Pubdate: Fri, 19 Apr 2013
Source: Orlando Sentinel (FL)
Copyright: 2013 Orlando Sentinel
Contact:  http://www.orlandosentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/325
Author: Debi Macintyre
Page: A14
Note: Guest columnist Debi Macintyre is executive director of the
Safe Climate Coalition of Lake County, a community coalition that
focuses on youth substance-abuse and violence prevention.

LEGALIZING POT WILL INCREASE ABUSE, MAGNIFY HEALTH RISKS

With sales estimated at $15 billion a year, marijuana is already the
most commonly used illicit drug in the United States.

A movement has been spreading across the United States to legalize
marijuana. Next year, Florida voters could see a proposal on the
ballot to legalize this illicit drug for "medical" purposes.

Here are some sobering facts about marijuana use in the United States,
from academic and government researchers, that voters should keep in
mind when considering such misguided proposals:

With sales estimated at $15 billion a year, marijuana is already the
most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. Of the 7.1
million Americans addicted to illicit drugs, 63 percent use marijuana.
About 10 percent of people who try marijuana will become daily users.
And the potency of marijuana has increased151percent from1983 to 2007.

Many drug-policy experts, including at the National Office of Drug
Control Policy, believe that a significant rise in marijuana use among
youth is a direct result of legalization efforts. In a major study
published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Columbia
University researchers found that states that legalized marijuana for
medical purposes have significantly higher rates - almost twice as
high - of marijuana use, abuse and dependence than states without such
laws.

Research on registered users in "medical" marijuana states shows that
fewer than 5 percent are elderly; more than 80 percent are young
adults. Only10 percent have cancer, HIV/AIDS or glaucoma. The rest are
registered for less serious conditions, including headaches and minor
arthritis. In California and Colorado, most registered users are white
men between the ages of 17 and 35 with no history of chronic illness.

Marijuana is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, which
means its use is unregulated. However, the FDA has approved Marinol, a
synthetic version of THC, the active ingredient found in marijuana.
Marinol can be prescribed for nausea and vomiting caused by cancer
treatment and to stimulate appetite in AIDS patients.

Another drug derived from marijuana and awaiting final FDA approval is
Sativex. Its uses include treating multiple sclerosis and pain from
cancer.

Since smoked marijuana has not been subjected to the FDA's approval
process, we cannot determine its benefits and risks, establish its
proper dosage, determine how it may interact with other drugs, and
identify and monitor its side effects. But smoking has never been a
safe, acceptable method of administering medicine. Marijuana smoke
contains at least 50 percent more cancer-causing agents than tobacco
smoke, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Simply put, smoked marijuana does not meet the standards of modern
medicine.

Academic research has shown that chronic marijuana use leads to
impaired learning, short-term memory and information-processing
deficits and delayed emotional development. For youth, marijuana use
has been shown to permanently impair brain development. Learning
skills such as problem-solving, concentration, motivation and memory
are negatively affected.

Numerous prominent medical organizations have rejected smoked
marijuana as medicine, including the American Medical Association,
National Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society, National Multiple
Sclerosis Society, American Glaucoma Society, American Academy of
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Academy of Pediatrics and
American Society of Addiction Medicine.

In sum, research and experience show that legalizing marijuana for
medical purposes increases opportunities for abuse. Smoking marijuana
poses serious health risks, especially for young people. And there are
other, legal and approved alternatives that don't present the same
hazards.

Lawmakers and voters should reject any proposals to legalize
marijuana.
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MAP posted-by: Matt