Why Marijuana Should Be Legalized: An Expert's Perspective

Summary

In this insightful transcript, retired pharmacology professor John Morgan shares his expertise on marijuana, co-authoring 'Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts.' He addresses common misconceptions, asserting that marijuana is the safest psychoactive drug despite its risks. Morgan advocates for legalization not due to safety, but to better control its dangers through regulation, emphasizing that even if new evidence emerged, it would strengthen his argument for legalization.

Takeaways

• 📚 The speaker, John Morgan, is a retired professor of pharmacology with 28 years of experience teaching at the City University of New York Medical School.
• 🌿 He has a special interest in the pharmacology, toxicology, and regulation of marijuana, having spent many years studying these aspects.
• 📖 In 1997, he co-authored a book titled 'Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts', which aimed to debunk common misconceptions about marijuana.
• 🔍 The book critically examines arguments against marijuana legalization, including the gateway effect, pulmonary damage, and effects on the fetus and immune system.
• 💊 Professor Morgan acknowledges that marijuana, like all drugs, has some hazards but considers it to be the safest among psychoactive drugs.
• 🚫 He advises against performing certain activities, such as driving or making important decisions, while under the influence of marijuana.
• 🚫 Despite no medical evidence, there is a common belief that marijuana might cause cancer, which the professor does not support.
• 🚗 He argues that marijuana is not a significant contributor to vehicular accidents, as impaired drivers tend to drive more cautiously.
• 🔑 The professor is a strong advocate for the legalization of marijuana, not because it is safe, but because it is dangerous and should be regulated.
• 🙏 He expresses a willingness to apologize and change his stance if new evidence shows that marijuana is more harmful than he has believed for 28 years.
• 🛑 The speaker concludes that the potential dangers of marijuana are a better reason for legalization and regulation to control its use and remove criminality associated with it.

Q & A

Who is Miss John Morgan?

Miss John Morgan is a retired professor of pharmacology at the City University of New York Medical School, with 28 years of experience teaching medical students about the effects of drugs.

What is the title of the book Miss Morgan co-authored with Glenn Zema?

The book is titled 'Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts', which addresses common misconceptions about marijuana.

How many copies of 'Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts' are available in the United States?

There are 40,000 copies of the book available in the United States.

What was the main purpose of writing 'Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts'?

The main purpose was to challenge the arguments often made by those opposed to the legalization, regulation, and reform of marijuana.

What topics were covered in the book regarding marijuana?

The book covered topics such as the gateway effect, pulmonary damage, damage to the fetus and pregnancy process, and damage to the immune system.

What is Miss Morgan's opinion on the safety of marijuana compared to other psychoactive drugs?

Miss Morgan believes that marijuana is by and large the safest among psychoactive drugs, despite acknowledging that all drugs have some hazards.

What is Miss Morgan's stance on the gateway effect of marijuana?

She does not believe that marijuana is a gateway drug, despite anecdotal evidence to the contrary.

What does Miss Morgan think about the potential harms of marijuana, such as cancer and lung disease?

Miss Morgan does not believe that marijuana causes cancer or chronic lung disease, based on the current scientific evidence.

How does Miss Morgan view the impact of marijuana on driving ability?

She acknowledges that marijuana impairs driving ability, but notes that users tend to slow down and be more cautious, reducing the risk of vehicular accidents.

Why does Miss Morgan advocate for the legalization of marijuana?

She advocates for legalization not because marijuana is safe, but because it is dangerous and would benefit from a regulated system that removes criminality and allows for better control.

What would Miss Morgan do if new evidence contradicted her views on marijuana?

She would apologize for misinterpreting the science and adjust her stance, but also argue that the new evidence would be a better reason to legalize marijuana through regulation.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Professor John Morgan's Expertise on Marijuana

Professor John Morgan, a retired pharmacology expert from the City University of New York Medical School, shares his extensive knowledge on the pharmacology and toxicology of marijuana. Having taught for 28 years, he co-authored 'Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts,' a book debunking common misconceptions about marijuana. The book, still in circulation, addresses topics such as the gateway effect, pulmonary damage, and effects on the fetus and immune system. Morgan believes marijuana is the safest psychoactive drug but acknowledges its potential hazards, advocating for its legalization due to its controllable risks through regulation.

Keywords

💡Pharmacology

Pharmacology is the branch of science that deals with the study of drugs, their action, and their effects on living organisms. In the video, the speaker is a retired professor of pharmacology, which is central to understanding the theme of the video as it discusses the effects of marijuana on the human body and its regulation.

💡Toxicology

Toxicology is the science concerned with the adverse effects of chemical substances on living organisms. The speaker mentions toxicology in the context of studying marijuana, which is crucial for understanding the potential hazards of the drug, a key point in the video's discussion on marijuana's safety and regulation.

💡Marijuana

Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is the primary subject of the video. It is a psychoactive drug derived from the Cannabis plant that has been used for medicinal and recreational purposes. The video discusses the pharmacological and toxicological aspects of marijuana, as well as its regulation and potential dangers.

💡Gateway Effect

The gateway effect refers to the theory that using less harmful substances, like marijuana, may lead to the use of harder drugs. The speaker addresses this concept in the video, challenging the common belief that marijuana is a gateway to more dangerous drug use.

💡Pulmonary Damage

Pulmonary damage relates to harm done to the lungs. The script mentions this in the context of discussing the potential harms of smoking marijuana, comparing it to the damage caused by tobacco use, which is a significant point in the debate over marijuana's safety.

💡Fetus

A fetus is the stage of development in multicellular vertebrate organisms from the end of the embryonic stage until birth. The video mentions potential damage to the fetus, highlighting concerns about the effects of marijuana use during pregnancy on the developing child.

💡Immune System

The immune system is a complex network of organs, cells, proteins, and tissues that work together to defend the body against infections and diseases. The speaker discusses the potential impact of marijuana on the immune system, which is a key concern in evaluating the drug's safety.

💡Legalization

Legalization in the context of the video refers to the process of making marijuana use legally permissible. The speaker advocates for the legalization of marijuana, not because it is safe, but because it is dangerous and should be regulated to control its use and distribution.

💡Regulation

Regulation in this video refers to the establishment of rules and standards to control the availability and use of marijuana. The speaker argues that regulation is necessary to mitigate the risks associated with marijuana use and to remove the associated criminality.

💡Cancer

Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. The video script addresses the lack of evidence linking marijuana use to cancer, which is a critical point in the debate over the drug's safety.

💡Vehicular Mayhem

Vehicular mayhem refers to accidents or reckless driving that can result from impaired motor skills. The speaker mentions this term to discuss the potential impact of marijuana on driving ability, suggesting that users tend to be cautious and slow down, which is an important consideration in the safety debate.

Highlights

John Morgan is a retired professor of pharmacology with 28 years of experience teaching medical students about drugs.

He has a special interest in the pharmacology, toxicology, and regulation of marijuana.

In 1997, Morgan and colleague Glenn Zerem published the book 'Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts'.

The book has sold 40,000 copies in the US and is still relevant despite being over a decade old.

It challenges common misconceptions and myths about marijuana legalization and regulation.

The book covers topics like the gateway effect, pulmonary damage, and effects on pregnancy and the immune system.

Morgan believes marijuana is the safest of all psychoactive drugs, despite having some hazards.

He emphasizes that marijuana should not be used while driving, operating heavy machinery, or making important decisions.

Morgan argues that there is no solid evidence linking marijuana to cancer or chronic lung disease.

He states that marijuana is not a gateway drug, despite anecdotal claims to the contrary.

Morgan believes that even the potential dangers of marijuana make it better suited for regulation and control.

He advocates for the legalization of marijuana and other drugs, not because they are safe, but because they are dangerous and need proper regulation.

Morgan is open to changing his stance if new evidence shows marijuana is more dangerous than he previously believed.

He emphasizes the importance of basing opinions on scientific evidence rather than anecdotal stories.

The book aims to provide a balanced view of marijuana's effects and debunk myths surrounding its use.

Morgan's goal is to inform the public and policymakers about the true nature of marijuana and its potential risks and benefits.

The book serves as a valuable resource for understanding the complexities of marijuana's pharmacology and regulation.

Transcripts

miss john morgan i am now a retired

professor of pharmacology at the city

university of new york medical school i

spent 28 years teaching medical students

the good and the bad things that drugs

do

but it

for many of those years i was very

interested in the pharmacology and

toxicology and regulation of marijuana

and in 1997 with my colleague glenn

zemer she as the chief author we

published a book called marijuana myths

marijuana facts which is there are 40

000 copies available with this book in

the united states and it's still red

despite the fact that it's about 10

years old

we

spent all our effort in that book

talking about

common beliefs about marijuana the book

was called marijuana myths marijuana

facts and what we tried to do was take

on

the arguments that one hears very

frequently from people opposed to the

legalization regulation reform of

marijuana

we had a chapter on the so-called

gateway effect we had a chapter on the

pulmonary damage we had a chapter on

damage to the fetus damage to

anything to do with the pregnancy

process damage to the immune system etc

etc now

my opinion and maybe i'll talk some

about it although my goal is to say

something else is that marijuana is a

drug with some hazards

it would be strange if there were a drug

with no hazards because i don't know of

any drugs that have no hazards but of

all the psychoactive drugs that people

have taken

i think marijuana is by and large the

safest now this does not mean that one

can get high and expect to function the

way one does when one's normal as len

always used to say people should not

after smoking marijuana drive cars or

babies sit or enter into marital

contracts

so we believe that the drug is largely

safe and when i'm in debate or

discussion with people they're always

small facts that come up you don't

really know if there is no cancer caused

by marijuana although there are no

medical reports of any cancer caused by

marijuana

it does not appear by any criteria that

marijuana is a gateway drug but people

are always saying well i know someone

whose life was just fine and then at age

14 he began smoking marijuana and ended

up the heroin user

so i've actually come to the point

when the topic is marijuana toxicity and

i run through the things say i don't

believe it causes cancer i don't believe

it causes chronic lung disease i don't

think it's anywhere near as dangerous as

tobacco smoking i don't think it

contributes to

vehicular mayhem very much because

mineral marijuana smokers although

impaired somewhat generally slow down

and don't drive so badly there are many

many arguments to have but here's the

bottom line

if tomorrow

someone publishes a series of papers to

show that lynn and i were wrong that

marijuana is a much more dangerous drug

that it does occasionally cause cancer

that it does cause kids to flunk out of

school that it does harm the immune

system if tomorrow i'm convinced

that that is the truth as opposed to

what i've been saying for 28 years then

i will say two things i will say

i'm sorry

i'd like to apologize to you for

misinterpreting the science and all

those years and getting it wrong the

second thing i want to say to you is

that this is a better reason to legalize

marijuana than before in other words i

am a strong advocate of legalization of

marijuana and other drugs

not because they're safe but because

they're dangerous

we've focused a lot of attention on

marijuana because of its minimal dangers

but even

its dangers make

it better controllable by a system of

regulation

a system in which a retail market can

develop a system that removes the

criminality so i don't want to legalize

marijuana because it's safe i want to

legalize it because it's dangerous