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ers warns that if the intended user is
troubled or upset, he may be letting
himself in for more than he can han–
die. He should probably wait, the
book advises, until he's in a better
frame of mind before lighting up.
One common psychological prob–
lem associated with marijuana usage
is described as "acute panicjanxiety
reaction."
lt
is seen most frequently
in inexperienced users who panic at
unfamiliar effects of the drug. Such
reactions can also follow an unex–
pectedly high dose.
In summary, then, a marijuana
"high" affects perception of time,
distance and speed.
It
alters motor
coordination, sometimes causing a
change in gait and a lag between
thought and facial expressions.
Al first use, from a joint or two,
sorne smokers feel no noticeable ef–
fects. Others suffer from nausea,
vomiting and diarrhea. .Temporary
effects or sensations often include the
reddening of the whites of the eyes
and facial skin , the pupils becoming
hypersensitive to light, markedly in–
creased or decreased appetite, dry–
ness in the mouth and throat and a
feeling of coldness in the body ex–
tremities. The pulse rate commonly
speeds up.
Alarmlng Link t o Auto Acc idents
The National Highway Safety Coun–
cil reports "an alarming incidence of
marijuana use linked to highway traf–
fic aécidents." The drug user is the
more dangerous because he often does
not perceive the subtle psychological
and physical changes occurring in
himself. Many smokers do not even
recognize they have been on a high
until they have fully comeout ofit.
Sixty to eighty percent of marijua–
na users questioned by the National
lnstitute on Drug Abuse admitted
they sometimes drive when "high" on
pot. And many of these same smok–
ers felt they were better drivers while
under the influence. But tests have
proven their claims are not true.
Their false reasoning vividly points
out the danger of relying too heavily
on subjective reports from marijuana
users themselves for a valid under–
standing of the effects of cannabis.
A recent report prepared for Presi–
dent Carter by the Strategy Council
on Drug Abuse states: " Research has
proven that marijuana intoxication
30
Studies show that long–
term smoking of
cannabis, particular/y
hashish, irritates throat
and lung tissues mare
quickly than cigarettes.
clearly impairs motor coordination,
reaction time and visual perception,
which would affect d_riving or operat–
ing machinery."
In one study conducted in Canada,
64 psychologically stable marijuana
users were divided into three groups:
one-third were given a low dosage of
one street joint; one-third two joints;
the other third a placebo.
Under actual driving conditions,
with a dual driver and an observer,
low-dose subjects showed a 33 per–
cent decline in significant driving
skills, including judgment, caution
and concentration. High-dose sub–
jects showed a 55 percent decline in
significant skills.
In another road test, marijuana
smoking caused drivers to miss traf–
fic lights and stop signs, handle their
car poorly, and show unawareness of
pedestrians and stationary vehicles.
Marijuana users often report they
can more easily "tune out" the out–
side world. It is not surprising, there–
fore, that the drug has been found to
be a major culprit in accidents.
Memory Loss and Addi ctlon
Short-term memory has been singled
out by many investigators as the
mental faculty most affected by mar–
ijuana. Present data indicates
that marijuana usage does not signif–
icantly interfere with retrieval of in–
formation already present in the
memory.
It
has been shown, however,
that marijuana interferes with initial
learning. Many researchers feel the
cause is weakened concentration, so
that the short-term memory does not
register new material well and the
information therefore ca nnot be
transferred to permanent memory.
This result, of course, is devastating
to any scholastic work.
New Evidence on Addiction
Until recently, bccause of the nonex–
istence or mildness of withdrawal
symptoms, marijuana was not con–
sidered to be a physically (or chemi–
cally) addictive drug. Sorne rescarch–
crs, however, are not so sure. Unlike
the addictive substance in cigarettes
(nicotine, which is rapidly eliminated
from the body in fluid wastes), THC
is eliminated slowly. As a result, the
user may experience no withdrawal
symptoms or only low-grade effects.
THC has an affinity for fatty tis–
sues and brain tissues, where slow
metabolism causes long retention. So
in reality an experienced marijuana
user is experiencing a certain high
even if he does not smoke for sorne
time. As THC levels in the blood–
stream drop, THC stored in body fat
comes back into circulation, thus re–
ducing severe withdrawal symptoms.
Months of abstinence are required
for all the accumulated THC to be
excreted by the body.
On the average, if five milligrams
of THC are absorbed into the body,
at the end of one week 30 percent is
sti ll in the body, and 1
O
percent still
remains at the end of seven weeks.
Additional smoking merely adds
more.
Data indicates that th e body
responds to THC as follows: lt may
take severa! exposures lo marijuana
before the body absorbs enough THC
to produce noticeable effect, and the
cffect level may vary from occasion
to occasion. 1n sorne individuals,
doses must be continually incrcased
to obtain the same "high." (There is
debate whethcr true tolerance levels
develop, but most smokers do start
smoking more or using stronger pot
to obtain new "highs.") Somctimes
cven a small amount may produce a
high. This is called reverse tolerance.
The
PLAIN TRUTH