Pot rots your lungs: "Marijuana smokers risk getting life-threatening emphysema 25 years earlier than cigarette smokers. Melbourne doctors have identified a pattern of emphysema in marijuana smokers that is different from the disease that develops in cigarette smokers. They found young patients had developed large cysts or holes in the lobes of the lungs that made breathing difficult. Respiratory expert Associate Professor Matthew Naughton said the nine marijuana smokers studied had been using the drug for 10 to 35 years. "We believe the reason for this outcome is that the breathing manoeuvre for marijuana intake is different from tobacco smoking," Associate Professor Naughton said.


Cheney keeps it caffeine-free: "Some stars demand epic quantities of whiskey in their dressing rooms, but the strongest thing on US Vice President Dick Cheney's backstage menu is decaffeinated coffee and caffeine-free soda. The Internet sleuth site www.thesmokinggun.com has obtained a list of official "vice presidential downtime requirements". Mr Cheney's office has confirmed the items are "consistent" with what he expects to find in his hotel room. The decaffeinated coffee will be brewed before he arrives, the thermostat will be set to 20 degrees Celsius and the televisions will be tuned to Fox News, which is widely viewed as sympathetic to the White House. There will be four to six bottles of mineral water and four cans of Diet Sprite, plus two bottles of sparkling water if Mr Cheney's wife, Lynne, is travelling with him."