The
      Facts:
     
     
      hat,
      thor
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Sock)
      Springhern
     
     
      (The
      Gauntlet)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      esearch
      has
      shown
      marijuana
      to
      be
      one
      of
      the
     
     
      safest
      drugs
      known
      to
      medicine
      today--it
      is
     
     
      much
      less
      dangerous
      than
      alcohol.
      Yet,
      since
     
     
      Canada
      banned
      marijuana
      in
      1923,
      the
     
     
      government
      has
      spent
      billions
      of
      dollars
      each
     
     
      year
      combating
      the
      production,
      sale
      and
      use
      of
      marijuana.
     
    

    
     
      Some
      of
      marijuana’s
      bad
      reputation
      has
      to
      do
      with
     
     
      certain
      myths--such
      as
      smoking
      marijuana
      can
      drive
      a
     
     
      person
      completely
      insane.
      True?
      No,
      but
      there
      are
      negative
     
     
      aspects.
     
    

    
     
      Marijuana
      has
      a
      mellowing
      effect.
      The
      user
      often
      feels
     
     
      tranquillity
      and
      experiences
      an
      enhancement
      of
      the.
     
     
      perceptions.
      Abe
      Wiebe,
      an
      addictions
      counsellor
      for
     
     
      AADAC
      (Alcohol
      And
      Drug
      Action
      Committee),
      describes
     
     
      the
      marijuana
      effects
      as
      a
      “removal
      of
      reality”
      and
      says
      that
     
     
      “a
      long
      term
      use
      of
      marijuana
      can
      producea
      loss
      of
      ambition
     
     
      called
      amotivational
      syndrome.”
     
    

    
     
      Although
      most
      users
      feel
      relaxed
      and
      peaceful,
      others
     
     
      may
      feel
      anxiety,
      depression}
      irritability,
      nausea,
      fear,
     
     
      headaches,
      backaches
      and
      dizziness.
      Less
      common
      symptoms
     
     
      may
      include
      paranoia,
      disorientation
      and
      suspiciousness;
     
     
      however,
      many
      of
      these
      symptoms
      depend
      on
      the
      user's
     
     
      mood
      when
      smoking
      marijuana.
      The
      presence
      of
      another
     
     
      drug,
      such
      as
      alcohol,
      may
      also
      be
      a
      factor.
     
    

    
     
      Driving
      a
      car
      or
      operating
      machinery
      can
      be
      dangerous
     
     
      since
      marijuana
      affects
      your
      coordination,
      judgement,
      and
     
     
      ability
      to
      focus
      accurately.
     
    

    
     
      Healthwise,
      smoking
      marijuana
      may
      increase
      a
      person’s
     
     
      chance
      for
      heart
      disease
      and
      lung
      cancer,
      since
      a
      marijuana
     
     
      joint
      contains
      twice
      as
      much
      tar
      as
      a
      cigarette
      and
      a
      greater
     
     
      concentration
      of
      cancer-causing
      materials.
      The
      respiratory
     
     
      system
      may
      also
      be
      severely
      damaged
      because
      marijuana
     
     
      smokers
      inhale
      deeply
      and
      hold
      the
      smoke
      in
      their
      lungs
     
     
      longer
      than
      cigarette
      smokers.
     
    

    
     
      Damage
      to
      the
      reproduction
      system
      of
      both
      men
      and
     
     
      women
      may
      occur
      with
      heavy
      use.
      As
      well,
      a
      pregnant
     
     
      woman
      may
      experience
      difficulties
      with
      her
      pregnancy
      and
     
     
      harm
      the
      fetus.
     
    

    
     
      Yet
      for
      centuries,
      people
      from
      all
      over
      the
      world
      have
     
     
      been
      using
      cannabis
      (another
      name
      for
      marijuana)
      not
      only
     
     
      as
      an
      intoxicant,
      but
      as
      a
      source
      of
      food,
      medicine,
      rope
      and
     
     
      linen.
     
    

    
     
      The
      cannabis
      hemp
      seed
      contains
      the
      highest
      amount
      of
     
     
      essential
      amino
      acids
      and
      fatty
      acids
      of
      any
      plant.
      These
      fatty
     
     
      acids
      help
      maintain
      our
      immune
      system,
      which
      may
      prevent
     
     
      heart
      disease
      and
      most
      cancers,
      since
      these
      diseases
      are
     
     
      now
      believed
      to
      result
      from
      fatty
      degeneration
      caused
      by
     
     
      the
      large
      intake
      of
      saturated
      fats.
      According
      to
      some
      health
     
     
      experts,
      these
      properties
      of
      marijuana
      mean
      “that
      super
     
     
      health
      and
      the
      possibility
      of
      feeding
      the
      world
      is
      at
      our
     
     
      fingertips.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      illustration
      by
      Steve
      Barnecut
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
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      X.pkess
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      *ApABe
      Big.x
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