Basic HTML Version
Addiction to THC is supported by
the fact that heavy users report they
must smoke more when they use low
potency marijuana. T hose who
smoke at low or moderate levels find
escaping pot's grip much easier than
strongly addictive drugs.
Other Serious Health Dangers
Obviously, drawing any hot sub–
stance into the lungs is not good for
one's health. Studies show that long–
term smoking of cannabis, particu–
larly hashi-sh, irritates throat and
lung tissues more quickly than ciga–
rettes. Pharyngitis,. bronchitis, and
other obstructive lung diseases have a
high occurrence among heavy pot
smokers.
One majar reason for this irrita–
tion is marijuana 's chemical makeup.
THC and other similar substances in
marijuana smoke are more tightly
bound on the surfaces of the carbon
particles than is nicotine in cigarette
smoke. To release the active sub–
stances in marijuana and get an ef–
fect, pot smokers inhale the smoke
deeper and hold it longer.
Regarding other major health ar–
eas threatened by marijuana smok–
ing, the Strategy Council also re–
ports: "Preliminary research has
shown possible adverse impact of
marijuana on such areas as the
body's immune response, basic cell
metabolism, and sexual function–
ing."
Marijuana researchers point out
that sorne studies indicate possible
chromosome and immune-system
damage. Birth defects and deformed
offspring could be the result. So
pregnant women in particular should
avoid marijuana (and, of course,
other drugs).
"Habitual, chronic marijuana
smoking can be said to be genetic
roulette," reported one researcher
(Nabas, 1976). Reports another re–
searcher: "Carefully controlled stud–
ies of at least one generation and
many thousands of people will be
necessary to establish whether mari–
juana causes mutations and malfor–
mations" (Hardin Jones and Helen
Jones,
Sensual Drugs,
p. 242).
From Advocat e to Alarmist
Among concerned medica! and
health personnel who have personally
witnessed tragic human deterioration
January
1980
"Pot smokers are so
enraptured by the
illusion of warm feelings,
they are unable to sense
the deterioration of their
own mental and physical
processes.
,
from the habitual use of marijuana is
Dr. David Harvey Powelson, who
made a complete about-face regard–
ing the drug.
In the mid-sixties he was a first–
hand witness to marijuana's sudden
boom in popularity at the University
of California campus at Berkeley. In
1967, as director of a psychiatric de–
partment at the campus, he stated in
the campus newspaper: "Marijuana
is harmless. There is no evidence that
it does anything except make people
feel good. It has never made anyone
into a criminal or a narcotics addict.
It should be legalized."
Later he wrote: "Within five years
1 knew 1 was totally wrong.''
Dr. Powelson "converted" after
noticing thousands of students who
carne through bis clinic in following
years. He became closely involved in
interviewing hundreds of these young
students and observing a repeated
phenomenon which cropped up
among heavy or persistent users of
marijuana. After a few years of in–
creasing marijuana use, bright, agile,
young students with high educational
goals had difficulties in concentrat–
ing, doing memory work, and grasp–
ing a sense of time; in short, they
became unable to finish their studies
successfully.
Dr. Powelson noted that fields of
interest among these marijuana users
became narrower and narrower, end–
ing up in focus on nothing but imme–
diate sensations. He also reported
that, while it was not true for all,
dependence on marijuana led many
to experiment with other drugs.
Powelson was one of the first to
pinpoint the insidious and beguiling
nature of marijuana: "Pot smokers
are so enraptured by the illusion of
warm feelings, they are unable to
sense the deterioration of their own
mental and physical processes. Its
continued use leads to delusional
thinking."
But the good news, Powelson re–
ports, is that many who stop using
marijuana eventually recover their
mental and physical faculties and
abilities, though sorne, apparently, go
too far in their drug usage. Though
improving greatly, they never fully
recover their former abilities.
A Multit ude of Hazards
Marijuana is clearly not a safe drug.
Arguing that it
ma~
be less damag–
ing than abuse of alcohol (an idea not
at all established as fact) ·is dodging
behind a literal smoke screen. The
truth is, blandly or blindly accepting
one more damaging or intoxicating
drug does not make for a saner or
safer society.
Contemporary "advanced" society
is a drug-inundated one.
It
is also a
hypocritical society where kids can
say to parents, "You cope with your
booze and cigarettes, wby can't 1
have my pot?" But that merely begs
the question.
Marijuana is composed of a multi–
tude of substances that are by nature
toxins to the human body. The tox–
ins, tars, and gases from marijuana
smoke pollute tbe human body and
brain-the most precious possessions
a human has.
Marijuana is a drug that alters
sensory perceptions and skews or dis–
torts normal interpretation ·of that
information. A marijuana high pro–
duces a false sense of security. It
fools the brain into believing it is
operating normally, or even in a su–
perior manner, when the opposite is
true.
Whether or not this drug is truly
physically addicting, it certainly has
(Continued on page 39)
31