Warrior_of_god Posted April 30, 2007 Share Posted April 30, 2007 Why not just grow a better, less harmful version of weed? Aside its illegality in the US, if there are other countries where it is legal they could grow a better, healthier version of the stuff. I bring this up because recently i saw several threads by fundies who kept bashing it or "talking" about it. Scientists have shown how cannabis may trigger psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia. Also...(from same story) A separate study has shown that one of these ingredients - cannabidiol (CBD) - has the potential to dampen down psychotic symptoms, and could form the basis of new treatments. More... If it is both harmful and helpful why not just grow a regulated, possibly government regulated supply for medical uses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbie Posted April 30, 2007 Share Posted April 30, 2007 I'm not sure if it's really possible to actually grow cannabis plants that lack one or more of the chemicals that the plant normally contains. Even if it is, I imagine it would be a very expensive and difficult process. I suppose genetic engineering could allow for some of the chemicals to be eliminated without the need to process every plant or synthesise the chemicals in a lab. However, there are several hundred active chemicals in cannabis, and to genetically manipulate them would surely involve a very time-consuming mapping of its genome. If governments are stubbornly unwilling to allow cannabis for medicinal purposes, then I doubt they would fund this sort of project. I don't think they are interested in anything to do with cannabis except for discovering and then vastly misrepresenting and exaggerating its potential negative effects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warrior_of_god Posted April 30, 2007 Author Share Posted April 30, 2007 Unfortunately your probably right. The cost alone would deter the government from even looking into any medical benifits the drug has to offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthOkkata Posted April 30, 2007 Share Posted April 30, 2007 I'm not sure if it's really possible to actually grow cannabis plants that lack one or more of the chemicals that the plant normally contains. Even if it is, I imagine it would be a very expensive and difficult process. I suppose genetic engineering could allow for some of the chemicals to be eliminated without the need to process every plant or synthesise the chemicals in a lab. However, there are several hundred active chemicals in cannabis, and to genetically manipulate them would surely involve a very time-consuming mapping of its genome. If governments are stubbornly unwilling to allow cannabis for medicinal purposes, then I doubt they would fund this sort of project. I don't think they are interested in anything to do with cannabis except for discovering and then vastly misrepresenting and exaggerating its potential negative effects. There are THC free cannabis plants already. It's less harmful to humans than either of the two legal alternatives, alcohol, and cigarettes. The problem with pot, isn't that it's particularly harmful, [the link to pshychotic disorders just isn't true], but that it's too difficult to tax. It also allows for a cheap state wide work force made up of non violent 'criminals'. Anyone can grow pot, just about anywhere. Pretty much the only way a ton of pot will kill you, is if it falls on your head. The scientific community is beating the govornment over the head about it. Especially medicinal use, but recreational use should also be legal. It's as much a discrimination issue as a health issue. Just someone to pick on and play the blame game with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Harley Posted April 30, 2007 Share Posted April 30, 2007 They managed to breed a version that had more effected that the type Washington smoked, they also developed tobacco that contained more nicotine than the wild versions... Selective breeding of plants has been with us since the Egyptians in the West and the Chinese in the east... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purple Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 Unfortunately your probably right. The cost alone would deter the government from even looking into any medical benifits the drug has to offer. Unfortunatly as long as it is illegel and not just a controled substance reserch isdifficult if not immpossible. It really is an out dated hypocritical law that needs to be lifted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuaiDan Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Are you kidding? Cannabis is one of the most engineered crops out there. Don't know what good a THC-free weed would be. Most engineering tries to boost THC levels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Harley Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 The devil doesn't just have the best tunes, he has the best labs and gardeners... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Becoming Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 The devil doesn't just have the best tunes, he has the best labs and gardeners... I lived in South Australia where pretty much everyone had their own hydroponics setup in the shed out back, the consequence of this decriminalised free access was that there was a trend to chemically engineer particularly potent (known generically as "hydro") although the brain could only take so much of that & those who made a career of it did little else. Consequently there was (& remains) many others who take a "natural" view although they do experiment with cross breeding for increased THC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodsmoke Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 It's as much a discrimination issue as a health issue. Just someone to pick on and play the blame game with. It's also about the economic ramifications. Hemp is one of the most useful natural resources known to man; it can be used to produce several products cheaper, of higher quality, with less waste and is more environmentally friendly than the methods/resources we're currently using. Quite simply, legalize the production and use of hemp in business and the textile industry will face severe competition while the logging industry will become obsolete practically overnight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbie Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Are you kidding? Cannabis is one of the most engineered crops out there. Don't know what good a THC-free weed would be. Most engineering tries to boost THC levels. Yes, of course. Silly me. I'd have thought I've smoked enough skunk to realise that THC levels can be increased. I was thinking that it would perhaps involve too much work to actually eliminate a chemical rather than enhance it. But I suppose if it can be done one way then it can be done the other as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Harley Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Not separating out the female plants helps no end... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthOkkata Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Are you kidding? Cannabis is one of the most engineered crops out there. Don't know what good a THC-free weed would be. Most engineering tries to boost THC levels. THC free plants are useful in the Textile industry. It makes great ropes, cloth, and paper. There are a lot of uses for plants like that. Just not recreational uses. I believe that growing these kinds of plants for industry use is legal in the US, but requires a lot of Dep of Agriculture oversite, and doesn't happen much. Also, the pot we have these days is about 10 times stronger than the stuff Washington and Franklin [both prevalent users of the drug in their day] smoked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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