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is to treat them as a criminal. Many of these people even go to _— published Marihuana Reconsidered. The first letter I received jail. The costs of criminalising these people have been extreme. was a very nasty letter. As the years go on, though, the mail gets Since I started my work on marijuana in 1967, more than 10 mil- —s much more positive. lion Americans have been arrested on marijuana charges in the JR: What do you see for the future of medicinal cannabis use? US. In 1994, the year for which we have the latest FBI data on Dr G: It strikes me that there are a lot of parallels with the dis- this, 483,000 Americans were arrested on marijuana charges. _ covery of penicillin. Penicillin was discovered by a man named That is just extraordinary when you consider that cannabis impos- § Alexander Fleming in 1928. He had gone off for summer vaca- es less harm on the individual and on society than either alcohol _ tion and left a Petri dish out in his laboratory. When he came or tobacco. back, the Petri dish was just covered with Staphylococcus, except JR: What kind of feedback did you receive from your June _for an area surrounding what looked like a little island of mould. 1995 article, "Marihuana as He looked into it and found that the Medicine", in JAMA? mould was giving off a substance Dr G: Well, that article caused a which he called “penicillin”. It was lot of fuss. It was published in the killing the Staphylococcus. Yet his "Since I started my work on marijuana Journal of the American Medical In 1967, more than 10 million discovery was ignored until 1941. Association (JAMA). This organi- Americans have been arrested on For over a decade his publication sation has been steadfast in its | oe + was ignored, until the pressure of opposition to marijuana for 50 marijuana charges in the US... World War II highlighted the need years—since an editorial published | That is just extraordinary when you for antibacterial substances other in 1945, Although the AMA does- consider that cannabis imposes less than sulphonamides. Then a couple n't say so officially, I think publish- ; SES ENCE ‘ of investigators did a study with just ing our article signals a growing harm on the individual and'on Society 9 six patients and demonstrated it was change in physicians’ attitudes than either alcohol or tobacco." a good antibiotic. towards medicinal cannabis. There : Penicillin became very inexpen- were physicians who wrote me sive to produce. It was clear that nasty letters. More impressive were penicillin was not toxic and it was the many physicians who shared their stories about how they _ very versatile as a drug. It was used in the treatment of many dif- learned about cannabis from seeing how it helped a particular _ ferent kinds of infectious diseases. It became the wonder drug of patient. Several of them said we ought to have an organisation,a _—_ the 1940s. physicians’ organisation, for the medical use of marijuana. The When cannabis can be produced as a medicine it will be very article created a stir not just in this country. I think JAMA is pub- _ inexpensive. I have already listed some of the reasons why it can lished in 33 languages. It was no small wonder that there was a _be said to be versatile, and, the government position notwithstand- lot of mail from other parts of the world as well. ing, it is remarkably non-toxic. It has exactly the same three char- JR: Was the feedback mostly positive? acteristics that made penicillin a wonder drug. These are some of Dr G: Absolutely. By far, most of it was positive. There were __ the reasons I believe that, in the late 1990s, cannabis is going to some nasty letters, but I have received those from the time I first be recognised as a wonder drug. eo References About the Interviewee: * Grinspoon, Lester, M.D., Marihuana Reconsidered, Quick American Dr Lester Grinspoon is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Archives (a division of Quick Trading Company, PO Box 429477, San the Harvard Medical School. He has published over 140 papers Francisco, CA 94142, USA), 1994 (ISBN 0-932551-13-0), first pub- and 12 books. His major area of interest has been ‘illicit! drugs. lished by Harvard University Press, 1971. His first book, Marihuana Reconsidered, was published in 1971 * Grinspoon, Lester, M.D. and James B. Bakalar, Marihuana, The by taryard University Press and republished in 1994 as a classic. Ailcprecsten jens aa peste tee hh aaliengs ane oe He has written books on amphetamines, cocaine and psychedelic Gti = ot {cloth}, [paperback]. . drugs. In 1990 he won the Alfred R. Lindesmith Award of the * Grinspoon, Lester, M.D. and James B. Bakalar, "The War On Drugs: . i Drug Policy Foundation for "Achievement in the field of drug io NAW ENG UaieE Soe Ne Pe ne ee scholarship". Marihuana, The Forbidden Medicine, Dr * Grinspoon, Lester, M.D. and James B. Bakalar, "Marihuana as Grinspoon's latest book, written with james Bakalar, has been Medicine: A Plea for Reconsideration", Journal of the American __ translated into 10 languages. A second edition is now in press. Medical Association (JAMA), vol. 273, no, 23. {Copies of Marihuana, The Forbidden Medicine, can be ordered from the Publicity Department, Yale University Press, For more information on the DARE school programs, here is a list | New Haven, Connecticut, USA, phone +1 (203) 432 0971. of articles and world wide web addresses: About the Interviewer: * Harmon, Michele Alicia, “Reducing the Risk of Drug Jana Ray is a freelance writer and community radio personality Involvement Among Early Adolescents: An Evaluation of Drug who works to educate the public about humane alternatives to Abuse Resistance Education (DARE)", Institute of Criminal jhe global war on drugs. Harm-reduction strategies, legal medici- Justice and Criminology, University of Maryland, College Park, pat Cannabis use, drug law reform and the preservation of every- ee ae ce sf ineidareatat hin one's human rights are fundamental principles guiding her work. * "Studies Find satan Pagins Not Effective", USA Today, 11 Since 1992, Jana has been an active.member of the British October 1993. See web site: http://turnpike.net/~jnr/dareart. itm. Columbia Anti-Prohibition League which represents various west fe “A Different Look at DARE", Drug Reform Coordination Canadian groups. BCAPL advocates public/government recogni- Network Topics, in-depth series. Web site address; ion of the individual's natural, human and legal right to deter- http://drenet.org/DARE. mine personally his/her own religion, lifestyle and consumption. NEXUS * 19 AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 1996