All Smoke in Lungs Is a Health Hazard by Dr. Robert Wallace on Creators.com

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All Smoke in Lungs Is a Health Hazard

DR. WALLACE: There is a big push throughout the world to make the use of marijuana a legal act. In fact, in Canada there is a political party known as the Marijuana Party. First of all, I want to know if marijuana is actually a drug, and next, is marijuana addictive?

I smoke marijuana occasionally when I'm with friends (never alone) or at a party where others are smoking pot. I enjoy getting high, but I have never had the addictive feeling that I had to have another one soon. Please enlighten me. - Nameless, Crown Point, Ind.

NAMELESS: It's debatable whether marijuana is addictive. Some scientists think it is, while the majority of them say it isn't. Scientific research is continuing in this area. Marijuana is classified as a psychoactive drug that changes the user's behavior. Scientists do agree that low doses tend to produce restlessness and an increased sense of well-being, followed by a dreamy, carefree state of relaxation, an illusory expansion of time and space and a subtle change in thought formation and expression.

Moderate doses may result in a state of intoxication that intensifies these reactions. The user may experience rapidly changing emotions and impaired memory, with an altered sense of self-identity.

High doses of marijuana can result in loss of personal identity, fantasies and hallucinations. The withdrawal syndrome in high doses is characterized by sleep loss, irritability, hyperactivity, decreased appetite, sweating and increased salivation.

Also, remember that smoke in your lungs, be it tobacco or marijuana, is a major health hazard.

There is a growing number of elected officials pushing to have marijuana use legalized.

They are saying that the use of marijuana should be equal to the use of alcohol — controlled and taxed. This movement is gaining momentum, and I wouldn't be surprised to see marijuana legalized in the near future.

YOU ARE YOUR SISTER'S ROLE MODEL

DR. WALLACE: I'm 13 and have an 11-year-old sister. I like her, but it annoys me when she copies everything I do. She likes to wear her hair the same way I do. She also likes the same foods that I do, hates the same foods I hate, plays the same sports that I play and likes the same music that I like. You get the idea!

What can I do to get her to think for herself? Even my friends consider her a clone of me. - Melody, Sidney, Ohio.

MELODY: Your sister is copying you because she thinks you are one sharp sister and she wants to be just like you. Don't let this flattery unnerve you. In time, your sister will take her own course. Until then, you might as well enjoy being her prime role model.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@galesburg.net. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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Congratulations, Dr. Wallace, you are evolving on the subject of marijuana use. I'm certainly not advocating its use - especially by teens - but I remember when I was in school in the 1970's, and we were shown what amounted to propaganda films about the evils of marijuana. Supposedly, it caused people to become psychotic crazies who turned to crime to feed their ever-growing drug experimentation. Inevitably it led to a horrible death, as when one guy's car just exploded for no reason when he was drag racing. The problem was, many of us had older brothers and sisters who used it, apparently without disastrous side effects. This led some of my schoolmates to doubt ALL of the anti-drug information they were given. Some discounted the dangers of uppers, LSD, cocaine, and, yes, even heroin. Sadly, some learned hard lessons, and, yes, some are dead now. My point is that if you want to retain credibility with young people, you need to give them honest information. If you exaggerate, you're part of the problem.

The truth is: Marijuana is not physically addictive, but those with addictive personalities are at risk of becoming psychologically addicted. Most people who use it will have no detrimental effects. Those who use a lot of it may experience memory problems and lowered motivation. Despite the Drug Enforcement Agency's claims to the contrary, a search of the National Institutes of Health Pubmed database will reveal peer-reviewed science that demonstrates medical benefits including effective treatment for pain, nausea, and glaucoma. There has never been a documented incident of marijuana overdose. Marijuana smoke contains both carcinogenic compounds and substances that appear to protect against the carcinogens. Driving or operation machinery while under the influence of ANY psychoactive medication is stupid and dangerous. The "gateway drug" theory is probably specious. Correlation is not causation. People who are adventurous enough to try marijuana are more likely to try other drugs, and I believe spreading misinformation about drugs is partly to blame. It is expensive and illegal. A marijuana high causes impaired performance in the classroom and on the athletic field. That should be sufficient reason to leave it alone. There is no need to pile on with the "reefer madness" silliness.

Comment: #1
Posted by: Carla
Tue Jan 3, 2012 10:25 AM

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All Smoke in Lungs Is a Health Hazard

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