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answers (16)

badaspie
2
Votes
BEST ANSWER  chosen by asker   |  badaspie  |  July 15, 2009 10:11 AM
I'm coming to this question late, and it looks like a lot of sources have already been referenced. All of the "marijuana-related deaths" found so far are either indirect effects (traffic accidents) or of questionable causality, either anecdotal (a friend of a friend smoked pot and died of emphysema) or the result of data mining (out of 20,000 childhood stroke victims, finding three who smoked marijuana before their strokes).

In addition, all of the reported adverse medical effects (as opposed to psychological effects) have been based on *smoking* marijuana. Medical marijuana advocates acknowledge the possible harmful effects of marijuana smoke (just like any other type of smoke) on the respiratory system, which is why they suggest other means of ingestion such as vaporization, oral ingestion, or suppositories.

http://www.michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/node/1030

At this time, the most objective sources report no deaths linked directly to marijuana use, although they acknowledge that more studies are needed for a definitive answer.

http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/news/20030918/marijuana-smoking-doesnt-kill
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/4426.php
Asker's rating:  
Perfect summery of the thread

voted helpful: brian san, jeffhoard

Comment
krusheasy
Two Reno drivers and one woman from Las Vegas who face decades in prison after being involved in fatal accidents and testing positive for marijuana
Hide

voted helpful: mysterygirl89

voted unhelpful: kelvint, samid, jasoncalacanis, badaspie

Comment
morriss003
3
Votes
morriss003  |  July 14, 2009 06:26 AM
It is possible, even likely that people have died from emphysema related to marijuana smoking. I say this a a long time doper who enjoys smoking dope and who grew some of the best dope ever. But I'm not blind to it's effects. It's addicting (at least it was to me), it causes anxiety attacks (but if you know what you are doing, you can avoid them), and in time, it would cause me to cough my lungs out causing great concern to my wife. If you can use it to make brownies or butter, you will be better off. And never ever smoke it in a joint. Get yourself a small pipe, put a pinch in, and smoke that. You will use less and avoid the worst effects much better.

voted helpful: beast1oh1, brian san, badaspie

Comment
mysterygir...
mysterygirl89  |  July 14, 2009 06:31 AM
Edit wont work. thanks though. (^_^)V I have tried pressing the button over and over. I waited a minute in between pressing. And nothing.
mysterygir...
1
Vote
mysterygirl89  |  July 14, 2009 07:04 AM
I loved my comments that I wanted to leave them as an answer. Not conceded about my answers lol, just liked what I wrote.
I don't really think it is physically possible lol. Maybe if a person is acting stupid why smoking pot they could die because of their actions but not really from the pot.
This article,
http://alcoholism.about.com/b/2003/11/02/marijuana-causes-many-deaths-reported-as-accidents.htm, basically says that the deaths are really caused from the marijuana but are called "accidents". That is silly. Yes those accidents might have happened while being under the influence but it was not really a direct result of the marijuana.

According to http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node/30
Zero Deaths are caused from the use of Marijuana.

Shoot, I could die and they could find traces of my medicine for my ADHD and say oh she was under the influence of her prescription drug which caused this accident. So the prescription drug is what killed her. What a load of butterflys? Wanted to keep it clean. Anyways that was a silly example.

If marijuana was so bad they would not have people use it for medical reasons. But then again they used to give people other drugs that later showed harmful side effects, so maybe that is not a good argument.
But the good thing is that no one has ever even overdosed, at least not that I have came across.
Yes, you may die from something else while you have smoked the marijuana. Which may or may not be from the result of the changed thinking. Oh and Marijuana does not kill brain cells, unlike what most people believe. According to this fact page.
-----Quote-----http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/factsmyths/
Myth: Marijuana Kills Brain Cells. Used over time, marijuana permanently alters brain structure and function, causing memory loss, cognitive impairment, personality deterioration, and reduced productivity.
Fact: None of the medical tests currently used to detect brain damage in humans have found harm from marijuana, even from long term high-dose use. An early study reported brain damage in rhesus monkeys after six months exposure to high concentrations of marijuana smoke. In a recent, more carefully conducted study, researchers found no evidence of brain abnormality in monkeys that were forced to inhale the equivalent of four to five marijuana cigarettes every day for a year. The claim that marijuana kills brain cells is based on a speculative report dating back a quarter of a century that has never been supported by any scientific study.
• Heath, R.G., et al. “Cannabis Sativa: Effects on Brain Function and Ultrastructure in Rhesus Monkeys.” Biological Psychiatry 15 (1980): 657-690.
• Ali, S.F., et al. “Chronic Marijuana Smoke Exposure in the Rhesus Monkey IV: Neurochemical Effects and Comparison to Acute and Chronic Exposure to Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in Rats.” Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior 40 (1991): 677-82.

-----/ End Quote-----http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/factsmyths/

I MIGHT add more later. It is late, so I better go to bed, I don't want to let myself wake up. Can't let the insomnia feeling kick back in lol.
tags: marijuana

voted helpful: badaspie

Comment
xionomega
xionomega  |  July 14, 2009 07:10 AM
mainly that it is a cause of a lot of other causes of deaths though
brian san
6
Votes
brian san  |  July 14, 2009 10:34 AM
First off, I am definitely not an expert on the consumption or the effects of marijuana. But I'm pretty sure you will be hard pressed to find anyone who died directly from smoking marijuana.

There are plenty of sites that claim it happens (or at least that weed laced with PCP, Sulfuric Acid, or Cyanide has killed people), but I haven't found any actual documented cases.

There is an interesting page here by Dale Gieringer, Ph.D. and Coordinator of California NORML circa 1994 that lays out several of the popular marijuana myths and refutes each (with several citations at the end).

It does contain a section on the myth that "Marijuana is harmless" with 2 main categories:
1. respiratory disease due to smoking and
2. accidental injuries due to impairment.

There is also a page here that discusses two different government estimates on what is a "lethal" dose of marijuana (in one smoking session).

Study one says "one-third your body weight"
Study two says "1,500 pounds"

Either way, that's a bunch of weed!

Now I'm not going to bet my life on the veracity either of these web postings, but I also haven't seen any official posts by the surgeon general stating otherwise.
tags: marijuana
Comment
bunnyphuph...
bunnyphuphu  |  July 14, 2009 02:05 PM
I'm sure you've seen this clip from the news regarding the 911 call on a 'perceived' overdose of marijuana. I still can't believe the officer was stupid enough to make the call!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-iBJQFMvgo
brian san
brian san  |  July 14, 2009 09:22 PM
Hi @matthewh,

Your Quote:
"Questions like this convince people that it is okay to smoke something with 500+ carcinogens, according to a study conducted in Britain."

Please post a link to this story so that others can read it.
And example I would use is this report which says both:
"In fact, marijuana smoke contains 50–70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke. Marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, which further increase the lungs’ exposure to carcinogenic smoke."

But also states

"however, a recent case-controlled study found no positive associations between marijuana use and lung, upper respiratory, or upper digestive tract cancers.9 Thus, the link between marijuana smoking and these cancers remains unsubstantiated at this time."

So it would seem that the delivery method is the biggest factor, assuming there are carcinogens.

Your Quote:
"More and more people are thinking it is safe because of questions like this. But it is wrong. Period. It messes with your head and people can easily die doing something while high."

First off, I listed in my answer a quote that marijuana can cause:
1. respiratory disease due to smoking and
2. accidental injuries due to impairment.

Though I have seen no evidence that the impairment for activities is anything close to that of alcohol.

Do I think it's OK to smoke marijuana right now? Absolutely not.
Why?
Because it's illegal. I don't see any benefit for me to smoking it when it could cost me my job and in my case lead to deportation (Japan is extremely strict about it)

But I do think that it makes little sense to have tobacco legal and marijuana not. If marijuana were legal and regulated, I still have seen no evidence that it would me more harmful than tobacco. So I would support it's legalization.

Would I smoke it if it was legal?
No Probably not. It's just not something that interest me.
brian san
brian san  |  July 14, 2009 09:43 PM
Hi again. Having problems with the edit button.
A couple small corrections:
And AS AN example, I would use is this report which says both:
No Probably not. It's just not something that interestS me.

I hate having errors in my posts...
singermach...
singermachines  |  July 15, 2009 03:16 AM
I have spent the past 20 plus years as a law enforcement officer and I can tell you this. It is clear that marijuana has, to some extent, effects on one's general state of mind as well as motor skills. The problem with legalizing marijuana is the lack of technology to monitor it (i.e. There is no "breathayzer" for pot).

I just wanted to make a quick comment about the lack of evidence provided by one report as to the effects of marijuana regarding upper respiratory, lung and other cancers. I would be hard pressed to believe that ANY researcher is conducting tests on the effects of smoking marijuana that even comes close to measuring up to the usage of cigarettes. What I mean is...How can you compare the two, if the average smoker for example smokes 20-40 cigarettes a day. I am not a pot smoker, but I have known more than my share and I never knew one who smoked 20-40 joints a day! It's an "apples and oranges" argument.
brian san
brian san  |  July 15, 2009 03:34 AM
Thanks @singermachines,
You raise an excellent point regarding the lack of a "breathayzer".
And you are probably right that the number of studies on marijuana and its effects is much lower that of tobacco.

But I think both issues would likely be solved once a serious change for legalization were to arise. In other words, if it became legal, I would guess that someone could find a way to measure it. And I'm really sure that the number of studies on it's effects would increase exponentially.
brian san
brian san  |  July 15, 2009 03:37 AM
breathayzer = breathalyzer

ARGH. This broken edit button is killing me....
albanian
4
Votes
albanian  |  July 14, 2009 01:20 PM
You are not going to find a direct death from overconsumption of cannabis because it is virtually non-toxic. According to the classic government study:

"In summary, enormous doses of Delta 9 THC, All THC and concentrated marihuana extract ingested by mouth were unable to produce death or organ pathology in large mammals but did produce fatalities in smaller rodents due to profound central nervous system depression.

The non-fatal consumption of 3000 mg/kg A THC by the dog and monkey would be comparable to a 154-pound human eating approximately 46 pounds (21 kilograms) of 1%-marihuana or 10 pounds of 5% hashish at one time. In addition, 92 mg/kg THC intravenously produced no fatalities in monkeys. These doses would be comparable to a 154-pound human smoking at one time almost three pounds (1.28 kg) of 1%-marihuana or 250,000 times the usual smoked dose and over a million times the minimal effective dose assuming 50% destruction of the THC by smoking.

Thus, evidence from animal studies and human case reports appears to indicate that the ratio of lethal dose to effective dose is quite large. This ratio is much more favorable than that of many other common psychoactive agents including alcohol and barbiturates (Phillips et al. 1971, Brill et al. 1970)."
http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/nc/ncmenu.htm

In other words, even somehow swallowing 10 lbs of hash wouldn't kill you. Poisoning from cannabis is impractical.

However, this does not relate directly to why the drug is illegal. The government has always felt that the drug increases anti-social behavior. The argument has always been pretty thin. However, there have been some recent studies showing that continued use of strong cannabis can cause or make worse some psychopathic conditions.

That smoking is bad for your lungs is true of all type of smoking. Although some juries have declared that cannabis causes driving accidents, scientists have not been able to prove that at all - it seems to impair less than many other things.

It is pretty clear that the main cause of death related to cannabis is violent crime among dealers and smugglers, which is actually a side effect of making it illegal.
Comment
samid
4
Votes
samid  |  July 14, 2009 01:46 PM
The only way marijuana has ever killed someone is by contributing to pulmonary illness, which is because it is smoked traditionally. It is the smoke that has all the harmful chemicals in it, like carbon monoxide and carcinogens, which is also what makes cigarettes so bad for you. However, one does not have to consume it in the traditional fashion. In some countries, it is used as an herb in cooking because of it's aroma and flavor. When people call it "herb," they are not joking. It actually is an herb that America has demonized as being this horrible thing that's killing our kids. Nothing could be further from the truth. You can also make a tea out of it and have a tasty beverage. You can also consume it using a vaporizer, which is quickly becoming the method of choice these days. It converts the marijuana into harmless water vapor that, when inhaled, gives the same effects as smoking it, but with no tar, no carcinogens, no carbon monoxide, etc.

There have been no deaths caused directly by marijuana. It was demonized for many reasons, but the reason it is still being demonized is because the pharmaceutical companies know it will help an awful lot of people for free, since it can be used directly off the plant and needs no processing to become usable. The pharmaceutical companies will be losing billions if it ever becomes completely legal. Those who suffer from depression, anxiety, insomnia, chronic nausea, eating disorders, and many more would be helped and would be able to grow it and use it as they see fit instead of spending thousands of dollars going to the doctor and then hitting the pharmacies to get the drugs prescribed, which are by far the most harmful drugs man has seen yet. Just look at Ambien and all those people who have been running around sleep walking, sleep driving, etc in blackouts completely unaware of what they did or where they went the next morning, only to find out they had a car accident and killed someone. Yes, it has happened, but you don't see Ambien being taken off the market, do you? Want to talk about dangerous? Those drugs are dangerous.
Comment
krusheasy
krusheasy  |  July 14, 2009 01:59 PM
how is my post unhelpful ?
krusheasy
krusheasy  |  July 14, 2009 02:13 PM
your talking about aromas, cooking, vaporizers, ambien and making tea ... what does this have to do with the question ?
samid
samid  |  July 17, 2009 06:42 PM
In my answer above, I talked about how marijuana can be injurious to a person, the dangers involved in it's use, and any possible causes of death related to marijuana. I answered the question fully, appropriately, and efficiently. If you do not see how this answers the question then I am sorry, but it is not my problem.
onek
2
Votes
onek  |  July 14, 2009 02:01 PM
I think there was at least one dead guy. Here he is talking about it:

voted helpful: krusheasy, jasoncalacanis

Comment
krusheasy
krusheasy  |  July 14, 2009 02:06 PM
"we made brownies ... and I think we're dead." TOO FUNNY !!!
jasoncalac...
jasoncalacanis  |  July 14, 2009 07:22 PM
Genius.
badaspie
badaspie  |  July 15, 2009 10:48 AM
I think he's only brain-dead, or at least rather stoned. Hats off to you and bunnyphuphu for posting this. It has "FAIL" written all over it (or at least it should; maybe you should submit it to Failblog).
badaspie
badaspie  |  July 15, 2009 12:52 PM
There was an old (1977) SNL sketch featuring a "marijuana-related death." I watched it along with about 30-40 other stoned college students (a rather appreciative audience). Transcript:

http://snltranscripts.jt.org/77/77cxpolice.phtml
rinaldo999
3
Votes
rinaldo999  |  July 14, 2009 02:39 PM
This is a loaded question. The attached site shows how three adolesants died from marijuana smoking. The subsequent cause of there deaths were a direct result of smoking. In other words, had they not smoked they would not have died. People seem to be throwing in caveats and a play on words to show how they are not directly corrolated. But thats like someone saying a person who smokes for 20 years and dies of throat cancer didnt die from smoking, they died from cancer.....The fact is, if they hadn't done the smoking the would not have died the way they did.

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/113/4/e365

Also there is no way to know how many people have developed lung cancer/throat cancer much like cig smokers do.

voted helpful: krusheasy, matthewh, beast1oh1, brian san

voted unhelpful: badaspie

Comment
brian san
brian san  |  July 14, 2009 11:25 PM
Actually I think only 2 of the 3 died, but it still looks like a legitimate case of death from marijuana. Though post is in medical language that I can't really follow. It did lead me to discover this post that says marijuana may increase risk of stroke.

From what I can tell, it appears that marijuana use is not completely safe, but I would still contend much safer than some legal products such as alcohol.

And ironically as posted here, can "give stroke patients hope"
brian san
brian san  |  July 14, 2009 11:29 PM
(and again my edit button is not working. "Though THE post is...")
badaspie
badaspie  |  July 15, 2009 09:47 AM
Quote from your first link:

"The incidence of stroke in childhood and adolescence is very low, at ~6 cases per 100 000 children per year..."

The under-18 population of the US is around 74 million:

http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/013733.html

Over the five-year period from which the three cases were selected, there were at least 20,000 cases of pediatric stroke. The ability to cherry-pick three cases of stroke with a temporal relationship to marijuana use is not surprising and is statistically meaningless. And, as brian san pointed out in another comment, while there are carcinogens in marijuana smoke, no studies have shown a correlation between marijuana smoking and cancer.
jasoncalac...
0
Votes
jasoncalacanis  |  July 14, 2009 07:28 PM
I haven't seen Doug Benson's Super High Me, but I understand he tries to smoke an absurd amount of marijuana in it.

He talked about it on episode two of Kevin Pollak's Chat Show
http://kevinpollakschatshow.com/all-episodes/
Comment
jeffhoard
jeffhoard  |  July 14, 2009 09:38 PM
I've seen that, it's kind-of-a "mockumentary" for Super-Size me. It is one of the more fun explorations into pro's of Marijuana legalization
krusheasy
krusheasy  |  July 14, 2009 10:14 PM
How is this answer more helpful than my contribution ?

"if this drug is so dangerous? Where are the bodies?" My answer points out that there are deaths caused by smoking marijuana even if it was not the marijuana smoker who died.

We can argue the definition of what is "directly attributed." However, that will not bring back the lives of those taken away from marijuana smokers driving under the influence.
veryheaven
0
Votes
veryheaven  |  July 14, 2009 07:30 PM
yo jason,
too many expertises circle the world about ganja, some say its a herb that cures, some say its toxic and it injures your psyche and body and the hole holistic self. but what doesnt. bob marley died from loungcancer, michael jackson was poisened, haille selassi got shot, and jesus was nailed on the cross. the most dangerous substance i know is made out of 98% water - guess which spezie that is :-)
Comment
scottelkin
0
Votes
scottelkin  |  July 14, 2009 07:40 PM
When you smoke marijuana, you are ingesting a poison, just like smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol and even caffeinated drinks.

But where as the average smoker may inhale smoke, I don't know, 100 times a day, the average marijuana smoker may only inhale 1 - 5 times a day.

So obviously, if you are consuming much less poison each day, the ramifications are going to be much less.

Don't think you are immune to cancer and other health related issues when you are ingesting a poison over time. It may be slow, and you may never notice, but it definitely doesn't help your body.

It only makes sense that if you inhale smoke of any kind long enough, it is only going to hurt you.

Whether we can ever attribute it as the sole cause of death is doubtful - but that doesn't mean it is safe or good for you.
Comment
corzak
corzak  |  July 15, 2009 04:22 PM
Some people will argue that's it's a poison. Take the IND federal medical marijuana program started in 1978. There is one very vocal participant by the name of Irv Rosenfeld who has been in the program for more than 25 years. The federal government provides 300 rolled joints per month which he has consumed for over 25 years. The Feds have this "guinea pig" who they have provided with MJ and has never done a study of the effects (which might just prove it's not bad) of this on his body. His indepenent reports show abolutely no ill effects! Doesn't sound like a poison to me!
trinifigue...
0
Votes
trinifigueroa  |  July 14, 2009 10:04 PM
If a person kills another person because he needs to get money to buy marihuana, that death is directly attributed to marihuana.
That is just my opinion.
Comment
jeffhoard
jeffhoard  |  July 15, 2009 01:46 AM
That would be an entirely different case, if I killed a person because I needed money to buy Soda, would that death be blamed on Coca-Cola?
angelg59
1
Vote
angelg59  |  July 15, 2009 04:10 AM
There has never been a death 'directly' connected to smoking marijuana, there have been deaths indirectly connected to marijuana.
source(s):
I am a retired medical examiner

voted helpful: brian san

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