Ed

The New Zealand Medical Journal 25th October 2019, Volume 132 Number 1504
Family First Comment: In a first for us, we had a letter published in the New Zealand Medical Journal 🙂
It explains the reason for our calls for an investigation into the possible link between cannabis, psychosis and violence. Emphasis on ‘possible’. 
Drug proponents like Alison Mau, Chloe Swarbrick, the Drug Foundation and even members of the Prime Minister’s ‘expert’ panel investigating legal cannabis hate even the mention of this topic. Why are they so opposed? 
Read our letter.

NJ.com 22 October 2019
Family First Comment: “Seeing firsthand how drugs eviscerate urban communities – and understanding how marijuana legalisation will impact the health, education, economic, business, liability and litigation complexities of our densely-populated, metropolitan-bookended state – I fully oppose it. To correct the social injustice of unfair arrests, I support decriminalising the use and possession of small amounts… When I hear my colleagues pushing for legalisation “in the name of social justice,” I can’t apologise for my instinct to suspect that it’s really about helping political friends profit from an industry that should not be allowed a foothold in our state.”
Read more facts – https://saynopetodope.org.nz/social-justice/

But to me, the most debilitating, depressing and detrimental offense to people of color is the unfair bias of our racist criminal justice system. And nowhere is that more evident than the instances of black and brown people arrested, convicted and incarcerated at a rate three times more than whites for the same small-quantity marijuana infractions. That ratio holds up even in states where recreational marijuana is legal.

Seeing firsthand how drugs eviscerate urban communities – and understanding how marijuana legalization will impact the health, education, economic, business, liability and litigation complexities of our densely-populated, metropolitan-bookended state – I fully oppose it. To correct the social injustice of unfair arrests, I support decriminalizing the use and possession of small amounts. It is a common sense compromise where New Jersey can find common ground.

Nonetheless, as our entire nation reels with panic over the dangerously high potency of today’s marijuana and the spiraling number of deaths from vaping, our state leaders stubbornly insist on pursuing legalization. It’s equally incomprehensible that while America convulses with an out-of-control opioid epidemic, New Jersey would signal to our children that marijuana should be promoted.

When I hear my colleagues pushing for legalization “in the name of social justice,” I can’t apologize for my instinct to suspect that it’s really about helping political friends profit from an industry that should not be allowed a foothold in our state.

I call on every black legislative, municipal, civil rights and faith leader in New Jersey to speak out against legalization. I want to remind them that our march for equality has already trudged across 400 long years and that no other ethnic group has had to struggle so hard to move the needle so little. I challenge each of them to step up and define “social justice” with their own voice, their own action and their own leadership rather than accept a diluted definition from those whose ancestors did not arrive as slaves.

I want them to uphold the dignity and wellbeing of every New Jerseyan and to remember the insight of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:

We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.

State Senator Ronald L. Rice has represented the 28th Legislative District in the New Jersey State Senate since 1986.
READ MORE: https://www.nj.com/opinion/2019/10/sen-rice-legalizing-pot-wont-stop-social-injustice-in-the-black-and-brown-community.html

The New York Times 21 October 2019
Family First Comment: “Millions of people now inhale marijuana not from joints or pipes filled with burning leaves but through sleek devices and cartridges filled with flavored cannabis oils. People in the legalized marijuana industry say vaping products now account for 30 percent or more of their business. Teenagers, millennials and baby boomers alike have been drawn to the technology — no ash, a faint smell, easy to hide — and the potentially dangerous consequences are only now becoming evident.”
#saynopetodope

For years, a divisive debate has raged in the United States over the health consequences of nicotine e-cigarettes. During the same time, vaping of a more contentious substance has been swiftly growing, with scant notice from public health officials.

Millions of people now inhale marijuana not from joints or pipes filled with burning leaves but through sleek devices and cartridges filled with flavored cannabis oils. People in the legalized marijuana industry say vaping products now account for 30 percent or more of their business. Teenagers, millennials and baby boomers alike have been drawn to the technology — no ash, a faint smell, easy to hide — and the potentially dangerous consequences are only now becoming evident.

Most of the patients in the outbreak of severe lung illnesses linked to vaping — which has left 1,479 people sick and 33 dead so far — vaped THC, the ingredient in marijuana that makes people high. Until more information is known, officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have warned people not to vape cannabis products.

To some scientists, and even industry leaders, warning signs have been apparent for years as vaping cannabis grew in the shadows, propelled by a patchwork of regulations, a wave of state-by-state legalization and a soaring supply of low-cost marijuana.

While the government and researchers poured resources into studying e-cigarettes, federal rules sharply limiting research into the health effects of cannabis — because it is classified as a controlled substance with a high potential for abuse — have left a void in scientific knowledge about what THC vaping does to the lungs.

Last year, Dr. Neal Benowitz, a professor of medicine and a researcher on nicotine and vaping at the University of California, San Francisco, sent a letter to Congress warning of the risks posed by leaving a hugely popular practice unstudied.

“Very little is known about the safety or effects of vaped cannabis oil,” he wrote, cautioning that some ingredients mixed into the oils “could have harmful, toxic effect on users, including the potential for causing and/or promoting cancer and lung disease.”
READ MORE: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/21/health/marijuana-and-vaping-shadowy-past-dangerous-present.html

The Guardian 10 October 2006
Family First Comment: Apparently cannabis never harmed anyone much.
Tell that to the 53-year old victim …
“This was an appalling attack of extreme and persistent violence. And I have no doubt it would not have happened if you had not consumed cannabis. Anyone who unlawfully takes a dangerous mind-altering controlled drug and who then finds that his mind is altered in unexpected and undesired ways must take responsibility for his subsequent actions.”

A soldier who killed his friend’s father with a pair of garden shears during a psychotic attack induced by cannabis was jailed for 10 years last night.

Laurie Draper, 31, a paratrooper who had served in Iraq, plunged the tree croppers into the head and body of his victim, 53-year-old Paul Butterworth, in March after smoking homegrown cannabis given to him by his victim.

He was sentenced at St Albans crown court yesterday after admitting manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. A charge of murder was dropped after medical evidence proved that Draper was suffering from hypomania – a condition which can be triggered by drug-taking – when he lunged at Mr Butterworth at the teacher’s home in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire.

The sentence is likely to stir further debate over the reclassification of cannabis, which was downgraded from a Class B to a Class C drug in 2004. The former home secretary Charles Clarke resisted calls to overturn his predecessor’s decision to reclassify the drug after fresh concerns emerged about its side effects.

The soldier also admitted assaulting Mr Butterworth’s son Ashley, a lifelong friend, at the same time.

Ann Evans, prosecuting, said Draper initially seemed “euphoric” after smoking a pipe with the two men. But after a second pipe packed with a larger dose of the drug, he stripped naked, threw his clothes into the fire and began “frantically” washing himself in the kitchen.

He punched Mr Butterworth several times in the face as he tried to restrain him. “Draper then grabbed hold of some long-handled tree loppers that were lying against a chair in the hallway. He took hold of them and lifted them above his head and struck downward at a 45 degree angle towards Paul Butterworth’s head.” She added: “Ashley described the defendant as psychotic and frenzied, his face was blank. Throughout this time the defendant had never said a word, his eyes staring ‘as if he wasn’t there’, as Ashley describes it.”
READ MORE: https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/oct/10/ukcrime.drugsandalcohol

Graves Associates 14 Ocotber 2019
Family First Comment: Superb Q&A from Keith Graves
• how vaporisers work
• what drugs can be vaped
• how to keep your kids from vaping

With national attention focused on vaping and the fatal lung diseases that are being associated with them, let’s take at look at what vapes do and what they don’t do.

How vaporizers work
When cannabis is heated to between 300-450 degrees Fahrenheit, cannabinoids like THC (and others) take flight, volatilizing into tiny airborne droplets that form vapor that looks like smoke. Vaporizers accomplish this by using a battery powered heating element that cooks the cannabis oil or plant material. The oil is typically mixed with a substance like propylene glycol to decrease viscosity.

Vaporizers that can be used to smoke plant material differ from traditional vaporizers, which use convection (hot air) rather than combustion (heating element) to heat the plant material to the desired temperature. The purpose is to cause the THC and other cannabinoids to vaporize rather than burning the plant material. Now that we know how they work, let’s have a look at the components of a vaping device.

The tank
The tank typically holds the oil or other material and can be refilled, or a cartridge can be replaced if it’s intended for single use. Tanks are typically combined with the atomizer as a single unit. Tanks can be made of glass, polycarbonate plastic, or even stainless steel.

Atomizer
The device which actually heats the material is called the atomizer. It consists of a metal coil that comes into contact with the material, causing the droplets or “vapor” to form.

Sensors and software
Some vape pens turn on when the user inhales while others use a push button to initiate heating. They both require a sensor to determine when the user is inhaling. Embedded software controls temperature and other functions of the pen.

The battery
Vaporizers must provide enough current to power a tiny heater that reaches 400 degrees in seconds. Vaporizers use lithium-ion batteries that have high energy density, similar to your cellular phone. They are rechargeable and can come in various sizes to accommodate a multitude of work loads.

Modern day vaporizers are marketed as “3-in-1” kits. They are designed to vaporize dry plant material, E-Liquid, or wax. A consumer can buy one for as little at 10 dollars, or as much as 60 dollars which includes accessories like chargers, cases, and cleaners.

Users claim vape pens are a more healthy alternative to smoking thinking that vaporizers do not actually burn the plant material. They believe this eliminates the toxic substances that are usually found in tobacco or cannabis smoke, even though the products includes a number of substances, including THC, nicotine, synthetic cannabinoids or a combination of these. Recent events, however, have linked vaporizers to severe lung disease. As of October 2019 The Denver Post has reported over 1000 vaping related injuries and 18 deaths nationally.

What drugs can be vaped?
Most common drugs can be vaped. However, vaping is not an efficient method for drug users to vape certain drugs. In the photo below, you can see a vape tank that contains vape liquid mixed with methamphetamine. Although there are cases of people vaping methamphetamine, it is rare and inefficient. Another example is heroin. Heroin could be vaped, but a user is not going to do this. The vaporizer will use up too much of the heroin to be an efficient high. Even though it is not common, you should still be aware of it. Cannabis products are very popular to vape and it is these products that are causing the most health emergencies.

How to keep your kids from vaping
You need to talk to your kids about vaping just like you would about abstaining from cigarettes, marijuana and other drugs. If you want to know more about talking to your children about these subjects, I have written an article on it and I have a webinar online that you can view.
https://gravesassociates.com/vaping-basics-a-guide-for-parents-and-others/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Oct+16+2019+DIB

New York Times 15 October 2019
Family First Comment: Vaping is odorless and easy to hide, and Mr. Rodriguez slipped into doing it constantly, inhaling enormous amounts of THC and craving more. He decided to talk about it in the hope that his story might be a warning to other people under the false impression that vaping is safe. “I want people to stay as far away as they can from vapes, especially THC vapes,” he said.

He thought vaping THC would be safer than smoking marijuana, but the fumes shut down his lungs.

Gregory Rodriguez thought he had the flu when he went to the emergency room on Sept. 18, feeling feverish, nauseated and short of breath.

He woke up four days later in a different hospital, with a tube down his throat connecting him to a ventilator, and two more tubes in his neck and groin, running his blood through a device that pumped in oxygen and took out carbon dioxide. The machines were doing the job of his lungs, which had stopped working.

“I was basically on the verge of death,” he said.

Mr. Rodriguez, 22, a college student, is one of the nearly 1,300 people in the United States who have become seriously ill because of vaping. Like him, about 70 percent are young men. And also like him, many vaped THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

Vaping is odorless and easy to hide, and Mr. Rodriguez slipped into doing it constantly, inhaling enormous amounts of THC and craving more. He decided to talk about it in the hope that his story might be a warning to other people under the false impression that vaping is safe.

“I want people to stay as far away as they can from vapes, especially THC vapes,” he said.

Lung illnesses linked to vaping were first recognized during the summer. The exact cause is still unknown. Toxic chemicals released from vaping fluids, or from the battery-powered vaping devices themselves, are among the suspects.
READ MORE: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/15/health/vaping-thc-illness.html

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ABC News 14 October 2019
Family First Comment: More reasons to avoid drugs…
“When men smoke marijuana once a week or more, their partners are twice as likely to experience a miscarriage when pregnant, according to Boston University researchers who examined over 1,400 couples before they got pregnant… Smoking marijuana may negatively affect sperm quality and the change in sperm quality may drive the increased occurrence of miscarriage.”

New research is highlighting the role men play in infertility and miscarriage.

When men smoke marijuana once a week or more, their partners are twice as likely to experience a miscarriage when pregnant, according to Boston University researchers who examined over 1,400 couples before they got pregnant.

The researches asked the couples about marijuana usage over the past two months and then followed them as they got pregnant and, in some cases, miscarried.

The majority of men in the study did not smoke marijuana, with only 8% smoking once a week or more. Nearly 18% of the couples in the study reported a miscarriage.

Smoking, but less frequently than once a week, did not have an association with miscarriage rate, according to the research.

One reason for the increased risk of miscarriage with male marijuana use, according to researchers, is that smoking marijuana may negatively affect sperm quality and the change in sperm quality may drive the increased occurrence of miscarriage.
READ MORE: https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Wellness/mens-marijuana-increases-miscarriage-risk-women-research-finds/story?id=66257753

A drug rehabilitation expert says implementing pill testing at festivals is ludicrous.

Four people were hospitalised after taking MDMA at Auckland’s Listen In concert on Friday night.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is backing festival pill testing, but National and New Zealand First oppose it.

Shalom House CEO Peter Lyndon-James told Mike Hosking it will encourage more people to engage in pill taking, and potentially further drug consumption.

https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/peter-lyndon-james-drug-rehabilitation-expert-slams-festival-pill-testing-proposal/

The Australian 7 October 2019
Family First Comment: The evidence is building, yet even Australian politicians want to put their head in the sand…
The review of medical literature also examined Australian research, which concluded that regular cannabis users doubled their risk of experiencing psychotic symptoms — including schizophrenia — and were at an increased risk of screening positively for psychosis. “The evidence base regarding adverse health effects linked to cannabis use has broadened considerably since the gradual decriminalisation, and in some cases legalisation, of the substance in certain international jurisdictions,” the department says. “Adverse health outcomes as a result of regular cannabis use are not limited to mental health and psychotic symptoms.”

Regular use of cannabis doubles the risk of psychotic symptoms ¬including schizophrenia and is closely associated with anxiety disorders, depression and -psychosis, says official advice to the Morrison government triggered by the passage of new laws in the ACT.

The briefing paper prepared for Health Minister Greg Hunt reveals extensive links between cannabis use and adverse mental health affects, which have “broadened considerably” as marijuana is decriminalised.

In the three-page brief obtained by The Weekend Australian, the Health Department lists five “key issues” or research findings to consider after the ACT Legislative Assembly passed a ¬private member’s bill allowing adults to possess 50gm of cannabis and grow two plants. Individual households can have up to four plants.

The department notes there has been a sizeable body of work analysing the adverse physio¬logical and mental health effects of recreational cannabis use, des¬pite marijuana being decriminalised only in a small ¬number of jurisdictions.

It points to research from the US state of Colorado that found daily or near-daily cannabis use was associated with the development of a psychotic disorder.

The review of medical literature also examined Australian research, which concluded that regular cannabis users doubled their risk of experiencing psychotic symptoms — including schizophrenia — and were at an increased risk of screening positively for psychosis.

“The evidence base regarding adverse health effects linked to cannabis use has broadened considerably since the gradual decriminalisation, and in some cases legalisation, of the substance in certain international jurisdictions,” the department says.

“Adverse health outcomes as a result of regular cannabis use are not limited to mental health and psychotic symptoms.”

The department advised that a 2018 Canadian Medical Association Journal report found an overwhelming volume of evidence outlining the biological harm of cannabis use, including brain changes, adverse cognitive outcomes, negative pregnancy outcomes and testicular cancer.

The briefing also says a psycho¬active component in cannabis called tetrahydrocannabinol, the main chemical responsible for the drug’s psychological effects, increased by almost 30 per cent throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s.

This was linked to exacerbated symptoms of anxiety, depression and psychotic symptoms in “naive” users and increased psychotic symptoms and dependence in “experienced” users.

In Colorado, the first US state to legalise marijuana, emergency department visits due to cannabis increased slightly while the acute effects of THC — including hallucinations, paranoia and delusional beliefs — markedly increased with higher doses.

Government sources said the departmental advice was a “devastating confirmation” of the health and mental health effects of recreational cannabis and urged ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr to explain what health advice he received before supporting the legislation.

The federal government also wanted to know whether the territory government was aware of any studies that contradicted the broad global evidence of real and significant mental health effects from cannabis use.

Mr Hunt said he was “deeply concerned about the very real risks cannabis can pose to physical health and, in particular, to mental health”. “This is why cannabis is a highly regulated drug,” he said. “Legalising recreational cannabis is dangerous and medically irresponsible.”
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/cannabis-use-increases-risk-of-psychotic-cases/news-story/c95979450145c9a346e56c9a3192a7b0  (behind paywall)

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