The Alcohol Lobby and Cannabis Reform

Borrowed from here

It is probably one of the worst kept secrets in the world, but the Alcohol industry doesn't want cannabis legalized for medicinal purposes, and especially not for private home use.
Now, call me cynical (or even a conspiracy theorist), but I don't think that the Alcohol Lobby opposes Cannabis reform for altruistic reasons.

The Alcohol Industry employs a lot of people and keeps a lot of people happy (or unhappy if you can't control your Alcohol intake).

According to Alternet, there is mounting evidence that the Alcohol Lobby and certain Police groups (in opposition to their members) are the primary financial backers to California's anti Prop-19 group 'Public Safety First'.

I'll repeat what I've read of other opinion pieces. The Alcohol sector stands to lose a lot of money if cannabis is legalized across Western cultures. The Pharmaceutical Industry, another anti-Prop 19 heavy-weight will also lose a lot if a non-patentable drug is available to grow in our homes. Lastly, it is widely rumoured that Narcotic divisions of certain Police Departments will have a hard time justifying expenses if their one 'easy catch' offence is no longer available.

Will every state or territory in every Western country have to fight this type of attack when they see the light and try to pass a legalization motion for cannabis?

Thanks to Chilli Man for permission to edit and reprint.

Apoptosis, Cannabinoids and Platelets

A Piece Of Mind: Platelets and Apoptosis

This article explains how platelets (simple explanation: blood clotting cells) break down in the system as a result of induced Apoptosis. It goes on to describe further research that shows how the activation of particular cannabinoid receptors can reduce apoptosis in platelets, thereby prolonging their life.

In laymans terms, and very prematurely, this could result in further research into using cannabinoids to reduce the incidence of uncontrolled bleeding.

Endocannabinoids and the Tolerance Effect

New research shows that some endocannabinoids react differently to prolonged activation...

A short summary and press release is here.

The research paper is here.

A good layman's description is here.