Pubdate: Sun, 06 Oct 2013
Source: Boston Herald (MA)
Copyright: 2013 The Boston Herald, Inc
Contact:  http://news.bostonherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/53
Note: Prints only very short LTEs.
Author: Robert J. Petrella
Note: Dr. Robert J. Petrella is an emergency physician and research 
scientist in Boston.
Page: 18

DON'T LET GENIE OUT OF THE BAG

The average young person is far more aware of marijuana's illegality 
than its ill physical and psychological effects.

My political leanings are libertarian. On most days, I bemoan our 
society's slide toward the nanny state and the continual erosion of 
our individual liberties, privacy, and personal autonomy. But on the 
issue of drug legalization, I stand firmly with the advocates of 
tough anti-drug laws, and I was upset by the recent Department of 
Justice decision allowing states to decriminalize marijuana use. Here's why:

Marijuana can be addictive. The National Institute on Drug Abuse 
cites the following statistics: about 9 percent of people who smoke 
marijuana become dependent on it; this includes about 16 percent of 
those who start smoking it in their teens, and up to 50 percent of 
those who smoke daily. Organizations like Marijuana Anonymous exist 
to support addicts and their families.

It impairs thinking. Cigarette smoking has many short and long-term 
health effects, but it doesn't cause immediate changes in cognitive 
function, at least not to the level that affects performance. 
Clearly, marijuana does. If everyday experience isn't convincing 
enough, multiple studies have detailed this. In addition, a growing 
body of evidence indicates that heavy marijuana users may suffer 
longer-term cognitive effects. The counter-argument to this is that 
alcohol also impairs thinking, yet is legal. That is true, but it's 
akin to arguing that you should be allowed to shoot your spouse 
because your neighbor did it and got away with it.

It is long-acting. Unlike alcohol, which is eliminated from a 
person's system in a matter of hours, the active ingredient in 
marijuana, THC, is fat-soluble, which means that it and some of its 
metabolites can accumulate in body tissues over time. THC is 
detectable in the blood of habitual marijuana smokers for over a week 
after last use and can reside in tissues for weeks or months.

Its use has many other documented health effects, including increased 
risks for anxiety and panic reactions, motor vehicle accidents, 
respiratory infections, and, in young users, schizophrenia. Marijuana 
smoke contains many of the same carcinogens as tobacco smoke, and 
some studies, not surprisingly, have shown a link to lung cancer.

Its use is related to use of other drugs. Whether marijuana is a 
"gateway" - i.e., whether its use causes people to use other drugs - 
is disputed, but what's clear is that disproportionately many people 
who smoke marijuana do use other drugs as well.

Legalization would send the wrong signal, especially to young people. 
Laws serve not only as limits to behavior, but also as a reflection 
of what behaviors society encourages, or at least approves of. 
Legalizing marijuana would be construed as a societal endorsement of 
the drug's use.

Regulation is no panacea. OxyContin, Vicodin, Xanax, and Adderall, to 
name a few examples, are all "tightly" regulated prescription drugs 
whose abuse is widespread.

Many people consider marijuana harmless. The average young person is 
far more aware of marijuana's illegality than its ill psychological 
and physical effects. But better education on drugs doesn't depend on 
their legal status. We need to better educate people about them, 
period. In the meantime, government approval and greater availability 
of recreational drugs for a population that remains largely 
uninformed about their hazards - particularly the young - is a recipe 
for increased use.

And, with all due respect to the principles of individual liberty and 
personal autonomy, that's not good for any of us.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom