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A major reason for marijuana's
popularity boom is a widely pro–
claimed reputation of its being a rel–
atively "safe" drug, without the seri–
ous consequences of "hard" drugs,
alcohol, or even certain medica(
drugs commonly used in society.
Recent research findings, howev–
er, indicate how erroneous such
thinking is. Former Secretary of the
U. S. Department of Health, Educa–
tion and Welfare Joseph A. Califano
warns: "The drama tic increase in the
use of marijuana by our youth is par–
ticularly alarming. l t is sheer folly
for millions of young Americans to
indulge in a drug while so little is
known about its long-term conse–
quences - and when much of what is
known suggests, for example, adverse
pulmonary effects and psychomotor
impairment."
While the information is .accumu–
Jating on certain kinds of health
damage from the prolonged use of
marijuana, it will be years before the
full story is known, say health re–
searchers.
Known Mlnd-Body Al terlng Effect s
Marijuana's major psychoactive in–
gredient is delta-9-tetrahydrocanna–
binol (THC). This substance was iso–
lated in 1965, permitting more syste–
matic studies as to its effects. Yet
THC is only one of over 50 chemical
substances found in marijuana, most
of them also cannabinoids, possessing
drug characteristics of their own.
While little is known as yet asto their
long-range effects on human health,
certain health hazards have been es–
tablished.
High potency m'arijuana, such as
hashish, used heavily over mány
years can produce debilitating degen–
erative respiratory and lung damage
and long-lasting neurological prob–
lems. Much more needs to be known
about the long-term effects of mari–
juana use at low or moderate levels.
But by definition a psychoactive drug
alters sensory perceptions in the
brain, which in turn affect physical
reactions and responses.
Here is how the
First Report of
the National Commission on Mari–
huana and Drug Abuse
(
1972) de–
scribes the variety of possible psycho–
logical effects at different Jevels of
usage:
"A description of an individual's
28
American users alone
consume 130,000 pounds
of marijuana a day,
quadruple that of 1974.
The cost? An estimated
$25 billion each year.
feelings and state of consciousness as
affected by low doses of marijuana is
difficult; the condition is not simi lar
to usual waking states and is the re–
sult of a highly individual experience.
Perhaps the closest analogies are the
experience of daydreaming or of the
moments just prior to falling asleep.
The effect is not constant and a cycli–
cal waxing and waning of the intensi–
ty of the intoxication occurs periodi–
cally.
"At Jow, usual 'social' doses, the
intoxicated individual may experi–
ence an increased sense of well-being;
initial restlessness and hilarity fol–
lowed by a dreamy, carefree state of
relaxation; alteration of sensory per–
ceptions including expansion of space
and time; and a more vivid sense of
touch, sight, smell, taste, and sound,
a feeling of hunger, especially a crav–
ing for sweets; and subtle changes in
thought formation and expression.
To an unknowing observer, an indi–
vidual in this state of consciousness
would not appear noticeably differ–
ent from his normal state.
"At higher, moderate doses, these
same reactions are intensified but the
changes in the individual would still
be scarcely noticeable toan observer.
The individual may experience rap–
idly changing emotions, changing
sensory imagery, dulling of attention,
more altered thought formation and
expression such as fragmented
thought, flight of ideas, impaired im–
mediate memory, disturbed associa–
tions, altered sense of self-identity
and, to sorne, a perceived feeling of
enhanced insight.
"At very high doses, psychotomi–
metic phenomena may be experi–
enced, These include distortions of
body image, loss of personal identity,
sensory and mental illusions, fanta–
sies and hallucinations.
"Nearly all persons who continue
to use marijuana describe these
usual effects in largely pleasurable
terms. However, others might call
sorne of these same effects unpleas–
ant or undesirable."
Thus, depending on the amount
used and other factors, the psycho–
logical effects of marijuana can
range from negligible to sublime eu–
phoria to acute paranoid psychosis.
The psychological results of using
marijuana are not predictable. They
differ from person to person with the
same amount of the drug, or from
occasion to occasion in the same per–
son. And marijuana's effects are in–
fluenced greatly by the individual
user's mental and emotional state.
A person smoking marijuana on
one occasion may feel so light he
seems to "float"; at another time,
under different circumstances, emo–
tional state or physical health, he
may feel so "leaden" he feels heavily
weighted down. One time he may feel
hyperactive, another time apathetic
- or he may switch from one to the
other.
Marijuana is not just a relaxing,
calming or "euphoric" drug. "Mari–
juana can act primarily as a halluci–
nogen, a stimulant, a depressant, or
an intoxicant, and sometimes as a
combination of all four" (Hardin
Jones and Heleo Jones,
Sensual
Drugs,
p.
44).
Marijuana may loosen inhibitions
at one leve) of use, increasing social
interaction. A slightly higher leve)
may produce the opposite effect ,
making the user less social, more
withdrawn and involved in inner ex–
periences.
Even advocates of marijuana
usage are concerned about sorne of
these problems. For example, one
"how-to" book for novice pot smok-
The
PLAIN TRUTH