canasia.org

Date: Sat, 16 Dec 2000 02:49:06 -0500 (EST) To: Arnold Diaz, Barbara Walters, and the health-medical producers of 20/20 ABC TV (10:22 PM 12-15-00): I was was very annoyed at the theme and conclusion of your report on herbal supplements.  The cover(up) story was you aren't getting what you are paying for.  The theme was mostly herbs are really just drugs. The conclusion was we need more regulation by the FDA.  Anyone who talks like this wants herbs taken away from the public, and I politically oppose them. Rest of interesting post snipped:

them. Rest of interesting post snipped: Even after a search I couldn't get the original post. I did see the segment. I thought it was well done personally. Herbs taken in concentrated amount can equal drugs in every way.

Even after a search I couldn't get the original post. I did see the segment. I thought it was well done personally. Herbs taken in concentrated amount can equal drugs in every way. It's a dangerous myth that herbs or other natural compounds are always safer than synthetic compounds.  There are some naturally occurring compounds that are extremely toxic, and many synthetics that are completely safe.  The reason that there have been problems with people taking herbs isn't because they are or aren't harmful, but because people assume they are safe at any dose just because they are labeled as natural.  I don't think herbs should necessarily be regulated by the FDA, but the fastest way to get regulation is to perpetuate the myth that herbs are 100% safe just because they come from a plant instead of from a lab.  More people will use them indiscriminantly and some will take toxic doses, and then put pressure on the government to regulate those dangerous herbs.  That's how most regulations come into effect, a few people do stupid things, then complain they weren't properly warned and call up their representatives to do something .   Karen

safe.  Opium, pot, cocaine, all are natural to begin with. Careful how you go, Melissa Melissa, I must protest vehemently when you say that pot/marijuana/cannibis is not safe. This plant and its extract have been found to be one of the most useful herbs and benign drugs in the history of humananity. It has NEVER been stastistacly proven that death has occured from the overdose of this plant or its extract, in all of written human history. (I dare someone to prove the previous statement wrong.) Medical problems caused by this plant far outweigh the befits of its PROPER medical usage. The following I have excerpted from Part 3 of the Cannabis/Hemp FAQ. To view the entire document(which I recommend every person on the planet should read it affects all of us in one way or another)  go here to it's permanent resting place http://www.cannabis.com/faqs/ 4) Don't people die from smoking pot?     Nobody has ever overdosed.  For any given substance,     there are bound to be some people who have allergic     reactions.  With marijuana this is extremely rare, but it     could happen with anything from apples to pop-tarts.  Not     one death has ever been directly _link_ed to marijuana itself.     In contrast, many legal drugs cause hundreds to hundreds of     thousands of deaths per year, foremost among them are     alcohol, nicotine, valium, aspirin, and caffiene.  The     biggest danger with marijuana is that it is illegal, and     someone may mix it with another drug like PCP.     Marijuana is so safe that it would be almost impossible to     overdose on it.  Doctors determine how safe a drug is by     measuring how much it takes to kill a person (they call this     the LD50) and comparing it to the amount of the drug which     is usually taken (ED50).  This makes marijuana hundreds of     times safer than alcohol, tobacco, or caffiene.  According     to a DEA Judge ``marijuana is the safest therapeutically     active substance known to mankind.'' 15) Aren't you afraid everyone will get hooked?     Marijuana produces no withdrawal symptoms no matter how     heavy it is used.  It is habit forming (psychologically     addictive), but not physically addictive.  The majority of     people who quit marijuana don't even have to think twice     about it.  Comparing marijuana to addictive drugs is really     quite silly.     For a drug to be physically addictive, it must be     reinforcing, produce withdrawal symptoms, and produce     tolerance.  Marijuana is reinforcing, because it feels good,     but it does not do the other two things.  Caffeine, nicotine     and alcohol are all physically addictive. 12) Isn't smoking marijuana worse for you than smoking cigarettes?     There are many reasons why it is not.  You may have heard     that ``one joint is equal to ten cigarrettes'' but this is     exagerrated and misleading.  Marijuana does contain more tar     than tobacco