By Will Hall, Message executive editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Legislators are considering a slate of bills that in one way, or another, moves closer to legalizing recreational pot smoking. But the reality is that whether pot smoking is approved for “medicinal” or recreational use, it poses a peril. Part of the reason is that every grower breeds different pot strains that have greater or lesser concentrations of certain elements. Generally, however, there are over 400 chemical entities in a cannabis plant, including a known 113 cannabinoids (THC, CBD, CBN) -- many with opposing effects on the mind and body. Indeed, a study, reported by CNN.com, Jan. 11, found that burning marijuana produced dangerous chemicals known to cause permanent damage to the body: -- Naphthalene (used in mothballs and is associated with liver and neurological damage); -- acrylamide (used to make paper, plastics and dyes and is associated with cancer); and -- acrylonitrile (used in manufacturing plastics and fibers and is also associated with cancer). None of these chemicals are added to pot. Instead, they are byproducts of burning and the natural reaction of some of the organic elements in the plant after exposure to heat. On top of … [Read more...]