Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts: A Review of the Scientific Evidence

Last updated
Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts: A Review of the Scientific Evidence
Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts cover.jpg
AuthorLynn Zimmer and John P. Morgan
Subject Cannabis (drug) and U.S. drug control policy
GenreNon-fiction
Publication date
1997

Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts: A Review of the Scientific Evidence is a 1997 book about the medical effects of cannabis, and related U.S. drug control policy, written by Lynn Zimmer and John P. Morgan. As of 1998, Zimmer was a sociology professor at Queens College. [1] Morgan was a professor of pharmacology at City University of New York Medical School when he wrote the book; he was on the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) board of directors from 1996 until 2005 and "published approximately 100 articles, book chapters and books, largely focused on the clinical pharmacology of psychoactive drugs" by the time of his death in 2008. [2] [3]

Contents

Content

Recognizing marijuana is here to stay, the book provides reliable information about marijuana's effects on people. The authors recognize that marijuana policies and personal decisions about marijuana use should be based on scientific evidence, factual information, and common sense. The review of claims about marijuana and the latest scientific evidence about marijuana's effects leads the authors to conclude that, while heavy marijuana use can be harmful, marijuana use, in general, is not nearly as harmful as the myths about marijuana claim. Despite the criminalization of marijuana in the United States and the massive efforts embodied by the war on drugs, more adolescents were trying marijuana in the 1990s. [4] The myths covered include many individual medical, criminological or sociological claims that can be examined scientifically:

Medical

Criminological or sociological

Reception

A review in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs stated "There are many strongly held beliefs – here mostly exposed as myths – about marijuana, and such beliefs cover the gamut of scientific, clinical, psychological, social, criminological and other issues. The book's chapters thus address issues of marijuana's real or putative effects on sex hormones and reproduction, lungs, the immune system, the brain, memory, cognition and motivation; the gateway theory and addiction; crime, deviance and punishment, and so on -- in other words, virtually all the concerns that have been raised for decades in varying form... an issue-by-issue refutation of many of the positions often taken for granted by government, educational institutions, and even some professional organizations... the final chapter presents a whirlwind skeptic's tour through recent decades of governmental and public hysteria, misinformation and other follies..." [6]

A review in the Journal of the American Medical Association stated "Zimmer and Morgan provide an extraordinarily well-researched and passionately argued book on the biomedical and sociological issues raised in today's debate about marijuana. In their desire to 'set the record straight', however, they sometimes sacrifice even-handedness for impact." [7]

The Reason magazine obituary of co-author John P. Morgan M.D. stated that the book had "concisely and authoritatively debunked the major themes of anti-pot [cannabis] propaganda". [3]

See also

Footnotes

  1. Co-author John P. Morgan testified in 1988 before DEA administrative law judge Francis L. Young that "To pretend marijuana has no medical value, while arguing that a chemical in marijuana, THC, has medical use is nonsensical." [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Cannabis</i> Genus of flowering plants belonging to the hop and hackberry family

Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis; C. ruderalis may be included within C. sativa; all three may be treated as subspecies of a single species, C. sativa; or C. sativa may be accepted as a single undivided species. The genus is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from Central Asia, with some researchers also including upper South Asia in its origin.

Effects of cannabis

The effects of cannabis are caused by chemical compounds in the cannabis plant, including 400 different cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), allow its drug to have various psychological and physiological effects on the human body. Different plants of the genus Cannabis contain different and often unpredictable concentrations of THC and other cannabinoids and hundreds of other molecules that have a pharmacological effect, so that the final net effect cannot reliably be foreseen.

Medical cannabis Marijuana used medicinally

Medical cannabis, or medical marijuana (MMJ), is cannabis and cannabinoids that are prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabis as medicine has not been rigorously tested due to production and governmental restrictions, resulting in limited clinical research to define the safety and efficacy of using cannabis to treat diseases. Preliminary evidence suggests that cannabis can reduce nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy, improve appetite in people with HIV/AIDS, and reduce chronic pain and muscle spasms.

This article is intended to give an overview of several arguments for and against drug prohibition.

In the United States, the removal of cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, the most tightly restricted category reserved for drugs that have "no currently accepted medical use,” has been proposed repeatedly since 1972.

Cannabis (drug) Psychoactive drug from the Cannabis plant

Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the Cannabis plant used primarily for medical and recreational purposes. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main psychoactive component of cannabis, which is one of the 483 known compounds in the plant, including at least 65 other cannabinoids, including cannabidiol (CBD). Cannabis can be used by smoking, vaporizing, within food, or as an extract.

Cannabis and religion Entheogenic use of marijuana

Different religions have varying stances on the use of cannabis, historically and presently. In ancient history some religions used cannabis as an entheogen, particularly in the Indian subcontinent where the tradition continues on a more limited basis.

Amanda Feilding, Countess of Wemyss and March is an English drug policy reformer, lobbyist and research coordinator. In 1998 she founded the Foundation to Further Consciousness, later renamed to the Beckley Foundation, a charitable trust which initiates, directs and supports neuroscientific and clinical research into the effects of psychoactive substances on the brain and cognition. She has also co-authored over 50 papers published in peer-reviewed journals, according to the Foundation. The central aim of her research is to investigate new avenues of treatment for such mental illnesses as depression, anxiety and addiction, as well as to explore methods of enhancing well-being and creativity.

Decriminalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States Legalization of marijuana in the United States

In the United States, the non-medical use of cannabis is decriminalized in 15 states, and legalized in another 15 states, as of March 2021. Decriminalization refers to a policy of reduced penalties for cannabis offenses, typically involving a civil penalty for possession of small amounts, instead of criminal prosecution or the threat of arrest. In jurisdictions without any penalties the policy is referred to as legalization, although the term decriminalization is sometimes broadly used for this purpose as well.

Legal history of cannabis in the United States Aspect of history

The legal history of cannabis in the United States pertains to the regulation of cannabis for medical, recreational, and industrial purposes in the United States. Increased restrictions and labeling of cannabis as a poison began in many states from 1906 onward, and outright prohibitions began in the 1920s. By the mid-1930s cannabis was regulated as a drug in every state, including 35 states that adopted the Uniform State Narcotic Drug Act. The first national regulation was the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937.

Many urban legends and misconceptions about drugs have been created and circulated among young people and the general public, with varying degrees of veracity. These are commonly repeated by organizations which oppose all classified drug use, often causing the true effects and dangers of drugs to be misunderstood and less scrutinized. The most common subjects of such false beliefs are LSD, cannabis, and MDMA. These misconceptions include misinformation about adulterants or other black market issues, as well as alleged effects of the pure substances.

Cannabis in the United States Marijuana use in the United States

The use, sale, and possession of cannabis over 0.3% THC in the United States, despite laws in many states permitting it under various circumstances, is illegal under federal law. As a Schedule I drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970, cannabis over 0.3% THC is considered to have "no accepted medical use" and have a high potential for abuse and physical or psychological dependence. Cannabis use is illegal for any reason, with the exception of FDA-approved research programs. However, individual states have enacted legislation permitting exemptions for various uses, including medical, industrial, and recreational use.

Medical cannabis in the United States

In the United States, the use of cannabis for medical purposes is legal in 36 states, four out of five permanently inhabited U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia, as of November 2020. Twelve other states have more restrictive laws limiting THC content, for the purpose of allowing access to products that are rich in cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive component of cannabis. There is significant variation in medical cannabis laws from state to state, including how it is produced and distributed, how it can be consumed, and what medical conditions it can be used for.

Carl Hart American neuroscientist

Carl L. Hart is an American neuroscientist. He is a professor of neuroscience and psychology at Columbia University. Hart is known for his research in drug abuse and drug addiction. Hart was the first tenured African American professor of sciences at Columbia University.

In Judaism, there is debate that cannabis may have been used ritually in ancient Judaism, and the use of cannabis continues to be a controversial topic in modern Judaism.

Glossary of cannabis terms Wikipedia glossary

Terms related to cannabis include:

History of cannabis

The history of cannabis and its usage by humans dates back to at least the third millennium BC in written history, and possibly further back by archaeological evidence. For millennia, the plant has been valued for its use for fiber and rope, as food and medicine, and for its psychoactive properties for religious and recreational use.

Two main questions arise in the law surrounding driving after having ingested cannabis: (1) whether cannabis actually impairs driving ability, and (2) whether the common practice of testing for THC is a reliable means to measure impairment. On the first question, studies are mixed. Several recent, extensive studies–including one conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and one conducted by the American Automobile Association (AAA)–show that drivers with detectable THC in their blood are no more likely to cause car crashes than drivers with no amount of THC in their blood. Others show that cannabis can impair certain abilities important to safe driving –but no studies have been able to show that this increases the actual risk of crashing, or that drivers with THC in their blood cause a disproportionate number of crashes. On the second question, the studies that have been conducted so far have consistently found that THC blood levels and degree of impairment are not closely related. No known relationship between blood levels of THC and increased relative crash risk, or THC blood levels and level of driving impairment, has been shown by single-crash or classic-control studies. Thus, even though it is possible that cannabis impairs driving ability to some extent, there are currently no reliable means to test or measure whether a driver was actually impaired.

Occupational health concerns over the use of cannabis among workers are becoming increasingly important as cannabis becomes legal in more areas of the US. Of note, employers have concerns of workers either coming to work acutely impaired or recent use of cannabis still being detected in the body. Employment issues such as ADA law as it relates to accommodations for cannabis, paying unemployment benefits or paying out workers compensation benefits and disability claims are all important issues. While federal law still prohibits use, employers in different states have taken different stances based on whether they are federal contractors, perform safety sensitive work or whether the cannabis use is acutely impairing the employee.

References

  1. David Firestone (November 26, 1998). "A Late Bloomer Joins the Marijuana Debate". The New York Times.
  2. "In memoriam: John P. Morgan M.D." official website. National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
  3. 1 2 Jacob Sullum (February 17, 2008), John P. Morgan, RIP, Reason, archived from the original on February 18, 2008
  4. "NCJRS Abstract: Marijuana Myths Marijuana Facts: A Review of the Scientific Evidence by Lynn Zimmer Ph.D. and John P. Morgan M.D." NCJRS abstracts database. National Criminal Justice Reference Service (United States Department of Justice). NCJ number 185047. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  5. Jerry Knight (June 14, 1988). "The case for prescription pot". The Washington Post.
  6. Steve Heilig (1998) Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts: A Review of the Scientific Evidence, Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 30:2, 223-224, DOI: 10.1080/02791072.1998.10399695
  7. Harriet S.Meyer, Jonathan D.Eldredge, RobertHogan, February 25, 1998 Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts: A Review of the Scientific Evidence Journal of the American Medical Association. 1998;279(8):632-633. doi:10.1001/jama.279.8.632-JBK0225-4-1

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates  public domain material from the United States Department of Justice National Criminal Justice Reference Service document: "abstract of Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts".

Further reading