Pubdate: Sun, 02 Mar 2014
Source: Star Democrat (Easton, MD)
Copyright: 2014 The Star Democrat
Contact:  http://www.stardem.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1233
Author: Dr. Russell A. Schilling
Note: Russell A. Schilling, D.O., practices in Easton.

DANGERS OF MARIJUANA ARE REAL

Rick Kollinger's recent column "Why do you think it's called dope?" 
made some valid observations and timely commentary regarding what is 
portrayed as the inevitable legalization of marijuana.

It is hard to fathom how any legislative body can justify the 
legalization of marijuana, a known hallucinogen with attendant issues 
of addiction and abuse, and which is notorious for being a gateway 
drug. Is the lure of a tax windfall worth imperiling the health of 
our population? Has any recent data been collected in localities 
where marijuana has been legalized regarding the rates of addiction 
to other substances? The cost of legalized marijuana can be so 
substantial that cheaper, more addictive/lethal drugs can become a 
more attractive/affordable choice.

Is any of the tax windfall from the legalization of marijuana being 
directed toward reducing and treating drug abuse?

As a physician, I have watched in horror as marijuana has been 
heralded as a safe and reasonable treatment choice for an increasing 
array of ills. In some extremely rare cases, the psychoactive 
substances in marijuana may be of therapeutic benefit, but these 
substances are available in reliably controlled dosage forms (other 
than smoking). This is one physician who fails to understand the rush 
to "legalize it."

Mr. Kollinger's comments were accurate.

Marijuana remains a major threat to the public health.

One in 11 people who use marijuana becomes addicted. According to the 
National Institute of Drug Abuse, metabolites of marijuana are found 
in the blood in 14 percent of fatal car accident victims, often in 
combination with alcohol and other drugs.

There is clear evidence that students who smoke marijuana get lower 
grades and are more likely to drop out of school.

IQ scores are measurably reduced in teens who use marijuana regularly.

The occurrence of "reefer madness" is not a fictional entity - some 
people do experience panic and even psychotic breaks with use of marijuana.

Persons using marijuana are more likely to be in contact with other 
users or sellers of drugs.

Regular use of marijuana has been linked to depression, anxiety and 
the loss of drive or motivation. Are these risks acceptable for our 
families and children? I firmly answer "No!"

According to the NIH, illicit drug use in the U.S. is increasing. In 
2012, an estimated 23.9 million Americans aged 12 or older (9.2 
percent of the population) had used an illicit drug or abused a 
psychotherapeutic medication (pain meds, tranquilizers, or 
stimulants) in the past month, an increase of 8.3 percent since 2002. 
Ongoing NIH studies indicate increasing abuse of all substances, 
except cocaine, with more than half of new users initially smoking marijuana.

As states rush to cash in on a potential tax windfall from legalized 
marijuana, the public's perception of risk is reduced and use of 
marijuana increases.

Mr. Kollinger is appropriately apprehensive about legalization of 
marijuana, and I thank him for his candor and willingness to speak 
out. Our politicians need to know that the very agencies they charged 
with protecting our health are strongly opposed to the legalization 
of marijuana.

Are we to be a society where "anything goes" or a beacon of good 
sense, committed to the better health and safety for all?

Thank you, Rick Kollinger, for being a voice of reason. 
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom