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From: NL1SMS@NL3NW.ZH.NLD.EU
To  : DRUGS@NLD

            - ---[ TEN THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT MARIJUANA ]--- -


Q. What is marijuana?

   A. "Marijuana" refers to dried flowers and leaves of some strains of the
   cannabis hemp plant, which contains various quantities of the non-narcotic
   chemical THC in various quantities. When smoked or eaten, It produces the
   feeling of being "high", which lasts a few hours. Different strains of this
   herb produce their own sensual effects, ranging from sedative to stimulant.


Q. Who Uses Marijuana?

   A. There is no simple profile of a typical marijuana user. Its been used
   for thousands of years for medical, social and religious reasons as well as
   relaxation. Several of our Presidents farmed hemp and some are believed
   to have smoked it. One out of every five Americans in all walks of life say
   they have tried it,  and it is still very popular.


Q. How Long Have People Been Using Marijuana?

    A. Since Biblical times. This practice was widely accepted in America, as
    well, until the orchestrated campaign of the 1930's led to disinformation,
    public hysteria and the first American laws against using it.


Q. Is Marijuana Addictive?

    A. No, it is not. Most users are moderate consumers who only  Smoke it
    socially or occasionally to relax. We now know that 10% of our population
    have " addictive personalities", and they are no more nor less likely to
    abuse cannabis than anything else. On a relative scale, marijuana is less
    habitforming than either sugar or chocolate. Sociologists report a general
    pattern of marijuana usage that peaks in the early adult years, followed by
    a period of levelling off, and gradual reduction in use.


Q. Has Anyone Ever Died From Smoking Marijuana?

    A. No, not even once. Judge Francis Young studied all the evidence in
    1988, and ruled that "Marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly
    consume"
    The federal agency NIDA says that autopsies show 75 people per year are
    high on marijuana when they die, but this does not mean that this is a
    factor in any of their deaths. This chart shows the number of deaths from
    selected substances in a typical year:

           Tobacco....................................340.000-395,000
           Alcohol(excluding crime/accidents)................125,000+
           Drug overdose(illegal).........................3,800-5,200
           Marijuana ...............................................0

    source: U.S. government Bureau of Mortality Statistics. 1987.


Q. Does It Lead To Hard Drugs?

    A. No. Although people who abuse drugs often smoke marijuana also, the
    National Academy of Science reports that  "Legal Drugs for adults, such as
    alcohol and tobacco, ...precede the use of all illicit drugs." Tobacco is
    known as "the gateway drug."


Q. Does It Cause Violence?

    A. No, just the opposite. The only crime marijuana users commit is using
    marijuana. The U.S. Shafer Commission report was the most comprehensive
    study ever undertaken on the subject. It found that marijuana smokers
"tend
    to be under represented" in violence and in crime, "especially when
    compared to users of alcohol, amphetamines and barbituates." The simple
    fact is that marijuana does not change your basic personality. The federal
    government reports that 70 million Americans have smoked it...probably
    some of the nicest people you know.

 

Q. How Does Marijuana Affect Your Health?

    A. A Harvard University medical team in 1987 found that "dangerous
physical
    reactions to marijuana are almost unknown." All smoke is unhealthy, but
    marijuana is safer than tobacco, and people tend to smoke less of it. That
    risk can be eliminated by eating the plant instead of smoking it or it can
    be reduced by using smaller amounts of more potent marijuana. Moreover,
    cannabis is a proven herb with hundreds of therapeutic uses in treating
    ailments from stress to arthritis to glaucoma to asthma to cancer therapy,
    to AIDS, and more.


Q. What About All Those Scary Stories and Reports?

    A. Most sensational claims of health risks cite no studies or sources at
    all. Others play on inconclusive or flawed reports. After 20 years study,
    the California Attorney General's panel concluded in 1989 that,
    "An objective consideration shows that marijuana is responsible for less
    damage to the individual and society than alcohol and cigarettes."


Q. What Should We Do?


    A. American taxpayers have funded many studies on this very point, and
    every independent government panel on marijuana has opposed the jailing
    of marijuana smokers. Most have urged the lawmakers to re-legalize and
    tax use of this herb by responsible adults, with age limits and
    regulations
    like those on alcohol and tobacco. Tell your elected leaders to free up
    our police and resources to combat violent crime and to honor our national
    pledge and commitment to "Liberty and justice for all" by ending marijuana
    prohibition.


    This information was taken from a leaflet produced by
    Family Council on Drugs Awareness
    Box 71093, LA, CA 90071-0093


Groetjes, Thijs. (nl1sms @ nl3nw)