PRINCE OF POT SHOULD READ PRINCE OF STUDIES

Lawyers call it an "adhominem" argument. It means that, instead of
addressing the substance of a person's argument, you bash them personally.

It's invariably the weakest kind of argument to make. But so often
it's the easiest.

Which is why so often it's used by the likes of Vancouver pot
promoter Marc Emery in preaching about the virtues of smoking
marijuana. Anybody who disagrees with him is invariably an evil person.

It's why I'm not at all surprised to read Emery's vitriolic reaction
to a study by Canadian health researchers who are challenging the
common belief that pot smoking is less harmful to one's health than
smoking tobacco. "This study is false and is, in fact, blatant lies
once again from the least trustworthy source of health information in
Canada -- the lackeys at Health Canada," Emery told Canwest News Service.

Now, Health Canada may be many things, but is it really our least
trustworthy health-information source? I for one tend to prefer its
findings to those of Emery . . . though I'm skeptical about much
government-funded research, especially that on global warming.

And I'm sure most parents would prefer it if young B.C.ers, who smoke
way too much dope, spent more time listening to these qualified
health researchers rather than the so-called Prince of Pot.

Certainly, they could do worse than read the scientific paper, which
is to appear in the Aug. 17 issue of the American Chemical Society's
Chemical Research in Toxicology, before ripping into its authors.

Unfortunately, the study's findings are presented in the kind of
dense scientific jargon that fries the synapses, and Health Canada
was unable to provide anybody who could discuss it Thursday.

But the paper, forbiddingly titled The Genotoxicity of Mainstream and
Sidestream Marijuana and Tobacco Smoke Condensates, does appear to
lend credence to the conclusion that smoking pot, like smoking
tobacco, has a toxic impact on human cells, the building blocks of
all living things.

In fact, the Ottawa-based study group found marijuana smoke caused
significantly greater cell and DNA damage than tobacco smoke, though
tobacco smoke alone caused chromosome damage. So take your pick: How
do you want to pollute yourself? With pot or tobacco?

Marijuana smoking, though clearly useful as a pain reliever, has been
associated with everything from chronic bronchitis to schizophrenia.
So far there's been no substantiated link between it and lung cancer.
However, the Ottawa researchers note an earlier study "confirmed
that marijuana smoke condensates contain qualitatively the same
chemicals as tobacco smoke."

The researchers also point out that marijuana is often perceived as a
"natural" product that's less harmful than tobacco. But that doesn't
mean, at least when it's smoked, it doesn't have the potential to
cause health damage. And, instead of smearing the researchers, Emery
should at least acknowledge that possibility. Don't expect, though,
that you'll ever be able to disagree with Emery and his ilk in a
rational manner. They'll simply resort to adhominem attacks.

The only satisfaction is you'll know you won the argument.