This hand-picked, self-proclaimed dope expert hasn't done a study to conclude what has been posted here...it is his opinion (and we all know what opinions are like...we all have one and they all smell, as the comparison goes). Now, lets get on to SCIENTIFIC studies about the safety of various kinds of illegal drugs, shall we? Let's hit upon Mr Hawkins' favorite (weed): A very recent scientific study in the UK and Sweden that KMPH reported on during it's Ten o'Clock news show Tuesday night indicated that pot usage is FAAAR more likely to cause cancer than regular tobacco. According to the RESEARCH (NOTE: this isn't OPINION, but new scientific research), 3-4 joints of weed "causes the same amount of damage as at least 20 cigarettes." This PROVES the above wanna-be researcher to be wrong in his OPINION that "tobacco smoking causes far more harm" (this is the very reason why scientific studies are done: because even those who claim familiarity with such substances get it wrong when they guess about what is true, as has been PROVEN by the UK/Sweden study). Another illegal drug lie bites the dust!

I'll admit it; a little bit of reading comprehension skills are needed to understand this article... Dr. Donald Tashkin is not a "hand-picked, self-proclaimed dope expert", but is instead a qualified researcher hired by the Federal Government to prove that marijuana smoking is harmful. After 30 years of Government sponsored research, he has been unable to do so because the results have shown the opposite to be true. I am far more inclined to believe 30 years of solid research as opposed to one UK/Sweden study that concludes marijuana smoking is harmful based only upon the fact that marijuana smoke may contain more tars than cigarette smoke. Dr. Donald Tashkin has done the actual research on these matters, and I will trust his opinion on this.

Ok, Mr Hawkins, I have been reading the plethora of posts you have made here for a while and the fact is that you (or whomever you get your info from at your illegal drug groups) ALWAYS compose and you post the info you think will encourage people to accept illegal drugs as needed and worthy of respect (which they are not) while at the same time carefully ignoring the facts that prove your view is VERY biased. That is why when you post something, I never take it as truth because your posts almost always are an attempt at hiding the "ugly" side of illegal drugs and painting them a rose-color (that is very deceptive at best). I think as far as "reading comprehension skills," I'll let my doctorate speak for itself (remember, I have conducted research PERSONALLY...I know a bit more about the methodology and profession of research itself...do you personally have research skills? Ok, I'll take your silence as a "No." Now, since your personal attack on myself has been shot down, we may continue. You have chosen (ie -"hand-picked") ONE out of how many researchers who gave an OPINION, NOT a research finding that "tobacco smoking causes far more harm" than illegal drugs. I see why you don't quote Gabriel Nahas (Research Professor at NYU Medical School) because his research indicates that your favorite drug is related to reproductive harm in humans and animals (but now, you wouldn't want the voters to know about that, would you?) How about Keith Stroup of NORML (a group you love that promotes illegal drug use...I've seen you quote them on this bulletin board) here's Stroup: "We will use the medical marijuana scam as a red herring to promote the legalisation of marijuana" (a "red herring" is a method of deceiving people) How about Dr Janet D Lapey, MD of Concerned Citizens for Drug Prevention, Inc. Hanover, MA. (U.S): "By federal law, a substance may not be marketed as a medicine until it has been shown to be safe and effective. Marijuana has never been shown scientifically to be safe or effective for the treatment of any condition." Or, there is Professor Robert Pertwee of Aberdeen University who has investigated the positive elements of cannabis, including claims that it can ease pain in cancer and multiple sclerosis sufferers. But his research found that cannabis use can lead to cancer, heart failure and mental illness. Prof. Pertwee said "I am against cannabis being made available for recreational use because, like other drugs, it has powerful adverse effects. For some people the biggest risk is that it produces signs of schizophrenia. There is evidence that if you are genetically pre-disposed to schizophrenia, then cannabis can trigger it. There are people who appear perfectly normal and have no idea they are prone to the condition," he stated. Prof. Pertwee has been studying the medicinal benefits of cannabis since 1968 (ten years longer than your hand-picked friend you quoted above) and helped launch a £1million research project last year. Maybe that is related to the fact that weed has long been listed as a hallucinogen (ie - it makes you halucinate). Now, there are far more studies on this than I care to post about which show your view is wrong, but the results of studies by those ALL OVER THE WORLD show that your illegal drugs are far more dangerous than you let on (and you simply don't want the public to know about the facts, that's why you selectively choose to post things that show the very sparse potential "positives" of illegal drugs while ignoring the very real health dangers of your favorite drugs - honesty is simply not the forte of the pro-illegal drug indoctrination patrol that you have partnered with) regarding the KMPH news report that I quoted, you wrote: "I am far more inclined to believe 30 years of solid research as opposed to one UK/Sweden study that concludes marijuana smoking is harmful based only upon the fact that marijuana smoke may contain more tars than cigarette smoke." Ok, I guess you read the study I quoted? Or did you get your info from the liars at NORML or one of it's affiliated groups? That's right, you don't know, but any lie is Ok as long as you deceive the people into voting for illegal drugs, right? Finally, what about the 40 years of research by Professor Robert Pertwee and his findings that refute your hero Geffen? Or the very few studies that I listed here (let alone the hundreds of other studies I left out for lack of space here?) You are biased, face it and there is proof that you are wrong. Checkmate!

Interestingly, I ran into a bit more info that is quite important: The following medical organisations in the United States have stated that marijuana has not been scientifically shown to be safe or effective as medicine: * AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION * AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY * NATIONAL MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS ASSOCIATION * AMERICAN ACADEMY OF OPHTHALMOLOGY * NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE * NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE * NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE * NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DENTAL RESEARCH * NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES Carlton E Turner, Ph.D., D.Sc., Deputy Assistant to the President for Drug Abuse Policy Control, 1982-1987 has stated. "There is no therapeutic use for marijuana. THC, one of marijuana's 483 components, has been replicated synthetically and is already available in theUnited States by prescription under the name "Marinol"." Nabalone" is on the market in Canada. Marijuana is neither "Marinol" or "Nabalone". Many double-blind studies have been done using marijuana proving it is ineffective for medicinal purposes. This issue belongs to the FDA (Federal Drug Administration), not in state legislatures, and certainly not with groups funded by pro-drug groups or individuals," he said. (Source Drug Watch International News Briefs). Dick Cowan of NORML is on record as saying: "..the key to it is medical access ..once you have hundreds of thousands of people using marijuana medically the whole scam is going to be bought .. we'll get medical use then we'll get full legalisation. Medical marijuana is our strongest suit. It is our point of leverage which will move us towards full legalisation of marijuana for personal use." This is just a SHORT list of problems with illegal drugs...it's about time there are some honest posts about such drugs on this site!

Good job, O.B.! Thank you for bringing balance (and truth/honesty) to this previously distorted discussion! You've helped many people that aren't familiar with the OTHER side of the story (also known as the truth).

O.B. you are an idiot and an *******. Quite a combination!

Mr Bounds, you are apparently a living example of the reason why we ought not allow illegal drugs to be deemed legal: when your incompetence prevents you from giving rational answers to the facts against your drug habit, you simply curse and threaten your opponents who have just kicked you all around the barn. You have proven the already known facts to be true about people like yourself.