infected mosquito species (i.e. Aedes, Coquillettidia, and Culex) that feed on both birds and mammals. EEE is only spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. EEE is not spread person-to-person, people to animals, or animals to people.”

NYS Dept of Health

Controlling Mosquitoes and Eastern Equine Encephalitis

An Integrated Mosquito Management (IMM) program is essential to helping prevent mosquito bites and transmission of serious vector diseases in the United States.  As part of an effective IMM program, VDCI recommends a 4-pronged approach to target all phases of the mosquito’s life cycle.

1:  Public Education

Mosquito control professionals can only do so much, and this is why we rely on a well-educated public in order to have a successful mosquito control program. Educating the public empowers people to take control of the mosquitoes breeding in their back yard and gives them the tools needed to reduce mosquito annoyance.  Public relations and education are an important part of VDCI’s community involvement.  Vector Disease Control International has a program suited for civic groups, church groups, school groups, and government organizations. An educated public is extremely important to the successful implementation of any mosquito control program.

2:  Surveillance 

Surveillance allows us to detect mosquito species in a given area as well as any changes in populations. With this valuable data, we are able to more effectively time larvicide applications and more accurately target adulticide activities.

3:  Larval Mosquito Control

Our trained field technicians inspect both known sources of standing water and any newly discovered sites for the presence of mosquito larvae. Eliminating mosquitoes prior to their becoming adults is an important element of controlling EEE and other mosquito-borne diseases because it stops mosquitoes before they acquire the virus and have the opportunity to transmit it to people.

4:  Adult Mosquito Control

When necessary, adulticide applications are conducted with EPA-approved pesticides that are used in the safest and most environmentally sound way possible. Additionally, VDCI regularly tests adult mosquitoes and takes all appropriate measures to prevent them from developing resistance; thereby, minimizing the number of applications needed to control the population.

Treatment of EEE:

• There is no human vaccine for EEE or anti-viral drugs for treatment of EEE.
• For severe illnesses, supportive treatment includes hospitalization, IV fluids, and respiratory support.  Patients with suspected EEE should be evaluated by a healthcare provider, appropriate serologic and other diagnostic tests ordered, and supportive treatment provided.

Their are vaccine for horses and check with your veterinarian if their are vaccines for other animals (like cats, dogs, etc…).

That is all it takes to protect your horse, a yearly vaccination!

Horses are the main victims of infection but disease can occur in various other mammals, including people and dogs. Canine infections are very rare and this can be considered an “oddball” infection. … As with EEE in horses, infected dogs pose no real risk to humans.

Veterinarians can test for WNV and EEE by submitting blood or tissue from an animal. Testing is available at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health during the mosquito season. Testing is rarely required for dogs and cats; horses, llamas and alpacas are the most commonly tested animals.

There is no reason to destroy an animal just because it has been infected with WNV or EEE virus. They do not increase the risk that anyone else will get sick. However, some animals, especially horses, llamas and alpacas, may become so severely ill that they cannot recover. Talk to your veterinarian to get medical advice for your particular animal.

Eastern Equine Encephalitis: A Rare but Serious Neuroinvasive Disease

EEE is a rare but very serious disease that involves inflammation and swelling of the brain=Encephalitis, causing neuro symptoms. Fortunately, only 5% of human EEEV infections result in EEE. However, one out of three people who develop EEE will DIE, and many survivors have mild to severe brain damage.

Of those who contract the EEE virus, the elderly (ages 50 and older) and young (ages 15 and younger) are at the greatest risk of developing encephalitis.

Eastern Equine Encephalitis and the United States

Between three and fifteen cases of EEE were reported every year in the U.S. from 2009 to 2018.  Florida (13), Massachusetts (10), New York (8), North Carolina (7), and Michigan (7) reported the highest number of cases during this time period.