Pubdate: Mon, 03 Nov 2014
Source: Gazette, The (Colorado Springs, CO)
Copyright: 2014 The Gazette
Contact: http://www.gazette.com/sections/opinion/submitletter/
Website: http://www.gazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/165
Author: Marvin O. Maul

HARMFUL ASPECTS OF MARIJUANA

Re: Dr. George Athey's letter titled "Legalization of marijuana 
damaging" (Oct. 28)wherein he covers I believe, some extremely valid, 
timely and worrisome topics on this drug. He expresses his deep 
concern as a practicing physician on the harmful aspects of 
marijuana, which he has noted particularly among some of his young patients.

As a veterinarian with experience in private practice as well as 
having served for 25 years as regulatory liaison between the FDA and 
three major pharmaceutical corporations, like Dr. Athey, I am amazed 
and deeply disturbed that a demonstrably harmful substance such as 
marijuana has somehow escaped the regulatory restrictions required 
under the provisions of Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act that 
provide for the establishment of the safety and efficacy of all 
substances "that may have an effect upon the structure or function of 
man or other animals."

While the proverbial horse long ago vacated the stable through the 
open door, we must, as Dr. Athey proposes, pressure our Congress to 
authorize funding to undertake an all-out drive by the scientific 
community, the FDA and pharmaceutical testing laboratories to 
unequivocally establish the safety (not necessarily the efficacy) of 
marijuana, its other biologically active components and metabolites. 
This should include at least three distinguished government, 
academia, and pharmaceutical industry testing facilities to establish 
through studies under mutually agreed upon protocols, toxicity levels 
following short term and well as long term exposure.

Further, there should be additional investigation to reconfirm 
whether these substances are mutagenic. Several validated assays have 
shown marijuana may be a mutagen. Under the umbrella of 
under-regulation, we may therefore be unknowingly enabling genetic 
malformations of children in our unborn generations.

We fervently hope this is not the case, but in this day and age of 
pleasure-seeking, self-indulgent hedonism, if this scary scenario 
ultimately proves to be true, we should be more than utterly ashamed 
of ourselves.

Marvin O. Maul, DVM

Colorado Springs
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom