THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA

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Extrapolations like these occur with disturbing frequency. Because marijuana is controversial—and illegal—the atmosphere surrounding its health effects is highly charged, and the available data conflict at almost every turn. In fact, if all marijuana researchers are correct in their methodological criticisms of each other's work, none of the reported results can be trusted.

On the other hand, no reputable au thorities argue that "grass" is completely safe . . . not even the legalization lobby, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). Clearly, lung cells are extremely delicate, and any long-term exposure to hot particulate combustion products—which contain a large number of carcinogens—can be assumed to cause some damage.

The question is, how much harm is caused by how much smoking? The research, contradictory as it is, falls into two general categories . . . indicating either that pot is "not all that harmful" or that it's "very harmful".

"NOT ALL THAT HARMFUL"

The best collection of papers indicating that marijuana is relatively benign—even when used to excess—is "Chronic Cannabis Use", published by the New York Academy of Sciences. The report chronicles studies in Costa Rica and Jamaica dealing with a wide range of health variables in heavy marijuana smokers,

as compared to non-pot-smoking controls. "Heavy" use in Jamaica would be considered nonstop smoking by United States standards, since the average user tested had consumed seven high-potency joints a day for 17.5 years.

The studies compared smokers' and nonsmokers' physical exams, electrocardiograms, blood, immunity to infection, testosterone levels, chest X-rays, lung function, and chromosome integrity . . . and showed "no significant differences between the two groups in the wide range of tests administered".

"VERY HARMFUL"

The leading researcher with a negative perspective is Gabriel Nahas—an anesthesiologist at Columbia University in New York—who summarized the case against marijuana last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association. He reported that cannabis use interfered with cell division . . . harmed lung tissue significantly, with the damage persisting long after cessation of smoking . . . lowered the lungs' defenses against bacteria "substantially more" than does tobacco . . . reduced sperm counts and decreased testosterone levels (although these effects were reversible after the users stopped smoking marijuana) . . . caused birth defects . . . hindered brain function . . . impaired judgment while driving . . . and perhaps (this point was not considered proven) triggered epileptic seizures.

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