I hope these "facts" weren't in response to my "challenge/request"?!?
I honestly got a pretty good laugh from that link.
I should probably clarify a few things from the legal system perspective. Imprisonment is time spent as a result of a sentence from a conviction within a county jail, state pen, or federal pen. Imprisonment is not a simple "arrest".
Statistics are the most easily and frequently twisted form of propaganda used by either side of an issue. That's why I got a good laugh from that link. The one thing that actually hacked me off with that mis-information, was they were obviously (blatantly to me) including ALL drug related crime into their stats. This is about marijuana...NOT cocaine, heroin, meth, etc. So WHY include those stats into the mix. I can completely guarantee you that the "half of all federal prisoners in the US are serving sentences for drug offenses" statistic is almost entirely for "hard" drugs. Nobody is in federal prison for marijuana charges without any extenuating factors (i.e. violence enhanced, weapon enhanced, organized crime or racketeering involved, etc). The "half" they are talking about in federal prison are there for those previously mentioned enhancers, concerning "hard" drugs. Are there a few with a marijuana denominator, no doubt...however, they are the exception not the rule.
The "$121 billion spent to arrest more than 37 million nonviolent drug offenders" stat, is also including DRUGS (all drugs)....not marijuana by itself. Then when it mentions the "10 million arrested for possession of marijuana" stat, this is very twist-able as a statistic. Many do not know in the general public, for statistical reasons, that a simple cite-and-release marijuana possession ticket is considered an "arrest". You might receive a ticket and walk away, or for some reason (usually if there are extenuating factors) may be "booked and released". Either way, there is no "imprisonment" here.
Just thought I would enlighten on how easy it is to twist and bend statistics toward a certain side of an argument.
The link might as well be for legalizing ALL drugs the way it was laid out, IMHO.
jahmic;161796 said:
Scientifically, this is inaccurate.
Alcohol greatly influences (increases) the effect of GABA receptors in the brain, which are the primary receptors that control the body's regulation/impairment of a wide rain of brain functions ranging from memory and cognition to motor function. What alcohol does is ENHANCE the ability of bound GABA receptors to inhibit those brain functions.
Cannabinoids selectively bind to CB1 receptors. When CB1 receptors are bound, they actually reduce the release of GABA neurotransmitters in the brain. What you end up with is actually the OPPOSITE of the effect of alcohol on the brain. There is reduced inhibition of those brain functions regulated by GABA receptors, as the amount of GABA-binding neurotransmitters released in the brain is reduced when CB1 receptors are bound. That being said, cannabinoids DO effect motor function, but they do so directly through the CB1 receptors. The CB1 receptors play a small role in impairment of motor function when bound, however their overall effect on motor function is less than the effect you see from increasing GABA receptor function with alcohol impairment. There are also studies that have suggest that although low and high doses of cannabinoids do impair motor function, moderate doses actually may enhance motor function, likely due to the regulation of the release of GABA neurotransmitters.
Although both effect motor function, they do so through drastically different pathways in the brain. Alcohol does have a direct correlation between the amount consumed and the effects on brain activity as it enhances the impairment of bound receptors. Cannabinoids bind directly to CB1 receptors in the brain, once the receptors are saturated, they have no additional effect on brain function. There is a limit to the dose-response relationship with cannabinoids as there are a finite amount of CB1 receptors in the brain. The limit to the dose-response relationship with alcohol's effect on the GABA receptors is DEATH as it can severely inhibit brain functioning by enhancing GABA's ability to impair vital functions.
I'm not citing the above information to attempt to sway anybody's opinion...but the nerdy research scientist in me had to state the facts.
There is much more "science" to both substances than you have here, as I'm positive you know from what you brought forth. Just as with alcohol there is a certain impairment/saturation level that anything beyond is negligible in terms of further impairment, until you reach full on overdose.
I was simply speaking in real-life terms. Someone smoking a small joint about an hour before driving might have little/negligible impairment. Someone smoking a larger amount from whatever apparatus of choice an hour before driving would have much more impairment. That's where the rubber meets the road. My ONLY commentary on your post is this...whenever I see "There are also studies that have suggest..." the skeptical has to come out. This should be for anyone on either side of an issue in my opinion. Studies? By whom, for what purpose, with what intent...and on and on. "Studies" = skeptical
I just don't want anyone to think that the research scientist in you was putting out ALL fact, when "studies" are involved. lol
This..."moderate doses actually may enhance motor function"...is laughable to me. It may increase "certain" neurological functions (if even true), but that does NOT mean it is not impairing others simultaneously. Other than that, I'm around both sides enough to call BS on that.