In the upcoming, Maryland Gubernatorial election, Marylanders will be deciding on Maryland Question 4, Marijuana Legalization Amendment, whether or not to legalize marijuana for adults 21 years of age or older beginning in July 2023.
Apart from the medical issues, such as marijuana users having abnormal brain structure and poor memory, permanent damage to brain development, implications including cardiovascular diseases, having “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse” , or even “adolescents who use cannabis are 104 times more likely to use cocaine than adolescents who never use cannabis”, do we really need more “taxation for education” from brainwashing drugs?!
The Libertarian concept of “do what you feel like in your own home” or “as long as it won’t affect anyone” does not apply to weed smoke. Exposure to secondhand marijuana smoke can have health and safety risks for the general public, especially due to its similar composition to secondhand tobacco smoke.
Common fallacies “it’s like alcohol” fail, as getting drunk does not produce a stench which prevents me from leaving my child’s room window open at night… all because the neighbors need to have a “medical puff” every few hours. As noted in the studies, secondhand smoke exposure from marijuana can cause significant health issues including breathing problems:
- Secondhand smoke from combusted marijuana contains fine particulate matter that can be breathed deeply into the lungs, which can cause lung irritation; asthma attacks, and makes respiratory infections more likely. Exposure to fine particulate matter can exacerbate health problems especially for people with respiratory conditions like asthma, bronchitis, or COPD.
- Significant amounts of mercury, cadmium, nickel, lead, hydrogen cyanide, and chromium, as well as 3 times the amount of ammonia, are found in mainstream marijuana smoke than is in tobacco smoke.
- In 2009, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment added marijuana smoke to the list of carcinogens and reproductive toxins cited as dangerous in the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, also known as Proposition 65. It reported that at least 33 individual constituents present in both marijuana smoke and tobacco smoke are Proposition 65 carcinogens.
- Secondhand smoke from marijuana has many of the same chemicals as smoke from tobacco, including those linked to lung cancer.
- Secondhand marijuana smoke exposure impairs blood vessel function. Published studies on rats show thirty minutes of exposure to secondhand marijuana smoke at levels comparable to those found in restaurants that allow cigarette smoking led to substantial impairment of blood vessel function. Marijuana smoke exposure had a greater and longer-lasting effect on blood vessel function than exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke.
- One minute of exposure to marijuana SHS substantially impairs endothelial function in rats for at least 90 minutes, considerably longer than comparable impairment by tobacco SHS. The findings in rats suggest that SHS can exert similar adverse cardiovascular effects regardless of whether it is from tobacco or marijuana.
- Secondhand marijuana smoke and secondhand tobacco smoke is similar in many ways. More research is needed, but the current body of science shows that both tobacco and marijuana smoke have similar chemical composition and suggests that they may have harmful cardiovascular health effects, such as atherosclerosis (partially blocked arteries), heart attack, and stroke.
- Particle concentrations from dabbing and vaporizing cannabis can create levels of indoor air pollution similar as those seen in extreme air pollution events like wildfires and severe industrial pollution. Exposure at these concentrations can cause cardiovascular and respiratory disease.
- People who are exposed to secondhand marijuana smoke can have detectable levels of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) in their blood and urine.
- Marijuana also can be contaminated with mold, insecticides, and other chemicals that may be released in secondhand smoke.
As for Maryland, since the state launched its medical marijuana program in 2017, the smell of weed on Maryland streets, parking lots, neighborhoods, and even children’s playgrounds, has become unbearable! Even while driving, though in Maryland driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal! The puff pot cloud, seems to be everywhere. How bad will it get once fully legalized?!
Now with the Biden administration latest midterm election stunt, to overhaul US cannabis policy to pander to duped voters, this itself should be a warning as to what legalization really means. Are federal marijuana possessions even that much of a scourge on Americans?! As even the BBC article states: “Mr Biden’s pardons – for “simple possession” – are limited in scope. Only about 6,500 people with federal convictions and some District of Columbia (DC) residents are eligible for the relief.”
Our liberty minded “make it legal” friends, should note the amount of money being pushed into legalization promotion. Do big money donors have our best interests in mind, or do they want us addicted and brain fried begging for more?! Does making it legal, gives us more freedoms, or make us slaves to further addictions?! Let’s hope Marylanders have some common sense left, and vote “No” on Question 4 in November!
NOTE FROM EDITOR, FOUNDER TROY SMITH
I think this is a great piece of work from our great contributor Tom Smok. He outlines things that are simply not being covered. I would also like to add a few point.
With only 18 growers in the State of Maryland, most having political ties to Larry Hogan, the Governor who handed our the contracts, this question is an opportunity for the State-sponsored growers to reach an even larger customer base.
I would also like to add that even if you are pro-legalization in spirit, you probably disagree with the pro-legalization. On a Constitutional basis, it is laughable.
The State has no legal standing to ban marijuana in the first place. It is not their jurisdiction to decide either way. Continuing to capitulate to the fraudulent terms of their debate is exactly the problem.
GET OUT OF OUR LIVES, GOVERNMENT!
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