EFFECTIVENESS OF MARIJUANA IN NERVE GAS EXPOSURE

Following is an article published today in the Israeli daily Maariv newspaper.


NEW RESEARCH WILL EXAMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MARIJUANA IN NERVE GAS
EXPOSURE - Dan Even, Maariv, October 11, 2002

Imagine yourself a scenario whereby you were unlucky enough to be in Tel Aviv
at the time when a chemical attack is launched from Iraq. Teams from the
civil command race through the darkened streets, tearing through the silence
with blazing sirens, but, surprisingly, inside the homes of the residents of
the city there is a peaceful atmosphere accompanied by a sweet and forbidden
scent. On the TV screens appears the face of the Military spokesperson, the
national Valium, a clone of the mythological Nachman Shai (IDF spokesperson
during The Gulf War) and suggest that all worried citizens have a glass of
water. Immediately after, the search and analysis teams of the civil command
identify traces of chemical weapons at the place of impact, and the
spokesperson instructs the citizens to activate the antidote, only that this
time it is not an automatic injection of Atropine to the thigh, but rather
lighting up of a marijuana filled cigarette, a joint, rolled and handed out
by special teams of the civil command from confiscated dope seized by the
Police and stored in a secluded warehouse.
"Take a toke" says the spokesperson with an authoritative tone, "the active
ingredient will neutralize the effect of the gas, there is no need to be
alarmed from a light sense of floating and an accompanied sense of hunger,
these will pass within a maximum of two hours."

THE REST ....

Wouldn't it make more sense to isolate the active ingrediant and inject it directly into your blood stream?

Everyone is always trying to find a way to make marijuana the "saviour of humanity".

Sincerely,
no signature

One might assume that inhaling the cannabis is a more viable immediate remedy for an inhaled gas poison.

This is something I've heard long ago, and cannot remember the source (sorry). But apparently the reasoning has more to do with the effect of the cannabis smoke on lung tissue, than any absorption of THC into the blood stream. In addition, THC is a generally safer drug than atropine.

Hmm except that nerve gasses actual damage on the lungs is hardly what is the concern...it is the concern of its effect on the nervous system, so if marijuana only helped the lungs it would be ineffective treatment, meaning there must be a better way

My logic may be flawed, but it makes sense with the given information

Sincerely,
no signature

cheap and effective. should be planted everywhere. If a nuke attack should happen, those in the area not obliterated by fire/heat/etc and whose main problem is radiation sickness , mostly vomiting would probably be happy to smoke a marijuana cigarette. Also it should be in all first aid kits. I read that one puff would stop a stroke, by enlarging the blood vessels in your brain, allowing clot to pass through. It stops all the damage caused by loss of oxygen. But, unfortunately the government won't give a rats ass if they can't stop you from growing your own . I thought the purpose of tax was to provide for the common good. I think in this case the government greed for tax has outweighed the public good idea. (They probably get more tax by keeping hemp illegal and taxing plastics and imported fibers) I think illegal marijuana/ hemp IS a tax.

[Edited on 9-1-2003 by tr]