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Do you consider alcohol to be poison? Define the term "poison."
Alcohol poisoning kills 79,000 people each year. However, zero people have died, ever, from overconsumption of marijuana. It is said it is impossible to die from overconsumption, so is marijuana not a poison by definition?
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October 13, 2009 06:22 PM
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poison
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This isn't coming from a dictionary, just from me: I consider a poison any ingested substance that does direct harm to one or more parts of the body, usually causing death.
By this personal definition, I do not consider alcohol or marijuana poisons. Both can cause harm over time with extended use. But in my book that's not so much a "poison" as it is a toxin (at worst) or a vice (at best).
If we were to follow dictionary definitions of poison: "A substance that through its chemical action usually kills, injures, or impairs an organism; Something destructive or harmful", then think of all the things that could be considered "poisons":
Coffee
Sugar
Donuts
Gummi Bears
Licorice
Pasta
Salt Water
...Salt Water Taffy
Marshmallows
Butter
You get the idea. I wouldn't consider any of these things poison.
But with all of the above--including alcohol and marijuana--I'd be very careful to consume all of them in moderation. A little goes a long way, and a lot could cost you years of your life.
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By this personal definition, I do not consider alcohol or marijuana poisons. Both can cause harm over time with extended use. But in my book that's not so much a "poison" as it is a toxin (at worst) or a vice (at best).
If we were to follow dictionary definitions of poison: "A substance that through its chemical action usually kills, injures, or impairs an organism; Something destructive or harmful", then think of all the things that could be considered "poisons":
Coffee
Sugar
Donuts
Gummi Bears
Licorice
Pasta
Salt Water
...Salt Water Taffy
Marshmallows
Butter
You get the idea. I wouldn't consider any of these things poison.
But with all of the above--including alcohol and marijuana--I'd be very careful to consume all of them in moderation. A little goes a long way, and a lot could cost you years of your life.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poison
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• I choose your answer because you actually changed my mind about alcohol being a poison, which is difficult to do considering I have a very strong prejudice against it due to have many distant relatives who suffered with alcoholism. I can't believe you actually changed my mind. Congratulations! You've made hell freeze over! LOL
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October 13, 2009 02:40 PM
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The first definition of poison is:
1 a : a substance that through its chemical action usually kills, injures, or impairs an organism
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poison
Information including the risks of Marijuana:
http://www.amsa.org/resource/natlinit/marijuana.cfm
Information including the risks of Alcohol
http://www.amsa.org/resource/natlinit/alcohol.cfm
By this definition I would consider both marijuana and alcohol poison.
BUT . . . .
It is important to note that moderation can have an impact on the health risks. In fact there have been studies to show that small amounts of red wine have an overall beneficial effect:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/red-wine/HB00089
The health benefits of marijuana . . . note: this is not the benefit of smoking said plant, it is talking about consuming the seeds.
http://www.helium.com/items/222429-health-benefits-of-marijuana
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1 a : a substance that through its chemical action usually kills, injures, or impairs an organism
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poison
Information including the risks of Marijuana:
http://www.amsa.org/resource/natlinit/marijuana.cfm
Information including the risks of Alcohol
http://www.amsa.org/resource/natlinit/alcohol.cfm
By this definition I would consider both marijuana and alcohol poison.
BUT . . . .
It is important to note that moderation can have an impact on the health risks. In fact there have been studies to show that small amounts of red wine have an overall beneficial effect:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/red-wine/HB00089
The health benefits of marijuana . . . note: this is not the benefit of smoking said plant, it is talking about consuming the seeds.
http://www.helium.com/items/222429-health-benefits-of-marijuana
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October 13, 2009 02:59 PM
So, even though marijuana doesn't kill, it does impair, so it would still be considered a poison by definition. It can kill by overconsumption, but one would have to figure out a way of consuming 1,500 pounds in a matter of 15 minutes for it to be lethal which is completely impossible.
Thanks for the link to the benefits of consuming the seeds. I never knew this. Incidentally, marijuana is also an excellent anti-nausea medication and a wonderful sleep aid that leaves you bright-eyed, bushy tailed, and ready to rock-n-roll at work the next day. It is also a good muscle relaxant, especially when cooked into food and eaten.
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Thanks for the link to the benefits of consuming the seeds. I never knew this. Incidentally, marijuana is also an excellent anti-nausea medication and a wonderful sleep aid that leaves you bright-eyed, bushy tailed, and ready to rock-n-roll at work the next day. It is also a good muscle relaxant, especially when cooked into food and eaten.
October 13, 2009 03:31 PM
I can't seem to edit my comment above, so I had to open a new dialogue box.
Incidentally, there is also no such thing as a marijuana hangover, unless of course you are also consuming alcohol with the marijuana, but marijuana consumption alone will not give you a hangover at all, nor does it cause a person any withdrawal symptoms no matter how long or how much they have been using. It's really an amazing substance.
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Incidentally, there is also no such thing as a marijuana hangover, unless of course you are also consuming alcohol with the marijuana, but marijuana consumption alone will not give you a hangover at all, nor does it cause a person any withdrawal symptoms no matter how long or how much they have been using. It's really an amazing substance.
October 13, 2009 03:46 PM
I'm not sure I can answer the question, but I did find this interesting article about a man who died from marijuana use. Perhaps it's been refuted.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/01/20/1074360762037.html
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http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/01/20/1074360762037.html
October 13, 2009 04:04 PM
Wow! That's amazing to have that much THC in your body! He would have to be smoking huge amounts of really, really, really strong hydro for many years for that much to build up in his body. Thanks for the article. Now, I have heard of people dying of paraquat poisoning, which is the poison the DEA sprays on marijuana plants to kill them. It's an herbicide. After the DEA gets done spraying, the growers sometimes come back and harvest the pot unknowningly before the herbicide takes effect and then sells it, essentially selling poisong sprayed marijuana to everyone. Thankfully, paraquat is easily detectable from the first hit by a very weird, strange taste.
Incidentally, if the free world would legalize marijuana, they could monitor the THC levels. There's only so much THC, not much, a person needs to relax and enjoy the benefits and the rest is just a waste, a very big waste.
So we do have one confirmed death from THC poisoning.
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Incidentally, if the free world would legalize marijuana, they could monitor the THC levels. There's only so much THC, not much, a person needs to relax and enjoy the benefits and the rest is just a waste, a very big waste.
So we do have one confirmed death from THC poisoning.
October 13, 2009 06:14 PM
I just read the article and, although I have my views on it, I'm not going to mention them as I'd only start an argument, lol :p
However, THE UNIVERSITY OF HULL is mentioned in the article and THAT'S MY CITY!!!
You may think I'm getting over excited, but we're a pretty small place in comparison to almost every other city in Britain and it's rare to see us mentioned ;)
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However, THE UNIVERSITY OF HULL is mentioned in the article and THAT'S MY CITY!!!
You may think I'm getting over excited, but we're a pretty small place in comparison to almost every other city in Britain and it's rare to see us mentioned ;)
October 13, 2009 06:48 PM
www.dictionary.com
http://health.howstuffworks.com/alcohol5.htm Helpful Answer? (0)
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Also from the dictionary
"poison
c.1230, "a deadly potion," from O.Fr. puison (12c.) "a drink," later "a potion, poisonous drink" (14c.), from L. potionem (nom. potio) "a drink," also "poisonous drink," from potare "to drink" (see potion). The O.E. word was ator (see attercop). Slang sense of "alcoholic drink" first attested 1805, Amer.Eng. The verb is c.1300, from the noun."
and
"2. A chemical substance that inhibits another substance or a reaction."
The first quote shows that as slang, alcohol is commonly considered "a poison", the second I believe supports it actually being one. As alcohol inhibits all sorts of reactions in the body. On that note, I wouldn't say it's unnatural or wrong to drink alcohol. Human beings are poison eaters and always will be. We love things that alter reality.
Source(s):
"poison
c.1230, "a deadly potion," from O.Fr. puison (12c.) "a drink," later "a potion, poisonous drink" (14c.), from L. potionem (nom. potio) "a drink," also "poisonous drink," from potare "to drink" (see potion). The O.E. word was ator (see attercop). Slang sense of "alcoholic drink" first attested 1805, Amer.Eng. The verb is c.1300, from the noun."
and
"2. A chemical substance that inhibits another substance or a reaction."
The first quote shows that as slang, alcohol is commonly considered "a poison", the second I believe supports it actually being one. As alcohol inhibits all sorts of reactions in the body. On that note, I wouldn't say it's unnatural or wrong to drink alcohol. Human beings are poison eaters and always will be. We love things that alter reality.
www.dictionary.com
http://health.howstuffworks.com/alcohol5.htm Helpful Answer?
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