{"id":540376,"date":"2010-04-22T18:25:51","date_gmt":"2010-04-22T22:25:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/?p=44163"},"modified":"2010-04-22T18:25:51","modified_gmt":"2010-04-22T22:25:51","slug":"truths-and-myths-on-marijuana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/540376","title":{"rendered":"Truths and myths on marijuana"},"content":{"rendered":"

Possession of less than an ounce of marijuana can no longer lead to criminal charges in Massachusetts, but it can lead to suspension from Harvard University<\/a>. This was just one of the issues discussed at a no-holds-barred Winthrop House event this week.<\/p>\n

Sponsored by Harvard University Health Services<\/a>\u2019 (HUHS) Office of Alcohol & Other Drug Services<\/a> (AODS), and organized by the Drug & Alcohol Peer Advisers\u2019 Community Education & Outreach<\/a> subcommittee, the event provided a forum for students to ask questions about many aspects of marijuana use \u2014 from legal risks to the effect on one\u2019s physical and mental health.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m from Massachusetts, and was completely unsure where the law now stands on marijuana, so it was good to come here and learn the facts and how you\u2019ll be affected legally,\u201d said Harvard freshman Melanie Comeau.<\/p>\n

Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Richard J. Crosby Jr. provided a legal overview of marijuana in the state. Aimed less at zero-tolerance and more on controlling dangerous behavior, the law dictates that possessing an ounce or less of marijuana is now a civil offense that carries a fine of $100 and forfeiture of the contraband.<\/p>\n

In addition to the fine, anyone under age 18 caught with marijuana is required to attend a drug awareness program, and anyone found with more than an ounce will be charged with a misdemeanor that carries a possible sentence of six months and a $500 fine. Harvard prohibits use or possession of any illicit drug on campus.<\/p>\n

Ranna Parekh<\/a>, a psychiatrist at HUHS and Massachusetts General Hospital<\/a> (MGH), said car accidents are the No. 1 killer of people ages 15 to 24. \u201cWe often think of alcohol when we hear that statistic, but you also need to consider marijuana. It delays your reflexes; it delays your capacity to make quick assessments. Misuse includes when you use it and you get behind the wheel of a car, or you get into a car with a driver who has used it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Parekh, who has worked in MGH\u2019s addiction clinic, spoke of what is known about marijuana\u2019s physiological effects. \u201cMarijuana works by increasing the brain\u2019s neurotransmitter dopamine. People often think it will help them to concentrate, when in fact it decreases that ability and can affect the memory,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s an important thing to think about, particularly now as students are entering final exams.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although marijuana use isn\u2019t the top concern in her field, Parekh cautioned students to be mindful of what it can do to the body. \u201cPeople in my profession don\u2019t ask about marijuana use. It\u2019s way down the list after alcohol, cocaine, pills, heroin,\u201d she said. \u201cThe problem is that we\u2019re missing warning signs in many people who present with depressive issues,\u201d Parekh added. \u201cResearch shows that those who use marijuana earlier in life have a higher risk of developing depressive problems later on.\u201d<\/p>\n

AODS planned the event after an equally successful turnout at last fall\u2019s session on study drugs. The organization plans to continue holding such educational forums for students in the upcoming school year, to provide important information on a variety of drug issues.<\/p>\n

Crosby reminded the crowd to consider all the facts about drug consumption and its effects, and to remember that researchers still don\u2019t know everything about marijuana\u2019s long-term medical impact. \u201cYou kids will absolutely be the leaders of the world,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat you do will have a big impact.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Possession of less than an ounce of marijuana can no longer lead to criminal charges in Massachusetts, but it can lead to suspension from Harvard University. This was just one of the issues discussed at a no-holds-barred Winthrop House event this week. Sponsored by Harvard University Health Services\u2019 (HUHS) Office of Alcohol & Other Drug […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4175,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-540376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/540376","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4175"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=540376"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/540376\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=540376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=540376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=540376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}