News (Media Awareness Project) - Expert insists marijuana safe |
| Title: | Expert insists marijuana safe |
| Published On: | 1997-05-15 |
| Source: | The Ottawa Citizen News A5 |
| Fetched On: | 2008-09-08 15:57:50 |
EXPERT INSISTS MARIJUANA SAFE
Witness: Laws based on outofdate morals, not medical reality
By Pearce Bannon, The Ottawa Citizen
LONDON A U.S. drug expert told a court here yesterday that the only
things harmful about marijuana re the laws than penalize its users.
"The only thing thats deviant about cannabis use is its criminalization,"
said John Paul Morgan at the trial of hemp dealer Chris Clay.
Calling himself a "conscientious objector to the war on drugs," Dr. Morgan,
who has spent 21 years studying drugs, particularly marijuana, told Mr.
Justice John McCart there is no "logical or pharmacological reason" for
lawmakers to group marijuana with potentially lethal drugs such as cocaine
or heroin.
In comparison with those drugs, and with legal drugs like tobacco and
alcohol, Dr. Morgan said marijuana has "an extremely wide margin of safety."
Dr. Morgan is the defences final witness in the trial of Mr. Clay and an
employee, Jordan Prentice, who has also been charged with narcotics offences.
Mr. Clay, 26, made national headlines in 1995 when London police raided his
store, Hemp Nation, seizing marijuana seeds and seedlings and charging him
with possession of a narcotic for the purpose of trafficking and
cultivation of the narcotic cannabis sativa.
The defence team of Osgoode Hall professor Alan Young and partner Paul
Burstein are arguing that marijuana is a relatively safe substance that
should not be prohibited, and that members of the public have the right to
determine how to treat their own bodies.
Prof. Young is also arguing that a person in possession of marijuana plants
with a toxicity level of less than 0.3 per cent the standard set by the
government for licensed experimental hemp farms should not be convicted
and jailed on narcotics charges.
Referring to several studies done over the past 25 years, Dr. Morgan told
the court there is no conclusive evidence that marijuana use decreases
motivation or damages the bodys immune system, nor does it harm an
individuals cognitive abilities.
He pointed out that marijuana laws in North America were written before
scientific facts were available, and were mostly based on the belief that
use of the drug would cause immoral actions on the part of its users.
Today, marijuana opponents use its toxicity to prevent its
decriminalization, said Dr. Morgan, "and they cling to these claims beyond
what I feel is all rationality."
However, he added hes "optimistic" that possession of marijuana will soon
be decriminalized across the United States, pointing to recent votes in
California and Arizona, where the public supported the prescribing of
marijuana for medicinal purposes.
"A significant amount of Americans oppose putting people in jail for
possession" of marijuana, he said, adding millions are using it for
therapeutic purposes to help alleviate symptoms of AIDS, the stress of
chemotherapy and the muscular tremors associated with degenerative diseases
such as multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy.
In fact, Dr. Morgan said he gave marijuana to his wife, who suffers from
multiple sclerosis, but she didnt like it.
Dr. Harold Kalant, professor emeritus of Pharmacology at the University of
Toronto and the Crowns final witness, said he agrees with Dr. Morgan that
a comprehensive longterm study of marijuana that examines users over many
years should be conducted to try to determine conclusively its possible
health hazards.
He said he doesnt believe its valid to compare the health risks of
marijuana with the risks of using alcohol and tobacco, since marijuanas
illegality prevents it from being as widely used.
Dr. Kalant also said that a 1970s study conducted in Canada found that
marijuana has three to four times the level of tar that an unfiltered
tobacco cigarette has. The study also found that a heavy tobacco smoker
would inhale more tar than a heavy marijuana smoker, he said, but added the
difference was not that great.
Dr. Kalant continues his testimony today. The defence will conclude its
case by showing scenes from the movie Reefer Madness.
Final arguments are scheduled for Tuesday, May 20.
_____________________________________________
Hemp Nation * http://www.hempnation.com/
Chris Clay * Email chris.clay@hempnation.com
Constitutional challenge is underway!
Witness: Laws based on outofdate morals, not medical reality
By Pearce Bannon, The Ottawa Citizen
LONDON A U.S. drug expert told a court here yesterday that the only
things harmful about marijuana re the laws than penalize its users.
"The only thing thats deviant about cannabis use is its criminalization,"
said John Paul Morgan at the trial of hemp dealer Chris Clay.
Calling himself a "conscientious objector to the war on drugs," Dr. Morgan,
who has spent 21 years studying drugs, particularly marijuana, told Mr.
Justice John McCart there is no "logical or pharmacological reason" for
lawmakers to group marijuana with potentially lethal drugs such as cocaine
or heroin.
In comparison with those drugs, and with legal drugs like tobacco and
alcohol, Dr. Morgan said marijuana has "an extremely wide margin of safety."
Dr. Morgan is the defences final witness in the trial of Mr. Clay and an
employee, Jordan Prentice, who has also been charged with narcotics offences.
Mr. Clay, 26, made national headlines in 1995 when London police raided his
store, Hemp Nation, seizing marijuana seeds and seedlings and charging him
with possession of a narcotic for the purpose of trafficking and
cultivation of the narcotic cannabis sativa.
The defence team of Osgoode Hall professor Alan Young and partner Paul
Burstein are arguing that marijuana is a relatively safe substance that
should not be prohibited, and that members of the public have the right to
determine how to treat their own bodies.
Prof. Young is also arguing that a person in possession of marijuana plants
with a toxicity level of less than 0.3 per cent the standard set by the
government for licensed experimental hemp farms should not be convicted
and jailed on narcotics charges.
Referring to several studies done over the past 25 years, Dr. Morgan told
the court there is no conclusive evidence that marijuana use decreases
motivation or damages the bodys immune system, nor does it harm an
individuals cognitive abilities.
He pointed out that marijuana laws in North America were written before
scientific facts were available, and were mostly based on the belief that
use of the drug would cause immoral actions on the part of its users.
Today, marijuana opponents use its toxicity to prevent its
decriminalization, said Dr. Morgan, "and they cling to these claims beyond
what I feel is all rationality."
However, he added hes "optimistic" that possession of marijuana will soon
be decriminalized across the United States, pointing to recent votes in
California and Arizona, where the public supported the prescribing of
marijuana for medicinal purposes.
"A significant amount of Americans oppose putting people in jail for
possession" of marijuana, he said, adding millions are using it for
therapeutic purposes to help alleviate symptoms of AIDS, the stress of
chemotherapy and the muscular tremors associated with degenerative diseases
such as multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy.
In fact, Dr. Morgan said he gave marijuana to his wife, who suffers from
multiple sclerosis, but she didnt like it.
Dr. Harold Kalant, professor emeritus of Pharmacology at the University of
Toronto and the Crowns final witness, said he agrees with Dr. Morgan that
a comprehensive longterm study of marijuana that examines users over many
years should be conducted to try to determine conclusively its possible
health hazards.
He said he doesnt believe its valid to compare the health risks of
marijuana with the risks of using alcohol and tobacco, since marijuanas
illegality prevents it from being as widely used.
Dr. Kalant also said that a 1970s study conducted in Canada found that
marijuana has three to four times the level of tar that an unfiltered
tobacco cigarette has. The study also found that a heavy tobacco smoker
would inhale more tar than a heavy marijuana smoker, he said, but added the
difference was not that great.
Dr. Kalant continues his testimony today. The defence will conclude its
case by showing scenes from the movie Reefer Madness.
Final arguments are scheduled for Tuesday, May 20.
_____________________________________________
Hemp Nation * http://www.hempnation.com/
Chris Clay * Email chris.clay@hempnation.com
Constitutional challenge is underway!
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