DRAFT

SURGEON GENERAL'S ADVISORY CN MARIJUANA

 

The health consequences of marijuana use have been the subject of scientific
and public debate for almost 20 years. Based on scientific evidence published
to-date, it is the opinion of the Department of Health and Human Services that
may 4juana has a broad rance of psychological and biological effects, many of

which are dangerous and harmful to health...

Marijuana use is a major public health problem in the United States. In the
past 20 years, there has been a 30-fold increase jin the drug's use. More than a
quarter of the American population have used the drug. The age of first use of
marijuana has been getting consistently younger and is now most often in the
junior high school years. Until recently, nearly 11 percent of high school
seniors used the drug daily; and althouch this figure had declined to 7 percent,

its daily use is still greater than that of alcohol.

On March 24, Secretary Schweiker transmitted to the U.S. Congress a report

reviewing the health consequences of marijuana use. Marijuana and Health: 1982, .

 

the ninth in a series, is primarily based on two recently conducted compre-
hensive scientific reviews on the subject: one undertaken by the Institute of
Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and the other by the Canadian
Addiction Research Foundation for the World Health Organization (WHO). Both
independent reviews corroborate the Department's prior findings of health

hazards associated with marijuana use, including:
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©

Acute intoxication with marijuana interferes with many aspects of mental
functioning and has serious acute effects on perception and skilled
performance, such as driving and other complex tasks involving judgment or
teers motor skills.
Pirepe GAL otrec acute effects — det’ dere
© Among the. known or suspected chronic effects of marijuana use are:
-- Impaired lung function similar to that found in cigarette smokers.
Indications are that more serious effects such as cancer and other lung

disease may ensue following extended use;
-- decreased sperm count and sperm mobility;
-- interference with ovulation and prenatal development;
-- impaired immune response;
-- possible adverse effects on heart function; and

-- the by-products of marijuana remain in body fat for several weeks ciclo
Art tor ( ace Jahr ) :
I am especially concerned about the long-term developmental effects of marijuana
use on children and adolescents, who are particularly vulnerable to the drug's
behavioral and physiological effects. The "amotivational syndrome" has been
attributed by some to prolonged use of marijuana by youth. The syndrome is
characterized by a pattern of loss of energy, diminished school performance,

harmed parental relationships, and other behavioral disruptions. Though more
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research is required to clarify the course and extent, in recent national
Surveys up to 40 percent of heavy users report that they observe some or all of

these symptoms in themselves.

In summary, this Department's review of the health consequences of marijuana
supports the major conclusion of the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of
Medicine:

What little we know for certain about the

effects of marijuana on human health--and all

that we have reason to suspect--justifies

serious national concern.
Marijuana is not a benign drug. As Surgeon General, I urge other physicians

and professionals to advise parents and patients about the harmful effects of

using marijuana and to urge discontinuation of its use.