The use of MARIJUANA is soaring, skyrocketing! Never have so many "turned on" with drugs and "dropped out" of society. Never has there been such concern and confusion over an issue. But WHY? What are the REAL facts? Is marijuana harmful? Are there physical and psychological side effects? Does smoking marijuana lead to stronger drugs? What does it do to formation of personality and character? Never were these questions more timely! HERE are the URGENTLY NEEDED ANSWERS. MARIJUANA-the subject of much controversy. It's much talked about, but little understood. Is it harmful? Beneficial? The "experts" debate. Does it dull the senses? Injure the mind? Can it be habit-forming? Will it lead to stronger drugs? Or is it only a mild stimulus- nothing to get alarmed about? Everyone seems to have an opinion. To parents, the word "marijuana" brings fear. They may have young children, teen-agers or college-age offspring. "What can we do to keep our children from experimenting with it?" they ask. Teen-agers claim, "But Mom, a little pot never hurt anybody. You smoke cigarettes and we smoke pot. Cigarettes cause cancer marijuana doesn't. So why shouldn't we smoke it?" Medical authorities, lawyers, sociologists disagree among themselves. Some praise the drug and extol its supposed virtues. Others say the laws dealing with marijuana are too harsh and need to be repealed. Opponents of marijuana are equally vociferous in their cries against it! Meanwhile, law enforcement authorities see arrests for marijuana possession skyrocketing. They find it impossible to police every home, every high school, every college and every street.
A Marijuana Epidemic?
No one really knows the full extent of marijuana usage. But all authorities agree it is chronic and very widespread. An estimated ten to twenty million Americans have smoked it at least once. Five million others would experiment with a marijuana cigarette if offered. High school students are quite familiar with the drug. In a large number of high schools, anywhere from 35 to 90 percent have tried it. School officials keep the estimate low; student estimates run higher. Some say at least one third of the nation's college students have tried marijuana. Authorities vary in their estimates. "It depends on the college," say experts. One thing is certain. Students know where to get it. In the larger universities especially, buying marijuana is as easy as getting the school newspaper.
WHY So Popular?
But WHY is marijuana so popular? Why do teenagers, young people and adults alike smoke it? because it's there, because we like it and because it's one way to tell the grown-up world to go to hell." Others say they smoke marijuana because of the pressures around them. Many students claim peer pressure is the reason. One student observed, "There are some groups of people whose common interest is dope, and to be a part of that group you must smoke." One senior high school girl admits she first smoked pot because she didn't want her friends to think that she was "scared or straight." The old argument that smoking marijuana leads to drug addiction is generally laughed at by the younger generation. It is usually dismissed as having no validity whatsoever. Many teen-agers and adults do not feel there is anything immoral about smoking the drug. To many it is simply personal preference. "It feels good, so why not smoke it," they say. To millions of people especially teen-agers and young adults it's no worse than having a few drinks. They derive a certain pleasure from it. So why not? they reason. For most users, marijuana appears perfectly safe. It's not like heroin or even LSD. Said a University of Miami junior: "When parents say marijuana is bad for you, it's just another example of the older generation not knowing the facts."
WHAT Are The FACTS?
Just what are the facts? The older generation doesn't seem to have the answers BUT neither does the younger! Both are ignorant of the real issues! What is the truth? What's behind the current proliferation of marijuana usage? Why are millions "turning on"? For that matter, what actually happens when you "turn on"? What does it feel like? Is it beneficial? Harmless? Or is it extremely dangerous and harmful? What are the real effects? What does it do to your body? to your MIND? Never were these questions more timely-or more important. It's time to make the truth plain! It's time for right ANSWERS! Answers which are urgently needed by you, your family, your nation and your world.
WHAT Is Marijuana?
It is a drug. A drug which affects the mind. The active ingredient in marijuana is an oil prepared from the female hemp plant whose scientific name is Cannabis sativa. Cannabis then, is the correct name for what is commonly called marijuana. (The popular name "marijuana" is probably a corrupted form of the Portuguese word mariguango, which means intoxicant.) There are three general classes of cannabis drugs all of which are extracted from the hemp plant. 1.) The "highest" (or most potent) grade is pre pared from the resinous exudate of the tops of the mature female plant. In the Middle East and North Africa, this resin is called hashish; in the Far East (notably India), it is called charas. 2.) The "intermediate" grade called ganja is prepared from the flowering tops and leaves of carefully cultivated hemp plants. 3.) The "lowest" (or least potent) grade called bhang is prepared from the dried leaves and cut flowering shoots of uncultivated plants. In the United States, the general term marijuana refers to any part of the hemp plant, or any extract thereof which induces physiological and psychological changes in human beings. In actual street-corner fact, most of the marijuana available in the U. S. is bhang the lowest grade and the cheapest type. Charas or hashish is five to eight times stronger than the most powerful marijuana commonly smoked in the U. S., but the cheap, inferior quality of bhang is usually associated with more impurities and more disease. Marijuana is also referred to as "the weed," "pot," "stuff," "grass," "Indian hay," "tea," "Mary Jane," and on and on past the vernacular into slang and past the slang into vulgarity. Most commonly in the Western world (especially in the U.S.), the cannabis plant is picked, cut, dried, ground up, and rolled into crude cigarettes called "reefers" or "joints." Recently, in quest for bigger thrills, some have injected marijuana directly into the bloodstream. In other areas of the world, marijuana is imbibed as a drink or ingested in foods such as sweetmeats.
How Widespread Is Marijuana?
The answer is found on the college campus. A five-campus survey in California showed that 57 percent of the students had smoked marijuana at least once, whereas a year earlier only 21 percent had tried the drug. Regular users had increased from 4 percent to 14 percent! At Boston University, researchers indicated that it was difficult to find students who had never smoked marijuana! In November, 1969, a Gallup Poll was conducted on 57 U.S. campuses for Newsweek magazine. A total of 1,092 students were interviewed. To keep responses confidential and candid, each student was handed an envelope and a list of questions so he could formulate his answers privately. Said Newsweek, "The secret ballots clearly showed that the drug revolution has hit the campus in force. Some 32 percent of the students said they had tried marijuana (vs. 22 percent in a similar poll just six months earlier)." ("The New Mood on Campus," News week, Vol. 74, No. 26, December 29, 1969, p. 44.) The poll reported that at Berkeley, about 75 percent of the student body has used drugs at one time or another. What about legalization of marijuana? The poll revealed that nationwide, 48 percent of students are in favor of legalizing pot, whereas 46 percent are opposed. At Yale almost everybody interviewed said marijuana should be legalized! Marijuana, however, is not confined solely to the campus. Investigators estimate about 220,000 pounds of marijuana is processed annually in Vietnam enough for one million reefers. Army medical officials estimate that 30 percent of U.S. servicemen in Vietnam smoke marijuana, and the percentage is rising. Others put the figure as high as 65 percent! Senator Thomas J. Dodd of Connecticut, after Congressional hearings on the use of marijuana and other drugs by U.S. servicemen in Vietnam, declared: "In the course of these hearings, the Secretary of Defense told me that arrest figures for marijuana in Vietnam increased 2,553 percent between 1965 and 1967. "We heard of marijuana being found on four out of five bodies of dead GI's, including officers, and of con fused young men in combat turning to marijuana in sheer desperation. "It is common knowledge among servicemen, news men and civilian employees in Vietnam, that a stick of marijuana in Saigon is as far away as the nearest news stand or bar, and only slightly more expensive than a good cigar." Marijuana is not just a problem peculiar to the U.S. As early as 1950, a United Nations report estimated that about 200 million people had used marijuana and the great majority of these people resided in Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East.
A Brief History
As far as anyone can ascertain, marijuana had its beginning as a drug in ancient China. It was used in India, Africa, and eventually Europe. The drug was also quite well known among the Indians in Central and South America.
In the 1920's marijuana began to be used in the United States. It was accepted as a medicine, and was for a time actually recommended for aches, pains and minor ailments. But the chemistry of the cannabis drugs is surprisingly complex. It has never been completely understood. Scientists believe that the active ingredient in man]uana is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC); but there are many different derivatives of cannabinol, and each can perhaps induce its own specific intoxication.
Effects on BODY and MIND
What happens to the physical body under the influence of marijuana? "On smoking the drug, there is usually an increase in pulse rate, a slight rise in blood pressure, and conjunctival vascular congestion; blood sugar is slightly elevated; there is urinary frequency without diuresis; and dryness of the mouth and throat as well as nausea, vomiting, and occasional diarrhea have also been noted." (Louis S. Good man & Alfred Gilman, The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, New York: Macmillan Company, 1965, p. 300.) Other investigators report a sluggish pupillary response to light, slight tremors and a partial deterioration of bodily coordination. But what does marijuana "feel like"? What happens to your mind? We again quote the experienced researchers directly: "The most common reaction is the development of a dreamy state of altered consciousness in which ideas seem disconnected , uncontrollable, and freely flowing. Ideas come in disrupted sequences, things long forgotten are remembered, and others well known cannot be recalled. Perception is disturbed, minutes seem to be hours, and seconds seem to be minutes; space may be broadened, and near objects may appear far distant. When larger doses are used, extremely vivid hallucinations may be experienced; these are often pleasant, but their coloring, sexual or otherwise, is more related to the user's personality than to specific drug effects. There are often marked alterations of mood; most characteristically there is a feeling of extreme well being, exaltation, excitement, and inner joyousness (described as being "high"). Uncontrollable laugh ter and hilarity at minimal stimuli are common. This is often followed by a moody reverie, but occasionally the depressed mood may be the initial and predominant reaction. With the larger doses, panic states and fear of death have been observed; the body image may seem distorted; and the head often feels swollen and the extremities seem heavy. Illusions are not uncommon, and the feeling of being a dual personality may occur. Even with the smaller doses, behavior is impulsive and random ideas are quickly translated into speech; violent or aggressive behavior, however, is infrequent. When the subject is alone, he is inclined to be quiet and drowsy; when in company, garrulousness and hilarity are the usual picture. Given the properly predisposed personality and high enough dosage, the clinical picture may be that of a toxic psychosis." (Ibid., p. 300, emphasis ours.)
Look at the overall theme! Marijuana causes an individual to lose control of his mind! That's not "soaring to new heights"! How dangerous when one loses control of his own faculty to think and act intelligently!
Coordination of Body and Mind
How does marijuana affect a person's perception of the external world? And what about his reaction time, coordination and intelligence under the influence of marijuana? In a 1930 study commissioned by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia of New York, RobertS. Morrow found that marijuana did not affect a user's perception or reaction time to simple stimuli. However, when complex stimuli were involved which is the real world the drug did affect both reaction time and steadiness of the hand and body. More recent studies have confirmed marijuana's debilitating effect on a user's reaction time. Studies have also shown a deterioration of scores on intelligence tests especially on numerical concepts during "mature stages" of a high. Reduction in intellectual performance was due to a loss of speed and accuracy during intoxication. Many artists and musicians have claimed that marijuana helps them to be more sensitive and creative. However, such artists will admit if they are intellectually honest with themselves that although their creative thoughts seem to be "liberated" under marijuana intoxications, their ability to transform their disconnected ramblings into actual, tangible, productive works of art is severely limited.
Are Good Results Produced?
The old saying is that "the proof of the pudding is in the eating." Are there concrete beneficial fruits produced by marijuana? What does it actually do to, or for, a person? Does it make him a more productive member of society? How does it affect the user? Are those effects desirable? Here are 27 typical reactions due to use of marijuana. They were excerpted from statements made about the drug from users. All of you who are using marijuana or thinking of using it please read carefully. Any sound-minded person will see that NOT ONE OF these effects is desirable. 1. Marijuana makes me unable to operate normally for instance, drive a car or operate a machine. 2. It slows me down quite a bit and I lost my initiative when I started to use marijuana. 3. I feel stubborn and get into arguments when I am high. 4. I get into a panic. 5. It makes me sleepy, lazy. 6. Marijuana makes me too generous. I gave away everything I had; for example, I would buy drinks for everybody in the bar, etc. 7. I did not take things seriously anymore after starting the use of marijuana. 8. After starting on marijuana, I withdrew into a shell and would not communicate with people. I lost my job because I could not communicate with my boss. 9. Marijuana made me lazy, and I could not hold a job after starting to use it. 10. I got arrested for lots of things when I was high -curfew violations and rape. 11. I did about fifteen drugstore robberies with a partner for narcotics. We used to get high on marijuana beforehand. 12. It makes me weak, passive and paranoid, but I don't get into trouble. I just want to be left alone where I don't think people are spying on me. 13. It made me drop out of school and I lost a couple of jobs because I was late and would take off early. The three of us got into a bad fight once when we were high on marijuana. 14. I got an inferiority complex and wanted to stay away from society, but I never got into trouble. 15. Makes me silly; everything I do or say or hear is funny. 16. Sometimes it makes me happy and sometimes sad mostly sad. 17. Makes me happy-go-lucky and I do not care about anything. 18. It relieves me and makes me gay sort of blocks my thinking. 19. After I started to use marijuana, I quit school and did not want to work. I beat up my wife several times when I was high. It makes me feel happy and expands my perceptiveness. 20. In driving, you might think you are going 60 if you are only going 30. 21. I thought I was better at music and typing in high school but it was not so I flunked out. 22. It made my throat raw and I had hallucinations, that is, I kept trying to brush a spider off my shoulder. I usually saw bugs and things like that after only one cigarette. I lost my equilibrium and could not stand up. 23. If you are only going 20 miles an hour you think you are going much faster. 24. It made me want to go off alone and watch TV. I could see hidden meanings in the commercials. 25. It slowed me down so much I had to drop out of school. 26. Marijuana slowed me down too much, so I started using pills to stimulate me. 27. What used to bother me was it numbed my brain and I could not think right. I could not drive well.
No Beneficial Effects
One wonders how marijuana proponents can STILL CLAIM that the drug is beneficial. Teen-agers, young people don't be fooled. The fact is there are many undesirable aspects in the use of marijuana or any other drug. The effects vary depending on the type of drug, and the personality and background of the individual. But can anyone claim that an uncontrollable state of mind where thoughts and ideas fluctuate wildly without control is good and right? Now, in many of the above cases, the user may have "felt good." But can "feeling good" be a real justification for using marijuana? You "feel good" and beat up your wife ( # 19), or lose your job ( #9), or rape a woman (#10), or kill someone while driving ( #27). Can any person justify marijuana because it makes him "feel good"? The only "basis" for advocating the use of marijuana would have to be on the grounds of plain hedonism, self-pleasure-seeking "do-as-you-please"-ism regardless as to consequences for anyone. Then there is the question often used as an excuse for marijuana smoking: "Is it psychically harmful?"
A psychosis is far worse than a mere "personality disorder" a psychosis is a severe mental derangement. And it is charged that marijuana can generate or can at least precipitate a psychotic reaction. Many scientific papers have been published on the relationship between the cannabis drugs and psychoses. Psychiatrists in India, Morocco, Egypt, and Nigeria have repeatedly emphasized that marijuana can produce insanity. In his editorial in the March 14, 1968 issue of Science, Philip H. Abelson wrote: "The inconclusive information about marijuana is not reassuring. . . . Some of the effects of marijuana seem reminiscent of LSD. Large doses may produce con fusion, disorientation, and increased anxiety and psychoses lasting hours or sometimes weeks. In the Middle East habitual use of marijuana leads to cannabis psychosis whose victims are reminiscent of the derelicts of skid row." In Western scientific circles much controversy has arisen over the possible psychotogenic effects of marijuana. And, obviously, there are differences of opinion among even the experts. But what sane person would gamble his mental health and his entire future-on "somebody's opinion"? We know the adverse effects of marijuana depend to a large degree upon the individual user. Therefore, it is probable that marijuana would cause psychotic reactions in persons with unstable or poorly organized personalities. Now nobody likes to admit that his or her personality is poorly organized. Everybody naturally likes to think of himself as mentally stable. Well, just ponder this one point: studies have shown that most people who take drugs have a somewhat poorly organized personality to begin with. That's why they take drugs. That's why drugs appeal to them. They lack something in their lives and they hope drugs will supply it. So, the simple fact that a person wants to use drugs should immediately suggest that that person could very well have a poorly organized personality, and, therefore, be vulnerable to an irreparable psychotic reaction.
"But Just Once Won't Hurt You"
"Wouldn't you like to try marijuana just once just to see what it 'feels like'? That's all just once. Surely that won't bother you. Aren't you curious? You're not scared, are you? Come on now just once won't hurt you." It sounds good: "Just ONCE." It could appeal to you. Don't let it! Many cases of psychopathology have been reported after single marijuana doses. "Just once" did it. Just one experience can induce serious psychotic disruptions of the mind. Don't be fooled! It is scientifically impossible to absolutely know what "just one" marijuana cigarette will do to you. But, "just once" could ruin your life. Adam and Eve tried the wrong tree "just once"! Many people of strong mind and will cannot take "just one" salted peanut and then stop. The "just one" idea is foolish and dangerous!
Marijuana and Heredity
In recent months, scientific research has brought to light the frightening fact that LSD drastically alters the genetic organization of human germ cells and consequently could cause horrendous mutations in the offspring of LSD users. Some evidence indicates that a similar (though undoubtedly less severe) genetic alteration may also be induced by marijuana. Dr. Luis Souza of St. Dismas Hospital, Paterson, New Jersey, used a chromatograph a chemical detector which can quantify the molecular weight of large macromolecules to study the effects of marijuana. He found that after the first experiences with marijuana there was a seemingly complete destruction of DNA, the macromolecule responsible for human heredity. Dr. Souza noted that marijuana transmitted its effects through both dominant and recessive genes. This means that a host of debilitating mutations such as mental retardation would affect many generations.
Marijuana and Brain Function
Commenting on his clinical observations of marijuana smokers, Dr. West of UCLA declared: "What I have seen is ... what I believe to be biological changes in brain function because of the use of marijuana." His observations showed some marijuana users suffered from permanent personality changes, apathy, inability to concentrate, impaired skill at communicating with others, fragmentation in flow of thought and loss of insight. And what most people do not realize is that any destruction of brain tissue is absolutely permanent because brain cells do not regenerate and cannot ever be repaired. Another scientist, Dr. Constandinos J. Miras of the University of Athens, found a clear connection between brain changes induced by marijuana and deranged behavior. Studying chronic marijuana smokers, he found abnormal brainwave readings. In the case of some long time users, Dr. Miras noted clironic lethargy and loss of inhibitions, indicating to him significant organic brain change. Irreparable brain destruction. Is this what you want? You can have it by smoking marijuana.
Marijuana and Sex
Many myths have grown up associating marijuana and sex. Anti-marijuana propaganda has in time past suggested that the cannabis drugs trigger sexual debauchery. On the other hand, pro-marijuana propaganda has intimated that "the high" induced by the cannabis drugs enhances the enjoyment of sexual intercourse. Again, there is no scientific evidence to back this up. We do know, however, that marijuana intoxication, during which a person's control of his or her own mind is loosened, breaks down moral barriers which would ordinarily stand unbroken. It contributes to immorality!
Does Marijuana Lead to Violence?
Is there a relationship between marijuana and aggressive criminal behavior? This is not a simple question to answer. There have, of course, been numerous specific cases in which a criminal act from robbery to murder was perpetrated under the influence of marijuana. But this does not prove a definite cause-effect relationship the evidence at present is only circumstantial. However, it has been conclusively demonstrated that during the marijuana-induced "high" the user will say things that he would never ordinarily say. This is due to a releasing of a person's inhibitions-which is the scientific way of expressing "losing control of one's mind." But most researchers quickly emphasize that a person intoxicated by marijuana will not "generally" take action that is foreign to his normal behavior. However, in the drug-induced, intoxicated state, a fine line of distinction divides verbal from behavioral expression. And since verbal actions are uninhibited by marijuana, we can expect behavioral actions to likewise be uninhibited. Furthermore, the "scientific" use of the word "generally" means that there have been some exceptions_. Marijuana has caused some people to commit criminal acts which have netted '.permanent personal tragedy for all concerned.
Marijuana's Legacy -LETHARGY
As we have reported, the habitual users of marijuana are "reminiscent of the derelict of skid row." Detailed investigations from all over the world-especially in North Africa and the Orient have demonstrated that the long-term users of the cannabis drugs all fall into the same sluggish pattern of life: typically passive, lethargic, lazy, nonproductive, slothful, sedentary and completely lacking in drive and ambition. Although marijuana advocates claim that people who take up the cannabis drugs are passive, lethargic, and slothful to begin with, the data demonstrates a definite cause-effect relationship. In their 1946 studies on cases of prolonged marijuana use, Williams et al., writing in Public Health Reports (Washington) found that the victims became indolent and idle as a direct result of using the drug. They grew neglectful of personal hygiene and rapidly lost interest in both vocational and recreational activities. It's a vicious cycle: marijuana induces lethargy, and lethargy craves marijuana!
Marijuana and Alcohol
Marijuana proponents always compare "their drug" with alcohol. What are the facts? It's true that "social drinkers" have a significantly higher death rate than non-drinkers from heart attacks, circulatory diseases, cancer, gastrointestinal problems, homicides, suicides, and motor-vehicle and other accidents. Marijuana, on the other hand, has not been definitely linked to any organic disease, and has been responsible for only just a small fraction of the accidental deaths which alcohol has caused. But as Dr. Louis J. West, chairman of the department of psychiatry at UCLA, told a conference on marijuana: "Just because alcohol [misused] is bad doesn't mean that marijuana is good." That would be fal1fty logic. Like attempting to prove that the Vietnamese war is good by showing that fewer Americans were killed in it than were killed in motor-vehicle accidents in the same year. Let's get to the crux of the marijuana-alcohol controversy: What pro-marijuana propaganda does is to compare the effects of a large amount of alcohol with a very small amount of marijuana. But this is a contrived comparison a rigged contest. Of course "too much" alcohol is grossly debilitating. But "a _ little" alcohol, especially natural wine, is quite beneficial. It relaxes the body and aids in the digestion of food by stimulating the stomach's digestive juices. It also breaks down into natural compounds and leaves the system. Marijuana lodges toxically in the liver. And there's the difference: while "a little" alcohol is good, "a little marijuana-"just once"-can be very bad. It may not cause as many accidents as excessive alcohol, but it can permanently harm the body and mind. Furthermore, very few habitual marijuana users have the self-control to limit themselves to "very little" of the drug. Consequently, many of the scientific studies showing hardly any adverse effect of "a little" marijuana are just not relevant to the actual conditions which exist.
Marijuana and Tobacco
We've all read the statistics which show that every puff on a cigarette statistically takes x number of seconds off a person's expected lifespan. Yet over 500 billion cigarettes are smoked in the U. S. every year. Marijuana protagonists enjoy exposing the hypocrisy of the average person's acceptance of cigarettes as compared with his emotional rejection of . marijuana. The nicotine in tobacco may be just as or even more- physically addictive than marijuana. And the carcinogenic tars in tobacco far out-kill anything presently known in marijuana... Is the general public hypocritical? You bet it is. Is tobacco more of a national health problem than marijuana? Obviously-and by a long shot. But marijuana is coming on strong. And we must not allow the idiocy of our national attitude toward tobacco to justify the introduction of another, even more subtle killer.
Some Dangerous Parallels
Dr. Alton Ochsner, famous New Orleans chest surgeon, is distressed by parallels he sees between today's youth who get on the Marijuana bandwagon and those who enthusiastically promoted cigarettes a few decades ago. In many ways, today, the world stands in respect to marijuana where it stood in respect to tobacco 30 or 40 years ago. "At that time," says Dr. Ochsner, "cigarettes were supposed to enhance digestion, restore energy, expand mental capacity, comfort nerves." Today, we know better. Cigarettes are proven to be a cause of lung cancer! "I cannot keep silent while the same sort of mistake is repeated with marijuana. At present, no one knows whether smoking pot can cause cancer. What is certain is that the burning of many types of leaves produces carcinogens, and it has been said that marijuana users in India often complain of coughs and bronchitis, symptoms which may precede cancer." Nearly all experts agree that the known physical effects of marijuana are few. But they emphasize that the absence of evidence or knowledge should NOT encourage people to experiment. They should not assume marijuana is harmless. The current drug explosion has been encouraged by the lack of solid physical evidence about marijuana. There is a large amount of mythology, ignorance and misinformation floating about. At the same time, there is still a dearth of real scientific data. This is the rationalization still used by most marijuana users. But if that's your excuse, consider that just a few years ago there was a similar "dearth of real scientific data" about the effects of thalidomide. That "dearth" was transformed into an "avalanche" by the tragic birth of thousands of congenitally deformed, limbless "flipper-babies." What similar fate awaits the marijuana smoker? Humanity will eventually find out. The only question is, "Are YOU going to find out PERSONALLY"? Are you willing to gamble with something so dangerous?
One Man's Investigation
Some are claiming that marijuana can be VERY DAM AGING physically. The popular writer Jess Stearn catalogued some of the frightening conclusions in his recent book, The Seekers. He commented on the research of Constandinos Miras, a highly respected Greek biochemist. "Miras, experimenting with chro:riic users, had reported in 1967 that marijuana was another form of hashish, weaker, to be certain, but with a similar propensity for damaging brain, liver, eyes, and the respiratory tract." (Jess Stearn, The Seekers, page 61.) But more HORRIFYING than this, some researchers "were now beginning to introduce evidence of lasting damage to some marijuana users, genetic damage that might be PASSED from one generation to another" (page 175). A report of the American Medical Association pointed out that after prolonged use of the drug, many physical problems became obvious -bronchitis, asthma, problems with sleep, upset coordination. "The AMA report was based on evidence accumulating all over the country that marijuana was definitely a medical problem" (page 177). Jess Stearn analyzed the whole marijuana scene for his 1969 book, and then made this penetrating analysis: "In my own research, more pragmatic than scientific, I had discovered a telltale LACK OF AMBITION among constant pot smokers accompanied by a bristling resentment of any suggestion that their lethargy was induced by their habit" (page 180). In an analysis of a personal case, he mused, "it had taken only three months with pot to reduce a bright eyed, bushy-tailed youngster to a blob of inertia" (page 185). Proponents of pot never cite such personal cases of misery and failure CAUSED by the use of marijuana. They will cite this or that authority who claims, "Pot isn't harmful physically." Or some psychologist who claims, "Pot is mentally beneficial." They have a talent for forgetting the undesirable.
Impurities in "the Stuff"
Aside from the effects of marijuana itself, which certainly is no blessing to youth, there are other insidious perils faced by those who smoke pot. One big danger is, those who purchase pot never know precisely what they are getting. Marijuana may often be cut with rhubarb or catnip or something worse! Georgia Tech students who bought some marijuana in Atlanta analyzed what they obtained and found the hashish was spiced with black opium which may turn users onto stronger drugs. Impurities in marijuana are a growing problem. Writing in the January 1970 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, Drs. Gregory G. Dimijian and Felipe A. Radelat noted: "The picture [of how to diagnose and treat the suspected marijuana user] has been muddled somewhat by the frequent adulteration of marijuana preparations with LSD or a tryptamine [DMT, DET, DPT], which is absorbed through the lungs along with the active ingredient of the marijuana." People are naive. And gullible. So when "the man" tells them "it's pure grass," they believe him, never suspecting that what they are really getting has an added "kick" a "kick" which packs an enormous wallop. Why is the marijuana bought "on the street" likely to contain so many impurities? There are a number of reasons. And the first is the most insidious: 1.) The big pushers want to hook as many people as possible on the stronger, more addictive drugs. So they introduce them gradually-as "impurities" in the "harmless" marijuana. This slowly builds up an ever increasing physical craving for the hard narcotic a literal physiological compulsion in the unsuspecting individual without him ever knowing about it. And by the time he does find out about it, it's too late-he's already been hooked. 2.) The illegality of marijuana necessitates slovenly, make-shift conditions for its preparation. There are also many wayward stops along its route "from field to face" where foreign ingredients can be purposely or accidentally introduced. 3.) The recent trend toward synthesizing "home made pot" in secret laboratories in order to bypass the risks of growing or importing it drastically elevates the possibility that other more deadly molecules will accidentally be synthesized, as unknown "by products" in this very tricky chemical process. 4) . The pushers the "big boys" and the local junkies can never be completely sure of the hallucinogenic quality of their "stuff," since every crop, every area and every preparation will differ from one another. And if their "Mary Jane" happens to tum out to be too weak, the pushers are in trouble because their cash customers will get mad and go elsewhere. So, to be on the "safe side" (which means "the more hallucinogenic side"), the pushers have learned to spike their marijuana with a "little dash" of LSD, DMT, etc. How can some still claim that "pot is beautiful"? That marijuana is harmless?
From Marijuana to Heroin?
In smoking pot, the user generally has no intention to go on to hard narcotics, such as heroin. However, once they start, many marijuana users keep on seeking ever higher "highs." Said one heroin addict: "If I hadn't taken pot, I wouldn't have known how to get heroin or how to use it." Reported a Harlem youngster: "In my circle, pot had nowhere near the status of heroin, and, after a while, pot didn't do as much for you" (Jess Steam, The Seekers, p. 188). Because of spiralling marijuana usage, Donald H. Louria, president of the New York State Council on Drug Addiction warned that "within a couple of years every high school and every college in the country will be inundated by heroin." Does marijuana lead to heroin addiction? The Los Angeles County Sheriff Department affirmed a direct connection: "Our experience has proved that well in excess of 90 percent of all narcotics addicts in this country have graduated to the use of heroin through the use of marijuana." The booklet Drug Abuse and the Law released by the District Attorney of Los Angeles said one hundred addicts interviewed consecutively at the California Rehabilitation Center at Corona admitted they used marijuana before the hard stuff . One inmate declared, "You smoke a stick of marijuana in the morning, get lazy on the job and get fired. In my case, it led to fixing with heroin." In 1969 there was a partial dearth of marijuana in the United States, sometimes referred to as the "Great Grass Drought" or "Marijuana Famine." Tightened security at the Mexican border and poor Mexican marijuana crops due to bad weather contributed to the dearth. When marijuana wasn't so readily available any more, what happened? Many users turned to harder drugs: the amphetamines, and even heroin! This alone seems to prove the connection between marijuana and heroin and other drugs. When a person is involved in the drug culture, and one drug becomes unavailable, he doesn't quit taking drugs. He turns to something else! More and more Americans are smoking marijuana. There is definitely a parallel rise in the use of hard narcotics, including heroin! It's not a coincidence!
Is Marijuana Habit-forming?
According to its devotees, marijuana is not habit forming in any way, shape or form. On the other hand, law enforcement officers present a completely different story, insisting that marijuana creates a psychological dependence on drugs which can easily lead to the use of hard narcotics. A number of medical authorities strongly recommend against the drug because of addictive effects. Other doctors say that marijuana is "relatively safe" with no proven addictive effects. Dr. Herbert Blumer, professor of sociology at Berkeley, headed a study entitled The World of Youthful Drug Use. It is published by the School of Criminology at the University of California. The study deals with the fruitless efforts of university investigators to dissuade young drug users from their practices. They and all other investigators or counselors failed in their attempts, according to Dr. Blumer, because they couldn't refute the youngsters' arguments in favor of taking the drugs. What is the TRUTH? Is marijuana addicting or isn't it?
The Hidden "Hook"
Medically speaking, marijuana is not positively known to be addicting. That is, it doesn't form a dependence which ends in withdrawal symptoms when the drug is no longer ingested. But THAT'S NOT THE WHOLE STORY! Marijuana devotees, it seems, never discuss the FACT that marijuana can be mentally and psychologically HABIT-FORMING. (There may even be some physiological need developed, but not as yet recognized by medical tests.) Some smoke marijuana the way others use alcohol. After a time, they might possibly quit and never smoke it again. For others, it's not that simple. "... Dr. Edward Bloomquist of the University of Southern California School of Medicine ... described the chronic marijuana user as 'No LONGER IN CONTROL OF HIS USE OF THE DRUG because the psychological factors which drew him to the drug precipitate a pattern of chronic compulsive abuse. At this point the user IS JUST AS HOOKED AS ARE THOSE WE USED TO CALL ADDICTS. The absence of physical dependence is immaterial" (Shearer, The Mystique of Marijuana, p. 8). Thus, the marijuana "addict" may spend his life going from one "high" to the next. Dr. James H. Wall of New York Hospital warns about such an approach to life: "I don't look with any favor on a society where everybody just floats around in his own tub of butter. A certain amount of tension and alertness is essential to keep things straight in life. "This reaction is quite understandable. It is obviously possible to tranquilize a man to the point at which he loses not only his anxieties but also his ambitions, ideals, creative urges, everything, in short, that distinguishes him from a contented cow. That this is undesirable goes without saying" (DeRopp, Drugs and the Mind, p. 285). Users may not become addicted to marijuana in the traditional sense of the word yet they very often do become addicted to the idea of a life of ease, pleasure and lack of responsibility. Marijuana merely makes this exodus from reality possible. Kids who get "high" continually don't want to do anything else. Their world is one which seemingly has no problems, and they want no part of any other kind of world. In spite of such kickbacks some still claim marijuana is beneficial. Others have been along the drug route and know better. For those who would like the testimony of a former pot user who quit, here it is.
A Doctor Speaks Out
He is Dr. Allen Cohen. At one time he was among Harvard University graduate students who participated in "research" conducted by Dr. Timothy Leary on psychedelic drugs. Dr. Cohen is one of many, many sociologists and psychiatrists who no SEE the problem of drugs and who are responsible enough to speak out. In an April 4, 1969, article in the Los Angeles Times, Dr. Cohen stated quite frankly: "Less than six years ago, I urged all my friends to turn on. For a while I felt that getting high was 'where it's at.' "I remember that we thought acid wasn't very harmful and that marijuana and hashish were probably even good for us. "Well, we know better now. You are probably acquainted with the research on LSD and the strong psychedelics probably chromosomal damage with high doses, possible damage to brain and liver tissues, etc. "But what about pot? "Some things are already clear. Research in Kentucky suggests that THC [active agent in marijuana] is a psychedelic drug and a powerful one. By weight, it may be stronger than any psychedelic except LSD. "Studies have shown that THC can produce wild hallucinations and painful psychoses, as well as destroy and deform the offspring of laboratory animals. The possibility of chromosomal damage cannot be discounted. "That brings us to the psychological issue. Do drugs make you permanently happier? Do they really help you to have fun? Do they assist you to become more peaceful, loving and interested in life? "Back in our little psychedelic community, I could not help realizing that drugs do not make better people. There were still laziness, arguments, lack of consideration, sexual jealousies and fear. It added up to 'psychedelic hypocrisy.' "I have observed that drug users (me included) did not live any more spiritual lives, although they thought they were very spiritually aware persons." That is the testimony of a former pot user one of the original psychedelic researchers. Regarding the comparison of marijuana with alcohol, Dr. Cohen lays it on the line-whether pot smokers will accept it or not: "While alcoholism constitutes a major social problem, surely it is not valid to justify the adoption of a new abuse by trying to show that it is no worse than a presently existing one. The result could only be ADDED social damage from a new source. Moreover, marijuana, unlike alcohol, is nearly always consumed by its users for the express purpose of attaining a 'high,' a disorientating intoxication." Dr. Cohen knows. He's been "where it's at" -and he got out. He was able to recognize the dramatically debilitating mental effects of marijuana.
Parents Talk About "The Weed"
We have been examining the problems of marijuana from the point of view of the youthful user. But what about his or her parents? They are deeply involved and their stories are pathetically tragic. For example, a mother wrote to a well-known television commentator: "I do not need scientific proof to see what damage marijuana can do. I watched my son travel the typical road to ruin, from a student who enjoyed music, drama, and sports to a useless, filthy school dropout, with no other aim in life than to live in a carefree dream of distortion. "My boy went all the way loss of appetite long, deep sleeps after the drugs wore off a short attention span poor memory and inability to read, talk, or to communicate for more than a few minutes. My son's continued defiance is a definite hindrance to his return to normal." Why is the son continually defiant? He thinks he is right. He is like a lot of other people who want their kicks, no matter what. Meanwhile, parents, loved ones, friends, neighbors and society as a whole suffer because of it.
Two More Tragic Cases
Parents of a young girl wrote: "Recently our oldest daughter ran away from home [she is 16]. After five days a detective from the Minneapolis Police Department, my husband and myself, went looking for her. We found her. "Her common clothes were gone except for the beautiful wool coat her father had bought her. She had on bell-bottom jeans and an old Army shirt. Her hair was all over; she looked dirty and the stench of our daughter and the others around her was awful. Kirn was high on 'weed' or 'grass,' as they call it. "The police left her in our custody. My husband and I didn't yell, scream or holler or hit her; we were so happy to see she was alive. The five days she was gone was a living hell for us and her ten-year-old twin sisters. "My husband is a quiet, lovable father who has discussed events with her but never put her on the spot about the subjects of the now generation, nor have I. ... Kim is now in a mental hospital for treatment to find out why she left." A woman in Seaside, California wrote: "I have a 16-year-old daughter who has always been an intelligent, well-adjusted girl. We have a very close family and my daughter and I have always had a close relationship. Two weeks ago she started taking drugs and ran away with an 18-year-old boy. We found her in Tijuana married to this boy. She wants nothing to do with us whatsoever. "The night before she left, I tucked her in bed as usual and kissed her good night. She kissed me and said she loved me. The next morning she was gone. It doesn't make sense. My heart is broken. "It is as if my very heart has been torn from me and I feel a complete failure as a mother. I really worked at being a good mother and was quite proud to have raised such a sweet, intelligent, beautiful girl, when suddenly it blew up in my face." These heartbreaking, emotion-laden letters show part of the serious danger of drugs. They break up homes, wreck families, and alienate young people from their parents who love them. Marijuana, the most prevalent drug being used, often leads to a lethargic, disheveled existence. It leads to ill-considered, unwise decisions, poor judgment, confusion and mental disorder. It can lead to psychosis mental derangement. It can contribute to murder!
How Much More Evidence?
Of course, some will still claim, "You can't prove marijuana is dangerous." One might wonder what additional "proof" would be required. With such effects as the above even being remotely possible- the only sensible course is to shun marijuana like the plague. Those who insist on using marijuana will do so IN SPITE of what is said. But those others who have wise ears to hear sage advice will stay away from pot no matter how deceptively glamorous it may appear. That is why, after serious study, the American Medical Association reached the conclusion: "Cannabis [marijuana] is a DANGEROUS DRUG and as such is a public health concern." The AMA also declared, "Legalization of marijuana would create a serious abuse problem in the United States." Said Dr. Edward R. Bloomquist, "Kids who get high repeatedly don't want to come down. They find a WORLD in which they believe that they have no problems, and they become social bums. They turn the whole experience into a protest tool, which they use to mock the middle-class culture that they disdain. Used in this way, marijuana leads persons into a DRUG-CULTURE SHADOWED WORLD which is disturbing to society."
The Age of ANXIETY
Leonard Bernstein wrote a piece of music called "The Age of Anxiety." How true of us today. The immediate future of this world looks bleak! There seems little to look forward to. We live in the "enlightened" Twentieth Century. The age of affluence. Of pushbutton leisure. The age of the Madison Avenue ad man who guarantees you get more enjoyment out of brand X; get faster relief with this or that pill; get pursued and surrounded by pretty girls if you brush with a certain toothpaste. On and on it goes! We're encouraged to GET, GET, GET for ourselves! To satisfy the self! To pamper the self ! To have more fun! To get more out of life! But this isn't REALITY! This is make-believe! It's distortion. It's a false picture of the way life really is. It doesn't really SATISFY! What is the obvious result? Anxiety. Frustration and rejection. FUTILITY! We have been conditioned to GET whatever we want, without working and sacrificing for it. When there are kickbacks, we can't take it! We can't wait! We want to GET MORE OUT OF LIFE NOW! With out putting anything into our lives to insure against kickbacks. No wonder we have a generation that can't face reality that would rather hide behind the skirts of mind-dulling drugs! This generation can't cope with reality because it hasn't been taught How! Marijuana is not the root problem. It's a result of mixed-up social values. It's a kickback of this hypocritical age. Our age of the "no absolutes" philosophy.
WHY Turn to POT?
Is MARIJUANA really GOOD MEDICINE for these times? Obviously not. What then, is the right way? What is the missing ingredient that keeps this generation from really being happy and productive? You know all the supposed reasons for smoking marijuana: pressures of society, peer pressure, hypocrisy of the older generation, example of pill-popping parents, curosity, enjoyment, thrills, easy availability of the drug. On and on it goes. There are about as many reasons for smoking marijuana as there are users. The only common bond seems to be POT and FUTILITY. But is it worth it to vent your frustrations and dis like for the Establishment by blowing your mind on pot? By dulling your ability to THINK? Sure you have reasons to be upset! Who doesn't? Sure you are living in the shadow of the BOMB! You see man's inhumanity to man nation against nation race against race. You know life on this planet is threatened by nuclear warfare, chemical warfare, exploding populations, famine, disease epidemics and pollution. You see man bent on self-extermination or so it seems. It isn't a pretty picture. You have good reason to be upset! But WHY STICK YOUR HEAD IN THE SAND? WHY hurt yourself? WHY become a moral and mental coward? Dulling your MIND your most priceless possession isn't going to solve anything! You may get "high" and escape reality for a short time, but after you "come down" the same old problems are staring you in the face. Is there a BETTER WAY? You bet there is! And it works! But first you need to understand something about yourself!
Consider WHAT YOU ARE!
Why do YOU smoke marijuana? The answer is simple. It lies with a basic understanding of human nature of what you are! You are a physical human being. A unique creation with a unique nature. And a primary characteristic of that nature is SELFISHNESS. Whether you like to admit it or not, YOU are selfish. Your number-one concern is what you can do for self. What you can do to please you! And, sadly, this preoccupation with pleasing SELF is directly proportion ate to your growing LACK OF CONCERN for others. You are interested in experimenting with anything that has the potential of providing YOU with "kicks." And you don't want anybody telling you what you can or cannot do even if it is for your own good. Why marijuana? Because marijuana allows you to experience a pleasant physical sensation. You can get a little "high." It's different. "It's fun," you say. Therefore, no matter who speaks out against the dangers of marijuana, no matter what facts are brought to light you probably will continue to argue in favor of smoking pot simply to justify your actions. That's the way your human mind works UNLESS you are willing to approach the problem objectively. Your decision to smoke "pot" shows you really aren't concerned about the welfare of your family. You have no respect for parents no desire to set a right example for younger brothers and sisters. You are not concerned with wife or husband or children. You aren't concerned about friends, society or your own nation. You can't be concerned about the BIG ISSUES because you're SELFISH and IGNORANT! You would rather BLOW YOUR MIND! You can't even exercise proper concern for your own mind and body. SHOCKING? Sometimes the FACTS are shocking. But facts are facts, and you need to understand.
A BETTER WAY
Here, then, is a better way change yourself! Become a productive member of the human race. Quit making excuses for yourself. And if you smoke marijuana, QUIT marijuana! Don't blame your parents for a bad example. If they haven't been the right kind of parents it's because they didn't know how. Are they guilty of popping pills, or neglectful and not interested in what you do? These certainly aren't reasons for becoming a "pothead." The ills of the Establishment are no excuse either. National and world conditions aren't right, but you aren't improving a thing! Understand smoking marijuana won't make personal, social or world problems miraculously disappear. It only makes conditions worse! And you and those you love suffer most. Do you want conditions improved? So do we. And if we don't begin to solve our problems NOW, tomorrow will be too late! There is a right way to dissent! And it GETS RESULTS! But it has to start with YOU, the individual. You need to change yourself first!
Where to Find SOLUTIONS
Most only shake their heads when asked for solutions. The Establishment has no answers, and certainly the drug cult has none. But there are solutions. And we need to heed! Shocking as it may seem, the ills of this modern age are a direct result of disobedience to the laws of the Creator God as revealed in the pages of your Bible. America and the Western World have turned away from the foundational principles of right living! They have utterly rejected the Maker's instruction book. It's about time our nations and peoples wake up! If you chose to dissent-DISSENT against God-rejecting immorality, rioting, drug abuse, and human indecency! Get your priorities straightened out! Drug taking is only one more striking symptom of this sickening mess we call the "enlightened Twentieth Century." But we can solve our problems if we are willing! This has been proven! We at Ambassador College are proving it every day! Our three campuses in California, Texas and England are living examples of PEACE and HAPPINESS in a world of confusion, crime, dope, immorality, violence and chaos. Our students are happy! They radiate vitality and purpose. They have healthy minds and bodies, and they know HOW to live! How do we do it? By getting rid of the cause that produces problems and undesirable effects. There are no "kickbacks" or "hang-ups" when you live in harmony with the laws of God. On the contrary, there are tremendous rewards and benefits! There is happiness! But if you break these laws they will break you! You need to write for our free book, The TEN COMMANDMENTS . It explains the laws of God in language you can understand! You can't continue to be without this vital knowledge you need to get in step with the laws of God. Also, request our booklet that takes you behind the hippie scene, titled HIPPIES Hypocrisy and "Happiness." It will open your eyes to the hypocritical world of hippies and drugs.
What Will YOU Do?
Success will depend on you. It will demand a big change in your outlook, your values and your life! It means replacing old bad habits with new right ones! This takes work and effort on your part hard work. But it can be done, and the rewards are worth it! Start by closing the generation gap begin to understand and improve your relations with your parents and society. Don't accept society as it is, BUT be willing to help solve the problems! Learn concern for others. Love and respect your fellow human beings. You'll never be happy or successful if you don't learn and practice the habits of being unselfish. Don't be a "pothead." Change your peer group and make new friends. Don't let "peer pressure" or "social pressure" become an invitation and an excuse for taking drugs. Develop a strong productive body and mind be a leader, not a follower! You can't cope with the problems and issues of life if you're a slave to mind-dulling drugs. And don't forget real success demands living in harmony with the laws of God. You need this additional booklet, The SEVEN LAWS of SUCCESS. It tells how to set goals-and how to achieve them! And it explains what the Living God has to do with your life in this Godless Twentieth Century. Write for it today along with the other booklets previously mentioned. They're free of course!