7-28-07 Pop Science News
It's getting so thick, lately, that I find it difficult to locate any meaningful developments in science.
The MSM forwarded various iterations of this story over the past couple of days, presenting it as "science" that who you hang around with will affect your weight. It's a tough nut to swallow. I don't see the exclusion of important variables such as economic, genetic, or the taking of prescription drugs. Habits instilled during formative years, and so many more variable factors could be at work in this large body of data that I find the conclusions to be basically ridiculous.
The current trend for the health insurance companies is to support any propaganda that makes overweight people more prone to being singled out as "costing the public more" in healthcare costs. The reality is that if the health insurance companies can charge more for insurance "by weight" then they'll make a helluva lot more money.
Then there's this one, a classic example of an agenda-driven, scientifically skewed exercise in keeping the public misinformed. If you don't buy it, then let's take a closer look.
This is the first quote I'll point out, "The researchers said they couldn't prove that marijuana use itself increases the risk of psychosis..."
Not only can't the prove the notion, the statistic they forward is even more ridiculous... "...the researchers estimate that about 800 cases of psychosis could be prevented by reducing marijuana use."
Since the report was done in the UK, that's about 800 cases out of 60 million people. If we apply the same percentage to the population of the US, we get about 4000 cases, which is about the same number of people killed by lightning since 1959. And that number would only apply if EVERYBODY used marijuana.
Next, we have this little gem, "We've reached the end of the road with these kinds of studies," said Dr. Robin Murray of King's College, who had no role in the Lancet study. "Experts are now agreed on the connection between cannabis and psychoses."
Isn't it nice to see that the experts all agree. So what? The experts all agreed that the basic theory of genetics, one gene - one function, was "pure science" until just a few weeks ago when ACTUAL science showed that this core dogma wasn't true.
Finally, we can follow the money, and read the last paragraph:
"Two of the authors of the study were invited experts on the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs Cannabis Review in 2005. Several authors reported being paid to attend drug company-sponsored meetings related to marijuana, and one received consulting fees from companies that make antipsychotic medications."
There's a LOT of money in keeping various drugs illegal, from the billions that drug dealers make each year, to the so-called "War On Drugs" where it cost the American people an average of $45 million dollars PER PERSON to put someone in jail for a "drug crime." The Lancet Study merely perpetuates the myth that criminalizing recreational drug use is the "solution" to a problem that criminalization causes, in the first place.
The MSM forwarded various iterations of this story over the past couple of days, presenting it as "science" that who you hang around with will affect your weight. It's a tough nut to swallow. I don't see the exclusion of important variables such as economic, genetic, or the taking of prescription drugs. Habits instilled during formative years, and so many more variable factors could be at work in this large body of data that I find the conclusions to be basically ridiculous.
The current trend for the health insurance companies is to support any propaganda that makes overweight people more prone to being singled out as "costing the public more" in healthcare costs. The reality is that if the health insurance companies can charge more for insurance "by weight" then they'll make a helluva lot more money.
Then there's this one, a classic example of an agenda-driven, scientifically skewed exercise in keeping the public misinformed. If you don't buy it, then let's take a closer look.
This is the first quote I'll point out, "The researchers said they couldn't prove that marijuana use itself increases the risk of psychosis..."
Not only can't the prove the notion, the statistic they forward is even more ridiculous... "...the researchers estimate that about 800 cases of psychosis could be prevented by reducing marijuana use."
Since the report was done in the UK, that's about 800 cases out of 60 million people. If we apply the same percentage to the population of the US, we get about 4000 cases, which is about the same number of people killed by lightning since 1959. And that number would only apply if EVERYBODY used marijuana.
Next, we have this little gem, "We've reached the end of the road with these kinds of studies," said Dr. Robin Murray of King's College, who had no role in the Lancet study. "Experts are now agreed on the connection between cannabis and psychoses."
Isn't it nice to see that the experts all agree. So what? The experts all agreed that the basic theory of genetics, one gene - one function, was "pure science" until just a few weeks ago when ACTUAL science showed that this core dogma wasn't true.
Finally, we can follow the money, and read the last paragraph:
"Two of the authors of the study were invited experts on the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs Cannabis Review in 2005. Several authors reported being paid to attend drug company-sponsored meetings related to marijuana, and one received consulting fees from companies that make antipsychotic medications."
There's a LOT of money in keeping various drugs illegal, from the billions that drug dealers make each year, to the so-called "War On Drugs" where it cost the American people an average of $45 million dollars PER PERSON to put someone in jail for a "drug crime." The Lancet Study merely perpetuates the myth that criminalizing recreational drug use is the "solution" to a problem that criminalization causes, in the first place.
posted by Jeff Barnard at 7:34 AM
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