norml23 - Page 21
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indicated that studies had failed to demonstrate any casual
connection between use of marijuana and loss of motivation
(marijuana "amotivationa[ syndrome"), brain damage, birth
defects, or "chromosome breakdown." Marihuana and Heamth, Second
Annual Report to Congress from the Secretary of Health, Education
and Welfare, 111-132 (1972); Marihuana and Heafth, Third Annuai
Report: to Congress from the Secretary of Health, Education and
Welfare, 129-153 (1973); Narihuana and Health, Fourth annual
Report to Congress from the Secretary of Health, Education and
Wemfare, 93-121 (1974); t4arihuana and Health, Fifth Annual Report
to Congress from the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare,
78_112 (197..5); Marihuana and Health, Sixth Annual Report to
Congress from the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare
(1976); Narihuana and Health, Seventh Annua_ Report to Congress
from the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, 15-35
(!977); Marihuana and Health, Education and Welfare, 7-26 (1980).
The National Governor's Conference conductec{ an extensive
examination of the marijuana issue in 1977, and published its
findings in Marijuana: A Study of State Policies and Penalties
(Nov. 1977). This report discussed the medical and health issues
in detail, ld. at pgs. 41-63, concluding that "compared to most
pharmaceutical, marijuana is quite low in biological toxicity."
[d. at pg. 42.
The President's Commission on Mental Health Task Panel
issued its report on Psychoactive Drug Use/Misuse on February 15,
1978. The report reaffirmed the findings and recommendations on
the National Commission, and the other reports, calling for the
decriminalization of marijuana because of its low potential for
abuse, rod. at pgs. 2114-18.
Dr. Lester Grinspoon's encyclopedic work, Marihuana
Reconsidered (Second Edition 1977), is one of the most
comprehensive surveys and analysis on the use and effect of
marijuana available. Drawing upon hundreds of studies, as we[[
as his own research, Grinspoon documents the conclusions reached
by earlier researchers" moderate use of marijuana causes no
physical or psychological harm to users, [d. at pgs. 370-71;
marijuana is not addicting, [d., at 223, has never been shown to
have caused death of any user, [do at 227; does not produce
psychosis, [do at 253, et seq.; does not lead to use of other
drugs such as heroin, [d. at pgs. 235, et seq.; does: not lead to
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