Therefore
In the newspapers today, you can read about youngsters in CA who are dying from unregulated cannabis. There are over 207 pages of cannabis regulations in the California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC). In addition, there are regulations promulgated by counties and cities. So why are youngsters under the age of 21 ingesting unregulated cannabis when it is prohibited?
There are 708 chapters and 707 pages in the 2022 Alcohol and Beverage ACT in CA, yet alcohol is available in every corner store, every big box outlet, every Rite Aid, and every restaurant in CA. Eleven percent of entering college students are already heavy drinkers leading to nearly 2,000 student deaths each year. So why isn’t the journalist talking about how youngsters die of alcohol ingestion? Why are colleges prohibited from teaching the science of cannabis, yet any business is allowed to obtain a liquor license?
Deaths From Plant Cannabis Nonexistent
The defining reason NC do not kill mammals as opposed to alcohol is there are NO, NONE, ZERO receptors for THC in the brain stem which controls breathing. Therefore there is not a single death from cannabis consumption by anyone, any age, anywhere in the world, ever. That is a fact. What allows the public and media to denigrate a natural plant that God made to mimic the biology of living mammals? Poor research? Government lies? Pharmaceutical influence? Alcohol commercials? Fifty percent of the commercials on my football channel are telling me how cool it is to drink alcohol. Children watch this. Are the parents telling children that alcohol kills? I doubt it.
Endocannabinoid System
So, what is the science that tells us alcohol kills yet cannabis does not? The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is the science. The ECS has millions of receptors all over the body for cannabis, more than any other chemical in the body. This abundance of receptors for the plant cannabinoids, cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), anandamide, and 2-AG are the exact replicas of the natural cannabinoids we make. The erroneous comparison between natural cannabinoids (NC) and synthetic cannabinoids (SyC) is what makes people believe cannabis kills. How do synthetics differ from plants?
Synthetic (LAB) Cannabinoids
First, SyC act on the same brain cell receptors (CB1 and CB2) as THC. The caveat to this Scenario is two very important principles. Synthetics that are made in the lab are a major lethal difference between the THC and CBD in the plant.
Human-made mind-altering chemicals that are either sprayed on dried, shredded plant material are SyC. This herbal or liquid incense is sold as liquids to be vaporized and inhaled in e-cigarettes or other devices. Manufacturers sell these products in colorful foil packages and plastic bottles to attract consumers, especially teenagers. Hundreds of brands have been around for years and are packaged as K2, Spice, Joker, Black Mamba, Kush, and Kronic.
Second, NC like the plant cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are partial agonists. But SyC are full agonists. A full agonist is when the drug locks onto a receptor completely so receptors are not simply off-on switches. They are more like light bulbs on a dimmer switch. A full agonist will crank on the receptor to its full level of “brightness” which is not possible with THC. The black-market SYC are full agonists causing medical emergencies, including adverse cardiovascular events, stroke, and death.
Third, unbeknownst to the user, deaths occur when dangerous synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, are added to the packaged mixture. Thus, these alternative core structures are technically legal – or at least not explicitly illegal. One of the seven small classes of molecules designed expressly to evade legislation passed in China in July of 2021 is called OXIZID cannabinoids,
Prohibition creates a market for completely unheard-of drugs that are talked about as marijuana-like. Lazy journalists cause a sensation by inflating a mother’s grief without the scientific nuance of synthetic cannabinoids.
previously published in https://coachellavalleyweekly.com/when-can-ingesting-cannabis-lead-to-death/
Leave a Reply