Science / Medicine : Marijuana May Aid Night Vision
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Marijuana may help people see in the dark, according to a letter in the scientific journal Nature. “Jamaican fishermen, it seems, have an uncanny ability to see in the dark, and cannabis is the magic ingredient,” said M.E. West of the University of the West Indies.
He says most Jamaican fishermen smoke marijuana or drink an alcoholic beverage made from the stems and leaves of the plant. His letter said he began conducting research after he joined a crew on a nighttime fishing expedition and was amazed at how they navigated without lights in treacherous waters. He could see nothing.
The way marijuana worked to improve night vision remained a mystery.
