No On Proposition 19

The use of marijuana can produce adverse physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral changes, and - contrary to popular belief - it can be addictive. Marijuana smoke, like cigarette smoke, can harm the lungs.4,5,6 The use of marijuana can impair short-term memory,7,8 verbal skills,9 and judgment10 and distort perception.11,12 It also may weaken the immune system13,14,15,16 and possibly increase a user's likelihood of developing cancer.14,17 Finally, the increasing use of marijuana by very young teens may have a profoundly negative effect upon their development.9, 18, 19,20 Nora D. Volkow, M.D.


A study of 15 heavy pot smokers published in June 2008 in the Archives of General Psycharity showed loss of tissue in two areas of the brain, the hippocampus and amygdala, regions that are rich in receptors for marijuana and that are important for memory and emotions.

In addition, in a recent study by the Mayo Clinic, THC was shown to be less effective than standard treatments in helping cancer patients regain lost appetites.10 10"Marijuana Appetite Boost Lacking in Cancer Study" The New York Times, May 13, 2001.

Any determination of a drug's valid medical use must be based on the best available science undertaken by medical professionals. The Institute of Medicine conducted a comprehensive study in 1999 to assess the potential health benefits of marijuana and its constituent cannabinoids. The study concluded that smoking marijuana is not recommended for the treatment of any disease condition. In addition, there are more effective medications currently available. For those reasons, the Institute of Medicine concluded that there is little future in smoked marijuana as a medically approved medication.8 8"Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base," Institute of Medicine, 1999.

LONDON — New findings on marijuana's damaging effect on the brain show the drug triggers temporary psychotic symptoms in some people, including hallucinations and paranoid delusions, doctors say. British doctors took brain scans of 15 healthy volunteers given small doses of two of the active ingredients of cannabis, as well as a placebo. The results, to be presented at an international mental health conference in London on Tuesday and Wednesday, provides physical evidence of the drug's damaging influence on the human brain.

In analyzing MRI scans of the study's subjects, McGuire and his colleagues found that THC interfered with activity in the inferior frontal cortex, a region of the brain associated with paranoia. THC is switching off that regulator," McGuire said, effectively unleashing the paranoia usually kept under control by the frontal cortex.
In another study being presented at the conference, a two-day gathering of mental health experts discussing the connections between cannabis and mental health, scientists found that marijuana worsens psychotic symptoms of schizophrenics.

Doctors at Yale University in the U.S. tested the impact of THC on 150 healthy volunteers and 13 people with stable schizophrenia. Nearly half of the healthy subjects experienced psychotic symptoms when given the drug. While the doctors expected to see marijuana improve the conditions of their schizophrenic subjects — since their patients reported that the drug calmed them — they found that the reverse was true.

Marijuana is an addictive drug1 with significant health consequences to its users and others. Many harmful short-term and long-term problems have been documented with its use. 1Herbert Kleber, Mitchell Rosenthal, "Drug Myths from Abroad: Leniency is Dangerous, not Compassionate" Foreign Affairs Magazine, September/October 1998. Drug Watch International "NIDA Director cites Studies that Marijuana is Addictive." "Research Finds Marijuana is Addictive," Washington Times, July 24, 1995.

Researchers say marijuana is associated with an increase in the heart's demand for oxygen, while at the same time decreasing the supply of oxygen. Thus, some marijuana-associated heart attacks may be caused by an oxygen supply to the heart that is inadequate to cope with the increased oxygen demands that occur as a result of smoking the drug.


Cannabis may increase the risk of psychotic disorders, according to a 2002 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology. And the national drug abuse agency warns that ' heavy or daily use of marijuana affects the parts of the brain that control memory, attention, and learning
Studies conducted more than 30 years ago showed that marijuana use could provoke angina, or chest pain. Smoking marijuana has been shown to increase heart rate and alter blood pressure. It may also trigger a heart attack by causing a plaque inside a coronary artery to rupture and form a clot, which can block the flow of blood to the heart muscle

In road side studies, 1 in 3 reckless drivers who were tested for drugs, tested positive for marijuana, it's more harmful than we all thought.

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