MEDICAL MARIJUANA

No argument has ever become a better one by continuous, prayer-mill like
repetition without reflecting to upcoming objections. In particular,
this holds true for the letter of Mr. Robert Merkin (Northampton, Maine)
in response to the anti-medical marijuana column of Mr. Guy Farmer under
the heading: "Prohibition doesn't work for marijuana."

"The 2.0 millions of men, women and children behind bars" have not been
sent to prison because of possession of, rather than for dealing with
drugs and committing other crimes. Despite it is denied by the
legalizers, marijuana is a gateway to consumption of hard drugs like
heroine, cocaine, ecstasy, LSD, methamphetamine, paramethoxyamphetamine
(PMA) and others. There is no reason, whatsoever, to take marijuana as a
medicine since it isn't a medicine!

The smoke of raw marijuana contains more than 360 different compounds,
most of which haven't even been investigated, not to speak of lacking
standardization. The main substance, delta-THC, has been fairly well
studied and is known to cause a condition of reduced cognitive
(intellectual) functions, impaired attention, impaired learning and
memory and a considerable prolongation of reaction time.

These confinements have obvious consequences for driving a motor
vehicle, for the performance in fulfilling the professional job or in
school. Pharmacological actions further include the frequent occurrence
of "a motivational syndrome;" the latter is used to describe the
behavior of young people dropping out of their social surrounding and
showing little interest in work, school and other performance oriented
activities.

Guy Farmer has broadcast the opinion of many doctors, scientists,
lawyers and high ranking public servants from the United States, Canada,
South America, Europe and Southeast Asia, whom I know, to the American
public. I should like to thank Mr. Farmer for his civil courage to speak
out what sometimes does not fit into the mainstream of manipulated
public opinion.

Otto Hauswirth, MD

Professor of Physiology
Hippokratic Society of Austria
International Hippokratic Society