Pubdate: Wed, 09 Mar 2005
Source: National Post (Canada)
Copyright: 2005 Southam Inc.
Contact:  http://www.nationalpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/286
Author: Ted Cooper
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmjcn.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal - Canada)
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n389/a05.html
Note: Original title "The Danger of Marijuana"; additional title by MAP 
Editor for posting purposes only

SCIENCE MARCHES ON

The Dangers Of Marijuana

Re: Therapeutic Pot, letter to the editor, March 7.

Please advise Russell Barth that science marches on and has advanced beyond 
the 2002 Senate report he quotes. Cannabinoids do have useful 
pharmacological properties, but then so do many other illicit drugs.

Using the lack of deaths attributable to excessive marijuana use is a 
typical rebuttal used to avoid dealing with other major issues of marijuana 
usage. According to the British Medical Journal, "We do not know the full 
long-term harm caused by smoking cannabis."

However, the BMJ said "it was already known that regular use of cannabis 
was associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia and depression. 
Smoking the drug also causes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and there were 
reports of lung, tongue and other cancers in cannabis users."

Also, all North American regulatory and medical scientific bodies 
discourage prescribing smoked cannabis. An exception is made of some 
palliative and terminal cases, but the risks and adverse effects to the 
general population outweigh the benefits of smoked marijuana.

There are safer more effective options available, but alternatively, there 
are legal oral forms of marijuana's active ingredient available right now, 
such as Marinol and Cesimet.

Ted Cooper

Powell River, B.C. 
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MAP posted-by: Beth