POT SMOKERS WANTED FOR STUDY

Wellington Medical School needs cannabis smokers.

The school's asthma research centre is planning to study cancer risks
and respiratory effects of smoking cannabis.

But the first challenge could be finding cannabis smokers, researcher
Alexandra Goldkorn said yesterday.

"It is going to be quite tricky because we are going to have to find
cannabis users who do not smoke tobacco, which is quite a rare breed,"
Dr Goldkorn said.

With politicians now debating a law change on cannabis use, research
into the drug's effects was needed before decisions were made, she
said.

"Very little has been done in New Zealand and internationally. There
is a gap in the market."

For the respiratory study, volunteers would be subjected to objective
tests like X-rays, scans and lung function tests.

In the cancer study, cancer patients treated at Wellington Hospital
would be asked about cannabis use.