MIXED MESSAGES ABOUT MARIJUANA ARE DANGEROUS

Re: Study suggests marijuana good for you, Oct. 14.

If readers just skimmed this headline, they might have concluded that
marijuana is not harmful, or that its benefits outweigh its harms.

The recent trend of greater numbers of youths smoking marijuana rather than
cigarettes may well be an indication that, as a society, we have been
successful in communicating the harms of smoking cigarettes, but have been
less clear about marijuana.

As with any substance, there may be short-term benefits. For people who
suffer from a mental health problem, such as anxiety or depression, using
substances can help to alleviate the symptoms and take on the role of
"self-medication." In a sense, the person becomes his or her own
pharmacist. The problem with this, however, is that over the long term a
person can very quickly become dependent on the substance and require
increasing amounts to get the same effects. There is also a great deal of
evidence that chronic, heavy use of marijuana can cause physical,
psychological and social harms.

Physically, such heavy use can cause respiratory damage, problems with
physical co-ordination, hormone-, immune- and cardiovascular-system
defects, and impaired fetal development during pregnancy. Psychologically,
marijuana can interfere with an adolescent's social development, affecting
motivation and coping skills. Socially, marijuana can increase the risk of
automobile collisions and workplace accidents through impaired cognitive
and behavioural skills.

Instead of encouraging the use of marijuana, we need to address some of the
underlying reasons why youths use such substances. These include stress,
anxiety, depression and boredom. We also need to communicate a clear
message that outlines both the harms and benefits, so youths can make
informed decisions.

And rather than throwing people who use marijuana in jail, we need to
support the proposed legislative changes in Bill C-17 to take possession of
small amounts for personal use out of the criminal justice system and make
it a health issue as it should be.

Peter Williams,

Ottawa,

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health