WHY I WOULD VOTE NO ON POT

Maybe it's because I was born a couple of months after Woodstock and
wasn't around when marijuana was as common as iPods are today, but I'm
constantly amazed that after all these years--and all the wars on
drugs and all the public-service announcements--nearly 15 million
Americans still use marijuana at least once a month. California and 10
other states have already decriminalized marijuana for medical use.
Now two of those states--Colorado and Nevada--are considering ballot
initiatives that would legalize up to an ounce of pot for personal use
by people 21 and older, whether or not there is a medical need.

What do voters need to know before going to the polls?

The first is that marijuana isn't really very good for you. True,
there are health benefits for some patients. Several recent studies,
including a new one from the Scripps Research Institute, show that
THC, the chemical in marijuana responsible for the high, can help slow
the progress of Alzheimer's disease. (In fact, it seems to block the
formation of disease-causing plaques better than several mainstream
drugs.) Other studies have shown THC to be a very effective antinausea
treatment for people--cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, for
example--for whom conventional medications aren't working. And medical
cannabis has shown promise relieving pain in patients with multiple
sclerosis and reducing intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients.

But I suspect that most of the people eager to vote yes on the new
ballot measures aren't suffering from glaucoma, Alzheimer's or
chemo-induced nausea. Many of them just want to get stoned legally.
That's why I, like many other doctors, am unimpressed with the
proposed legislation, which would legalize marijuana irrespective of
any medical condition.

Why do I care? As Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute
on Drug Abuse, puts it, "Numerous deleterious health consequences are
associated with [marijuana's] short- and long-term use, including the
possibility of becoming addicted."

What are other health consequences? Frequent marijuana use can
seriously affect your short-term memory. It can impair your cognitive
ability (why do you think people call it dope?) and lead to
long-lasting depression or anxiety. While many people smoke marijuana
to relax, it can have the opposite effect on frequent users. And
smoking anything, whether it's tobacco or marijuana, can seriously
damage your lung tissue.

The Nevada and Colorado marijuana initiatives have gained support from
unlikely places. More than 33 religious leaders in Nevada have
endorsed the measure, arguing that permissive legalization,
accompanied by stringent regulations and penalties, can cut down on
illegal drug trafficking and make communities safer.

Perhaps. But I'm here to tell you, as a doctor, that despite all the
talk about the medical benefits of marijuana, smoking the stuff is not
going to do your health any good. And if you get high before climbing
behind the wheel of a car, you will be putting yourself and those
around you in danger.