POT'S SAFETY CLAIMS GO UP IN SMOKE

Pot proponents say cannabis can still be therapeutic despite studies saying
it's no safer to smoke than tobacco.

"No one advocates smoking any kind of herb," said drug policy analyst Chris
Donald, with the Media Awareness Project.

Ideally, people intent on using pot for pain relief should have easy access
to vaporizers, which are safer, he said.

According to a paper by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse Policy, pot
smoke can cause the same lung damage as does tobacco smoke.

"Research has shown a link between chronic heavy marijuana use and damage
to the respiratory system similar to that caused by tobacco," reads the
centre's 1998 report, Cannabis Control in Canada: Options Regarding Possession.

Donald said so far, evidence only shows pot smoking causes a mild form of
emphysema.

"If there were serious side-effects, there would be epidemic levels of
bronchitis, for example," he said.

A fair number of cannabis users simply prefer to smoke a joint, said Munir
Ahmad, who runs the Edmonton Compassion Network, which helps provide
medical exemptees with marijuana.

"As far as I know, most pot smokers out there feel there's no proof that
marijuana can cause cancer, and feel it's generally safe," he said.

Concerned by the carcinogenic effects of thousands of chemicals created
when marijuana is burned, University of Mississippi research professor Dr.
Mahmoud ElSohly said genuine concerns exist when smoking anything.

"I don't think that smoking any type of material is a viable route to
deliver any kind of pharmaceutical," said ElSohly, who has spent decades
studying cannabis and its effects.

ElSohly is working to market a rectal suppository to deliver THC
therapeutically to people suffering from chronic pain.