Another Argument for Making Drugs Legal

[turtlespeed 212]

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My wife is dying of cancer and I think she should be allowed any damn drug she pleases if it helps with the pain.

Take your moralizing and stuff it!

I am very sorry to learn of your wife's illness.

I was in no way referring to medically justified, legally prescribed medicine. Just a hasty conclusion on your part I guess.

Given the thread title, it's clearly not about currently legal drugs. It's about currently illegal drugs that could help the dying but moralists like you steadfastly oppose because in your youth you abused them.

John, all BS aside. My sympathies go out to your wife and to you. My family has dealt with, and is still in some cases dealing with the brutalizations of cancer.

Since you bring iot up though, which drugs are you thinking would help?
Not a dig, just an honest curiosity.
I'm curious as to what your wife is being denied.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[SkyDekker 1,150]

John,

I'm very sorry to hear of your wife's struggles, pain and uncertainties. I can only imagine the toll it takes on you and your family. My thoughts are with you.

[masterrig 1]

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My wife is dying of cancer and I think she should be allowed any damn drug she pleases if it helps with the pain.

Take your moralizing and stuff it!

I am very sorry to learn of your wife's illness.

I was in no way referring to medically justified, legally prescribed medicine. Just a hasty conclusion on your part I guess.

Given the thread title, it's clearly not about currently legal drugs. It's about currently illegal drugs that could help the dying but moralists like you steadfastly oppose because in your youth you abused them.

John, all BS aside. My sympathies go out to your wife and to you. My family has dealt with, and is still in some cases dealing with the brutalizations of cancer.

Since you bring iot up though, which drugs are you thinking would help?
Not a dig, just an honest curiosity.
I'm curious as to what your wife is being denied.

What I don't understand is, scientists can come-up with cures for baldness and pills that'll give a guy an erection for days but they can't seem to find a cure for cancer.


Chuck

[rwieder 0]

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Pablo Escobar was taken out and it remains a mystery who fired the kill shot.

That's easy, the fatal shot was fired by a Los Pepes member. He's currently residing in the room right next to Hitler & Stalin.

-Richard-
"You're Holding The Rope And I'm Taking The Fall"

[GeorgiaDon 340]

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What I don't understand is, scientists can come-up with cures for baldness and pills that'll give a guy an erection for days but they can't seem to find a cure for cancer.

That's because "cancer" is really hundreds of different diseases, all of which result in a cell dividing uncontrollably and forming tumors and spreading from site to site in the body. Basically, every cell is capable of dividing, usually a limited number of times, but that division is controlled by dozens (or more) of different genes. Some genes encode proteins that act as "brakes" to inhibit division, others are part of a chain of proteins (a "signaling pathway") that stimulate cells to divide in response to some trigger, such as a hormone. In addition, cells have back-up mechanisms (also encoded by genes) that usually cause malfunctioning cells to die, for example through apoptosis (programmed cell death). So for a cell to become cancerous, these control mechanisms have to be malfunctioning, due either to damage to the DNA sequence (causing the gene to encode a malfunctioning protein) or to inappropriate modification to the DNA such as methylation (a so-called epigenetic modification). It usually takes a number of mutations/modifications to the DNA to cause the cell to go out of control, because of redundancy and "backups" in the system. You have 2 copies of almost all genes (one from each parent, except on the X sex chromosome that you get only from your mother), so BOTH copies of the gene have to be damaged. You may inherit one damaged copy and one good one, in which case you have a predisposition to cancer as only the good copy has to be damaged. At any rate, it may take many years of accumulating damage to the DNA in every cell before enough genes affecting the different parts of the mechanisms controlling division or apoptosis are damaged, but then you get a cell that divides out of control and doesn't die (=cancer).

What all that means is that the old way of looking at cancers according to the organ where they started (such as lung cancer) is inadequate, because what you really need to know is what genes have been damaged. If there are dozens of possible genes involved, and you start thinking of all the possible combinations, you soon realize there are thousands of different combinations that can result in cancer. Then you have to figure out how to fix that damage so the cells stop dividing, or how to selectively kill just those cells and leave healthy cells unharmed.

That's why ED is an easier nut to crack than "cancer".

Don

_____________________________________
Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996)
“Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

[RonD1120 58]

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Pablo Escobar was taken out and it remains a mystery who fired the kill shot.

That's easy, the fatal shot was fired by a Los Pepes member. He's currently residing in the room right next to Hitler & Stalin.

That is the published story and its good enough for me. History International documentary also indicated that black ops sniper(s) were back up.

Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

[masterrig 1]

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What I don't understand is, scientists can come-up with cures for baldness and pills that'll give a guy an erection for days but they can't seem to find a cure for cancer.

That's because "cancer" is really hundreds of different diseases, all of which result in a cell dividing uncontrollably and forming tumors and spreading from site to site in the body. Basically, every cell is capable of dividing, usually a limited number of times, but that division is controlled by dozens (or more) of different genes. Some genes encode proteins that act as "brakes" to inhibit division, others are part of a chain of proteins (a "signaling pathway") that stimulate cells to divide in response to some trigger, such as a hormone. In addition, cells have back-up mechanisms (also encoded by genes) that usually cause malfunctioning cells to die, for example through apoptosis (programmed cell death). So for a cell to become cancerous, these control mechanisms have to be malfunctioning, due either to damage to the DNA sequence (causing the gene to encode a malfunctioning protein) or to inappropriate modification to the DNA such as methylation (a so-called epigenetic modification). It usually takes a number of mutations/modifications to the DNA to cause the cell to go out of control, because of redundancy and "backups" in the system. You have 2 copies of almost all genes (one from each parent, except on the X sex chromosome that you get only from your mother), so BOTH copies of the gene have to be damaged. You may inherit one damaged copy and one good one, in which case you have a predisposition to cancer as only the good copy has to be damaged. At any rate, it may take many years of accumulating damage to the DNA in every cell before enough genes affecting the different parts of the mechanisms controlling division or apoptosis are damaged, but then you get a cell that divides out of control and doesn't die (=cancer).

What all that means is that the old way of looking at cancers according to the organ where they started (such as lung cancer) is inadequate, because what you really need to know is what genes have been damaged. If there are dozens of possible genes involved, and you start thinking of all the possible combinations, you soon realize there are thousands of different combinations that can result in cancer. Then you have to figure out how to fix that damage so the cells stop dividing, or how to selectively kill just those cells and leave healthy cells unharmed.

That's why ED is an easier nut to crack than "cancer".

Don

Thanks for that!
It's still, depressing.


Chuck

[Meso 38]

The issue of the legalization of drugs is one that I'm extremely torn over. First off, I'm not religious, but I don't touch alcohol, tobacco or drugs- and never plan to again. (was never an alcoholic or junky).

First off, half of me wants everything banned- the reason for this being the suffering of innocent kids who end up being in an abusive or neglected household due to drug or alcohol abuse. And if people can't control how they use it, they shouldn't be given the option to. Half of me feels as though if a child has to see their parent doing drugs they are more likely to follow suit.

You see, I don't give a fuck about people who make stupid choices and then stick with them, we've all fucked up, the difference is many of us learn. So they can do what they like, their deaths aren't on my conscience, it was their decision. I also have no pity for them.

But I definitely have pity for the innocent ones involved in that persons life. Their children, parents, friends and family.

On the other hand, I want to give people this option to make their own choices, even if they're bad ones. I'm very much against any government being able to tell people what they can and can't do. There is also the thought that if drugs are made legal it will lower the crime associated with the drug trade.

The war on drugs is nothing but a political ploy. It has never worked, and never will. And we all know how prohibition failed. The current drug strategy which has been going on for ages isn't working, clearly... It's time to take a new approach. Whether that means legalizing, so be it. Some times things need to be tried and tested, you won't really know the impact until it's tried- it can always be changed again back to the usual crap if it fails.

Trust me, there is nothing more I'd like to see in this world than a world where 14 year old kids weren't out snorting coke and 15 year olds weren't out shooting smack. Where 12 year old girls weren't getting drunk, passing out and getting raped at parties. But currently nothing is changing that, so as I said a new approach is needed- and it may need to be a radical one. But also, as I said- I am extremely torn between my desire for kids to live decent lives and my passion for allowing people the right to do as they please.

As for weed, there is NO logical reason why weed is banned while cigarettes and alcohol are made legal. I'm sure most of us here can say we were surrounded by all of these at some period, and I'm sure most can agree that weed is the least dangerous of them all... Fuck you just need to look at death statistics to realize this. So while I'd rather have people doing nothing, I'd rather have someone I love smoke weed than cigarettes or drink alcohol.