Source: New Haven Register (CT) Contact: Sun, 19 Apr 1998 Author: Walter Kita POT FINDS FRESH CROP OF USERS DANBURY - College senior Michael Burnett, who describes himself as an ''infrequent'' pot smoker, says young adults who inhale marijuana regularly aren't doing anything wrong. In fact, he contends, they are only acting naturally. ''Marijuana comes from the Earth and has proven medical benefits,'' said Burnett, 23, one of several hundred who attended the Johnes Festival '98 at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury Saturday to call for the reform of marijuana laws. ''People who use it responsibly for recreation probably aren't going to get hurt.'' Burnett's relaxed attitude, experts say, is fairly typical of a new generation of pot smokers who are rediscovering marijuana in alarming numbers. A relatively small but enthusiastic group of those true believers joined Burnett at the event, which had the ''free and easy'' feeling of a Grateful Dead concert and featured a staggering display of shaggy hair and tie-dye. Despite Saturday's frivolity, concern about a resurgence of popularity in marijuana, particularly among adolescents and teens, has state and federal legislators very worried. So much so, in fact, that The Partnership for a Drug Free America recently lauched an ad campaign targeted at nipping cannibis use in the bud. New statistics suggest the lawmakers' concerns are justified. A partnership study released last week found that parents of the ''baby boom'' generation are seriously underestimating the presence of drugs in their children's lives. The study also found that children whose parents talk to them about the dangers are better off than those who don't. Only 28 percent of the teens polled, however, said they had had such conversations. Among college students, marijuana use has dipped a bit since its peak in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but various studies indicate a fair number of young people still light up a joint occasionally, according to David Musto, Yale professor of the history of medicine and psychiatry. ''If you look at the history of pot use in America, it goes up and down, but among college students there always seems to be a lot of kids willing to experiment with it,'' Musto said. One big reason: Pot is still among the most economical ''highs'' around. For about $5, enough for two marijuana cigarettes, the effects can last an entire day, said Katurah Abdul-Salaam, a supervisor in the substance abuse unit of the Connecticut Mental Health Center in New Haven. The effects of cocaine and crack, Abdul-Salaam added, are much shorter, lasting only about 20 minutes. Despite the claims of some that pot is among the least harmful ''recreational'' drugs, experts say new scientifc research suggests its harmful effects may be more profound than anyone previously thought. Patricia Kitchen, a nurse clinician in the Hospital of St. Raphael substance abuse unit, said that is the result of pot's unique chemical properties, which allows it to be stored in the body's fat cells for up to three days after it is smoked. Acute pot usage, Kitchen said, slows reflexes, reduces peripheral vision, impairs judgment and decreases concentration. Chronic pot users, Kitchen said, run the risk of developing ''amotivational syndrome,'' which she described as a profound lack of desire to achieve. Pot also has been shown to have adverse effects on the brain and reproductive organs. While much of this information has been around for years, Kitchen said it bears repeating in the wake of a growing attitude among pot users that a drug that comes from the earth can't be all bad. ''You hear people saying that a lot these days - that pot is a natural high, which suggests that somehow it isn't as bad for you,'' Kitchen said. ''That simply isn't true.'' Few of those who attended Saturday's festival at Western Connecticut State University were buying into those words. For them, and their supporters, the issue of marijuana use is a ''free speech'' issue. Legalizing marijuana, they argue, will eliminate organized crime and save taxpayers the billions of dollars that are spent each year in the government's crackdown on pot and other illegal drugs. ''The current approach to the problem clearly isn't working,'' said Jospeh Grabarz, executive director of the Connecticut Civil Liberties Union, an adviser to the organizers of Saturday's festival. ''Our position is that the government shouldn't be telling you what kind of things you can and cannot put into your body.'' (c) 1998, New Haven Register