Posted 4/20/20
Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” –Mark 7:14-15
Hi all. Happy Tuesday. I typically write on M,W, and F, but today is 4/20 so I am mixing things up a tad. Just a quick thought about 420. For those less in tune with pop culture, this number is intimately, if erroneously, tied to marijuana. Some say it is/was a police code, others just because it it Hitler’s Birthday, and even some tie it to Bob Dylan’s song “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” because 12 multiplied by 35 equals 420.” Regardless how this number became associated with pot, today is the day it is celebrated by many. I will share my opinions here which half will applaud and half will jeer at…but I will try to be fair, keeping in mind a host of things… I will not be doing a piece tomorrow, but I will also not break out a bong to celebrate the day off from writing.
First, I hate this topic. I hate it. Why? Because pot is bad for people. It is bad for brains, for lungs, for families, and the society. (Hiding behind my desk waiting for the pro-pot police to start trolling me). In Missouri, for the last decade I have been robocalled, solicited in parks and public spaces, and annoyed at least 20 times trying to get me to support pot and/or sign a petition. My employer has 5 or 6 dispensaries/CBD shops within 3 blocks. Every strip mall in town seems to have one. (Must be profitable, eh? I typically try hard to stay objective with these lobbyists and “hear them out”, but then the lies/semi-truths/iffy claims begin. Here are the most common things I have heard from the pro-weed lobby:
- Pot cures _______________ and it helps with __________ and ___________ and ____________.
- Lately, pot/CBD oil cures dementia.
- Pot is better for you than ____________________(vice or behavior)
- The jails are full of pot smokers who didn’t break other laws, and that is unfair.
- Pot isn’t addictive. Isn’t as addictive as ___.
- Pot isn’t the gateway to other drugs.
- Big pharma just wants to hide this from you
- Big alcohol just wants to hide this from you
- Churches are to blame
- Think of all of the tax money that will come in with zero negative cost (assumed)
The “official” position, as far as I have seen it, is tepid at best regarding Alzheimer’s from the disease advocacy groups I follow. A few quotes illustrate this:
“Lots of hype, little evidence”- Link
“Similar to recreational marijuana, the synthetic version reduces pain and anxiety and increases appetite. The “fuzzy brain” associated with recreational use is not a concern with Alzheimer’s patients because they already have memory problems, Lanctot said. And the synthetic form, which is modified to be less potent, can also have effects that prevent neurons from dying, she said.” Link
There are no research studies that prove cannabis, or products such as cannabis oil (CBD oil), can stop, slow, reverse or prevent the diseases that cause dementia. Link
My thoughts on the topic of pot/CBD Oil/the rest:
- Misinformation makes research hard. I looked at over 100 links ranging from scholarly journals to hippie pubs and everyone’s opinion is different on all topics except two takes: They may help with those struggling with too little appetite and anxiety–and—more research needs to be done. Want an easy way to turn on your misinformation radar? If you see “Surprising things that X does” or “Miracle cure/treatment” or scroll to the bottom and Google the source. Advocacy groups pushing the industry are everywhere. Making pot a cure/treatment is a quick hop/skip/jump to making it legal for all uses in a state. Tell us whatever we need to hear to get the dispensary open and they will quickly make it available to anyone with any condition.
- I do think pot use, recreationally, is bad. I do think it is a gateway drug. I have known enough users who would vouch for that, if being honest, to say it with confidence.
- HOWEVER, I think there MAY be all sorts of possible benefits from plants/their oils like this one. Cures? Maybe. However, good, reliable information is extremely frustrating to find. If I could find legit, unbiased info that it would actually help and not just fund hippies, I would buy it for my mom because of, if nothing else, the verse quoted at the top. One caveat- it is illegal federally in all 50 states and I wouldn’t break federal law. I would expect mom would agree.
- Do I trust pharmaceutical companies to NOT suppress pot-related items? Not particularly….they are a business.
Here are just a few links. However, open an Incognito window or you will be hammered by CBD oil, pot dispensary, and hippies relentlessly:
Link Link Link Link Link Link Link Link Link Link
I would love your opinion and, while I will screen them because I know I will have some trolls, I will post solid, unbiased opinions. 🙂
Update: Nothing new with mom. She is on a new eye medicine to help with her crusty eyes. Her mom had that too, especially late in the disease.
Our caregiver support group is tonight at 6pm CST. If you would like to attend, please shoot me an email to mark.applegate@senioragemo.org and I will send it to you. If you need help with Zoom, I am happy to help there as well. 🙂
Thank you all! Sorry if my opinions are unpopular or ill-conceived. I am who I am. Can we just agree to disagree, and still love each other? 🙂
One more piece for your consideration