POT DANGERS (III)

Re: Marijuana Has No Place In Society, letter to the editor, Sept. 30; A Misguided Sense Of Justice, letter to the editor, Sept. 28.

I understand Dr. Henry T. Chuang's concerns of the potential mental
health dysfunctions relating to cannabis. However, those concerns have
been shown to be equal or substantially greater for other restricted,
illicit drugs, plus well known for alcohol when abused. Many of the
psychotropic medications in everyday use continue to pose serious side
effect risk profiles.

When debating schizophrenia risks with cannabis use, this condition
affects about 1% of the population, yet worldwide rates have not
increased, despite over 40% of North Americans have used or are using
cannabis (and almost all illegally). To quote from The Pot Book,
edited by Dr. Julie Holland, clinical associate professor of
psychiatry at the NYU School of Medicine: "In America, the most likely
harm one might experience as a result of using cannabis is getting arrested."

Dr. David Saul,

practising clinical cannabinology

Toronto.