Harmful Effects of Marijuana

Californians who voted for the passage of Prop. 215 may have thought they were providing medical relief, but instead they have created a prescription for chaos. Marijuana is not good medicine. Health officials around the world, as well as in the United States, have determined that there is no valid medical use for marijuana. The proposition that anyone can use marijuana when recommended by a physician assumes that such use would not pose a health hazard to the user or to others. Proponents claim it will ease pain for the side effects of chemotherapy for cancer, and for glaucoma and multiple sclerosis. But the American Cancer Society, the American Medical Assn. and the Multiple Sclerosis Society all oppose such use, and so do the Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization.

There is no provision in federal law for anyone, in any state, including California, to use, possess, distribute, manufacture, grow or sell marijuana, regardless of Prop. 215. Some individuals who have used marijuana while being treated with chemotherapy say they have felt better. But other synthetic drugs, like Marinol and Zofran, are available, with none of the negative side effects.

The tragedy of the vote for Prop. 215 has been the lack of factual medical information presented on the true hazards of regular use: short-term memory loss, significant decreased immune response, impaired depth perception, substantial increase in carcinogenic particle intake, lower testosterone levels for males and higher testosterone levels for females.

PETER B. BENSINGER

Chicago

The writer was administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration 1976-1981.