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Who Thought This One Up?
By Dan Greenman

Thursday, February 18, 2003

I'm back from the winter hiatus with more bad things to say about anti-drug commercials. The new one on television gives the fact: one joint contains four times as much "tar" as one cigarette. I decided to do a little research on this statement and learned a few interesting things.

For those who don't know (because nobody ever defines it) tar refers to the carcinogenic compounds contained in smoke - tobacco, marijuana or other.

First of all, while it is true that one joint might have more tar than a cigarette, that is only true if you smoke the leaf of the plant. Most marijuana smokers smoke the bud, not the leaf, which contains only 33 percent as much tar as tobacco.

Another fact that was not stated in this ad is that marijuana smokers do not smoke anywhere near as much as tobacco smokers, due to the psychoactive effects of cannabis. While chain smokers can go through packs of cigarettes daily, it isn't practical for most people to smoke more than a joint. Further, not one case of lung cancer has ever been successfully linked to marijuana use. This is probably because cannabis, unlike tobacco, does not cause any narrowing of the small air passageways in the lungs.

Of course, anti-drug agencies give some other reasons why marijuana is bad. The DARE Web site (http://www.darebox.com/marijuana.html) states, "When marijuana is smoked, it is irritating to the lungs. Chronic smoking causes emphysema-like conditions." However, nobody has reportedly gotten emphysema from smoking just marijuana, yet thousands have from smoking just cigarettes.

The site also states, "One 'joint' causes the heart to race and be overworked. People with undiagnosed heart conditions are at risk." It doesn't mention that these people also have to be careful that they don't exercise too much, or they could experience the same results.

Next, the site states, "Marijuana smoking lowers the body's immune system response, making users more susceptible to infection." Of course alcohol does the same thing.

There are many more "side effects" of marijuana on this site, as well as the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse site (http://www.modmh.state.mo.us/ada/facts/mar.html). The important thing to remember when reading facts like these is that there is a difference between unbiased information and scare tactic. Don't accept something to be true just because it is in a commercial or because it is on a reputable Web site. Always question whether there is something the source isn't telling you, and if necessary, take it upon yourself to learn more.

Email Dan dgreenm1@ithaca.edu