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Ricky Williams tested positive again? (Read article!)


Bye bye Ricky! ...Now you've become a Yoga instructor in Grass Valley, California? image

rd

imageimage

image - CONTINUED BELOW !!!
image

edit: Source: Sun-Sentinel

Comments

  • DaddyRichDaddyRich Posts: 241 ✭✭
    This may also have a bit to do with Americas's antiquated drug laws concerning marijuana. And no, I don't smoke it. Too bad tho, it certainly isn't a performance-enhancing drug. This is just a sad saga. He was never seen shooting bullets or being violent towards women, like many others athlete's.
    Just glad to be here with everyone.
  • larryallen73larryallen73 Posts: 6,067 ✭✭✭
    Sad.
  • royalbrettroyalbrett Posts: 620 ✭✭✭


    << <i>This may also have a bit to do with Americas's antiquated drug laws concerning marijuana. And no, I don't smoke it. Too bad tho, it certainly isn't a performance-enhancing drug. This is just a sad saga. He was never seen shooting bullets or being violent towards women, like many others athlete's. >>



    image
    Yeah, I uploaded that KC icon in 2001
  • MorrellManMorrellMan Posts: 3,241 ✭✭✭
    Marijuana? Demons and drug problems? These don't even equate in my mind. The only thing Ricky is guilty of is not following the rules and thinking he's above them. But sometimes rules is stupid.
    Mark (amerbbcards)


    "All evil needs to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
  • perkdogperkdog Posts: 31,230 ✭✭✭✭✭
    He knows the rules and the consequences, I think he just doesn't care if he gets caught. Maybe he is looking for an excuse not to play, the game just might not be that important to him anymore.
  • pandrewspandrews Posts: 7,598 ✭✭✭
    it may not be the wisest decision to lose a football career to weed, but +1 for rickey..

    legalize it..
    ·p_A·
  • elsnortoelsnorto Posts: 2,012 ✭✭
    I disagree with the article in that I feel neither anger nor pity for Ricky... he did it to himself by making, at least what most of us would deem, bad choices. No denying his talent and there will be those who will always wonder what could have been. As for me personally, I will reserve my pity for those whose career was ended by fate rather than their own hand... Bo Jackson, Daryl Stingley, etc.
  • AhmanfanAhmanfan Posts: 4,398 ✭✭✭✭
    I think this might be a good opportunity to look back at what kind of a great back Ricky was. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh6V2zqeiBc&amp;mode=related&amp;search=

    He had those anxiety problems and all that. Too bad it had to end this way.

    John
    Collecting
    HOF SIGNED FOOTBALL RCS
  • RipublicaninMassRipublicaninMass Posts: 10,051 ✭✭✭
    I wonder if he had a prescription if they would allow it?
  • One of my greatest sports memories was witnessing this run in person. He's made some interesting career decisions. Oh well.
  • perkdogperkdog Posts: 31,230 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>One of my greatest sports memories was witnessing this run in person. He's made some interesting career decisions. Oh well. >>




    That was an AWESOME run, you know that right before he hit the endzone there when a defender had his shirt in his grips? That picture was on the cover of NCAA football, the year Ricky made the cover.
  • TNTonPMSTNTonPMS Posts: 2,279 ✭✭
    "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone "

    That being said . . . . The rules are the rules though .

    Does this make him a bad person ?
    I think not .
  • rbdjr1rbdjr1 Posts: 4,474 ✭✭


    << <i>it may not be the wisest decision to lose a football career to weed, but +1 for rickey..

    legalize it.. >>



    Perry, I'm all for "legalizing pot" (NORMAL is groovy! image ).

    But the damage Ricky Williams did here in Miami to the Dolphin organization, and its players, and the South Florida community, particularlly, the "inner city kids" who looked up to Williams as their sports hero and a role model.

    Not being able to control his urges to smoke some dope, knowing full well what could happen. He let us all down.

    Perry, at least he could have put down his hooka, bowl or joint for a minute and read high times on "how to beat those drug tests" image


    I always liked Ricky, but will never forgive him for the damage he did to our community here in South Florida and the potential long term damage to our youth on the fringes of poverty.

    Ricky, good luck with your Yoga instruction in Grass Valley, California! Bye bye!

    rd
  • rbdjr1rbdjr1 Posts: 4,474 ✭✭


    << <i>"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone "

    That being said . . . . The rules are the rules though .


    Does this make him a bad person ?
    I think not . >>



    "...If its cool for Ricky to smoke dope, and give up his football, then its cool for me to smoke it too, and if I give up school, thats ok, because 'smokin' is cool!"

    source: ...inner South Florida inner city youth

    When Ricky went to those Dolphins practace scrimmages stoned, took those hand offs, and instead of "run Ricky run", Ricky was waiting for the light to turn green? image Ricky knew it was time to quit something (football or dope!).

    Well Ricky picked the bone! image

    image



  • MorrellManMorrellMan Posts: 3,241 ✭✭✭
    I believe in feeling good all the time.

    image
    Mark (amerbbcards)


    "All evil needs to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
  • storm888storm888 Posts: 11,701 ✭✭✭
    Dope and sports just do not mix well.

    Legal or not, I want my guys straight
    and on a natural high.

    I've got a fortune bet on the bums and
    they better not show-up blitzed.

    image


    Also, as noted, rich-dopers send the wrong message
    to poverty-stricken inner-city kids. The failure of such
    kids presents social problems that ALL must pay for.
    RW has helped compund the problems with his bad
    example.

    He is an interesting guy, but must be tormented by
    some pain that requires him to seek escape through
    dope. Such escape attempts usually lead to more pain.
    Folks Who Bite Get Bitten. Folks Who Don't Bite Get Eaten.
  • MorrellManMorrellMan Posts: 3,241 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    He is an interesting guy, but must be tormented by
    some pain that requires him to seek escape through
    dope. Such escape attempts usually lead to more pain. >>



    ? Storm - are you speaking from experience or just repeating what you've heard? If this is experience speaking, I'm right there for you, brother - seeking sobriety is as close as many of us get to God. If it is not experience, then you're just parroting something you heard and that's really just a whole bunch of hooey - no offense meant. It's important to put things in perspective. I don't think Ricky is tormented - I just think he doesn't give a sh:t.
    Mark (amerbbcards)


    "All evil needs to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
  • julen23julen23 Posts: 4,558 ✭✭
    good points everybody, i dont agree w/ everything said here, but to his credit, ricky has never been to jail or shot or raped or called for the bombing of a country that was in NO way connected to 9-11, or used fear as a tool to gain confidence in entering a war we had no business being in, nor is ricky personally responsible for the deaths of (to date) 3,367 US soldiers and over 100k+ Iraqis.

    bad herbstock should b illegal.

    julen
    image
    RIP GURU
  • storm888storm888 Posts: 11,701 ✭✭✭
    "...are you speaking from experience or just repeating what you've heard?"

    //////////////////////////////////////////////////

    Everybody who lives long enough encounters difficult times.

    I deal with mine by continuing to move forward. My lack of
    experience with escapist-substances does not preclude
    me from having a scientific opinion about their properties.

    I do not need a weatherman to tell me it is raining, and
    I do not need to get stoned to know that I am already
    stupid enough without adding drugs to the pie.


    image
    Folks Who Bite Get Bitten. Folks Who Don't Bite Get Eaten.
  • MorrellManMorrellMan Posts: 3,241 ✭✭✭


    << <i>scientific opinion >>



    Isn't that kind of an oxymoron?image
    Mark (amerbbcards)


    "All evil needs to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
  • yawie99yawie99 Posts: 2,575 ✭✭✭


    << <i>I always liked Ricky, but will never forgive him for the damage he did to our community here in South Florida and the potential long term damage to our youth on the fringes of poverty. >>



    Dude. Hurricanes, virtually inescapable poverty, the War on Drugs - those are the kinds of things that damage communities. Good football players who would rather puff headies than carry the football don't strike me as much of a blight on the urban landscape. Your commentary is nowhere near as overwrought as that Sun-Sentinel's hack's column, but I think your statement nicely illustrates our incredibly distored view of sport's place in society.
    imageimageimageimageimageimage
  • MeteoriteGuyMeteoriteGuy Posts: 7,140 ✭✭
    "Dude. Hurricanes, virtually inescapable poverty, the War on Drugs - those are the kinds of things that damage communities. Good football players who would rather puff headies than carry the football don't strike me as much of a blight on the urban landscape. Your commentary is nowhere near as overwrought as that Sun-Sentinel's hack's column, but I think your statement nicely illustrates our incredibly distored view of sport's place in society."

    I agree completely.

    Some of you appear to be forgetting Ricky Williams in Miami was always a question mark.

    Mark
    Collecting PSA graded Steve Young, Marcus Allen, Bret Saberhagen and 1980s Topps Cards.
    Raw: Tony Gonzalez (low #'d cards, and especially 1/1's) and Steve Young.
  • storm888storm888 Posts: 11,701 ✭✭✭
    "...but I think your statement nicely illustrates our incredibly distored view of sport's place in society. "

    ////////////////////////////////////////////////////

    Quite so.

    But, that is the easy to bear burden that stars are
    absolutely obligated to carry. They get the perks
    because the peasants have made them their stars
    and - foolishly - their role models.

    The players trade their anonymity and their skills
    for BIG dollars. It is a contract that is broken when
    the athlete forgets the duty he has to fit into the
    ultra-respectable mold cast by the leagues on behalf
    of the paying customers.

    Many of these birds want to have their cake and eat
    it too. Get the money and act like a bum. Well, it just
    does not work like that; they know that when they
    sign-up, and forget that when they start to buy into
    the worship the fans shell out.

    Under the current scheme, drug use breaks the compact
    that parents/kids have with their idols. Any argument that
    spectator-citizens do not "idolize" athletes is clearly
    given the lie by the very existence of this forum; and
    by the hobby that keeps the forum alive.

    Grown folks "love" their athletes. Young kids are harmed
    when their heroes turn-up turned-on. RW came back for
    one reason only; he needed money to fund a lifestyle
    that is antithetical to both sports and to the hopes, goals
    and wishes that all good parents - rich and poor - have for
    their kids.

    I don't wish RW anything bad, but his departure is not
    a bad thing. If he decides it is "punishment," he may be
    better for that punishment as time passes.

    60-Minutes will soon re-air the Ed Bradley interview with
    RW. When you watch that, you will know that RW never
    should have been allowed to return.
    Folks Who Bite Get Bitten. Folks Who Don't Bite Get Eaten.
  • rbdjr1rbdjr1 Posts: 4,474 ✭✭


    << <i> Dude. Hurricanes, virtually inescapable poverty, the War on Drugs - those are the kinds of things that damage communities. Good football players who would rather puff headies than carry the football don't strike me as much of a blight on the urban landscape. Your commentary is nowhere near as overwrought as that Sun-Sentinel's hack's column, but I think your statement nicely illustrates our incredibly distored view of sport's place in society. >>



    I'll take the memory of just one Pat Tillman over a 1,000 cool dudes like Ricky Williams, as our society's view of sports role models.

    rd
  • A very sad story for Ricky Williams. Plenty of talent just decided to go a different route. If thats what he wants to do that is fine he knows the rules for playing if he wants to smoke up good for him but quit trying to get back into the leauge where it's not acceptable. He's made his own choices.
    "I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they
    wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're
    going to feel all day. "
    ~Frank Sinatra
  • stownstown Posts: 11,321 ✭✭✭


    << <i>One of my greatest sports memories was witnessing this run in person. He's made some interesting career decisions. Oh well. >>



    I was there too image

    It's a sad story because Ricky had sooo much potential; we only caught a glimpse of what he could have become. I'm not surprised at all.. In fact, I would have been more suprised had he come back clean.

    It's just Ricky being Ricky and I wish him the best in life image
    So basically my kid won't be able to go to college, but at least I'll have a set where the three most expensive cards are of a player I despise ~ CDsNuts
  • SoutherncardsSoutherncards Posts: 1,384 ✭✭
    image
  • TNTonPMSTNTonPMS Posts: 2,279 ✭✭
    How many do you think are guilty of the exact same thing but just didn't get pinched ? YET .

    I bet more prefer to do cocaine /heroine/prescription drugs just because of the fact that they stay in the system a shorter amount of time .

    Look At Brett Favre he was hooked on Vicodin for a while there .
    I'm sure everyone starts it because of pain until they figure out , wow this makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and then you're hooked .
    Probably one of the hardest prescription drugs to just stop taking cold turkey . . .Practically Impossible , He was able to bounce back though thankfully.
    Not trying to make excuses, Just sayin he's definitely not alone .
  • julen23julen23 Posts: 4,558 ✭✭
    see North Dallas Forty

    julen
    image
    RIP GURU


  • << <i>"...but I think your statement nicely illustrates our incredibly distored view of sport's place in society. "

    ////////////////////////////////////////////////////

    Quite so.

    But, that is the easy to bear burden that stars are
    absolutely obligated to carry. They get the perks
    because the peasants have made them their stars
    and - foolishly - their role models.

    The players trade their anonymity and their skills
    for BIG dollars. It is a contract that is broken when
    the athlete forgets the duty he has to fit into the
    ultra-respectable mold cast by the leagues on behalf
    of the paying customers.

    Many of these birds want to have their cake and eat
    it too. Get the money and act like a bum. Well, it just
    does not work like that; they know that when they
    sign-up, and forget that when they start to buy into
    the worship the fans shell out.

    Under the current scheme, drug use breaks the compact
    that parents/kids have with their idols. Any argument that
    spectator-citizens do not "idolize" athletes is clearly
    given the lie by the very existence of this forum; and
    by the hobby that keeps the forum alive.

    Grown folks "love" their athletes. Young kids are harmed
    when their heroes turn-up turned-on. RW came back for
    one reason only; he needed money to fund a lifestyle
    that is antithetical to both sports and to the hopes, goals
    and wishes that all good parents - rich and poor - have for
    their kids.

    I don't wish RW anything bad, but his departure is not
    a bad thing. If he decides it is "punishment," he may be
    better for that punishment as time passes.

    60-Minutes will soon re-air the Ed Bradley interview with
    RW. When you watch that, you will know that RW never
    should have been allowed to return. >>




    image
  • AUPTAUPT Posts: 806 ✭✭✭
    image

    image
  • stownstown Posts: 11,321 ✭✭✭


    << <i>image >>



    BUSTED image

    Can you upload the original picture into photobucket?
    So basically my kid won't be able to go to college, but at least I'll have a set where the three most expensive cards are of a player I despise ~ CDsNuts
  • SoutherncardsSoutherncards Posts: 1,384 ✭✭
    sorry I'm not the techno geek that others appear to be.....
  • Who the hell cares if they smoke POT

    Lot better than the alcohol drugs WHICH ARE LEGAL

    My Sports Cards/Magazines

    Cards/Mags
  • How funny/sad is the fact that Williams hasn't been convicted of rape, murder, or assault a VALID point when discussing his life as a professional athlete.

  • stownstown Posts: 11,321 ✭✭✭
    FREE RICKY!
    So basically my kid won't be able to go to college, but at least I'll have a set where the three most expensive cards are of a player I despise ~ CDsNuts
  • julen23julen23 Posts: 4,558 ✭✭
    find ricky, get him to autograph your bong, then buy some weed from him.

    julen
    image
    RIP GURU
  • rbdjr1rbdjr1 Posts: 4,474 ✭✭


    << <i>Who the hell cares if they smoke POT

    Lot better than the alcohol drugs WHICH ARE LEGAL >>



    image

    RD

    image


    Teens using marijuana are also more likely to take risks, such as driving while high or riding with someone who is driving under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs. Research shows that smoking pot affects concentration, perception, coordination and reaction time, many of the skills required for safe driving. SOURCE: HEALTH AND FITNESS AT NETSCAPE

    Larger Doses Can Triple the Risk, Study Finds
    Driving after smoking even a small amount of marijuana almost doubles the risk of a fatal highway accident, according to an extensive study of 10,748 drivers involved in fatal crashes between 2001 and 2003. A study by the French National Institute for Transport and Safety Research published in the British Medical Journal found that seven percent of drivers involved in a fatal highway crash used marijuana.

    The researchers estimated that at least 2.5 percent of the 10,748 fatal crashes studied were directly caused by the use of marijuana. The researchers concluded that the risk of being responsible for a fatal crash increased as the blood concentration of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, increased. Even small amounts of marijuana could double the chance of a driver suffering an accident, researchers said, and larger doses could more than triple the risk.

    The number of highway deaths contributed the smoking pot were significant, even though they were dwarfed by the number caused by drinking alcohol.

    The French research found that 2.9 percent of drivers involved in fatal crashes tested positive for both marijuana and alcohol. Men were more often involved in fatal crashes than women and were more often tested positive for both marijuana and alcohol.
    SOURCE: ©2007 About, Inc., A part of The New York Times Company

    Could I become chemically dependent on marijuana?
    Yes. When you’re chemically dependent on marijuana, it means you crave it and you need to use more and more to get the same effect. You may have withdrawal symptoms, such as depressed feelings, trouble sleeping or nausea, when you stop using it. Because marijuana is a lot stronger now than it used to be, people are also more likely to abuse it and become dependent on it than they were in the past. SOURCE: © 2000-2007 American Academy of Family Physicians

    Marijuana: Medical Implications BY: JOHN R. HUBBARD, M.D., PH.D., SHARONE E. FRANCO, M.D., and EMMANUEL S. ONAIVI, PH.D.
    Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee

    Over 50 percent of people will use marijuana sometime in their life. While intoxication lasts two to three hours, the active ingredient in marijuana, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, can accumulate in fatty tissues, including the brain and testes. Adverse effects from marijuana use include decreased coordination, epithelial damage to the lungs, increased risk of infection, cardiovascular effects and cognitive deficits. Unexplained behavior changes, altered social relationships and poor performance at school or work can signify a drug problem. Treatment requires a combination of education, social support, drug monitoring and attention to comorbid medical and psychiatric conditions. (Am Fam Physician 1999;60:2583-93.)


    TABLE 2
    Physical Adverse Effects of Marijuana
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Dry mouth
    Nausea
    Headache
    Nystagmus
    Tremor
    Decreased coordination Increased heart rate
    Altered pulmonary status
    Altered body temperature
    Reduced muscle strength
    Decreased cerebral blood flow
    Increased food consumption image

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Information from references 1, 4, and 18 through 22.


    TABLE 3
    Neuropsychiatric Adverse Effects of Marijuana
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Anxiety and panic
    Paranoia
    Confusion
    Aggressiveness
    Hallucinations
    Sedation
    Altered libido Possible suicidal ideation
    Depersonalization
    Derealization
    Poor sense of time
    Worsened short-term memory
    Addictive behaviors
    Amotivational syndrome

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Information from references 1, 4, 16, 17, 19, 22 and 23.



    Many investigations using animals and some studies of humans suggest that reproductive abnormalities may occur with the use of marijuana (Table 4).1,4,7,13,22,24-26 These effects are less clear in humans. Maternal exposure to marijuana during pregnancy may reduce the size of the fetus and the birth weight.27 A 10-fold increase in the risk of nonlymphoblastic leukemia in children whose mothers used marijuana before or during gestation has been reported.27 Marijuana may also increase the risk of chromosomal damage (including breakage and translocation), but this damage seems to be confined to somatic cells.4,5,7,27

    Some patients with pre-existing medical conditions who use marijuana may be at particular risk. For example, although THC acutely increases the respiratory rate and the diameter of bronchial airways, chronic use of marijuana results in epithelial damage to the trachea and major bronchi, and decreased diameter of the bronchial airways.4 Marijuana smoke does not contain nicotine but does have a significantly higher tar content than cigarettes, contains many carcinogens and, unlike most cigarettes, is smoked unfiltered.4,27


    Marijuana users with pre-existing medical conditions such as AIDS are at increased risk of infection because of fungal and bacterial contaminants and epithelial damage from the smoke.


    A serious adverse effect of marijuana that is often neglected is the risk of infection. For example, chronic use of marijuana may lead to impairment of pulmonary defenses against infection. Marijuana can be contaminated with microorganisms such as Aspergillus and Salmonella, as well as fecal matter. The risk of infection may be of particular concern in patients who have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.9

    The adverse effects of marijuana are of particular concern in older patients and in those with coronary artery disease, hypertension and cerebrovascular disease. For example, marijuana can increase heart rate (a dose-dependent tachycardia), increases cardiac output by as much as 30 percent, alters blood pressure, increases myocardial demand, decreases myocardial oxygen and increases angina.4,7,12,18


    TABLE 4
    Potential Adverse Effects of Marijuana on the Reproductive System
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Reduced testicular size
    Lower testosterone levels
    Decreased libido
    Menstrual abnormalities
    Impotence
    Change in sperm morphology/motility Infertility
    Gynecomastia
    Abnormal ova
    Fetal exposure
    Prolonged childbirth
    Reduced fertility in offspring

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Information from references 1, 4, 7, 13, 22, and 24 through 26.


    Long-term use of marijuana may lead to subtle cognitive deficits. In studies using animals, chronic exposure to marijuana changed the structure and function of the hippocampus in ways similar to the effects of the aging process.27 Acute exposure to marijuana leads to deficits in short-term memory, but long-term effects on cognition are not as well documented.

    An "amotivational syndrome" caused by marijuana use is still controversial but of concern. High school students who use marijuana often spend less time on homework, have lower grades and more delinquency.28 Also, college women who use marijuana report significantly higher rates of motor vehicle crashes, smoking, use of alcohol and tranquilizers, use of sex as a coping mechanism, violent dreams, sleeplessness and psychiatric problems than do nonusers.29 "Cause and effect" is still the area of uncertainty, as drug abuse and conduct problems are intimately intertwined, and temporal relationships are often uncertain.

    Marijuana use can lead to abuse, tolerance and dependence. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. (DSM-IV) does not contain a diagnosis of "cannabis withdrawal"; however, some studies suggest that withdrawal symptoms can develop (Table 5).1,22,25 If present, these symptoms are generally mild, presumably because of the long half-life of marijuana.1


    TABLE 5
    Symptoms of Marijuana Withdrawal
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Physiologic
    Nausea
    Tremor
    Perspiration
    Weight loss
    Salivation
    Increased body temperature
    Decreased appetite Sleep
    Altered sleep/wake cycles
    Insomnia
    Behavioral
    Restlessness/ agitation
    Irritability
    Depressed mood

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Information from references 1, 22 and 25.


    Potential Medical Uses

    Marijuana use for medicinal purposes is currently being debated on a national level.30 This topic extends beyond the focus of this article; however, because patients are often interested in the subject, physicians should be familiar with the debate. The primary proposed medical uses of cannabinoids are shown in Table 6.1,4,7,9,22,25

    Advocates of medicinal marijuana use point out that the estimated ratio of lethal dose to therapeutic dose is about 20,000:1.25 Much of the controversy surrounding this issue could be minimized if researchers could isolate or develop specific cannabinoids that are medically efficacious and have little or no potential for abuse.

    Identifying Patients in Need of Treatment

    Identifying patients with a marijuana-related disorder can be difficult, because abuse and associated problems commonly develop slowly. Often, patients do not recognize that they have a problem or do not want to give up their drug use. In addition, they may try to hide their problem from parents, physicians and other authority figures.

    Unexplained deterioration in school or work performance may be a red flag for drug abuse. In addition, problems with or changes in social relationships (such as spending more time alone or with persons suspected of using drugs) and recreational activities (such as giving up activities that were once pleasurable) may indicate drug abuse. Information from concerned parents or spouses is often helpful in sorting out a differential diagnosis.


    TABLE 6
    Some Possible Medical Uses of Cannabinoids
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Antiemetic activity (e.g., with chemotherapy)
    Decrease pain sensation
    Increase appetite (e.g., in patients with cancer or AIDS) Tremor reduction
    Antispasmodic
    Anticonvulsant
    Treatment of glaucoma
    Immunomodulation

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    AIDS = acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
    Information from references 1, 4, 7, 9, 22 and 25.


    Although marijuana abuse in adolescents and young adults is of particular concern, it should not be overlooked in other patient groups. For example, persons with certain psychiatric disorders (such as bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder), those who are under severe emotional distress and those who have chronic pain might be at increased risk. Ultimately, patients who need treatment will be identified through direct disclosure of marijuana-related problems by the patient, a positive urine drug screen, or identification by legal, school or employment authorities.

    Treatment Strategies
    An estimated 100,000 people in the United States seek treatment for marijuana dependence annually.13 Overcoming the minimization of marijuana-related problems in an environment of common use, mixed messages and peer pressure is the first challenge physicians face. Although many patients use marijuana, few initiate discussions about it in a medical setting. Thus, physicians may need to directly address the issue when appropriate. Interventions to be considered include education, monitoring of drug use, strengthening of social support, treatment of possible comorbid psychiatric disorders and referral to a substance abuse treatment program (Table 7).


    TABLE 7
    Strategies for Treatment of Marijuana Dependence
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Evaluation and treatment of other drug-related disorders (e.g., alcoholism)
    Evaluation and treatment of comorbid psychiatric disorders (e.g., depression)
    Evaluation and treatment of comorbid medically-related problems (e.g., chronic pain)
    Education about physical, behavioral and emotional adverse effects of use and dependency
    Supportive care for panic reactions and withdrawal symptoms
    Strengthen social support (e.g., education for spouse and family)
    Referral to a comprehensive relapse prevention program
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    AIDS = acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
    Information from references 1, 4, 7, 9, 22 and 25.


    Education about the adverse effects of marijuana may deter some patients but certainly not all. For instance, some people may not have considered the weight gain related to marijuana use.20,21 Others may be concerned about possible adverse effects of cannabinoids on the reproductive system.1,4,7,22,24-26,31,32 Education and other forms of prevention may be particularly important in school-age children because of the effects marijuana may have on motivation and behaviors that affect self image, social relationships and academic performance.7,17

    Acute panic reactions and flashbacks during marijuana intoxication can usually be handled with supportive therapy in a calming environment. In severe cases, low-dose anxiolytic medication may be needed.1 Withdrawal from marijuana does not require medical intervention.

    Patients who have a problem with marijuana abuse or dependence should be referred to a comprehensive substance abuse treatment program. Such programs are designed to prevent relapse and often consist of complete substance abuse and psychiatric evaluations, laboratory testing (such as testing for human immunodeficiency virus infection, urine drug screens, liver status, etc.), group therapy, education, social services, individual counseling, promotion of 12-step programs (such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous) and treatment of co-morbid psychiatric illness. Often, these programs involve individual reflection about how problems with substance abuse develop, the direct and indirect costs of substance abuse, biopsychosocial triggers for substance use, relapse prevention strategies, ways to enhance coping skills and spiritual issues.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Authors

    JOHN R. HUBBARD, M.D., PH.D.,
    is an associate professor of psychiatry in the Division of Addiction Medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tenn., and director of the Substance Abuse Treatment Program at the Nashville Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Dr. Hubbard received his medical degree and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Virginia Commonwealth University Medical College of Virginia School of Medicine, Richmond. He is board-certified in psychiatry and addiction psychiatry.

    SHARONE E. FRANCO, M.D.,
    is currently a staff psychiatrist at Western Mental Health Institute in Bolivar, Tenn. Dr. Franco received her medical degree from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and completed her residency at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, where she was chief resident.

    EMMANUEL S. ONAIVI, PH.D.,
    is assistant professor of pharmacology and psychiatry at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville. Dr. Onaivi received his Ph.D. in neuropharmacology at the University of Bradford, England.

    Address correspondence to John R. Hubbard, M.D., Ph.D., Nashville Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Dept. of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37212. Reprints are not available from the authors.

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    Copyright © 1999 by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
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    Study finds smoking marijuana and cocaine can cause cancer

    WASHINGTON (CNN)--

    In the first study of its kind, researchers found that smokers of marijuana and crack cocaine show the same kinds of precancerous conditions caused by smoking tobacco.

    The findings were released Tuesday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

    In the study, researchers examined samples of respiratory tract tissue from participants who ranged in age from 21 to 50. To be eligible, the participants had to be in one or more of the following categories: Marijuana smokers who smoked an average of 10 or more marijuana cigarettes a week for the last five years or longer; crack cocaine smokers who smoked one gram or more of crack cocaine a week for nine months or longer within the past year; or tobacco smokers who smoked 20 cigarettes or more a day for the last five years.

    The researchers looked at genetic markers known to be associated with increased risk of lung cancer. Changes or overproduction of some markers were found in a majority of the study participants.

    The findings suggested that tobacco was not the only smoked substance that set the changes preceding lung cancer development in motion.

    The study also showed that habitual smoking of tobacco, marijuana or crack cocaine in combination could potentially lead to more cancerous alterations in the molecular makeup of cellular structure than single-smoking alone.

    Dr. Sanford Barsky, co-author of the study and a member of the University of California, Los Angeles' Jonnson Comprehensive Cancer Center, said he was not surprised by the findings. He said any substance that is inhaled, regardless of chemical makeup, releases carcinogens into the lungs and throat.

    In an editorial accompanying the study, Dr Li Mao and Dr. Yun Oh at the University of Texas's M.D. Anderson Cancer Center conclude that the nationwide teen anti-tobacco effort might have an "unintended consequence" -- teens will substitute tobacco with marijuana.

    They write while these anti-tobacco campaigns are expected to reduce the numbers of teenagers and children who smoke tobacco cigarettes, the rate of marijuana use is increasing.

    They note the percentage of students smoking marijuana on a daily basis has risen from 1.9 percent in 1992 to 4.6 percent in 1995.






  • DaddyRichDaddyRich Posts: 241 ✭✭
    "The number of highway deaths contributed the smoking pot were significant, even though they were dwarfed by the number caused by drinking alcohol. "

    Also, when was the last time there was a federally funded round of tests? By American researchers? Nothing against the French. Marijuana's downsides are dwarfed when when compared to those of alcohol, which for some odd reason is considered socially acceptable. I am sure that a reasonable amount of disinformation has been given about the dangers of smoking herb. The government should wise up and legalize it for use by adults over 21 and create stiff penalties for use while driving (as well as drunk driving) that are so harsh that one has no incentive to drive under the influence (automatic loss of license for first offense for 1 year, etc) and tax the herb to the level of tobacco and use the proceeds for good purposes. It is all a bit much to expect from our government, but still there are many benefits to many people - let them legally possess a certain amount and smoke at home (or designated areas) and reap the windfall from taxing it. Even applying a heavy tax would keep it cheaper than buying from illicit sources and you can regulate THC levels as well as other concerns. To just give it the hard-drug status is has wothout the benefit of research is plain ignorant. Again, I don't smoke - but it is no way in the same class as alcohol abuse. An enlightened discussion is good for all and hopefully this thread and any other on such topics won't go 'Poof!'

    R.
    Just glad to be here with everyone.
  • MorrellManMorrellMan Posts: 3,241 ✭✭✭
    Even with the plethora of scarey data regarding the use of marijuana, note that every warning is phrased that the proceeding "may" or "can" occur. The same "can" be said for ingesting tuna fish.

    Mark (amerbbcards)


    "All evil needs to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
  • rbdjr1rbdjr1 Posts: 4,474 ✭✭



    << <i>Even with the plethora of scarey data regarding the use of marijuana, note that every warning is phrased that the proceeding "may" or "can" occur. The same "can" be said for ingesting tuna fish. >>



    Mark, I know! Trust me, I'm the "pot image calling the kettle black"!

    I just think the whole "Ricky thing" is sending the wrong messages to our youth!

    And as far as all that "warning data" that uses phrases that begin with "may" or "can"; ...looking back at my 1960's & 1970's driving;

    yeah, I could haved been "pulled over" almost any time and ticketed for "DWM" (Driving While Num!).
    I didn't need to read any warning data to know that the the warning phrases that begin with "may or can" should be rewritten to begin with: "will and did"! image

    rd

    imageimage
    ................................................................................................................... That's called "ditch weed" (makes some great rope too! image )


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