Basic HTML Version
-NewEvidence
Should marijuana be legalized? What are its
effects?
How
does
it work? Here is the latest scientific evidence
of
the
dangers of
11
pot"!
b y
Will iam F. Dankenbring
C
LAIMS ARE
continually heard
that marijuana
is
harmless
and should be legalized. On
the other hand, charges are made
that marijuana is not nearly so
innocent as its advocates believe.
The scientific consensos, the
past few years, has been that
we should continue research on
marijuana, and hold final judg–
ment in abeyance.
Research has been under
way with about 40 study
projects
in
the Uoited States
under government auspices
and another 200 privately
sponsored programs in the
U. S. and other nations.
Definite results have begun to come in.
What does the actual evidence show?
How do scientists and medica! author–
ities size up marijuana
now?
The Facts
Dr. Wcsley Hall, president-elect of
the American Medica! Associatíon,
recentJy declared that a continuing
study of marijuana leaves "very little
doubt" that marijuana smoking
CAUSES
birth defects and dulls the sex drive.
Asserted Dr. Hall: "We
knotu
that 10
percent of the children born to mothers
who use marijuana will be
mmta/ly
defective."
That is a horrible price for
any would-be parents to have to pay!
Further, he added: "With increased
use there is a lack of sex drive.
It
results
in a man who may be 35, cbronologi–
cally, being age 65 or 70 in respect to
bis sex drive.
"Women also are affected in that
they do not desire sex as much as they
would under normal circumstances, and
there is enough evidence now to sub–
stantiate it," he conduded.
The study is being conducted by the
AMA's Committee on Alcohol and
Dcug Dependence. Findings from the
study strongly support Dr. Hall's state–
ments, although it will take three, five
or even ten years to gather enough
information on the
exact
effects. Said
HalJ: "Much of the information we
need is available only through the con–
duct of an autopsy, particularly in the
case of
brain damage.
However, we are
able to make some judgments by observ–
ing a patient's behavior at this time.