# Finally. One that dares. Uruguay to legalize Pot. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 11, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-one-that-dares-uruguay-to-legalize-pot/676093 "2013-12-11T19:10:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-one-that-dares-uruguay-to-legalize-pot/676093/61 "2013-12-16T03:13:14Z")
All right, the chapter improves after it’s annoying introduction. Cross-checking a claim of benzopyrene in marijuana smoke, I found [this excerpt](http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ac60366a048?journalCode=ancham) of a study in _Analytical Chemistry_ which claims: > [@](#): > > In this paper, we report the detailed analysis and identification of some 150 PAH (polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons) isolated from both marijuana and tobacco smoke condensates. I can’t read the whole article, but as much as I can see suggests they know what they’re doing. Searching for this also uncovered some commentary to the effect that cannabis doesn’t cause cancer even though carcinogens are, apparently, detected in marijuana smoke, though I’m taking this last bit with a grain of salt for now. Very well, carry on. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-one-that-dares-uruguay-to-legalize-pot/676093/62 "2013-12-16T15:50:54Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > My cite is [Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know](http://www.amazon.com/Marijuana-Legalization-What-Everyone-Needs/dp/0199913730/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386834765&sr=8-1&keywords=marijuana+legalization). It’s written by Mark A.R. Kleiman, Professor of Public Policy at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, Angela Hawken of Pepperdine University, Beau Kilmer of Rand and Jonathan Caulkins of Carnegie Mellon. None of these scholars are cranks… They may not be cranks, but the book clearly has an agenda. They claim that CBD is a psychoactive (chemical) element like THC and will make you high. For the record, out of the 85 cannabinoids identified thus far\*, _only_ THC (Delta 9) gets you high. So a book that states that as a fact, leads me to doubt any other claim they make… All you wanted to know about [**Cannabinoids**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabinoid) and more. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-one-that-dares-uruguay-to-legalize-pot/676093/63 "2013-12-20T18:35:07Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > Mexico is considering legalizing marijuana. In the last 7 years over 70,000 people have died in narco related events in Mexico. More than died in Vietnam. Marijuana represents 50% of the narco business here. The other 50% is cocaine, amphetamines and pirated music/DVD’s. It seems likely that legalizing marijuana would amount to a reduction of 50% of the problem. A former Mexican president (Vincente Fox) has already stated that when it is legal, he will grow/sell it. Of course, if the USA legalized it that would help solve the problem here. We just grow/sell it for you folks. Most Mexicans don’t partake of it. Pirated music is part of the narco-trafficking industry? ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-one-that-dares-uruguay-to-legalize-pot/676093/64 "2013-12-20T18:56:42Z")
When it’s Pink Floyd, sure. ---
**Author:** ![Farin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e79b87/32.png) [@Farin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farin)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-one-that-dares-uruguay-to-legalize-pot/676093/65 "2013-12-20T22:52:53Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > Are you sure you aren’t thinking of emphysema? Because scarring takes place on a tissue level, whereas cancer, as I understand it, involves a genetic mutation that causes cells to grow in a haywire fashion, triggered by either a carcinogenic molecule or a mechanism like radiation. > > For example, [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cigarette_smoke_carcinogens) is a list of carcinogens in cigarettes. As I understand it, those chemicals (especially, I thought, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) are why cigarettes cause cancer, and not ‘because it is smoke’, or ‘scarring’. I haven’t had a chance to examine **M4M** ’s cite yet, but at first glance it doesn’t appear to identify a carcinogen either, and the rate of lung cancers attributed to marijuana seems small enough to fall within a margin of error. > > I could be wrong- that’s why I read this board, to quit being wrong about things. Am I wrong about how cancer comes to be? You are correct, but you are missing a small link in the chain: Anything that damages DNA has a chance to create cancer. If something causes scarring, it’s causing cellular damage, which has a chance to cause cancer via damaged DNA. Smoke (“Basic” smoke is aerosolized carbon), by itself and no matter the source, causes damage to your alveoli, because it’s not something our lungs were designed to process. Now, a little smoke (think: campfire that you aren’t hovering over) isn’t much of a problem. The smoke you might inhale is generally caught by lung mucus long before it gets to your alveoli. A lot of smoke, such as a forest fire or house fire can actually put enough smoke in the air you are (trying to) breathe that it causes damage to your lungs. Over time, repeat exposures can increase your chances of cancer. This chance, of course, is infinitesimal for several reasons: First and most apparent is asphyxiation. If you get too much smoke, well, you’re already dead (cancer threat: zero 🙂 ). Second is it’s hard to quantify exposure to things like forest fires (And especially things like campfires), so it’s hard to get a direct gauge on exactly how much death and destruction camp fires will bring, but most people shouldn’t worry about it. Third, smoke is rarely just “basic” smoke. Most things that burn give off random chemicals. Leaves tend to have things other than just the leaf skin in it and may have bugs or fungi in it (think a leaf pile and not a joint/cigarette). This is the point in both cigarettes and marijuana, of course. But these other substances hike the risk. In basic cigarettes, the risks are far, far lower because you don’t have all of the crap that phillip morris [has decided makes the cigarette more tasty](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_additives_in_cigarettes). And, in general (although, this goes back and forth over the 30 years it’s been studied) it’s accepted that nicotine, by itself, doesn’t cause cancer. Most doctors will steer you towards nicotine gum or e-cigs because getting rid of all of those other chemicals is well worth it. > [@Dr Millard](#): > > Nicotine per se doesn’t cause cancer. Nicotine per se doesn’t cause emphysema. It does have vasoactive and neurotransmitter issues, but it doesn’t cause lung cancer, and nicotine doesn’t cause COPD [Source](http://cancergrace.org/lung/files/2012/03/Dr.-Millard-Tips-and-Tools-for-Smoking-Cessation-Transcript.pdf) So, the _basic smoke_ risk of cancer still exists with marijuana, which is tiny, but it’s there. That’s why I recommend that if you want to jam either nicotine or marijuana into your system, use vaporizers. It mitigates that huge risk with a standard cigarette and will mitigate the slight risk with a marijuana joint. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-one-that-dares-uruguay-to-legalize-pot/676093.md?page=3)