MARIJUANA BOOK SPARKS DEBATE

New York, March 21 - It’s the exact opposite advice one would expect from a
parent, doctor or teacher about smoking marijuana. However, a new book by
two city university professors concludes that smoking marijuana is not
harmful, and doesn’t make users, including college-aged students, unmotivated.

Columbia University Medical School Professor John P. Morgan, M.D. said,
“Marijuana has some dangers but the dangers that young people have been
told for a decade are not true.”

Claiming the book, Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts, is scientifically
sound, Prof. Morgan and co-author Lynn Zimmer, Ph.D., a sociology professor
at Queens College, write, “Even long-term high-dose marijuana use is not
harmful to the brain. Marijuana use during pregnancy does not damage the
fetus. There is nothing about marijuana that causes people to lose drive
and ambition. Marijuana does not cause crime.”

The American Medical Association criticizes the book, saying it minimizes
the real or potential dangers of marijuana.

“The drug comes to the brain, binds itself to the brain, exerts its affect
and leaves and probably causes no long-term damage,” Prof. Zimmer said.
“There’s no evidence that occasional use impairs people ability to be good
people, good parents, good citizens, productive workers.”

But on that, and the issue of marijuana and crime, the book was denounced
by long time narcotics officer turned New York City Police Commissioner
Howard Safir.

“There’s no doubt marijuana leads to trouble and I can show you 10 books
that prove that for every one like the one you just showed me,” he said.
“The fact that these two professors are teachers leads me to wonder if they
are fit to be leading a classroom.”

However, Prof. Zimmer maintained, “I think most people use marijuana in a
responsible way.”

The authors said the book would not have been possible without city
university’s help. It was researched at taxpayers’ expense. Prof. Zimmer
was granted a year’s sabbatical with pay and given an award from the
president’s office, an additional six months to work on the book.

Required by law, all CUNY students are told in writing about the health
risks of illicit drugs and sanctions for using them. However, some of that
information directly contradicts data in this new book, which could
potentially lead to confusion on the campus about marijuana and its true
effects.