MARY JANE IS NOT JUST PETER PARKER'S BEST FRIEND

There comes a time in every young girl's life when she has grown up
and lets science override personal qualms. And so, this is my own
personal catharsis here, folks. The topic: marijuana.

Let me cut right to the chase. Regular and excessive use can lead to
many problems, both acute and chronic. Some reports show that
marijuana weakens the immune system. Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol,
or THC, the most active compound in marijuana, makes the white blood
cells 35-40 per cent less effective than normal during time of
intoxication. Sugar, I remind you, reduces the immune system by 50
per cent for several hours after consumption.

Other research shows that marijuana can affect fertility in men and
women. It can drain the adrenals, lessening the person's ability to
handle stress and control blood sugars. And then, there is the very
real and indisputable side effect of lung/respiratory irritation
due to smoke inhalation.

Perhaps the biggest sociological fear is the laissez-faire attitude
that marijuana use tends to induce. This can ultimately alter a
person's physical or psychological state, long past the time of use.

As with any abused substance, I don't doubt there are negative side
effects. Still, one must carefully look at who funds these reports.
It's usually companies who don't want to see natural remedies
survive. So, research on this topic still remains elusive and
contradictory. You take the bad with the good.

On to the good. In a medical study ranking the risk factors of more
than 20 substances, alcohol was fifth and tobacco ninth, with
marijuana not even in the Top 10. The study defined risk as how
harmful the substance is to the body, its addictive potential and
its impact on society.

There are many people who swear by marijuana's medicinal properties.
Between the 1840s and 1937 (when it was no longer made available to
physicians via the Marihuana Tax Act), cannabis was used highly
effectively in the medical system and beyond, and more than 100
papers published on its numerous beneficial uses.

In moderate use, and especially when compared to its
chemical/pharmaceutical counterparts, "weed" seems to be a safe bet.
It has been shown to aid in relief of general pain and discomfort,
most notably glaucoma, HIV and AIDS, cancer, diabetes, multiple
sclerosis, arthritis and other debilitating conditions.

Marijuana's biggest draw is its ability to induce ataraxia -
tranquillity or enduring pleasure. With tranquillity also comes an
increase in sensory awareness of the body and its environment, a
consciousness that I think many folks are lacking.

It has been used as an analgesic, anticonvulsant, appetite
stimulant, general antibiotic, gastrointestinal sedative,
anti-epileptic, antispasmodic, treatment for neuralgias
including migraines, anti-asthmatic, cough suppressant,
topical anesthetic, withdrawal agent for opiate and
alcohol addiction, and childbirth analgesic or facilitator.

Since the mid-1900s, much of Western medicine has dismissed these
properties. But not everyone has forgotten. Marijuana is, in fact,
legal for medicinal use in several countries, including Canada.
Scientists understand the workings of more than 60 unique
constituents in marijuana, called cannabinoids.

The human body produces similar chemicals, called endocannabinoids,
which play a role in nearly every function of the body. With this
information it becomes apparent why supplementing the system via
marijuana can be beneficial to some. In fact, as we speak,
pharmaceutical companies are doing their darndest to harness these
components and bottle them.

So, if smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol are
legal, pharmaceutical use is encouraged. And sugar. Oh, don't even
get me started on sugar - the world's most addictive drug. Why,
then, does marijuana still come with so much social and political
stereotyping?

Part of the debate lies in the balance between recreational and
legitimate medicinal use. I draw on pharmaceuticals, and even
alcohol, as a comparative here. Another reason is the danger that it
poses to the body. You know, I don't really have an answer on this
one. I suppose the controversy is rooted in ignorance.

I think back to Grade 11, when I was a younger, more naive version
of myself. I gave a presentation on the need to legalize marijuana,
not just for medicinal uses, but for our environment. I find it
rather bonkers that in the 13 years since, we still have so much
to learn and implement.

Still, we aren't completely behind the times. In particular, hemp,
with lower THC levels, has long been accepted as a valuable
nutritional supplement. The seeds of the hemp plant can be eaten
whole, or pressed for their oil. They are one of the most complete
and absorbable source of balanced omegas, as well as a valuable
protein source.

Environmentally though, we need to wise up. Hemp is a much better
route toward paper production, a better clothing option than cotton,
and is a friendlier renewable energy source of biofuel.

In 1916, the U.S. Agriculture Department posted a bulletin stating
that an acre (0.4 hectare) of hemp can yield four times as much (and
better) fibre than an acre of wood. Furthermore, the regrowth on an
acre of hemp is phenomenally faster than wood, hemp growing to be
four metres high in only four months.

It can grow in any climate, with virtually no pesticides or
herbicides, making this a safer choice for our environment, whether
cultivated for industrial, medicinal or nutritional use.

I'm not suggesting that everyone become potheads. And let me be
clear, I am of the firm belief that if we all took better care of
our bodies and minds via good food, exercise and meditation, the
need for a supplemental boost on any level would not be as
necessary. But I am not going to lie to you. I do enjoy a nice glass
of wine or piece of dark chocolate now and then. So who am I to judge?

Stay healthy, stay happy! Please e-mail any questions, comments or
suggestions to the address provided.
-----------------------------------------
Freelance writer Tara Patriquin is a certified personal trainer and
a registered holistic nutritional consultant living and working in
Halifax. Her column appears every Wednesday.
- ---