Rossi (55 posts)
Feds paying for sewer analysis of pot usage in Washington
Source: AP
SEATTLE (AP) — The federal government is chipping in money for a three-year pilot study using sewage samples to determine levels of marijuana use in two Washington cities — research that could help answer some key questions about pot legalization, the University of Puget Sound announced Monday.
The National Institutes of Health has agreed to pay $120,000 so Dan Burgard, an associate chemistry professor, can conduct a three-year study that will look at how per-capita pot use changed after Washington's first legal pot shops opened last July.
The research, based on methods first developed by scientists in Italy in 2005, involves analyzing wastewater samples for levels of metabolites produced when the body processes drugs.
The upcoming study is aimed at helping determine whether the opening of pot shops increase a community's marijuana use, whether data from the wastewater correlate to what people answer in surveys about their marijuana use, and whether weekday or weekend marijuana use has increased.
"We're trying to get a sense of the type of user," Burgard said. "If there's more use on the weekends, maybe that's more recreational. But if Sunday to Thursday use goes up as much, that might be a public health concern, with habitual users using a lot more."
Marijuana, you see, has a DRUG in it, and metabolites enter the water supply as a result. You'd THINK a bunch of Earth First tree hugging human-hating whale fetishizing people like DUmmies would sort of catch on to that, but we're talking about their PACIFIERS here: matt819 (4,341 posts)
1. Hey, I'm all for scientific research
But this falls into the category of "Really!?"
ananda (14,691 posts)
6. Seriously?
What a waste of time and money.
I guess it must justify some jobs, though.
Finishline42 (227 posts)
11. What it doesn't address is when they smoke
What it doesn't address is when they smoke, at home, at a bar or at work.
It won't prove anything.
olddad56 (4,279 posts)
17. will we hve a similair study on habitual alcohol and nicotine use any time soon...
this is a witch hunt.
So, to recap, the DUmmies want a narcotic to be completely legal, with no scrutiny applied whatsoever, while its effluence seeps into the water table and becomes, you know, like, FOOD for plants and animals. They're all about science, except when they're not.
Gee, I wonder if they've had an opinion about drugs in treated water before, and I wonder if they had the same opinion then.
Well, shiver me timbers. The answer is YES, and of course, NO.bluesmail (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Mar-09-08 02:12 PM
7. I knew it, I just knew it.
L0oniX (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Mar-09-08 02:21 PM
10. Makes you wonder what else is in any water used in comercial drinks...
like tea, soda, juice, etc.
1monster Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Mar-09-08 02:37 PM
11. That's one reason my family drinks distilled water....
tpsbmam Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Mar-09-08 07:21 PM
Response to Reply #11
44. We do too -- and our dogs drink distilled as well.....
I'm not putting unknown substances in any of our systems!
Harry Monroe Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Mar-09-08 08:28 PM
Response to Reply #44
58. My dog drinks out of the toilet...
...no matter how many times I offer that mutt Perrier!!!
tpsbmam Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Mar-10-08 06:18 AM
Response to Reply #58
66. My dogs would NEVER drink out of the toilet......
They can't reach it. 
We use a water cooler -- one has so many health problems, I started the practice because of her and realized I was more comfortable with it all around. I started drinking distilled water about 10 years ago, why shouldn't they get it?
Golly, it sure looks like they don't like a bunch of weird shit in the water. I wonder what changed...
