Pubdate: Mon, 13 Aug 2007
Source: Birmingham News, The (AL)
Copyright: 2007 The Birmingham News
Contact:  http://al.com/birminghamnews/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/45
Author: Loretta Nall

FEAR MONGERING REEFER MADNESS

Recent studies on the effects of marijuana use have been spreading
like some sort of aggressive disease.

The first study said smoking even one joint could raise a person's
risk of developing schizophrenia later in life by an astronomical 40
percent. However, if one takes the time to look at actual rates of
schizophrenia among the entire world population, he will see the rate
has always been around 1 percent with no real fluctuation. If the
schizophrenia claim were actually true, we would have seen a huge jump
in the number of people diagnosed with schizophrenia.

The second study claimed a link between marijuana and lung cancer. It
said one joint is as bad as five cigarettes. However, Dr. Donald
Tashkin, who for many years worked in cahoots with the Drug
Enforcement Administration to try to prove this theory, recently
released a study that shows smoking marijuana does not cause lung
cancer and may even have some preventive effects.

This kind of fear mongering about marijuana is true reefer
madness.

Loretta Nall

Alexander City
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