FARNSWORTH'S STATEMENT

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

I was very glad to hear that Dr. Farnsworth had "no ghost writer from the F.D.A." to help him in writing the University Health Services' statement on marihuana. However, it seems that he did rely rather heavily upon another source.

The following is from The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics (a book which Dr. Farnsworth mentioned, in his letter to the CRIMSON, as a source of information about marihnana):

Ideas are disconnected, uncontrollable . . . Often there is a feeling of extreme well-being, exaltation, excitement, and inner joyousness (described as "high"). . . . The subject may sink into a moody revery, or experience panic states and fear of death (described as "down") . . . . Minutes seem to be hours, and seconds seem minutes. .. . The head often feels swollen and the extremeties feel heavy.

And the following is a quote from the Health Services' statement:

Ideas are rapid, disconnected, and uncontrollable. There may be feelings of well-being, exaltation, and excitement -- that is, being "high." Or, at other times there may be a "down" with moodiness, fear of death, and panic.... Seconds may seem like minutes, minutes may seem like hours....the head may feel swollen and extremeties heavy.

About half of the material on marihuana in the Health Services' statement shows this close similarity to the phrasing and information in The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics.

Since Dr. Farnsworth seems to have such great respect for this book, I would like to present its conclusions about marihuana:

There are no lasting ill effects from the acute use of marihuana, and fatalities have not been known to occur.

Careful and complete medical and neuropsychiatric examinations of habitues reveal no pathological conditions or disorders of cerebral functions attributable to the drug.

Although habituation occurs, psychic dependence is not as prominent or compelling as in the case of morphine, alcohol, or perhaps even tobacco habituation.