Mary Jane, pot, hash, weed, gravity bong, smoking a bowl, getting blazed or rolling a blunt all have one thing in common: they are some of the names and terms of activities involving the drug marijuana.
Marijuana is a drug that has quite a history. Countless musicians have supported the drug, like Jimi Hendrix, as well as many movie stars like Spiderman’s Kirsten Dunst. Dunst has been reported saying to a British magazine that if everyone smoked weed, the world would be a better place.
Of course, many have discounted Dunst’s support statement as being good material for a Saturday Night Live skit — however, the viewpoint of support is becoming increasingly popular.
Aside from the drug’s committed fan base, support is also being found in the realm of science, such as the study released this month from a journal called “Neurotoxicology and Teratology.” The study says that marijuana may actually be a protective buffer from brain damage caused by binge drinking, which is defined as having 4-5 drinks in one setting. The study conducted by researchers at the University of California San Diego tested three groups of students aged between 16 and 19. One group consisted of binge-drinkers-only, while the second group consisted of binge-drinkers who smoked marijuana, and the third was an abstaining control group and consisted of students that had very little to no experience with alcohol or drugs.
To quantify their results, the researchers conducted a brain scan that used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). DTI looks at the microscopic changes in brain white matter, the connective tissues between different regions in the brain.
White matter isn’t the powerhouse that gray matter is, the stuff that thinks, but it is vital for information relay and communication between the different brain regions.
The study results were typical in that the binge-drinking-only group had white matter brain damage in all eight regions; however, a surprising result came from the marijuana-binge drinking group.
When the marijuana-binge drinking group was compared to the binge-drinking-only group, the smokers did better in seven of the eight regions, meaning they had less damage to their white brain matter.
When compared to the abstaining control group the smokers tested equally as well in five of the eight brain regions, meaning only three of their brain regions were adversely affected by their marijuana-binge-drinking activity.
Again, the group who only binge-drank had seven of eight brain regions negatively affected, while the smokers only had negative results in three.
In addition to scientific results, student testimonials are rampant concerning the benefits of mixing marijuana with alcohol. “I have noticed that I never get hang-overs when I drink now,” Michael Bissette, a freshman in biological engineering, said. “I used to have to eat eggs the next morning to feel better, but now I feel fine in the morning.”
According to Bruce Mirken, the director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington D.C., the United States will arrest 872,000 people every year for marijuana related charges, to which he added was “a ridiculous amount of people.”
Parker Mincey, a freshman in civil engineering, has a similar view concerning how the government handles marijuana. “We should legalize it and tax it to make some money.” He said. “Not to mention it would take money out of the hands of drug dealers and put it into the hands of the government.”
The debate over whether or not government involvement would be a good thing or not was voiced by Glen Billups, a freshman in mechanical engineering. “I’m pretty sure we could eventually make a profit, but it may take more money initially to get the drug dealers off the streets versus now with the market underground.”
Some students think it would be safer to have marijuana legalized because it would eliminate the risk associated with uncontrolled substances, including quality and contamination. “Cigarettes are boxed and sold behind a counter and you know what you exactly what you are getting. When dealing with different people in different places … you never know what you’re getting,” Laura Armstrong, a sophomore in political science and a student abroad from England, said.
While some students focused on legalization issues, David McKenna, a junior also studying abroad from England and majoring in chemistry, was pensive about how legitimate the study was. “People read into these things and studies aren’t always right. Many times populations are manipulated to create a convincing ratio, when really it is misleading,” McKenna said. “There needs to be many studies completed before something can be proved.”
Mirken, who works with MPP’s Web site and sees many different studies about the effects of marijuana, countered McKenna’s concern. “What is interesting is that this study is not an outlier, but rather consistent with the many other studies conducted on marijuana,” Mirken said.
He also said that cannabinoids have properties not unlike anti-oxidants. “The cannabinoids that aren’t psycho-active such as THC, the one that makes you high, are actually neuro-protective and improve cell health,” Mirken said.
No matter the stance or viewpoint taken on marijuana, it is very clear that the drug made famous by hippies and Woodstock is as radical and groovy as ever. In fact, it is possibly even more potent because without having to inhale, just talking about it can be distorting as people’s perceptions of others change and shift, much like another 60’s symbol, the lava lamp.
“I think the bottom line regarding policies that affect marijuana use is that they are completely inconsistent with lab findings. Not to mention the fact that it is more safe than alcohol and even beneficial to some people’s health,” Mirken said.
