Pubdate: Sun, 08 Sep 2002 Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB) Copyright: 2002, Canoe Limited Partnership. Contact: http://www.fyiedmonton.com/htdocs/edmsun.shtml Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/135 Author: Shane Holladay Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) POT'S SAFETY CLAIMS GO UP IN SMOKE Pot proponents say cannabis can still be therapeutic despite studies saying it's no safer to smoke than tobacco. "No one advocates smoking any kind of herb," said drug policy analyst Chris Donald, with the Media Awareness Project. Ideally, people intent on using pot for pain relief should have easy access to vaporizers, which are safer, he said. According to a paper by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse Policy, pot smoke can cause the same lung damage as does tobacco smoke. "Research has shown a link between chronic heavy marijuana use and damage to the respiratory system similar to that caused by tobacco," reads the centre's 1998 report, Cannabis Control in Canada: Options Regarding Possession. Donald said so far, evidence only shows pot smoking causes a mild form of emphysema. "If there were serious side-effects, there would be epidemic levels of bronchitis, for example," he said. A fair number of cannabis users simply prefer to smoke a joint, said Munir Ahmad, who runs the Edmonton Compassion Network, which helps provide medical exemptees with marijuana. "As far as I know, most pot smokers out there feel there's no proof that marijuana can cause cancer, and feel it's generally safe," he said. Concerned by the carcinogenic effects of thousands of chemicals created when marijuana is burned, University of Mississippi research professor Dr. Mahmoud ElSohly said genuine concerns exist when smoking anything. "I don't think that smoking any type of material is a viable route to deliver any kind of pharmaceutical," said ElSohly, who has spent decades studying cannabis and its effects. ElSohly is working to market a rectal suppository to deliver THC therapeutically to people suffering from chronic pain. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom