MARIJUANA IS INDEED A BIG DEAL

The Reporter published a three-part series about marijuana. Alarming were
the pro-marijuana front-page articles which led readers to believe it is
not harmful for them to smoke marijuana (pot).

This attitude that pot is not a "big deal" reflects on what experts say is
the root of a resurgence of pot use among teens. The Reporter added to the
complacent attitude of teens who think pot is endorsed by a majority of adults.

The following will attempt to heal some of the damage The Reporter has done
by providing more information and addressing statements users made.

. Marijuana is a harmful drug. It contains more than 400 harmful chemicals
and, when smoked, produces 2,000 even more harmful chemicals. A marijuana
smoker is exposed to six times as many carcinogens as a tobacco smoker. The
amount of tar in marijuana is 10 to 20 times the amount found in a
cigarette. Users can observe the extreme amount of tar when they look at
the black tar residue that drips off of the joint.

. A politician stated that the war on drugs cannot be won and that pot
should be legal for adults to use in their homes. Can he guarantee if it is
legal that adults will be only using when they are at home and that they
will not expose their children to it?

. One person interviewed stated that marijuana is not a gateway drug but
then admitted he has tried cocaine. A study by the Center of Addiction and
Substance Abuse found 43 percent of teens who use pot by age 18 move on to
cocaine.

. A psychologist stated that amotivational syndrome is a "bunch of crap."
She may not have found it to cause her to be lazy, but pot does make the
greater majority of users lazy. The real danger is when adolescents use.
They not only endanger their health but also postpone opportunities for
emotional and social growth that may never recur. If they start using in
middle school, by high school, they become bored with school, have trouble
learning, isolate themselves from their parents and are mainly interested
in when they can become high. Their brain becomes so saturated with THC
that they need more and more of the drug to become high.

. Interviewed was a recovering alcoholic who was not addicted to pot and a
young woman who only uses pot occasionally. It would have been more
appropriate for a Reporter staff member to attend a NA meeting and
interview marijuana addicts. These addicts would have been able to discuss
the harmful physical and psychological effects of marijuana and how the
drug has damaged their lives.

. Interviewed was a gentleman who does not like the DARE program, has been
using for almost 30 years and does not think of it as a problem. He doesn't
think that kids should be told things that cannot be proven, such as it is
a gateway drug and it causes brain damage. These have been proven to be fact.

. An instructor stated studies have shown nicotine and alcohol to be bigger
killers than all kinds of illegal drugs combined. This may be true, due to
more adults using these drugs and admitting to using them, because they are
legal. If pot becomes legal, more will suffer from its negative health
effects. Each year, 100,000 people (10 to 14 percent of users in the United
States) are treated for marijuana dependency.

. A writer stated that pot does not harm the immune system; this is
outdated information. Current studies have found pot to impair the ability
of T-cells in the lungs' immune system to fight off infections.

By shedding a positive light on marijuana, The Reporter shares in the
responsibility of prompting young and impressionable minds to use marijuana.

Darlene Hanke is a Fond du Lac County public health nurse.