DOWNSIDE OF POT

Dear Editor:

Thank you for the April 2 article on the negative side effects of marijuana
on heavy users. As a former heavy user of this substance for 10 years from
1972 to 1982, I can offer some personal evidence to your readers which
verifies that much of the information in the article is indeed true.

From my previous experience, heavy use does diminish your mental
abilities, especially as it pertains to memory recall and the capacity to
think clearly and in a sequential manner. It also appears to hinder
personal motivation and healthy ambition, making you apathetic in spirit
and leaving you feeling "spaced-out."

Over a period of many years, constant ingestion can lead some people to
experience heightened feelings of paranoia and anxiety.

It was this state of the drug experience that finally led me to relinquish
this habit and seek a healthier way of living.

Lastly, though the drug is not physically addictive, it does have a strong
psychological pull on many constant users and for some people, it simply
acts as a gateway drug to more potent substances.

The desire to get "stoned" can be a very strong one and logic dictates that
a more potent drug will simply fulfill what it is the user is seeking.

The good news, however, is that you can recover fully once you quit, but
you may experience an adjustment period that is both unsettling and
embarrassing in getting yourself together properly.

The price is worth it. However, no matter how long you've been using.

My advice to young people debating experimenting with this substance, or
other illicit substances, is to think long and hard on what you are about
to do. Is peer pressure bending you to do this? Are you looking for a form
of escape from family or life problems? Maybe it's just the prospect of
"thrill seeking" that's spurring you on to get involved in recreational
drug use.

A mind clear of all unnecessary substances is a healthy mind and in this
day and age, we need to have all our wits about us in order to function
properly in our inter-connected society.

Victor J. Cyr

Halifax