Pubdate: Tue, 14 Apr 2009 Source: Daily Vidette (IL Edu) Copyright: 2009 Daily Vidette Contact: http://www.dailyvidette.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/666 Author: Chris Davies Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) Cited: National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws http://www.norml.org/ HEALTH ISSUES OF MARIJUANA DEBATED "First Off, The Easiest Distinction To Be Drawn Is That There Is No Nicotine In Marijuana, Nor Is There Any THC In Tobacco, However, Many Of The Dangerous Components Are Found In Both." -Noah Conrad, Alcohol And Drug Interventionist For Student Health Ser Though many people may see the potential benefit that the legalization of marijuana could provide to the economy, concerns over health effects from the use of the drug have prohibited many from supporting such actions. Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, does not think that the drug poses a significant health threat to users. "Marijuana is remarkably safe," he said. "Pharmacologists rate drugs on a lethal dose rating with 50 being the lowest and things like cyanide being the highest at one. Marijuana is rated at 50." St. Pierre commented that though the drug had such a low rating, no drug is safe, including aspirin. "Smoking is not good for pulmonary or respiratory health, but in a country where cigarettes and alcohol [are] legal, [I believe] cannabis is quite a bit safer," he said. Noah Conrad, alcohol and drug interventionist for Student Health Services, explained the effects of the drug compared to some legal drugs. "First off, the easiest distinction to be drawn is that there is no nicotine in marijuana, nor is there any THC in tobacco, however, many of the dangerous components are found in both," he said. Some of the similarities he noted are total tar levels, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide and nitrosamines. Additionally, benzopyrene, a potent carcinogen, is found in greater amounts in marijuana than in tobacco. Beyond the chemical composition of the drugs, the way the drug is used also plays a role in how detrimental it can be on the health of the user. "Because the typical marijuana smoker does not ingest nearly the same amount of smoke per annual basis that a tobacco user does, it's hard to accurately compare the two in some aspects," Conrad said. "Marijuana users also tend to hold the smoke in for longer periods of time as compared to their tobacco counterparts and the effects are somewhat contingent on the concentration of the THC, meaning the more potent the pot, the more the effects will be evident." Though the health aspects can be debated, whether or not more issues will be seen as a result of legalization did not seem to be a large issue to either Conrad or St. Pierre. "Most Americans who want to use marijuana already do despite prohibition," St. Pierre said. "Changing the law doesn't mean that more people will use the drug." Conrad believes that a change in the law may cause an increase of use, but only for a limited period of time. "The first being that, if or when marijuana is decriminalized or legalized, acknowledging these are two completely [different] things, there will be an increase in usage for a period of time," he said. "I believe this because, there might be thousands, if not millions of Americans who will opt to try it now that it is legal and there are no ramifications that can be had." "After a short time period, one I envision lasting some where between three to five, possibly 10 years, the trend will plateau and remain that way for some time, just as we have seen with tobacco consumption." - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin