MAYOR SEES COMPLEXITIES OF POT

RANCHO CUCAMONGA - When it comes to questions about marijuana, Don
Kurth rarely has yes or no answers.

Rancho Cucamonga's multifaceted mayor likes to begin his sentences
with, "on one hand," then moments later add "on the other hand."

He can go back and forth like this for hours - his way of
demonstrating that the seemingly endless debate about marijuana isn't
black and white. In the vast expanse of gray that lies between, all
the nuances to such a heated issue should be fleshed out, he said,
but instead are often ignored.

On one side, marijuana advocates want the controversial herb
legalized because it helps those suffering from certain illnesses,
and hasn't been proved to be especially harmful when used
recreationally. For decades, smoking marijuana has been as ubiquitous
as underage drinking, advocates say, and it's only the out-of-touch
federal government that considers it an illegal substance.

Across the aisle are those who think the illicit drug might cripple
communities, leading to crime and debauchery. These people think
pot dispensaries let the drug seep into schools and onto the streets.

With high emotions on both sides, Kurth, 58, said it's hard to get
society to a middle ground.

"I don't think anyone would want a society where the majority of
people lead unproductive lives and don't contribute to society ...
smoking pot all day or smoking opium all day long," he said.

"On the other hand, if people like having a drink at the end of the
day or socializing with friends, going on a wine-tasting tour in
Northern California - I don't think there's any harm in that. ... Is
there a role for marijuana in that? Maybe there is. There seems to be.

"There's a lot of people who smoke on a recreational basis. I'm not
so rigid that I think we need to stop people from having fun."

It may seem that his middle-ground approach is just a politician's
way of pandering to a large crowd. But Kurth's diplomacy springs from
a life of many roles.

In addition to his work at the Loma Linda University Behavioral
Medicine Center as chief of addiction medicine, he is mayor of a
growing and affluent city, and has the opportunity to influence
policies at the heart of the marijuana debate. In fact, like many
other city leaders in the Inland Valley, Kurth initiated a temporary
ban on the establishment of pot dispensaries in Rancho Cucamonga.

But his past experience with drug addiction is what colors his views
on the topic with such an interesting light. As a young man, Kurth
had a bitter battle with drug addiction. At age 12, he had his first
drink. At 16, he tried marijuana, his first drug.

"The '60s were a different era," said Kurth. "Drinking was more
passe. Marijuana was the thing to do."

Pot was not his downfall. The New Jersey teenager became a heroin
addict and, just shy of the legal drinking age, hit bottom.

Drug rehabilitation began his turnaround. Once clean, Kurth earned an
Ivy League education, graduating cum laude from Columbia Medical School.

In the debate over whether marijuana is a gateway drug, Kurth
believes that it's not so much the substance that opens the gate as
it is the genetic makeup of the user. Smoking marijuana may make a
person lower their defenses against the desires to take other drugs,
he said, but it's their genetic makeup that makes them more likely to
be chemically dependent.

"There are a lot of examples in society today where people who smoke
marijuana in high school and in college stop, and they want to end
that period in their lives," said Kurth. "Other times, people smoke
intermittently throughout their lives and may be professional,
tax-paying citizens.

"But it's not that way for everybody, and that's the problem. Those
of us who are in the field of chemical dependency see all too often
where it does cause a problem, where people are using marijuana or
other drugs on a daily basis."

Marijuana addicts are not admitted to the chemical dependency unit
where Kurth practices, but he said those who use it in conjunction
with other drugs are.

Kurth said physicians have not reached a consensus as to whether
marijuana as medicine has value, though studies support pro and con views.

"Most physicians don't think it's medicine," said Kurth. "As a
physician, I think there's some evidence that it helps some people. I
don't know how you can deny that.

"If people with serious, potentially lethal illnesses are saying it's
helping them get through the day, what's the harm? Why not let them
have some relief? But if every 18-, 19-year-old claims to have
fibromyalgia or a headache and needs to have unlimited marijuana to
have fun with friends, that's not the way to go."

For it to be used as medicine, said Kurth, it needs to be regulated
and distributed by physicians and in doses recommended by physicians.
In other words, pot needs to be treated the same way as mainstream medicine.

"It's hard for us to dispense three joints," said Kurth wryly.
"Milligrams, we know about. But how many tokes on a bong? I don't
have any training in that."

As mayor, Kurth said he has an obligation to prevent medical-
marijuana dispensaries from opening and causing problems in the city.
Rancho Cucamonga has no such dispensaries, but in May, the City
Council banned the establishment of them for 10 1/2 months. The
decision followed similar moves made by Norco, Pomona, Ontario and
many other communities.

The temporary ban gives cities time to weigh the outcomes of court
cases hashing out the conflicting state and federal laws governing
medical marijuana.

"The federal government says one thing, and the state initiative says
something else. As a city, we're kind of stuck in the middle of it,"
Kurth said.

The fear that pot from marijuana dispensaries could be abused and
sold to addicts and young children has spawned a backlash against
Proposition 215, the initiative that legalized the use of medical
marijuana in California.

But Kurth said the government shouldn't necessarily clamp down on
marijuana use. Using scare tactics against pot would actually
encourage drug experimentation, he said, especially when people
realize that the government is overreacting.

"Historically, our government has taken a hard-line view against
marijuana, which may not always have a scientific foundation. When
people begin experimenting with marijuana, they'll realize, 'These
things aren't true. It's really not a demon weed ... reefer
madness,"' said Kurth, referring to the 1930s propaganda film.

People who try marijuana and realize it's not the lethal drug the
government makes it out to be may assume the government is lying
about all drugs, said Kurth.

"I'm not so moralistic that I think smoking pot is the end of the
world," said Kurth. "There are lots of worse things to do."

[sidebar]

POT THROUGH THE AGES

Marijuana has been used for centuries as a recreational and medicinal drug.

A brief look at how humans have used cannabis through the ages:

2737 B.C.: The writings of Chinese emperor Shen Nung detail
marijuana's medicinal value as a treatment for rheumatism, gout,
malaria and absent-mindedness.

1000 B.C.: Marijuana is used as a recreational drug in India.

1500s: The Spanish are believed to have introduced marijuana to the
Western Hemisphere, but historians disagree on how cannabis left the
Old World. Other researchers contend the drug was transported during
the slave trade or brought to the Americas in the late 18th century
by migrants from India.

1611: English colonists grow hemp in Jamestown for its value as a fiber.

1850-1942: Marijuana is listed in the United States Pharmacopeia as a
drug for the treatment of labor pains, nausea and rheumatism. During
the 19th century, the drug was frequently prescribed by doctors and
also was available without a prescription.

Late 1800s: By this time, cotton has displaced hemp as an important
crop in the southern United States. Some patent medicines employ
marijuana, but snake-oil salesmen are more likely to use opium or
cocaine in their potions.

1906: The Pure Food and Drug Act is enacted. The law requires that
prescription medicines be approved by the federal government and
mandates that potentially habit-forming drugs carry warnings. The law
deals a heavy blow to the sellers of patent medicines.

1914: The Harrison Act becomes law. It is the first federal law to
criminalize nonmedical drug use. The law places restrictions on
morphine, opium and cocaine. Marijuana is not mentioned in the law's text.

1920s: Recreational marijuana use picks up among musicians and
showbiz types during the Jazz Age.

1930s: The U.S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics engages in an information
campaign to portray marijuana as a dangerous and addictive drug.

1936: "Reefer Madness," initially titled "Tell Your Children," is
released in cinemas. The anti-marijuana film has developed a cult
following for what some say is its exaggerated depiction of the
dangers of marijuana use.

1937: The Marijuana Tax Act requires people possessing or selling
marijuana to register with the Internal Revenue Service and pay a
special tax. The law laid out heavy fines and jail terms for unlawful
possession and since compliance was so difficult, the law effectively
banned marijuana.

1960s: Marijuana becomes a popular drug among young people during the
rise of the "counterculture." Marijuana and LSD are still regarded as
keystones of the hippie life.

1970: The Controlled Substances Act classifies marijuana as a
Schedule I controlled substance, meaning that it is legally
considered to be medically useless and subject to the same
prohibitions as heroin.

1996: California voters pass Proposition 215 legalizing
medical-marijuana use in the state. Federal law continues to prohibit
medicinal cannabis use.

2000: California voters pass Proposition 36 allowing first- and
second-time nonviolent, simple drug possession offenders to receive
substance-abuse treatment instead of incarceration.

2007: Law-enforcement officers in the Inland Empire and San Gabriel
Valley uncover illegal marijuana operations inside a slew of grow
houses. Officials in multiple inland cities enact moratoriums and
consider prohibiting medical marijuana dispensaries.

Sources: Narcanon International, Internet Movie Database, Schaffer
Library of Drug Policy, a collection of documents accessible at
www.druglibrary.com.