Health Effects of Marijuana Legalization in Colorado

[AussieNeil]

Several US states, including Colorado, have recently legalised marijuana. Psychiatry Advisor have highlighted an opinion piece published in JAMA Psychiatry that looks at the expected and unexpected health implications for those using the drug:

psychiatryadvisor.com/legal...

"Edible marijuana products account for the majority of marijuana intoxication-related health care visits. The recommended amount of THC for intoxication is anywhere from 10-30 mg; however, edible products often contain 100 mg of THC. Inconsistencies in manufacturing further complicate this, with products containing THC levels that vary anywhere from 0 to 146 mg."

This post isn't intended to spark a debate about the ethics of using herbs, etc that are illegal where you live, but to point out the associated dangers of using remedies where the growing and manufacturing process can lead to such widely varying concentrations of the active ingredient.

Neil

Photo: Yes I know these are not a marijuana seedlings. They are actually a couple of paddy melon plants that have come up after some unseasonal summer rain, along with some barley sprouting in the background. These plants grow well even in hot, dry conditions but unlike other melons, they sadly have a bitter taste.

[SeymourB]

There's THC and there CBD (cannabidiol). What I'm reading is that often, in medical situations one wants the latter, not the former:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canna...

A quick search found a few independent certification organizations for marijuana, but I don't see who certifies them.

According to this link from the Smithsonian Institute Magazine, DNA barcode testing is/was $2-$5US per sample, and the price is dropping:

barcoding.si.edu/PDF/CBOL-A...

The barcoding.si.edu/ site is old. The new site is:

barcodeoflife.org/

This is being used for national import and export regulation of meat and agricultural products. We have the technology, we need the testing infrastructure inside the country, too.

[MsLockYourPosts Passed Volunteer]

I am also not going to get into the advisability of using medical marijuana products. That's something for people to take up with their doctors. I am concerned about the number of people, especially on Facebook pages, who post that they are using it illegally. One never knows, no matter how private we think a site is, who might see such a post and what the repercussions might be.

Pat