Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: bentway who wrote (764898)	1/21/2014 8:26:39 AM
From: Brumar89	Respond to of 1576364

Amsterdam marijuana legalization not working out well: Amsterdam forced to ban smoking marijuana in schools because of number of students turning up stoned Netherlands' relaxed drug laws exposing children to the drug Mayor passes law as some schools have problem with pupils high in class Move comes after Holland allows tourists to continue using the drug Amsterdam's today became the first city in the Netherlands to ban students from smoking marijuana at school. The city's mayor Eberhard van der Laan introduced the law after school chiefs complained about pupils turning up to classes high after rolling up outside the grounds. Marijuana is widely available in Holland as, although it is technically illegal, police can't prosecute people for possession of small amounts. The Netherlands' relaxed drug policy means some youngsters are turning up to classes stoned, prompting a ban of its use near schools (file picture) But it has also had the unwanted side effect that Dutch children are frequently exposed to the drug in public areas. City spokeswoman Iris Reshef says schools have always forbidden pot, but found it difficult to enforce the policy when students smoked on or near campus and challenged administrators to do anything about it. 'It's not really what you have in mind as an educator, that children would be turning up for class stoned, or drunk either for that matter,' she said. .......... Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2246977/Amsterdam-pot-ban-Smoking-marijuana-illegal-schools.html#ixzz2r1zCWFFI Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter \| DailyMail on Facebook .......... …For Paul Schnabel, director of the Social and Cultural Planning Office, a government advisory board, the move reflects a growing view that the tolerance policies have not controlled the ills associated with drugs and prostitution, rather than a recasting of Dutch liberalism. “There’s a strong tendency in Dutch society to control things by allowing them. . . . We look for better alternatives to problems that we know exist anyway,” he explained. But, he added, “Dutch society is less willing to tolerate than before. Perhaps 30 years ago we were a more easy-going society.” The circumstances that led to the tolerance policies have changed in the past decade, as large-scale crime around coffee shops and the legal sex trade became more visible. In particular, the absence of legal means for coffee shops to obtain cannabis has highlighted their association with organized crime. But the open-minded instincts that helped foster the policies are also being questioned. And it is not just the far-right opposing coffee shops. The traditional parties of power on the center-right, the Christian Democrats and the Liberal VVD, have also moved against the policies they once promoted. Oh, but I thought “legalizing it” would end the crime that is associated with drugs? Apparently that’s not the case in the Netherlands. We also hear about what an incredible revenue stream pot would turn into for the government. Yet, even in the Netherlands where easy access to pot is actually a tourism draw, they don’t think the extra revenue is worth it. That’s pretty noteworthy if you think about it. After all, how much of a problem do these coffee shops have to be if the Left, the Right, and the center all agree that there needs to be a crack down? http://www.rightwingnews.com/crime/amsterdam-shows-the-futility-of-legalizing-drugs/

To: bentway who wrote (764898)	1/21/2014 8:27:12 AM
From: Brumar89	1 Recommendation Recommended By FJB Respond to of 1576364

Marijuana Smokers Face Rapid Lung Destruction -- As Much As 20 Years Ahead Of Tobacco Smokers Jan. 27, 2008 — A new study finds that the development of bullous lung disease occurs in marijuana smokers approximately 20 years earlier than tobacco smokers. ...... Patients who smoke marijuana inhale more and hold their breath four times longer than cigarette smokers. It is the breathing manoeuvres of marijuana smokers that serve to increase the concentration and pulmonary deposition of inhaled particulate matter – resulting in greater and more rapid lung destruction. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123104017.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805110741.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615095940.htm

To: bentway who wrote (764898)	1/21/2014 8:28:21 AM
From: Brumar89	1 Recommendation Recommended By FJB Respond to of 1576364

Human Study Shows Greater Cognitive Deficits in Marijuana Users Who Start Young Nov. 17, 2010 — New research shows that people who start using marijuana at a young age and those who use the greatest amount of marijuana may be the most cognitively impaired. The research was presented at Neuroscience 2010, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, held in San Diego. Marijuana users show deficits in the ability to switch behavioral responses according to the context of a situation, also known as cognitive flexibility. The new study, directed by Staci Gruber, PhD, at McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School, compared people's performance on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task, a test of cognitive flexibility. During the task, people are shown four shown cards that differ in color, symbol, and value. Based on the rules they glean from these displayed cards, they must then sort a deck of cards. The participants are not told what the rules are -- only whether their sorting attempt is correct or incorrect. During the test, the researchers change the rules without warning, and participants must adjust accordingly. How a participant responds is a strong indicator of cognitive flexibility. The researchers found that habitual marijuana users made repeated errors despite feedback that they were wrong. Marijuana users also had more difficulty maintaining a set of rules, suggesting an inability to maintain focus. Those participants who began using marijuana before the age of 16 and those who used the most marijuana showed the greatest impairment. "Our results provide further evidence that marijuana use has a direct effect on executive function, and that both age of onset and magnitude of marijuana use can significantly influence cognitive processing," said Gruber. "Given the prevalence of marijuana use in the United States, these findings underscore the importance of establishing effective strategies to decrease marijuana use, especially in younger populations," she said. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101116104202.htm

To: bentway who wrote (764898)	1/21/2014 8:29:34 AM
From: Brumar89	Respond to of 1576364

Marijuana Use May Double the Risk of Accidents for Drivers, Study Finds Oct. 7, 2011 — Over 10 million people age 12 or older are estimated to have driven under the influence of illicit drugs in the prior year, according to a 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. While marijuana is the most commonly detected non-alcohol drug in drivers, its role in causing crashes has remained in question. To examine the link between marijuana use by drivers and risk of a car accident, researchers at Columbia University did a meta-analysis of nine epidemiologic studies and found that drivers who test positive for marijuana or report driving within three hours of marijuana use are more than twice as likely as other drivers to be involved in motor vehicle crashes. The researchers also found evidence that crash risk increases with the concentration of marijuana-produced compounds in the urine and the frequency of self-reported marijuana use. According to the investigators 8 of 9 studies found that drivers who use marijuana are significantly more likely to be involved in crashes than drivers who do not. Only one small case-control study conducted in Thailand, where the prevalence of marijuana use is far lower than reported elsewhere, was the exception. Full study findings are published online in Epidemiologic Reviews. The analysis indicates that 28% of fatally injured drivers and more than 11% of the general driver population tested positive for non-alcohol drugs, with marijuana being the most commonly detected substance. Guohua Li, MD, DrPh, professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, and senior author points out that although this analysis provides compelling evidence for an association between marijuana use and crash risk, one should be cautious in inferring causality from these epidemiologic data alone. However, "if the crash risk associated with marijuana is confirmed by further research, this is likely to have major implications for driving safety and public policy. It also would play a critical role in informing policy on the use of medical marijuana." "Given the ongoing epidemic of drug-impaired driving and the increased permissibility and accessibility of marijuana for medical use in the U.S., it is urgent that we better understand the role of marijuana in causing car accidents." Study co-authors from the Department of Epidemiology are Dr. Charles DiMaggio, associate professor; Joanne Brady, PhD candidate; and Keane Tzong, MPH candidate. The research was supported by the National Institute http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111006173453.htm