PRESCRIPTIONS SCARIER THAN 'DEVIL WEED'

I remember hearing 62 years ago that Robert Mitchum had been caught
with a joint of marijuana in his suitcase, was arrested and his
acting career ended. I remember thinking, "He's done for, now -- that
devil weed has entered his brain, and it is all over for him." Such
was the power of public disinformation. In people of my generation,
those concepts still hold true for many.

Every morning, we review the cases that come before the medical
examiner's office. During the past few years, more and more deaths
are related to prescription drugs, often taken with legal
prescriptions for opiates. In 2009, drug overdoses reportedly
exceeded automobile deaths in 15 states. Some studies indicated
deaths from ingesting multiple prescription drugs is up by 60
percent. This is partially fueled by the ever-increasing volume of
advertisements for prescription drugs on television. Serotonin
selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) are epidemic. You know them as
drugs such as Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil. The costs to health care are enormous.

Whenever I see someone with a beatific smile, I ask the same
question: Have you been touched by a religious experience, or are you
taking an SSRI? The answer is almost always an SSRI drug. These drugs
create inter-synaptic happiness and delay the development of a
rational approach to problem-solving and a personal philosophy that
can lead to happiness and contentment.

Some recent studies suggest these drugs are of little value except
for severely clinically depressed individuals. More important, these
drugs have many serious side effects, both physiological and
psychological, that can lead to death.

In the 25 years I have been a medical examiner, however, I have
neither seen nor heard of a death caused by marijuana. Given the
choice of being placed in a room of either marijuana smokers or
alcoholics, I would choose the marijuana smokers. Except for
lethargy, there are few side effects of this drug.

So how can it make sense that a large number of humans are on
mood-altering prescription drugs with significant risks, yet
marijuana is deemed a dangerous and illegal drug whose possession
warrants severe punishment? About 50 percent of prisoners are
incarcerated because of drug use or sales. Those who go to prison for
selling or raising marijuana come out highly skilled in the
production and sale of more dangerous drugs, such as opiates and
methamphetamine. The prison experience starts many on the road to
social anarchy. If the use of marijuana cannot be made legal on the
basis of rational scientific reasoning, we must admit we cannot
afford to pay for the many individuals incarcerated for a benign
drug. This money could be much better used for public education and
drug education. We are losing the war on drugs and creating an
illegal market that results in increased crime and drug deaths. We
should legalize all drugs, but marijuana would be a start. Clearly,
our approach to mind-altering drugs has changed. A number of
neuroscientists now suggest drugs such as Ritalin and amphetamine
should be available to the public to increase brain activity and work
productivity.

Often, the older generation that demands punishment for marijuana has
never actually used this natural herbal drug. They believe the old
stories about "devil weed." If they actually smoked marijuana, they
would be surprised because the first time, almost nothing happens. If
they try it again, they might notice a feeling of relaxation, of
overlooking the small annoyances of life and of a small increase in
appetite. They would notice that, unlike with alcohol, they have
greater tolerance for their fellow man and tend to be more careful
about their activities, such as driving. The next day, they are
often relaxed and somewhat apathetic to carrying out tasks. Humans
become more sensitive to marijuana, rather than developing a
resistance, as with some mind-altering drugs. I would never advocate
any drug, but this one has fewer side effects than most.

All mind-altering drugs distort the natural joys and charms of
living, but the worst thing we do is warn our children that exposure
to marijuana will make them go crazy.

The current issue of Science News describes the many medical uses of
marijuana, including the treatment of anxiety, nausea and pain in
cancer patients, and the treatment of multiple sclerosis, Crohn's
disease and other inflammatory conditions. So it appears we have
incarcerated a large number of individuals for using a drug with
evidence of marked beneficial actions.

I know it would be difficult to change the mind-set of hardworking
law enforcement officers who risk their lives to eliminate drugs and
believe they are performing a vital service. But the truth is the
prohibition of these drugs is similar to the attempts to make alcohol
illegal and cannot succeed.

So it is no surprise that in a number of states, rational thinking is
supplanting disinformation in the general population. These states
have significantly reduced punishment for the drug, and in
California, legal marijuana is flourishing. Michigan recently
legalized medical marijuana, and the growers are called "caretakers."
It is time to decriminalize the use and production of marijuana. It
is already one of the largest cash crops in Missouri; let's tax the
profits and decrease the prison population. The state will be much
improved, and there will be more money for educational purposes.

If we had the courage, we'd legalize all drugs. The money we get by
legally selling drugs could be used for education. The supply would
be of known concentration and safer than unregulated street drugs.
Best of all, we could cut the prison population by 50 percent. With
education, we could make drug use "not cool" like alcohol and
tobacco. It is clear the approach to the war on drugs is failing. It
is time to find a new way.