Pubdate: Tue, 08 Nov 2011
Source: San Diego Union Tribune (CA)
Copyright: 2011 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.signonsandiego.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/386
Note: Seldom prints LTEs from outside it's circulation area.
Author: David B. Bergman
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v11/n649/a09.html

THE MARIJUANA DEBATE

In "The case against legalization" (Dialog, Nov. 6) Aaron Byzak of 
the North Coastal Prevention Coalition claims that 1 in 10 adults who 
"ever start" marijuana, and between 1 in 4 and 1 in 2 who started in 
adolescence become dependent upon it. As a retired psychiatrist and 
addictionologist, in my 42-year career treating thousands of people 
with serious mental and drug or alcohol addictive disorders - 80 
percent of whom used or abused marijuana - only two patients were 
actually addicted to it. Almost one-half of American adults, tens of 
millions of people, have used marijuana, 25 to 50 percent of those in 
adolescence. As with any substance we put in our bodies, marijuana 
poses risks, but from a general health perspective, marijuana is less 
dangerous than alcohol, cigarettes or even fatty foods, upon which 
our population is far more dependent.

The conclusion, drawn from Byzak's numbers, that tens of millions of 
adult Americans are "dependent" upon it, is a misleading distortion 
intended to demonize the drug. Recent polls indicate that 50 percent 
of Americans support marijuana legalization. We finally understand 
that marijuana is not the "devil weed."

David B. Bergman, Rancho Santa Fe
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom