Pubdate: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) Copyright: 2007 Times Colonist Contact: http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481 Marijuana carries real health risks Author: M. William Davis, MD Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07.n1231.a07.html MARIJUANA CARRIES REAL HEALTH RISKS Re: "Europeans know that drug abuse is an illness and not a crime," Oct. 23. That drug abuse is an illness not a crime is not an argument to make marijuana freely available. To clarify the dangers of marijuana use: Ottawa Citizen columnist Margret Kopala wrote about the issue in the Oct. 9 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal. In her article, Kopala refers to a 2007systematic review published in the highly regarded British Lancet on cannabis use and the risk of psychotic or affective mental health outcomes. According to this meta-analysis, all users are at risk of developing mental illness and 14 per cent of British patients with schizophrenia could have avoided the illness if they had not used the drug. Kopala goes on to discuss drug interaction and genetic predisposition and concludes that, in the light of the high level of cannabis use found in our 15- to 24-year-olds by the Canada Addiction Survey, the withdrawal of the marijuana decriminalization bill in 2005 was probably the right decision. She applauds the launching of an anti-drug campaign by the government and exhorts medical and other involved communities, including the media, to gather data and educate and inform the public, particularly the young. I agree with her. M. William Davis, MD Victoria - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin