Pubdate: Mon, 11 Dec 2006 Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (PA) Copyright: 2006 PG Publishing Contact: http://www.post-gazette.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/341 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n1652/a09.html?290217 Author: Joe Province Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) THE KIND BUD In response to the Dec. 5 article "Researchers Say Smoking Pot Not Always Path to Hard Drug Use": The results of this study are hardly shocking. The National Institute on Drug Abuse has funded similar studies in which the government hoped to reinforce some of their "facts" about smoking marijuana. A recent study at UCLA found that there was no link between smoking marijuana and lung cancer. Dr. Donald Tashkin, a UCLA pulmonologist who has studied marijuana for 30 years, said in a Washington Post article in May, "We hypothesized that there would be a positive association between marijuana use and lung cancer and that the association would be more positive with heavier use, What we found instead was no association at all, and even a suggestion of some protective effect." More and more we are seeing that the myths surrounding the use of marijuana are being debunked. It's time to get rid of the social stigma and criminal records associated with its use. Joe Province Shaler - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman