A B.C. Hypnotist Helps Marijuana Smokers Break Their Dangerous Addiction

For 35 years, hypnotist M. Vance Romane has used his soothing voice to help cure people of smoking, drinking and eating addictions. At a seminar of 40 people in Winnipeg this past spring, Mr. Romane took on another nasty habit, marijuana smoking. In attempting to help pot addicts, however, the 52-year-old White Rock, B.C., hypnotist also succeeded in stirring the pot in the decriminalization debate.

Canada recently became the only country in the world to allow marijuana for medical purposes, but Prime Minister Jean Chretien has no intention of loosening the rules any further. That suits hypnotist Romane's customers. In the mid-'80s, he started getting about 10 people per year at his "stop smoking" seminars who wanted to quit marijuana. "Now we get 25 requests per year and it's still growing." The pot addicts tell the hypnotist the drug makes breathing more difficult, makes them more prone to illness, erodes their motivation and wrecks their short-term memory. Besides holding seminars, Mr. Romane is selling "stop-toking" CDs.

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