Pubdate: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 Source: Athens News, The (OH) Copyright: 2008, Athens News Contact: http://www.athensnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1603 Author: Alexandra Hazlett, Campus Reporter DEPENDING ON WHOM YOU ASK, POT'S HARMLESS OR HAZARDOUS A lack of scientific consensus on the possible medical benefits and health risks of marijuana may contribute to the public's wildly different perspectives on the drug. Nearly a third of students at Ohio University report using marijuana at some level, and many see it as less harmful than other recreational drugs, despite contradictory medical evidence, according to the OU Department of Health Promotion. Terry Koons, associate director of Health Promotion, said that marijuana, like alcohol (and increasingly unlike tobacco), is viewed by many as socially acceptable, despite its health risks. Despite popular opinion, however, smoking marijuana is more physically harmful than smoking cigarettes, he said. Marijuana smokers tend to hold the smoke in their lungs longer, exposing them to more carcinogens, and marijuana is also generally unfiltered when smoked, again increasing the carcinogen exposure. On the other hand, pot smokers these days often only take a few puffs or "hits," unlike cigarette smokers, who puff away until the cigarette is burned down to the filter. Part of the reason marijuana gets a free pass with regard to lung cancer, emphysema and other ailments related to smoking, is that people don't believe marijuana is comparably harmful, and there is a lack of scientific research, compared to tobacco, to conclusively show that it is. "No one knows anyone who has died of cancer (from smoking marijuana)," Koons said. Health Promotion conducted its most recent biennial survey on student drug and alcohol use last spring, in compliance with the Drug Free Schools and Campuses Act, which affects federal financial assistance. More than 1,500 OU students were polled and the 30 percent figure was down 5 points from the 2005 study. In his class, Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs, Koons said he tries to get his students to evaluate their opinions on marijuana and drug use. Many students do not consider pot to be in the same category as harder drugs such as cocaine, crystal meth or heroine. "I want the students to think about use in a different way," he said. "Any drug you're using can become addictive." According to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration classification, marijuana is considered a Schedule I drug, meaning that it is considered to have no medical benefits and a high potential for abuse. Other Schedule I drugs are heroin, ecstasy, LSD and GHB. Schedule II drugs include cocaine, opium, morphine and amphetamines, among others, and while they are considered to have a high potential for abuse, some of them may also have an accepted medical use. Many health professionals, including most recently the American College of Physicians, have recommended that marijuana be changed to a Schedule II drug so that research into possible medical benefits may be conducted. While some states have passed laws allowing the use and prescription of marijuana for medicinal purposes, patients and health professionals may still be prosecuted under federal statues. In 2005, U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., introduced the States' Rights to Medical Marijuana Act, which would give marijuana Schedule II status and allow states to determine their own guidelines for medical usage of the substance. The bill is still in committee, according to GovTrack, a non-commercial Web site that tracks bills and roll call votes. Marijuana has been prescribed for relief of chronic pain and nausea related to chemotherapy and other antiretroviral therapies such as those used in HIV treatment. Patients with chronic pain, insomnia and anorexia have also shown benefits with marijuana treatment, according to a report issued by the American Medical Association. The FDA has approved Marinol, a drug that contains a synthetic version of THC, the intoxicating ingredient in marijuana. According to the DEA Web site, Marinol is considered effective at alleviating the same symptoms as smoking marijuana. The Journal of the American Medical Association documented the cognitive effects of marijuana use. Heavy users (defined as using marijuana 29 out of the last 30 days) showed decreased cognitive function and ability to focus even after not using the drug for 24 hours. And on an anecdotal level, many pot smokers freely acknowledge that their motivation and productivity tends to decline when they're high. Longstanding stereotypes about pot-smokers, after all, didn't just come out of nowhere. On the other hand, Koons noted that many heavy users become so used to functioning at high levels of marijuana intoxication that "it's not until they stop using that they feel unusual or strange." Also, because THC is stored in fat cells and takes longer to vacate the body, effects of withdrawal like those related to alcoholism or other drug addictions may not be experienced, he said. Relatively mild consequences in Ohio for marijuana possession also contribute to its widespread abuse as a recreational drug. However, work places across the country are increasingly requiring drug tests, or mandating random tests for employees they suspect are smoking pot. At OU, marijuana prevention and education programs tend to take a backseat to anti-alcohol initiatives, because high-risk drinking is more prevalent, Koons said. In the same survey on marijuana use, 78 percent of the student respondents reported high-risk drinking activity in the preceding two weeks. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek