Show YOU Need Know w ALo About t Drug Abuse Ahus rr h P Facts and Fictions About Marijuana EDITORS EDITOR'S NOTE This Is the third of a series of five articles based on scientific Information from the National Institute of Mental Health concerning narcotics and drug abuses Nearly everyone has heard fables fictions fictions fic fie or fallacies about marijuana perhaps per per- haps like these SMOKE POT and you wind up hooked hooked hook hook- ed on heroin Man its it's cleaner than alcohol Its It's the first step right Into the psycho ward Theres There's just no reason to keep It Illegal Why doesn't anyone tell the truth about marijuana marijuana mari marl juana None of these statements Is ts based on scientific fact but on half fact or mis mis- information The first statement although wrong stems from some studies showing that sizeable ble percent percentages a of heroin addicts previously smoked marijuana pot The reverse Is not necessarily true although this adds no reasoning to the side of those who favor unrestricted marijuana ALCOHOL AND marijuana are not comparable as far as No 2 goes Moreover Moreover More More- over the long term long term effects of marijuana smoking are simply not known as yet As to No 3 scientists have not proved proved provo ed that marijuana is a direct cause of mental Illness Nor have they proved that it prevents mental disorders or helps mental health THERE THER ARE some reasons on the legal side for restrictions on marijuana as as for example the indisputable fact that science does not know very much about it It does not appear moreover that mass permissive total population usage of an unknown but powerful mind mind- affecting drug is rational Why doesn't anyone tell the truth about marijuana This despairing kind of cry is perhaps perhaps per per- haps based on confusion brought about by those who favor taking all shackles off marijuana and who disseminate misinformation misinformation mis mis- information or slanted material rather than objective information HERE ARE ARE- some facts about this controversial substance entirely founded found found- ed on what science now knows not on guesses rumors and wishful emotion emotion- The smoking of marijuana is illegal in nearly every civilized country of the world Nevertheless with the possible exception of it Is today probably probably probably pro pro- bably the most widely used intoxicant in the world Despite its current pervasiveness scientists are quick to acknowledge ledge significant significant sig sig- gaps in their knowledge of marijuana's marijuana's mari marl juanas juana's effects on man and animals too for that matter THE LITTLE research that has been done in the U. U S. S and there has not been a great deal anywhere in the world has principally used marijuana seized by the Federal Bureau of Narcotics Narcotics Nar Nan and Dangerous Drugs which was supplied to qualified researchers But all natural marijuana is of uncertain uncertain tain potency and seized materials are frequently unrefined and impure Reliable Reliable Re Re- liable research whether in test tubes and analytic machines on animals or oron oron oron on man can can only be conducted if the drug drug is Is standardized the potency constant con con- stant THE SCIENTIST In a word has has' to have a uniform substance to study if he is to produce results and accurate findings I of value This standing long problem seems at last to have been largely solved National National Na Na- Institute of Mental Health research grantees and others have succeeded in isolating a number of compounds in cannabis cannabis can can- the plant from which which- marijuana cigarette material comes IN iN ADDITION they have determined determined ed ed the exact structure of THC the probable main active active ac ac- tive principle of marijuana Thus the production of uniform synthetic or manmade manmade man man- made marijuana is now possible With this compound THC sometimes called liquid marijuana scientists can at last run controlled uniform exper exper- Very early work showed that the compound compound com com- p pound nd would be useful not only in laboratory laboratory laboratory la la- studies but also in careful investigations investigations in in- in humans Basic research using synthetic marijuana compounds along with a abroad abroad abroad broad broad spectrum of clinical studies is being supported and stimulated by the National Institute of Mental Health This is isa a a part of an invigorated attack on narcotic and drug abuse through research research re reo search training services and education Some other facts about marijuana which every citizen old and young needs to to know have already been esta esta- Here are some questions often asked and answers to them What is marijuana MARIJUANA also spelled marihuana marihuana marihuana mari is a drug found in a plant cannabis sativa that grows in mild climate climate climate cli cli- mate countries all around the world Some of its nicknames are pot grass weed and Mary Jane How is it used For use as a drug the leaves and flowers are usually dried and crushed or chopped into small pieces This green- green colored product is ts rolled and smoked in n cigarettes or pipes or can be sniffed or taken in food Its sweetish odor is easily recognized The smoke is harsh it smells like burnt rope or dried grasses grass grass- es es IS MARIJUANA used for medical purposes purposes pur pur- poses No It has no known use in modern medicine There is medical research on it but it is not used to treat or cure illness Statements that marijuana is med Olmedo afe scientific scientific safe j are not supported by evidence Do we know what marijuana does to the mind and body WE DO not know the physical affects affects af af- af fully Long term Long term effects are absolutely absolutely absolutely unknown The kind of research needed to learn the results of continued use has hIlS not yet been done It is getting underway now however as pointed out outDoes Does marijuana affect judgment Yes but not favorably A person using marijuana finds it harder to make decisions decisions de de- that require clear thinking He Heis Heis Heis is open more easily to other peoples people's suggestions Doing anything that takes good reflexes and clear thinking is af af- It is for example dangerous to drive while under the influence of marijuana marijuana mari marl juana just as it is with alcohol What about the laws THERE ARE Federal and State laws and international laws dealing with marijuana Possession or sale of it in the U. U S. S is a felony under Federal law Many states deal with marijuana as severely severely se se- verely as if it were a narcotic Many feel that the laws should be changed changed chan chan- ged many others do not In any case case young and old alike should know these and other facts For a free leaflet on marijuana write to Box 1080 Washington D D. D C C. C |