DAMAGE ALERT SPARKS NEW DOPE DEBATE

The study is out - smoking cannabis is as damaging for health as smoking
tobacco. What difference does the latest scientific research make to
cannabis users? asks FLEUR ROBINSON.

Wheezing, shortness of breath during exercise and that yucky early-morning
congestion. These are symptoms you normally associate with long-term tobacco
smoking, but a University of Otago study, released recently, shows they are
just as likely to come from smoking dope.

The study, by the Dunedin multi-disciplinary health and development project,
found heavy cannabis use (more than five joints a week) by almost 90
21-year-olds in a sample of 943, caused similar damage to the lungs as
tobacco smoking and long term, was likely to lead to chronic bronchitis,
emphysema and lung cancer.

With the Government considering decriminalising cannabis, the anti-drug
lobby is hoping the newly-released results may be the clincher in preventing
cannabis becoming decriminalised.

Asked on national television what he thought of the study, Green Party MP
and cannabis law reform advocate Nandor Tanczos said any message against
smoking excessively was a good thing, although his personal view was that
most cannabis smokers did not smoke enough weed to be adversely affected.

So, what do the results mean to Dunedin people? Will it make any difference
to their smoking habits?

Not as far as 19-year-old Lauree is concerned.

She smokes tobacco regularly and cannabis occasionally.

"Maybe if I smoked it a lot I might [cut down]," she says.

However, if cannabis became legal or decriminalised, she says she probably
wouldn't smoke it at all.

"Because everyone would be walking around stoned and it would be horrible. I
know some people who are stoned all the time and they're just mental."

Julie (25) has smoked cannabis once. She smokes tobacco regularly.

She thinks the study is "fair enough" and has always thought cannabis would
be just as bad or worse than tobacco, but says she wants to see more
research done on the issue.

"I've smoked it once and I'd probably smoke it again."

But she is not in favour of cannabis being decriminalised.

"I think it would become more of a problem. People are just kidding
themselves if they think it won't."

Rob (20) read about the study in a Wellington newspaper.

He doesn't smoke tobacco but smokes cannabis occasionally. Now that he knows
about its effects, he might smoke it less, he says.

"There are too many things that can give you cancer these days. I guess I
don't want to die too early."

However, he thinks a lot of young people don't believe studies.

"It's like just another propaganda from the Government to get us to be
cautious."

Rachel (17), a tobacco smoker, said the study's results didn't shock her.

"But I think it's pathetic that they always have to find a problem with
everything. People take cannabis so they can relax now and again.

"I think they're just finding out facts so that it scares people off more,
even though it's true.

"I'm happy being an occasional smoker. I've got some friends who smoke
regularly and you see how it affects them and that puts you off using it
more."

If cannabis was decriminalised, it should only be allowed to be used in
moderation, she said.

Amelia (17), a non-smoker, also thinks the researchers are "just trying to
scare people".

She uses cannabis occasionally.

"If you smoke it every day, of course it's going to have long-term effects.
But it's people's choice whether they want to or not."

Tim (16), a non-smoker, says he has smoked cannabis occasionally for the
past couple of years but gave up recently because he wants to be drug free.

"It's got medicinal uses but I don't think it's that good for my body."

James (20) smokes both tobacco and cannabis regularly. He says he knows all
smoke is bad but believes cannabis is better than tobacco because its
effects last longer.

"Five minutes after you finish a cigarette, you want another one. One joint
can do you for four or five hours."

Although the study concerns him, he says a lot of people smoke cannabis and
it doesn't appear to be damaging them.

"Most of the hard out executives use it. I've had some sessions with them."

He believes cannabis should be legalised because it does not affect people
as badly as alcohol.

Daniel (23) is another regular user of cannabis.

"I found it [the study] hard to believe. Some of the best athletes use pot.

"But it made me more want to cut down on cigarette smoking [after 11 years].

"I would want to see the hard facts. It's kind of hearsay to the average Joe
Bloggs. Studies come out all the time. Next year, there'll probably be a new
theory."

Georgina (19), a non-smoker, occasionally smokes cannabis.

"Just about everything these days causes cancer and I'll probably die of
heart disease before I die of cancer," she says.

But she is not in favour of cannabis being decriminalised because, "I'm
against young people getting influenced by the fact that it's legal and
ruining their lives by taking advantage of that".

If it is decriminalised, she would like to see an 18-year age restriction
put on it, like with alcohol.

Jacquie (17), a non smoker, has never tried cannabis but says she was not
surprised by the study results.

"I've always thought it was worse than cigarette smoking."

It would take a scientific study that said cannabis was good to change her
mind on it. She is not in favour of decriminalisation.

Mel (25), a non-smoker, says she thought everyone already knew cannabis was
as bad as cigarettes.

She has smoked it in the past and is not against it being decriminalised
because she thinks it is better than alcohol.

"I'd rather hang around someone who's stoned than someone drunk."

Samantha (16) has never tried cannabis. Some of her family members smoke it
and that is enough to put her off, she says.

She has no problem believing the study's results but thinks cannabis should
be decriminalised because people should have free choice.

Dr Rob McGee, senior lecturer in health promotion at the University of Otago
department of preventive and social medicine, said it took more than just
one published study to change people's attitudes.

"At least you're providing people with the opportunity of getting
information.

"I think young people do care about their health but I think the health
effects [of smoking cannabis and tobacco] are placed somewhere off in the
future and people think they can stop smoking before those consequences
affect them," he said.

"The interesting thing about this study was that the effects were showing up
now; they're not off in the future. That could provide an impetus for some
people to cut down if they're heavy users.

"I think there's a general perception that the health effects of cannabis
are less than alcohol and smoking but they're not non-existent and it's a
danger to think smoking cannabis is harmless. There may also be other
effects relating to mental health or dependency," he said.

Otago University Students Association spokesman Richard Page, who helped
draft a submission toward decriminalising cannabis, said the association
always promoted moderation rather than dependency.

"We've always felt decriminalisation would provide help for people who were
dependent on cannabis." he said.

The study showed the need for harm-reducing paraphernalia, like vaporisers
and cannabis pipes, to become legal, he said.

"Our submission stresses harm minimisation, moderate use and education
programmes so people can be aware of the health risks and avoid them."

He believes prohibition is not working because statistics showed more than
half the population smoked cannabis. "The genie is already out of the
bottle, prohibition is not working. The point is taking a harm minimisation
stance rather than prohibiting it."