NCJ Number
48384
Date Published
1978
Length
20 pages
Annotation
USING CANNABIS AS AN EXAMPLE, THE NEED FOR TESTING DRUGS TO DETERMINE THE LEVEL OF RISK IN THEIR USE, POSSIBLE PROGRESSION TO OTHER DRUGS, INTERACTION WITH OTHER DRUGS, AND PATTERNS OF USE IS DISCUSSED.
Abstract
IT IS POINTED OUT THAT WHILE CHEMICALS WHICH HAVE MEDICAL OR INDUSTRIAL USE ARE CAREFULLY TESTED UNDER GOVERNMENT EDICT IN BRITAIN, OTHER DRUGS WHICH NEVERTHELESS MAY BE MORE OR LESS WIDELY USED OR CONSUMED ARE NOT REQUIRED BY STATUTE TO BE ASSESSED. ONE SUCH DRUG IS CANNABIS. ALTHOUGH CANNABIS HAS NOT BEEN SUBMITTED TO STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TESTING, 10 POSITIVE REPORTS OF DEFORMITY OF THE FETUS IN 5 SPECIES OF MAMMAL ARE REPORTED, FOLLOWING THE ADMINISTRATION OF CANNABIS OR A CONSTITUENT. OTHER NEGATIVE EFFECTS ARE ALSO REPORTED FROM EMPIRICAL STUDIES. IT IS ARGUED THAT THE AUTHORITIES SHOULD NOT AGREE TO THE UNFETTERED USE OF ONE CHEMICAL WITH POSITIVE TERATOGENIC TESTS WHILE REFUSING IT TO ANOTHER. STANDARDIZED, CONSISTENT TESTING AND REGULATION OF ALL DRUGS IS RECOMMENDED. THE PROGRESSION OF DRUG USE (THE LIKELIHOOD OF THE USE OF ONE PARTICULAR DRUG LEADING TO THE USE OF ANOTHER) IS DISCUSSED AS A TOPIC THAT SHOULD BE OF CONCERN IN EXAMINING ABUSE PATTERNS OF ANY DRUG. THE INTERACTION OF VARIOUS DRUGS WHEN IN THE BODY TOGETHER IS CITED AS ANOTHER PHASE OF DRUG TESTING THAT RECEIVES LITTLE ATTENTION, ALTHOUGH SUCH INTERACTIONS HAVE PROVEN TO BE CRUCIAL IN MANY INSTANCES. SOME POPULAR ATTITUDES TOWARD DRUG ABUSE ARE DISCUSSED, FROM THE VIEW THAT GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION IN DRUG USE IS AN NUMBER OF ALGEBRAIC FORMULAS ARE DERIVED FOR SHOULD EXERCISE CONSISTENT CONTROL OVER ALL DRUG ESTABLISHED AS HARMFUL. IT IS ARGUED THAT REGARDLESS OF POLITICAL DECISIONS ABOUT SPECIFIC REGULATION PATTERNS FOR DRUGS, THOROUGH TESTING SHOULD BE REQUIRED FOR ALL CHEMICALS LIKELY TO BE CONSUMED BY THE PUBLIC, SO THAT ACCURATE INFORMATION ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF THE USE OF SPECIFIC DRUGS WILL BE KNOWN BY USERS AND POTENTIAL USERS. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)