Gupta. Wrong on marijuana, wrong for us

[NightWatcher]

http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/category/marijuana/

Knowing this, it struck me when the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse recently released a study on marijuana. It supports my thoughts that marijuana might be more dangerous than we realize.

According to CASA, in the ‘70s, the chemical that determines the drug’s strength, THC, was at less than 1 percent of potency.

Now, potency levels are up to 8.8 percent in seized samples.

In addition, the study shows that abuse or dependency on the drug is up fivefold.

And finally, the findings reveal a 136 percent increase in the number of ER visits caused by marijuana.

These numbers are huge. This isn’t “Dazed and Confused”; it’s real life.

The facts suggest we’re getting higher than ever before, more people are getting hooked on the drug and more are going to the hospital because of marijuana.

What do you think? Is smoking marijuana now more a gamble with your health? Or is it just a phase that college students go through?

Do you want this man as the face of Modern US Medicine?

[Jamastiene]

1. The guy is nuts.

Hell, no, I don't want him. I want a refund.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

34. Check the byline on the article.

[malta blue]

80. I guess most people didn't check the link huh?

Thanks for the reminder.... :thumbsup:

[kristopher]

140. THIS ISN'T BY GUPTA nt

[bitchkitty]

2. Hell no.

He's full of shit. I'd like to see those emergency room marijuana cases. Or those damned marijuana junkies.

He defends America's health care system, and he's parroting all the lies of the pharmaceutical companies.

And what I think, Mr. Gupta, is that marijuana is a non-toxic herbal remedy and the real crime is that it's illegal.

[cannabis_flower]

91. He is referring to the DAWN report..

http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/MJ2k3ED.pdf

The problem with DAWN is that they tally mentions. So suppose I go to the hospital because I'm a passenger in a car accident. The doctor asks me if I've used any drugs and I tell him that I smoked marijuana. This is counted as a mention. The problem is that this mention has nothing to do with the accident. The marijuana didn't cause the accident. Patients are taught that they should tell their doctors things even if they are embarrassing because it might make a difference in their treatment but then they get counted in a bogus study.

As for marijuana being the number one drug that children enter treatment for, there are several reasons for that. First is the fact that anytime someone get arrested for marijuana - they are usually required to go to some kind of treatment. Also if parents or employers catch someone with marijuana they often send them to treatment. And one more reason, lots of times when people have problems with cocaine, meth or heroin, they were smoking marijuana before that and the "treatment professionals" put marijuana down as one of the drugs that the patient is being treated for.

[cannabis_flower]

99. Hmm..

I didn't post this 6 times, it just showed up that way. Moderator, please delete extra posts.

[The Doctor.]

133. "Marijuana has been shown to affect message board posting habits."

:smoke:

[rhett o rick]

137. Thank goodness. nm

[cannabis_flower]

92. He is referring to the DAWN report..

http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/MJ2k3ED.pdf

The problem with DAWN is that they tally mentions. So suppose I go to the hospital because I'm a passenger in a car accident. The doctor asks me if I've used any drugs and I tell him that I smoked marijuana. This is counted as a mention. The problem is that this mention has nothing to do with the accident. The marijuana didn't cause the accident. Patients are taught that they should tell their doctors things even if they are embarrassing because it might make a difference in their treatment but then they get counted in a bogus study.

As for marijuana being the number one drug that children enter treatment for, there are several reasons for that. First is the fact that anytime someone get arrested for marijuana - they are usually required to go to some kind of treatment. Also if parents or employers catch someone with marijuana they often send them to treatment. And one more reason, lots of times when people have problems with cocaine, meth or heroin, they were smoking marijuana before that and the "treatment professionals" put marijuana down as one of the drugs that the patient is being treated for.

[bridgit]

111. Yo, cannabis_flower, like'ah lighten up on the 'post message' button duder...

:smoke:

[cannabis_flower]

93. He is referring to the DAWN report..

http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/MJ2k3ED.pdf

The problem with DAWN is that they tally mentions. So suppose I go to the hospital because I'm a passenger in a car accident. The doctor asks me if I've used any drugs and I tell him that I smoked marijuana. This is counted as a mention. The problem is that this mention has nothing to do with the accident. The marijuana didn't cause the accident. Patients are taught that they should tell their doctors things even if they are embarrassing because it might make a difference in their treatment but then they get counted in a bogus study.

As for marijuana being the number one drug that children enter treatment for, there are several reasons for that. First is the fact that anytime someone get arrested for marijuana - they are usually required to go to some kind of treatment. Also if parents or employers catch someone with marijuana they often send them to treatment. And one more reason, lots of times when people have problems with cocaine, meth or heroin, they were smoking marijuana before that and the "treatment professionals" put marijuana down as one of the drugs that the patient is being treated for.

[Usrename]

144. Pot makes you stutter when you go online.

:smoke:

[cannabis_flower]

94. He is referring to the DAWN report..

http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/MJ2k3ED.pdf

The problem with DAWN is that they tally mentions. So suppose I go to the hospital because I'm a passenger in a car accident. The doctor asks me if I've used any drugs and I tell him that I smoked marijuana. This is counted as a mention. The problem is that this mention has nothing to do with the accident. The marijuana didn't cause the accident. Patients are taught that they should tell their doctors things even if they are embarrassing because it might make a difference in their treatment but then they get counted in a bogus study.

As for marijuana being the number one drug that children enter treatment for, there are several reasons for that. First is the fact that anytime someone get arrested for marijuana - they are usually required to go to some kind of treatment. Also if parents or employers catch someone with marijuana they often send them to treatment. And one more reason, lots of times when people have problems with cocaine, meth or heroin, they were smoking marijuana before that and the "treatment professionals" put marijuana down as one of the drugs that the patient is being treated for.

[cannabis_flower]

95. He is referring to the DAWN report..

http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/MJ2k3ED.pdf

The problem with DAWN is that they tally mentions. So suppose I go to the hospital because I'm a passenger in a car accident. The doctor asks me if I've used any drugs and I tell him that I smoked marijuana. This is counted as a mention. The problem is that this mention has nothing to do with the accident. The marijuana didn't cause the accident. Patients are taught that they should tell their doctors things even if they are embarrassing because it might make a difference in their treatment but then they get counted in a bogus study.

As for marijuana being the number one drug that children enter treatment for, there are several reasons for that. First is the fact that anytime someone get arrested for marijuana - they are usually required to go to some kind of treatment. Also if parents or employers catch someone with marijuana they often send them to treatment. And one more reason, lots of times when people have problems with cocaine, meth or heroin, they were smoking marijuana before that and the "treatment professionals" put marijuana down as one of the drugs that the patient is being treated for.

[cannabis_flower]

96. He is referring to the DAWN report..

http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/MJ2k3ED.pdf

The problem with DAWN is that they tally mentions. So suppose I go to the hospital because I'm a passenger in a car accident. The doctor asks me if I've used any drugs and I tell him that I smoked marijuana. This is counted as a mention. The problem is that this mention has nothing to do with the accident. The marijuana didn't cause the accident. Patients are taught that they should tell their doctors things even if they are embarrassing because it might make a difference in their treatment but then they get counted in a bogus study.

As for marijuana being the number one drug that children enter treatment for, there are several reasons for that. First is the fact that anytime someone get arrested for marijuana - they are usually required to go to some kind of treatment. Also if parents or employers catch someone with marijuana they often send them to treatment. And one more reason, lots of times when people have problems with cocaine, meth or heroin, they were smoking marijuana before that and the "treatment professionals" put marijuana down as one of the drugs that the patient is being treated for.

[8 track mind]

113. since when does someone go to the ER for marijuana? n/t

[SOS]

117. That happens when the marijuana is preceded by a fifth of whiskey!

nt

[Rebubula]

129. Just another moron...

...seriously...emergency room visits for Marijuana??? Who really believes this stuff??

Oh..right...those that would be inclined to believe the MSM.

Off topic...are there any old (pre-1996) TGI Friday's employees on the board??? Everytime I see 'MSM' - I think about the wonderful Mushroom, Steak and Mushroom dinner. I spent almost 7 years waiting tables there. It was a lot of fun.

[bitchkitty]

151. Holy crap, I was a dub!

Friday's Gwinnett, 1993-1996 :)`

[orleans]

152. i'd like to hear more about the medical emergency marijuana junkies as well. n/t

[Meshuga]

3. I have never in my life seen anyone go to the hospital because of Marijuana

I wonder what he means by that? And I wonder what he means by "dependency" on the drug. Jesus!

[Joe Fields]

11. everything the man said was utter nonsense. (except for potency levels)

But no one that I have known ever went to the hospital from a pot overdose. I don't even know anyone who has wrecked a car while stoned only on pot.

[Bjorn Against]

23. Actually the info on potency samples is nonsense as well

They had Thai Stick and Colombian Gold in the 1970's, certainly as potent as anything you can find today. Different strains have different potencies, this was true in the 70's and it is still true today. The way that they get the numbers for these "studies" however is comparing pot which was seized in the 70's to pot that was seized today. Yes they are getting these numbers from testing pot that has been sitting in a closet for thirty years. The difference in potency between today's pot and the pot of the 1970's is not nearly as significant as Gupta suggests, and in fact some of the strains that were available in the 1970's are more potent than anything that you could easily find today.

[backscatter712]

32. In short, back in the 70's, there was kind bud and there was crappy ditch weed

Just the same as today.

[reggie the dog]

78. zamal

is a potent tropical sativa grown on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, it is much like Maui Wowwie, except that the DEA eradication efforts got rid of most of the towering Maui Wowwie but France is not so concerned with the Zamal. Zamal gives you an energetic powerful high which makes colors look vivid and makes you want to get up and do something. It costs all of 0.50 euro the gram, yes fifty cents the gram, but it is strong, 10 percent thc or so as it has been for centuries. It also tastes like a cross between mangos and carrots. MMMM ZAMAL, I am going to that island in July, harvest season in the southern hemisphere.....oh boy!!!!

[Le Taz Hot]

98. Hmmmm

LTH<---taking notes. (It's almost planting time.) :smoke:

[Lochloosa]

108. Seed Link

http://www.druglibrary.org/Strainguide/GN03_Collection/Zamal/index.html

[reggie the dog]

124. wow

I had no idea those seeds were being sold anywhere. I have a couple hundred I brought back from the Island to mainland France, I live in the south and can grow it here, it is the only variety I ever successfully harvested.

[Enthusiast]

82. Correct. There is less crap on the market

now. But we had authentic Panama Red in the 70s, I would consider it a dangerous drug. It was TOO powerful.

[tech3149]

40. I don't think it's nonsense, I think it's more a matter of your connections

Back in the 70's it would take a joint or two to get a decent buzz unless you paid big green for something really good. The last time I smoked was a few years ago but even a few hits of easily available "cheap weed" was all I needed for a good buzz. Gupta is an ass but the generation of the better strains is a fact and anyone who's smoked for more than a few decades know that. Mabey if I were flush back in the 70's I could have afforded some of the good stuff of the time. I can only judge based on my own experience. What I could easily get back then was shit compared to what I can get today.

[RobinA]

43. A Joint Or Two?

To get a decent buzz in the '70's? Hell, where was this? Can't say I'm a current user, but I've smoked crap since this myth about the high potency came out. The last stuff I ever had, in the '90's, I gave up smoking because it was just too much trouble to get a decent high. That sure never happened in the '70's and the '90's stuff cost WAY more.

[immoderate]

88. You didn't know the right people.

Columbian Cheeba from 1970 is the best pot I ever smoked.

--IMM

[spiritual_gunfighter]

102. I was always partial to White Widow n/t

[bitchkitty]

114. Beg to differ -

growing techniques have evolved, and pot today is far, far better. I speak from experience, I am an OMMP patient and have been involved with patients, growers and caregivers for some years now. The cannabis grown by a knowledgeable grower here, is far, far, FAR better than anything you would have found in the 70s.

However, more potent doesn't mean more dangerous - quite the opposite. You smoke a lot less and get a lot less of the harmful parts of the smoke (tar).

[Joe Fields]

126. That point is actually a very arguable one, depending how you look at it.

I was eye witness to the whole scene, and from my vantage point, yes, there were those few hard to get connections that had a pipeline to fine columbian, hawaiian, accapulco gold..., but there was soooooo much crap mexican dumped on the market, we were swimming in it. Ten bucks a lid. All you wanted. I would imagine igf that crap were sampled, it might weigh in around 2%, where the god and the others would be more in line with what is the norm today.

[FloridaJudy]

134. I suspected as much.

Plus, as I remember from my smoking days, pot smokers tend to self-regulate. If two puffs get you comfortably high, you stop. If they don't you take a few more drags. Kind of a reverse twist on that old cigarette slogan "Smoking more and enjoying it less?"

[The Gunslinger]

53. The whole potency level talking point is is misleading

While The potency is higher, form what I know, most people smoke a lesser amount to get where the need to go, and thus inhale less toxins.

[reggie the dog]

77. what he said about potency levels in nonsense too

1 percent THC grass does not get people high. To get high you need at least 3 if not 5 percent THC. In places like Kentucky, California, Hawaii and Florida, basically anywhere in the South or up in the mountains even in Alaska people have been growing good 7 to 10 percent thc outdoor weed for a long time, certainly since the seventies. The difference is that now the marked for crap 3 % thc weed is drying up as indoor weed of 10 to 15 percent thc has flooded the market. You can still get weak 3 to 5 percent thc weed grown outdoors but most people opt for mid grade or strong weed so that they can smoke less to get the desired effect.

[EOTE]

105. That is correct.

There are varieties of hemp that have 1% or more THC. You don't see anyone foolish enough to attempt to smoke an ounce or so of hemp to get a decent high. 1% is bullshit, if marijuana were typically around 1% or so back in the 70s, nobody would have bothered smoking it.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

100. Yeah the potency level is the only true statement in this article

And this guy is a doctor? Does anyone take him seriously after he railroaded Michael Moore and his movie Sicko? This guy is a big-pharma stooge and I hope this Gupta as Surgeon General rumor is just that a rumor.

[SOS]

118. The article was written by a CNN intern and posted on Gupta's site

At least she's honest about herself:

By Melanie Diaz
Medical News Intern

"As a 20-year-old college student, I admittedly don’t know a lot about health care."

[roody]

31. That makes me need a joint right now.

[tinrobot]

37. Hospitalization due to injuries

Kaiser Study Links Marijuana and Accidents

http://www.canorml.org/healthfacts/kaiseraccidentstudy.html

[Hestia]

44. From the Kaiser study:

In an analysis of different injury causes, the study found a significant increase in injuries due to motor vehicles in males (1.96 times higher in users than non-users); for females, the risk ratio (1.23) was not statistically significant. These results don't necessarily reflect greater driving recklessness, since they include injuries to passengers, pedestrians and innocent drivers. Other driving studies have suggested that marijuana users are more likely to be injured in auto accidents, yet are no more likely than other drivers to be responsible for driving fatalities.

Curiously, men who used marijuana more frequently (>1x per week) had a lower injury rate than those who used it only occasionally (risk ratios 1.36 and 2.00 respectively). For women, risks increased with frequency of use. However, in the case of motor vehicle accidents, frequent use of marijuana (>1x per week) was associated with a greater than two-fold increase in injuries in both men and women (2.47 and 2.18 respectively).

Then there is this next paragraph:

The Kaiser study also found a significantly higher rate of injuries due to assaults in males (risk ratio 1.90), a result which is difficult to explain as due to marijuana impairment. Like other drug users, marijuana users are known to have a higher risk preference than the general population, and may therefore be more likely to find themselves in dangerous situations. In addition, of course, the illegality of marijuana may put users at a greater risk of robberies.

Huh? Assaults from smoking? Higher Risk Preference? Higher risk of robberies? Yeah, sure, as if...

I wish more people would get high - getting on the freeway is like a La Mans now, back in the 80s and 90s, it wasn't metal to the pedal, full out speeding. Instead of being able to enjoy a drive now, it's constant looking out for the people going over 90.

[marimour]

120. I HAVE!

I still support legalization but I have gone to the hospital b/c of a serious batch of purp. I was studying for a final and took some no doz while studying b4 the exam. I didn't know i was that sensitive to caffeine but after the test we went out that night and the combination of elevated heart rate from the no doz with the purp was potent enough to give me palpitations (seriously thought I was having a heart attack and could die). Cant blame it on the weed alone but it made me leave it alone for the time being.

[Webster Green]

146. The weed is probably what saved you..

It is the miracle herb.

[Elidor]

4. "going to the hospital because of marijuana?!?!" What. Utter. Bullshit.

But maybe Gupta partied with this dude.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpTWutrp5Xk

[Earth_First]

5. 136% rate increase in hospitalization?!

I find that incredibly difficult to believe.

Not only have I never known a single person to 'overdose' on marijuana; I've yet to meet an individual whose been hospitalized for marijuana use.

[Hestia]

46. It's the new Rehab - hospital I work for is really pushing for 'addicts' to be

hospitalized for 'marijuana addiction.' It's just more money for the man...at our expense of course, gotta push those insurance policies that have rehab payments.

[The Gunslinger]

55. what 2 last year, and 5 this year

Finger burns from lighting the bowl.

[Hippo_Tron]

74. ROFL... that is DUzy worthy

[dorkulon]

60. It is literally impossible to OD on pot to the point of physical danger.

You might not feel very good if you ate a pan of brownies or something...

[librechik]

6. Oh,, noes

not more of this shit

[Webster Green]

7. He's a fucking idiot!

Obama is fucking up, BIG TIME!

This planet fucking sucks! :banghead:

[Joe Fields]

8. I don't know what kind of surgeon he is, but he's a quack on the topic

of pot. More likely, he's a paid shill.

[RobinA]

45. He's a Neurosurgeon

I gave up even hoping for a politician to tell the truth about pot a long time ago. I'll wait for that the day after I hear a politician admit it costs more to execute someone than to keep him in jail for the rest of his life. There's just some truths you aren't going to get from politics. I doubt Gupta is a moron, I don't doubt he has about as much knowledge of poy as I do of neurosurgery. Which is to say - none.

[tabasco]

9. What a fucking idiot.

What is Obama thinking?

[G_j]

10. is that a deliberate lie?

he can't possibly be that stupid, can he?

[Webster Green]

15. He's a fucking right-wing asshole!

He's lying about pot, just like good 'ol Harry Anslinger, the prohibition-era federal agent who originally went to congress in 1937 and lied his sorry ass off about marijuana.

Countless lives have been ruined over the pot hysteria since then, and it will continue if this asshole is confirmed.

Did Obama fucking inhale, or what? What happened to "change", mutherfucker? :shrug:

[Elidor]

22. 'Ass-slinger,' as Lucky Luciano called him

:D

[marimour]

122. hes not right wing

not being for marijuana doesn't make you right wing.

[Webster Green]

145. It makes you a fucking asshole!

So, sue me.

[Naturyl]

123. "Change" means "the minimum possible amount of change" (n/t)

[fascisthunter]

Change=Center-right instead of Far-Right

[Starbucks Anarchist]

30. He didn't write the article -- click on the link.

[G_j]

54. I see

the OP was misleading. I figured I'd read enough.

However this is on his website, I would think he would take responsibility for it's content.

edit: actually CNN's website, using his name,

[Starbucks Anarchist]

56. Is Skinner responsible for everything DUers post?

[dorkulon]

66. Analogy fail.

That would be akin to blaming Gupta for the comments on his blog. But this is a GUpta-approved blogger. Not the same thing.

DU is not a blog; it's a message board.

[eridani]

72. He ain't stupid, he's just a well-paid whore for corporate interests n/t

[PuraVidaDreamin]

81. Yup, which big pharma co. is he cozy with?

too?

[eridani]

83. The links for pharma are all over the board. I'm more concerned with --

--his prostitution of himself on behalf of private health insurers.

[rhett o rick]

138. Is there such a thing as an accidental lie? nm

[NOW tense]

12. Lets not forget his attack on Michael Moore

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekpyD43JTZE

[Webster Green]

24. I won't forget it anytime soon!

I don't need to go to the video. I remember that little mutherfucker's statements quite well.

Nothing will fucking change....ever. WTF is wrong with Obama? He needs to re-think this dumb-ass decision.

[Medusa]

71. Ah the unforgivable sin of not believing

every word that drops from Michael Moore's sainted mouth. How dare he? :crazy:

[eridani]

73. He dared to be a shitstain. Moore was proved right about everything by factchecking n/t

[Lorien]

112. Gupta was flat out wrong on the facts

it doesn't matter if you love Moore or hate him; in that case Moore had the facts on his side while Gupta was spouting outright BS for his corporate providers.

[rhett o rick]

139. It has nothing to do with Michael Moore and you know it. Instead of being scarastic

why don't you add something to the discussion? Do you support the selection of Gupta? If so, maybe you can enlighten us.

Gupta's attach on Moore was nasty and in conjunction with the right wing CNN network. Gupta spewed misinformation which Moore refuted.

[Webster Green]

148. Fuck that! Moore has been right about everything!

The doc is a fucking asshole, and a paid shill for big pharma. :wtf:

[bigtree]

13. face of modern medicine?

as SG? Really?

[Selatius]

14. Mary Jane is still a fun woman to hang around. I visited her within the last year.

I'll tell you she is only harmful if you let her come to the party with somebody else in tow. (Make sure your friends aren't doing something to Mary before she comes to you) Then, your visit can go bad, and another way the visit goes off-kilter is if you simply do Mary way too much in a short amount of time.

[NightWatcher]

17. one time a "friend" brought Mary and Harry and woof, that was no good

actually it was WAY too good, which was no good.

yet another reason to grow your own, er I mean only invite Mary

[TexasObserver]

16. No wonder his ass is so tight only dogs can hear it when he farts.

[intheflow]

18. Yeah, nothing like forbidden fruit to encourage abuse.

So let's keep it illegal and unregulated to tork it's potency and abuse off the scales!

:eyes:

[bobbert]

19. huh? What does this have to do with Gupta?

It was written by an intern. He allowed someone else to publish their opinion. OH NOEZ!!!1!

He wasn't any part of that article except that he's the primary writer for that section. He might not have had last say on what was written. I think you're jumping to conclusions. Those reports that were made were not done by him either.

Also, marajuana-only ER visits do occur, but very rarely. They are also talking about people doing stupid shit when they're stoned and getting sent to the ER. Most of the time alcohol or cocaine is also involved if someone is in the ER but I think those numbers are included in the statistic they use.

[Fumesucker]

21. It is posted under his name, which makes him responsible for it. n/t

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

20. Have you gotten something that's actually written by Sanjay Gupta?

Because passing this off as the work of Gupta is as intellectually dishonest as the War on Drugs.

[NightWatcher]

25. I was under the impression that he signed off on it

why else would CNN publish it under Gupta's name if did not fit their ideology?

[backscatter712]

35. Exactly. He has his name on it, he owns it.

[bobbert]

47. He owns her opinions?

This was an opinion piece written about her experience. She gave two facts: Marajuana contains more THC nowadays, and marajuana-related ER visits have increased. She even included a citation. The rest of her article is about a personal experience and her feelings on the matter. I don't think it's his place to re-write her past and her opinions to fit his beliefs whatever they are. Therefore, I don't think that this article gives any insight whatsoever to Dr. Gupta's beliefs. The lady who wrote it is an intern, of course her article isn't perfect, but I think you're being quite harsh.

[Hestia]

48. His saying those words about cannibis were spoken aloud by him, in the last

couple of months. My DH & watched the segment. He is responsible when he personally spouts out of his mouth.

[dorkulon]

67. Yes, I have:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1552034,00.html

[bobbert]

106. I think he makes a lot of good points in that article

He's talking as a doctor, and talking about health issues. Not about the war on drugs, not about putting people in jail because they have a little weed.

He is speaking strictly as a doctor, and maybe has not done enough research to weigh in everything else, but health is what is most important to him, and I respect him for that decision. In fact, since his biggest worry is the health of our citizens, it shows me that he is right for AG, although maybe not for supreme court.

He said he would vote no on non-medical pot use. He seems to agree that THC does have health benefits for people with glaucoma and Alzheimer's. He's just saying that for the rest of us, it's unhealthy to be smoking pot.

[KharmaTrain]

26. Surgeon General Is A PR Position...

In the early 90's, I had the chance to interview Antonia Novello who Bill Clinton selected as his Surgeon General. The lady was brilliant and strongly advocated both universal healthcare ("Hillarycare") and some controversial approaches in dealing with drugs (looking at addiction as an illness not a crime). She then lamented...said "look at the uniform, that's about all this job is good for"...saying that she can only be an advocate, that she had real little power on anything but enforcing laws, not enacting them.

Personally I think Gupta's a Big Pharma pawn, but his job wouldn't be to either regulate these people or devise policy, just to go out and sell whatever policy the administration is proposing.

While I'd love to see Marijuana legalized, anyone who thought that would happen with this administration needs to PM with the name of the dude I can get some of that stuff from.

:smoke:

[NightWatcher]

29. I know that Obama will NEVER legalize it, but to perpetuate the MYTH that it belongs as Schedule 1..

is not very progressive.

[ms liberty]

59. Thank you for a glimpse of reality, Kharma Train...

I was beginning to think DU had gone too far round the bend lately to get even that much, lol!

Gupta actually is not all fluff - he is still a practicing, working neurosurgeon. He's experienced in communications which is important for the position, because it is primarily a PR position. And he's very good on TV. He'll be able to promote Obama's policies in interviews very well.

I'd like to see marijuana legalized too - in fact it's really my personal pet issue - but I've never expected it from an Obama administration. IMO it's too far down the line of importance when compared with the other pressing issues, and if it comes it would probably be in a second term when the political repercussions would be minimized.

[girl gone mad]

27. Between Gupta and Eric Holder, I'm having a flashback..

to the 80s with Nancy Reagan and the War on Drugs.

How did all of that hysteria work out? Oh, yeah.. we figured out very quickly that we were being manipulated and lied to. Those over-the-top proclamations and endless anti-drug propaganda only made us more interested in drugs and the subculture. Maybe that was the real goal all along?

[Lilith Velkor]

58. The real goal was to lock up a million people and make them work for 25 cents an hour

[girl gone mad]

62. Wouldn't surprise me.

The CIA was directly involved in the spread of crack in minority urban areas and powder cocaine and heroin among white suburban teenagers.

I just wonder where people like Gupta and Holder fit in. Are they really that clueless and naive, or do they have some other agenda?

[Starbucks Anarchist]

28. The article was written by an INTERN named Melanie Diaz.

Your OP is full of shit.

[NightWatcher]

33. Why I Would Vote No On Pot by Sanjay Gupta

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1552034,00.html

Maybe it's because I was born a couple of months after Woodstock and wasn't around when marijuana was as common as iPods are today, but I'm constantly amazed that after all these years--and all the wars on drugs and all the public-service announcements--nearly 15 million Americans still use marijuana at least once a month. California and 10 other states have already decriminalized marijuana for medical use. Now two of those states--Colorado and Nevada--are considering ballot initiatives that would legalize up to an ounce of pot for personal use by people 21 and older, whether or not there is a medical need.

<snip>

Why do I care? As Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, puts it, "Numerous deleterious health consequences are associated with short- and long-term use, including the possibility of becoming addicted."

What are other health consequences? Frequent marijuana use can seriously affect your short-term memory. It can impair your cognitive ability (why do you think people call it dope?) and lead to long-lasting depression or anxiety. While many people smoke marijuana to relax, it can have the opposite effect on frequent users. And smoking anything, whether it's tobacco or marijuana, can seriously damage your lung tissue.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

36. Then why didn't you post this article in the first place?

And in this article, the one he ACTUALLY wrote, he doesn't come off nearly as strident as the incorrectly attributed article in the OP.

[NightWatcher]

38. should he bear responsibility for what CNN published under his name?

I think so. I think that when a medical intern writes something and you publish it under your name, you own it.

[WeDidIt]

52. That's like holding Skinner responsible for shit posted on DU n/t

[dorkulon]

68. No. No it isn't.

DU is a board, not a blog. Nobody's blaming Gupta for the COMMENTS at his blog, but for a Gupta-approved blogger's post, which wchoes his own sentiments.

[cherokeeprogressive]

116. I don't get it. I'm seriously depressed... What were we talking about again? n/t

[sendero]

39. Bunch of nonsense...

... is pot more potent now? Probably, and it costs more and users smoke a lot less of it because they don't need to smoke more.

"there's two things in life, fact and belief, and you'd best believe I just rolled a leaf"

[4 t 4]

41. The facts suggest we’re getting higher than ever before,

no fucking kidding, I wonder why ?

[bertman]

90. Edge, I'd say that is totally dependent upon the number of tokes one takes.

[Uzybone]

42. DU sock puppets fall for another one

Gupta didn't even write the article. This is like saying the DU admins own every stupid fucking thing that is said on this website.

BTW I am yet to meet a medical doctor who doesn't think smoking weed is bad for your health. Its just a question of how bad.

[jefferson_dem]

49. Ya Man!

Dis one Doctor here would have made better pick for SG, dontcha know... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coKvF9K_R2k

Imagine that... A physician who doesn't celebrate the ganja.

[Fumesucker]

69. A brother in law of mine is a physician...

I've argued with him about pot several times and I've found his knowledge of the subject to be remarkably shallow and misinformed, he actually thinks pot is more dangerous than alcohol.

I've also drunk his ass under the table before, to the point he was talking to Ralph on the Big White Phone about a Buuuuiiicck, and I'm not much of a drinker at all.

He also eats waaaaayy too much red meat and carbs, far more than I do.

He's basically a hypocrite on the subject, his own drug, alcohol, is fine, the one I like, pot, he frowns on. Oh, and he smokes cigars too..

On the other hand my wife's stepfather is also a physician and I've got him stoned on several occasions and had some great conversations with him in that state. He kept showing me pictures of pot plants in some books he had until I finally took the hint.

[dysfunctional press]

104. how do those same medical doctors feel about other methods of ingesting the sticky icky?

i like to make green butter, and use that to make Mellow Fudge. no smoking involved.

although- i DO smoke as well.

[Lethe]

50. the potency argument is bogus

First off, there have been numerous studies shown that potency has not increased since the 70's. But even if it was, it's a good thing, because you have to smoke less of it to get a desired level of effect. That's less smoke in your lungs.

Apply the potency argument to alcohol? Some people drink hard liquor, some people drink beer, some people drink wine. These are all different potencies but any of them in the right amount will get you a desired level of effect.

If you like to get really high, and all you have is swag, you can smoke a whole joint of it. If you have kind bud, you smoke a bowl to get the same effect.

[dorkulon]

63. True, and anybody knows it's no fun to get too high, so the idea

people are greedily smoking up their high-potency weed to get super-duper high is silly.

I do believe there is some pot out there now that's a lot more potent than it was back in the day, but I can't seem to get my hands on it. :hippie: Most of the stuff is just as schwaggy as ever.

[cbc5g]

51. What a fool whoever wrote that, I'll break down the bullshit real quick

First of all, the 136% increase in "hospital visits" reflect the increase in people who test positive for marijuana in the hospital. That does NOT mean the patient is there BECAUSE of marijuana.

Abuse and dependency on the drug is up fivefold is a bullshit conclusion when that number comes from cases sent to the drug court system which views cases that go there as abuse cases. Those going to drug courts are victims of marijuana being illegal, not abusing the substance.


Potency levels are definitely higher, but a higher THC level means people smoke less to get the desired effect, and, the higher THC count is due to the fact that dealers face jail time based on how much they have or sell, and by having less, with higher THC count, they face less time. And consumers are looking for more bang for their buck for less amount, again because of the sentences based on amounts being seized. Having it prohibited leaves regulation out of the picture so the black market decides how potent it should be.

By the way, THC was not 1% in the 70's, that's a myth. A gamble with our health? Why not talk about alcohol abuse that kills thousands every year instead of buying into bullshit government propaganda?

[G_j]

61. good job n/t

[killbotfactory]

127. And THC just isn't that dangerous to begin with

The result of overdosing, which isn't easy to do unless you eat a lot of it, is just having a bad time or passing out. In which case you either stop using it altogether, or just be more careful the next time. There is no lethal dose known, unlike with alcohol, nicotine, or even caffeine. If you tried to overdose by smoking it you would die of smoke inhalation before you died of an overdose of THC.

[TheWraith]

57. CHECK THE F-KING BYLINE, people. This is NOT written by Gupta.

It's written by CNN's MEDICAL INTERN.

[dorkulon]

64. Still, maybe Gupta ought to be concerned with disinformation on his blog.

Then again, he's not concerned with falsehoods on his show either.

[Scriptor Ignotus]

125. I know!

what are you guys high or something?

lol.

[spanone]

65. don't forget that President Obama will set the policy, not gupta.

By Melanie Diaz
CNN Medical intern

that's who wrote this piece....

[Fumesucker]

70. The blog has Gupta's name on it..

Would you allow an article on a blog which had your name on it with which you completely disagreed and was full of easily disproven lies also?

[Undercurrent]

75. Why post an article written by

Melanie Diaz, a CNN Medical intern, and say it's Sanjay Gupta's article?

[TWiley]

76. Gupta is a dink. Michael Moore even kicked his ass

Some "expert" He is a journalist because he cannot practice medicine.

[Undercurrent]

79. Why make thinks up? He continues to practice medicine.

Gupta is a member of the staff and faculty of the department of neurosurgery at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta and performs surgery weekly at Emory University Hospital and Grady Memorial Hospital, where he serves as chief of neurosurgery.

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/anchors_reporters/gupta.sanjay.html

[eridani]

84. Being a good surgeon doen't mean he knows jackshit about health care policy

And he doesn't--he's a teevee whore for private insurance.

[Undercurrent]

86. Did I say that?

No.

The post I responded to said "He is a journalist because he cannot practice medicine."

I asked why make things up, and stated that Gupta is still practicing medicine.

Why do people make things up, or read between the lines for things that are not there?

I dunno.

Anyway, I'm a retired RN, and yes there are several areas of disagreement I have with Gupta. Vaccines for one. But I realize that Gupta is, for the most part, an advocate for mainstream Western medicine, so it's expected that he will be pro vaccines.

I also realize that most doctors are shills for Big Pharma, and corporations. It's a fact in this country. They sit in their offices buried under mountains of literature, and free drug samples, plus free vacation packages, and other enticement's from diagnostic labs, and medical equipment manufactures. The vast majority then turn around and write prescriptions for those drugs, and recommend those diagnostic procedures, and medical devices.

Do I think Gupta is a good spokesman for mainstream Western medicine? Yes. Am I a big fan of mainstream Western medicine. Not really.

I think he'll be good at filling this post. It is not a health care reform policy post, and has a rather limited scope. But he's capable, qualified, a good communicator, well known, and is a fine choice. It doesn't hurt that he's popular, and good looking either.



edit: typos

[eridani]

87. Sorry, should have looked at the thread continuity

The distinction between "Western" medicine and any other kind of medicine is bullshit. There is only empirically tested medicine and wishful thinking. Mainstream medicine can fall into either category, depending.

[TWiley]

110. What did I make up? He is also a journalist isnt he?

besides how often does the average surgon do surgery? More than once a week?

[douglas9]

85. The trouble with Sanjay Gupta

So apparently Obama plans to appoint CNN’s Sanjay Gupta as Surgeon General. I don’t have a problem with Gupta’s qualifications. But I do remember his mugging of Michael Moore over Sicko. You don’t have to like Moore or his film; but Gupta specifically claimed that Moore “fudged his facts”, when the truth was that on every one of the allegedly fudged facts, Moore was actually right and CNN was wrong.

What bothered me about the incident was that it was what Digby would call Village behavior: Moore is an outsider, he’s uncouth, so he gets smeared as unreliable even though he actually got it right. It’s sort of a minor-league version of the way people who pointed out in real time that Bush was misleading us into war are to this day considered less “serious” than people who waited until it was fashionable to reach that conclusion. And appointing Gupta now, although it’s a small thing, is just another example of the lack of accountability that always seems to be the rule when you get things wrong in a socially acceptable way.

eom

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/06/the-trouble-with-sanjay-gupta/

[Lost4words]

103. Spot on douglas9, paint your opponent as less than human and the job is half done

it seems to me there must be someone who would care more about humanity & health than someone who spent their time as a wealthy celeb talking head.

I hope Obama is not using TV ratings to choose his admin. TV has not served us too very well in these past 28 odd years.

My hope is quickly fading back to the reality of "The more it changes, the more it stays the same".


8643

[Dennis Donovan]

89. More shilling for Big Pharma...

If Big Pharma could make a business plan around selling something anyone can grow (and perpetuate) for free, Gupta would be singing a different tune.

Cannabis prohibition was born in the cradle of Racism and exists today because Big Pharma and Big Booze will not allow it to cut into their profits.

[xchrom]

97. gupta's attacks on michael moore should tell anyone all they need to know about gupta.

but after reading this thread -- i guess not.

:eyes:

[spiritual_gunfighter]

101. Gupta is knowingly spreading disinfo about Marijuana here

I don't smoke weed anymore but I can thank it for getting me to quit drinking in my 20s which I had a pretty severe problem with. There is nothing wrong with smoking Marijuana, and all of the supposed facts in this article are insane. The only thing he got right is the potency levels.

[wildbilln864]

107. Hell no we don't want him!

Fuck Goofduh! :grr:

[Tommy_Carcetti]

109. Meh.

There are problems with Gupta, but I could care less about what his stance on recreational marijuana use is.

[Fumesucker]

115. Somone who will lie about one thing will lie about another..

You really want a dishonest person in the position of SG?

[Alexander]

119. That settles it. Melanie Diaz should not be Surgeon General.

:eyes:

[VA4Moran]

121. Great

Just what we need- another talking head in government.

[abq e streeter]

128. responding to various posters above--I've had to go to the ER from pot

and can no longer partake ( and yes I definitely miss it)...My body developed a severe allergic reaction to it ( and I don't mean sneezing etc but racing heart, blood pressure through the roof...) but that was just my body's reaction. I know of a few ( and just a few) other people that have had this happen. But that's just our particular physiological reactions. I know countless other people that still smoke anywhere from occasionally to regularly and enjoy it, and live successful, fulfilling lives. I support legalization and have no patience for the "drug war" and those that wage it, support it, and profit from it.

[jayfish]

130. Allergic Reaction Huh?

More like a garden variety MJ induced panic attack.

Jay

[abq e streeter]

135. Wish that's all it was---I could resume my stoner lifestyle, but alas...

[Maru Kitteh]

147. I imagine you thought "panic attack" was some kind of put-down.

:-(

[jayfish]

150. Not At All. I Used to Get Them All The Time And...

they were horrifying.

Jay

[slay]

131. "hooked on the drug"... first off, it's a plant, secondly.. bwhahahaha

hooked on weed.. oh noes it be da end!!11! gimmie a break. nobody gets hooked on weed - not physically at least. sheesh.

[ObamaRules]

132. If you look at marijuana from a medical perspective

there is no way it can be condoned as a recreational drug. The path to legalization is that it needs to be considered along the line of other less than healthy habits.

[Fumesucker]

141. Does medicine condone alcohol as a recreational drug?

I know doctors who drink.. too much, one is in my family.

Not to mention doctors have the highest addiction rate of all the professions.

[fascisthunter]

136. He's a corporate Hack That USes His Credentials to Promote Lies to the Public

I will never forget how Michael Moore exposed him for the fraud he is...


Look it up on Youtube.com

[notadmblnd]

142. The man should have to imbibe before he can spout out about it.

he obviously has no real life experience and is talking out his butt.

[RubyDuby in GA]

143. I've been trying really hard to give the cabinet picks the benefit of the doubt

but with Panetta as CIA head and now this idiot as SG, I am really disappointed with the Oprah Government that Obama is putting together. I don't know if he's trying to put a shiny new figurehead administration in place and let everything be run by people behind the scenes, but if that's not the case, then I'm about ready to tune out for a while.

[Maru Kitteh]

149. Who is "us?" Given the religious devotion paid by some, it's difficult to argue against addiction.

Here's what I think based on science, sense, and observation.

#1. It should be legal, regulated and taxed like booze.

#2. A chunk of the collection should educate kids about Frankenstein chemical nightmares like meth, and other drugs that will in all likelihood remain illegal.

#3. People DO become addicted to pot. I've seen it more than once. A part of the revenues should be put aside for those who want to stop.


Gupta's recounting of the well known fact that potencies have increased, and that abuse and addiction is now possible, doesn't irk me.