Cannabis users: Exclusion from NHS treatment?

Question

Cannabis has been genetically modified, for many years, to improve the TCH yield, making it far stronger than the stuff being used in the 60's. With this 'refinement', noxious and carcinogenic (cancer-causing)compounds are in much higher concentration, and cannabis is usually smoked with tobacco... The health risk is plain for anyone to see, and agreed upon, even by pro-cannabis groups.
As smoking cannabis is actually inviting health problems, and no 'cannabis-tax', like tobacco-duty, has been paid to the government by users, isn't it time to exclude them from free NHS treatment, or charge them, leaving free resources for those who care about their health, but have suffered accidents, or uninvited illness?
Oh, and a former work-mate of mine, the local poster-boy and advocate for weed-smoking, is still up my local hospital, six weeks after a massive heart-attack. He actually died in the lobby. He's 38 years old. So DON'T tell me it's harmless, OK??!!

Answer 1

http://www.norml.org/

you need to do some serious research on this subject. Total health causes a heart attack not just smoking weed. Diet, exercise, tobacco smoke (which is much more potent than weed) lifestyle, so many things....here is the web-site you can get al the info you need.

Answer 2

I'm sorry, I'm too high to have the patience to read everything you wrote. Plus, I'm in the middle of the poker game. As I said, I didn't read everything you wrote, but I won't say it's not harmless. It's just as harmful as smoking tobacco. It could even be more harmful, but people who tobacco have to smoke more. Some people can be fine with a joint or two a day, where as a cigarette-smoker could go through up to an entire pack a day, or even more!

Ok, I read something about a friend dying of a heart attack, and you think it's because he smoked marijuana. Well, just last week there was an article on Yahoo! News about drinking coffee causing heart attacks. Wow, huh? There's a lot of things that could've factored into the heart attack.

P.S. The stuff's great for helping you fall asleep, Insomniac.

Answer 3

I have no intention to tell you that it is harmless but would like to point out that the the only tax that has any part of it directed to the NHS is on tobacco, the bulk of the tax going towards the government and large private research companies who ultimately benefit financially.When introduced the NHS was created to make health care available to every person who paid one single tax "National Insurance" for themselves and their family without prejudice.So rather than picking on one reason why the Health service is underfunded perhaps the whole issue of how it is funded should be addressed.
By the way Alcohol is largely accepted to be the biggest drain on the health service,that and crap computer services.

Answer 4

Actually yes, if I see a few interesting or suspicious questions/answers from someone I'll check out their about me and sometimes even search through their activity and even check the name they've signed up with(which no one should be able to see but there's a trick to it lol). Yeah it's a little stalkerish but it's really helpful to recognize trolls and gain insight on people here. Like you're a Mean Angel, what does that mean anyway?

Answer 5

Clearly, your mind is already made up, so I won't waste my time or yours, providing links to all the studies that have been done in the last twenty years that would disagree with you. However, I would like to point out a few items regarding your comments.

The term, genetic modification, is mildly misleading as it sounds like weird science. To the extent that cannabis has been modified in the last forty years, it has been done purely through artificial selection i.e. human beings select those individuals with the desired characteristics and then breeds for them. In other words, yes, they are breeding for higher THC content as well as other characteristics. This type of genetic modification is the same type used by farmers for centuries to breed crops with the desired characteristics.

However, there is a key factor missing from your discussion on the potency of marijuana. People in the sixties and early seventies smoked the leaf of the plant, which naturally has much less THC. Smoking "bud" didn't become common until the late seventies as more growers developed techniques for growing sensemilla. Sensemilla is Spanish for "without seeds." The females of the species are kept from receiving pollen from the males...typically by killing off all the males. The result is that the females, in hopes of catching even the least amount of airborne pollen available, will secrete resin which will eventually swell the empty seed pods. The result of this process is the swollen flower of the marijuana plant known as the "bud." Because the bud contains so much more THC-laden resin than the leaf, the bud has much greater potency. So, even if actual potency of the plants has not increased, the potency of the smoked material has because marijuana smokers today are smoking bud, not leaf.

There are two reasons why smokers today choose bud over leaf. One is because of the potency of the THC in the bud. But, the other reason is because, by smoking bud, smokers achieve the experience they desire without having to smoke remotely as much as they did back in the 60's when all that was available was leaf. So, in fact, part of the "cancer risk" of marijuana is avoided by smoking better quality material and thereby smoking less..

It also must be pointed out that the statement, "With this 'refinement', noxious and carcinogenic (cancer-causing)compounds are in much higher concentration..." is erroneous. The chief carcinogen in marijuana smoke is the same as tobacco, specifically tar. And, no one is breeding either marijuana or tobacco to increase tar yields. Likewise, the statement that "...cannabis is usually smoked with tobacco..." is somewhat inaccurate. Smoking cannabis with tobacco is a common method in Europe, particularly the Netherlands. However, outside of Europe, most users prefer marijuana without any additives.

It is also somewhat disingenuous to state,"The health risk is plain for anyone to see, and agreed upon, even by pro-cannabis groups...." While pro-cannabis groups acknowledge that mixing cannabis with tobacco is definitely the WORST case scenario of use(Tobacco is highly addictive and highly toxic), it needs to be mentioned that most pro-cannabis groups know that any hazards associated with smoking marijuana can be mitigated by using other methods of consumption. Chief among these is vaporization, which releases the THC without combusting the plant material. One can also prepare marijuana into forms that can be ingested orally.

As for your work-mate, if marijuana contributed to his heart attack, then it was most likely a consequence of the "munchies" that are a common part of the marijuana experience. A sedentary lifestyle, particularly when combined with poor eating habits, is the single greatest factor in all incidents of heart disease and early death.

The most correct part of your comments was when you stated, "...no 'cannabis-tax', like tobacco-duty, has been paid to the government by users...". That is true. And, if marijuana were regulated the way both alcohol and tobacco are regulated, those taxes would be paid and would immediately and positively impact the federal government's budget deficit.

Is marijuana harmless? There are certain groups that definitely should not use it, including minors, the mentally ill, those prone to psychological addiction, and others with congenital defects that might be aggravated by its use. Otherwise, the evidence supports the conclusion that, for the rest of the population, marijuana is less harmful than either alcohol or tobacco.

The most harmful thing about marijuana is its illegality. The simple fact is you can be legally shot in the head in the middle of the night when the police kick in your door because marijuana is illegal. And that is the best reason not to use marijuana.

Of course, this is just an exercise in futility. Your mind is made up, closed to additional information, especially any information that disagrees with your opinion. Isn't it true that a closed mind soon dies from lack of oxygen? Just wondering.

Answer 6

Sure OK, we'll ban them from nhs treatment.
what about fatties, shall we ban them for risking heart disease and cholesterol problems?
Tobacco smokers, it causes cancer, shall we refuse them?
People who do extreme sports? surely any injuries are their fault?
I could go on, but I think I've made my point.
The nhs is for EVERYONE, regardless of their faults or lifestyle. I should know, I work for it. If I knew you, I'm sure I could find an aspect of your life that is risky and ban you. Do you drive?
Maybe if kids in schools received realistic drug education the situation would improve.
If you really believe what you are proposing, then I believe you, sir, are a sadist.

PS Weed does not cause heart failure on it's own - EVER.

Answer 7

Don't get angry about it. I'm with you on this one, but then again how can you tell if someone has damaged their health due to drugs? I think that if people damage their health with smoking, alcohol or any type of repetative bad behaviour that they should pay for their own hospital fees.
The whole thing would be impossible to set up though so unfortunatly we have to live with it. Don't get angry though they will all die soon enough and you don't have to partake in it.

Answer 8

Cannabis is NOT genetically modified, it has been hybridised, just like roses and dogs. As for your friend, do you know for a stone cold fact that his coronary was caused by weed? I don't think you do. There are a lot of factors in heart disease, I don't think weed is one of them.

Answer 9

Well, I won't tell you it's harmless then...but I do know that my dad uses it medically for the pain in his right side from his stroke, and he is able to function now. They said he wouldn't be able to walk again. Since smoking pot, he can walk without a cane! He is able to use his right hand now, when before he couldn't even make a fist. I don't care...he's better.

Answer 10

dunno bout it being harmless or not but agree with u on the tax bit y should i pay for some stonned a.ss guy to get treatment!