A serious blow to Canadian audiophiles, must read

Thanks everyone for your interesting posts. Although I do not endulge in the use of illicit substances, I am certainly not prepared to condemn those who might chose to do so in a responsible manner. I understand the sentiment to legalise marijuana to relieve the burden on the courts, remove the criminal element from its' production and distribution and perhaps become a source of funding for the government. However, there is abundant evidence to suggest the young persons who use cannabis are far more likely to use more dangerous drugs. Additionally, smoking cannabis regularly has been shown quite convincingly to result in high rates of lung cancer and chronic cognitive problems.

Thsalmon, could you please provide references to these studies that have "shown quite convincingly to result in high rates of lung cancer and chronic cognitive problems"?
I believe you are mistaken.

I do not reside in the Dominion of Canada and do not follow its politics day to day. Does Canada still subsidize audio r and d or is it only the speaker lab?

PSB,Paradigm,Magnum Dynalab,Simm, Morrison and others I've obviously missed put out fine products. If audio is still supported,will the supports end anytime soon?

J Clin Pharmacol, 42(11 Suppl): 103S-107S 2002
J Clin Pharmacol, 42(11 Suppl): 7S-10S 2002
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J Natl Cancer Inst, 90(16): 1198-205 1998
J Immunol, 165(1): 373-80 2000
J Psychoactive Drugs, 26(3): 285-8
Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol, 20(6): 1286-93 1999
J Int Neuropsychol Soc, 9(5): 679-89 2003
Neurotoxicol Teratol, 25(4): 427-36
Hum Psychopharmacol, 18(2): 89-90 2003
Neurology, 59(9): 1337-43 2002

Let me know if you need any other references, asdf@

12-24-03: Hdm
1) Pot is a stimulant, alcohol is a depressant
2) While I wouldn't choose to get in a vehicle operated by, or be operated on by a surgeon who was under the influence of either, if I was forced to, I'd take my chances with the one under the influence of THC every time
3) I don't know how old you are Lugnut, but I'd agree with Swampwalker that current pot is much more potent than the stuff from 20-30 years ago-simply a matter of improving technology and agriculture

I have to tackle all three of these arguments. First, pot is usually classified as a "hallucinogen" neither stimulant or depressant though it can have effects similar to either in different users at different times.

Second, the only big study on pot and driving was done last year in Brittain and showed pot smokers were safer drivers than those on alcohol or the controls who took neither.

And about quality, the best pot today is as strong as the best pot in the 1970s. Trust me, I was there. The quality of pot today is uniformly good. It's hard to find "bad" pot today. In the 70s, you really had to search to find good pot. But when you did, an ounce or more could be had for $10.

In the 70s there were no multi-billion buck drug lords or prison lords. Now we have both. And guess who pays?

One reason there is no legal pot is because it is so easy to grow that there is almost no commercial potential. There would be nothing to tax because most smokers would either grow their own or their friends would grow for them. The tobacco companies wouldn't be able to cash in because there would be only a small market and that would likely remain a "black" market. That's why those companies support The Partnership for a Drug Free America and the dubius D.A.R.E. program.