Pubdate: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 Source: Record, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2002 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc. Contact: http://www.royalcityrecord.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1654 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?218 (Canadian Senate Committee on Illegal Drugs) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) POT DEBATE MISSES MARK What the Heck Were They Smoking? The proposal by a Senate committee this week to legalize and regulate pot is certainly worth some debate, particularly given the $2-billion estimated tax windfall. But we question the wisdom of proposing that anyone 16 and older should be allowed to use it. The Senate committee recommends treating marijuana the same as cigarettes. But marijuana, unlike tobacco, is a mind-altering drug. Some immediate physical effects of marijuana include a faster heartbeat and pulse rate, bloodshot eyes and a dry mouth and throat - pretty much the same effects as smoking. However, studies of marijuana's mental effects show that the drug can impair or reduce the user's short-term memory, alter sense of time, and reduce the ability to do things which require concentration, swift reactions and co-ordination, such as driving a car or operating heavy machinery. A major concern about marijuana is its possible effects on young people as they grow up. Marijuana can interfere with learning by impairing thinking, reading comprehension and verbal and mathematical skills. Research shows that students do not remember what they have learned when they are "high." It's a no-brainer that being stoned is not conducive to learning. Furthermore, research shows that the earlier people start using drugs, the more likely they are to go on to experiment with other drugs. Granted, for some people this could simply be because marijuana is not legal and there is a certain sense of rebellious excitement in using it. Nonetheless, do we really want to allow a 16-year-old to spend his school lunch hour smoking a joint, returning to school for his algebra class with a buzz on? Adults will do what adults want to do and will take responsibility for it - and that's where the debate over legalized marijuana should begin. - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager