Page 125 - Scrimshaw1979-80

May I, 1980 Scrimshaw pag85 Pot: Healthy or unhealthy? Steve Bainbridge "In 1975 Dr. James me-mere marijuana users were not Im. Unlike cigarettes, which can ln- reduced pituitary gland output Drs. Jolene Soloman and Mary gave monkeys the equivalent of 5 paired. They reported that smok. duce epilepsy, marijuana was (causIng abnormal growth), and Ann Cocchla found a number of Joints per day for three weeks. At Ing generally coincided with shown by Dennis Ferry, of the generally increased deformities. glandular problems In regular the end of that period Intensive In· leisure time, and that reduced Unlv. of New Mexico, to be OrIlyan Shealso noted that tests with mice marijuana users. The production tervlewswereconductedwltheach physical activity, even for heavy activator of latent epilepsy. Indicated that those males born of of enzymes, etc..., of the spleen, mOrlkey. Every monkey was toter. users, only la,ted for about an hour Nicotine, and cigarette tars can mothers which had been orally prostrate, and adrenal glands was Iy IncoherenY' after smoking ceased. There was cause epilepsy, pot can only ec- exposed to THe; had reduced curtailed toa significant degree. -News Report In Doonesbury no long-term reduction In physical uvete lt If you have a latent case of sperm production and markedly Dr. Gabriel Nahan of Columbia While many people look at marl- activity due to the use of me-t- it. This Issue was becoming _Im- Inhibited sex drives. unrv. reported that THC prevents Juana research In a light hearted Juana. In this sense, marijuana Is portant because of the Increasing J. Harman and M.A. Allapoolus accurate replication of DNA. Dr. attitude, like Ooonesbury's, there better than alcohol,whlch has been rate of juvenile epilepsy, and the showed that marijuana acts as an Robert KolOdny of Masters and Is a growing body of sc:;lentlflc shown to reduce overall physical Increasing rate of pot smoking In estrogen analog. That Is, THe's Johnson Institute of Sexual evidence both pro and con for the activity levels In moderate to young people. chemical structure resembles that Research found that male use" of use of mariJuana. Since an esfl- heavy users. William Darson, of the Unlversl- of the female hormone estrogen. THC stili In p'uberty suffered per_ mated 70% of those In the II to 25 Marijuana has been linked by ty of Florida, found that the useoof year old age group have smoked several re.searchers to various marijuana caused vision problems marijuana, It would perhaps be psychological abnormalities. Dr. In frequent. users. He noted In- well to review the medical side ef- Robert Heath found highly ab- creased sensitivity to light, fectsof'poY. normal braIn waves In monkeys decreased night vision, decl'eased The Chinese used marijuana to who were forced to smoke 3 to 5 fluid pressure on the Inner eye, and cure migraine headaches and jOints a dOllY.This very heavy use a marked decrease In the ability to asthma for thousands of years caused the death of brain cells, In a dlStlnlgulsh betw een colors. The ThIs caused an Increase in female manent chromosomal damage that before western man ever heard of fashion similar to alalhol. While NIDA Ms done much research In sex cberacteetsttcs among male caused long-term Infertl1lty and it. The "active" agent In marl __ most people would probably not the use of marijuana by gluacoma users. Since dope smokers have reduced male ." .....sexual juana Is 9·delta-tetrahydrocan_ smoke that much dope a day, even sufferers to reduce the pressure on much higher THC blood ceeeentre- cnerectertsucs. NIDA Studies nlbol, commonly known as THC. light users develop what Is called the retina. This potentially tions than estrogen concentrations, have also shown that THe reduces THC apparently acts an opiate an "anti-movational syndrome." beneficial use of pot has received It would be expected that the THC the body's a!>ility to resist disease analog In the brain, tying up to This syndrome was first described considerable attention from the would come to dominate the hor. by killing off white blood cells. receptor sites In the brain like a by researchers at UCLA. They media, In fact there Is a farm In mane receptor sites. Harman and Attempting to put marijuana In ship might tie up to a dock. The observed apathy, reduced cencen- Louisiana where the FBI and the Allapoulos noted several frequent an cetecttve perspective Is dif- bonding of the THC to these trettcn, reduced attention span, NIDA supervise the growing of effects among male users: In- ficult. The Scientific establishment" receptor sites causes a sense of and an Increased inability to com. marijuana tor pharmacuetlcal use ' hlblted facial hair growth, reduced Is generally opposed to the recrea- euphoria and well being. The plete-complex tasks. Qualifications In gluacoma. penis size, Inab1lity to achieve tional use of mariJuana, and this user'sheartratespeedsuptOI20to of the syndrome were made In Another beneficial use of pot Is erection, and enlarged breasts. bias shows' up In most studies. 130 beats' per minute, the small later studies that Indicated that as an entt-neusee drug In Heavy marijuana users had reduc- Marijuana does not cause chemotherapy patients. The NIDA ed levels of the male hormone withdrawl symptoms, even heavy provided almost 2 million dollars testosterone, causing low sperm users generally do not show the There hal never been a death cauled by a THe to the New York Cancer Institute production and Infert1ilty and normal classic wlthdrawl signs overdole. 1000 death. occur every year from to study the use of pot and ter- meje-ceused birth defects. when deprived of pot for extended mlnally ill cancer patients. The pot Dr. Ailen Okey also found that alpirn overdo.e•. relieved both the nausea and pain THC acted as an estrogen analog. periods of time. Dr. Melvin Silverstein of UCLA associated with the chemical and The THC molecules fit Into the h.or. has noted that caffeine causes radiation treatments In such mone sites In the ovaries like they many of the same genetic prcb- blood vessels In the eyes, brain, ma"ny of the pot smokers who patIents. This use of marijuana Is fit Into the opiate sites In the brain lemsas THC. Indeed moderate cof. etc.. become dilated as the blood developed the syndrome had other continuing to be researched, at mentioned earlier. S~ce THC Is a fee drinkers are just as liable to pressure Increases. This causes, psychological problems that con- present it appears that pot Is not as weaker hormone then estrogen, have chromosomal damage or the user's eyes to become red, tributed to thetr lack of motivation. good as some other drugs begin the female experiences several deformed children as marijuana while his/her skin becomes SInce cigareHes cause lung nlng to become available. problems. First, the uterine mass smokers. Dr. Silverstein held that flushed. As more marijuana is cancer, an obvious possible hazard Marijuana has been shown to declines, this renders the female Marijuana Is generally, at worst, consumed the perception of times' of pot use was lung disease. The cause bIrth defects when smoked Incapable of supporting a fetus, no more addictive than alcohol. passageslows. smoking of pot sprayed with by pregnant women. Dr. Susan and Increases the likelihood of Dr. Norman Zinberg of Har_ Many researchers felt that fre_ paraquat, a herbicide sprayed on Dalterio reported that the In· miscarriage or abortion. Those vard's Medical School has sum· quent pot smokers would undergo Mexican dope plants from the air cidence of birth defects among fetuses which do survive are often me<:!It. Marijuana may cause pro- reduced physical actIvity as a by the US Air Force, caused about fetuses born of regular pot malnourished and have reduced blems, but there has never been a result of theIr marijuana consump· 2000 cases of lung damage every smokers was much higher than body weights. death caused by a THC overdose. tion. Howard Kolonoff of the NIDA year until Its use was discontinued. that of non·smokers. She observed Working at Boston College's 1000d":,:'ls occur every year from (National Institute of Drug Abuse) 500 micrograms of paraquat was reduced fetal weight at birth, Biochemical Research Center, aspirin overdoses. found that the useof marijuana im- considered enough to cause lung paired the ability, particularly of damage. male users, to drive. The user's Donald Tashkln found that regular use of marijuana caused ~::~~i:~~~:I:~r~I~~t~~s~~f7~:~~ narrowing of the bronchIal pas· Iy reduced. However, Thomas sages In the lungs, and did so to a Babor and Jack Mendelson, of the greater degree than clgareHes. Harvard Medical School, found Lung cancer has also been observ· ,that levels of physical activity In ed in marijuana users as well. AIR CRAn .AU., RIIITAL., INSTRUCTION WESTAlI.NC. 1130 Littlestown Pike Westminster. Maryland 21157 Open! Mon..Sat.. 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