Pubdate: Sat, 20 Jun 2009
Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA)
Copyright: 2009 Santa Cruz Sentinel
Contact: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/submitletters
Website: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/394
Author: April Dembosky, San Jose Mercury News
Referenced: The OEHHA decision 
http://www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65/docs_state/mjcrnr061909.html
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/dispensaries
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Marijuana - Medicinal)

STATE RULES MARIJUANA SMOKE IS A CARCINOGEN, MAY REQUIRE DISPENSARIES 
TO POST WARNINGS

Joints and baggies sold at California's medical marijuana 
dispensaries will soon carry a new warning label. Next to tags like 
"Purple Haze" and "White Widow" will be the advisory: Contents may 
cause cancer when smoked.

On Friday, California added marijuana smoke to its official list of 
known carcinogens, joining the ranks of arsenic, asbestos and DDT. 
Pot brownies, lollipops and other non-inhalables are not affected by 
the new ruling.

Scientists found the pungent smoke shares many of the same harmful 
properties as tobacco smoke, warranting its inclusion on the 
Proposition 65 warning list. The law requires the state to publish a 
list of chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity, and 
businesses and government agencies must post warnings when they use 
such chemicals or sell products containing them.

"Marijuana smoke is a mixture of different chemicals, and a number of 
those were already on the Prop. 65 list," said Allan Hirsch, chief 
deputy director of the state Office of Environmental Health Hazard 
Assessment, which made the designation.

 From a health perspective, pot advocates say the ruling was 
unsurprising, given the state's track record on documenting the 
harmful effects of all kinds of smoke inhalation. However, some are 
worried by its political implications as advocates attempt to 
legalize recreational use of marijuana.

"I definitely have concerns about law enforcement and politicians who 
aren't in favor of medical marijuana or law reform, who would use 
this designation to further restrict access," said Allen St. Pierre, 
executive director of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform 
of Marijuana Law, based in Washington, D.C. "This will be a vexing 
series of conversations and negotiations."

Though marijuana smoke was added to the list Friday, the labeling 
requirements won't go into effect until June 19, 2010. Only medical 
marijuana dispensaries with 10 employees or more are required to post 
a warning either in their shop or on the products themselves. 
Violations of the law carry a fine up to $2,500 per violation per day.

The panel of scientists at the state Office of Environmental Health 
Hazards Assessment reviewed an extensive body of research finding 
links between marijuana smoke and cancer, particularly head and neck cancers.

"There's not one single piece of evidence that was a slam dunk," said 
Dr. George Alexeeff, deputy director for scientific affairs at the 
OEHHA. "But the pieces together form a very compelling argument."

The panel did not consider studies showing medical benefits of 
marijuana, like reducing nausea and restoring appetite after 
chemotherapy or slowing the progression of glaucoma.

"Singling out marijuana is gratuitous," said Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, 
D-San Francisco, who introduced a bill to legalize recreational 
marijuana. "Many, many symptoms of disease can be alleviated through 
smoking marijuana."

St. Pierre says the ruling may factor into the larger philosophical 
debate about the role public health officials may play in adult 
choices. He hopes the national conversation will turn to minimizing 
the harmful consequences of smoking pot, rather than aiming for a 
utopian drug-free society. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake