WHERE THERE'S SMOKE

Kingston, Ont. -- I read The Flin Flon Flip-Flop by Spider Robinson (Sept.
2) with interest, notwithstanding his potshots at the medical profession,
Anne McLellan and me.

For those interested, marijuana smoke produces 50 per cent more tar and
contains 70 per cent more benzopyrene than the same weight of tobacco.
Marijuana smokers generally take a two-thirds larger puff volume, one-third
greater depth of inhalation, and a fourfold longer breath-holding time than
tobacco smokers. So it is easy to see how researchers arrive at the
estimate of joint/cigarette harm of about 1:10 when one looks at acute and
chronic respiratory symptoms of smoking, in addition to the risk of cancers.

Chemically, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in marijuana is a hallucinogen that
interferes with perception and is addictive. I have many patients who
turned to marijuana for comfort but ended up with destruction of various
aspects of their lives.

Marijuana has been around for millenniums, but it has not become popular as
good medicine precisely because its safety and efficacy are not
established. As a science-fiction writer, Mr. Robinson can invent ideas
that sound scientific; but he must remember that science related to our
daily lives needs to be grounded in reality.

Raju Hajela MD, past president, Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine