From: patrik@cup.portal.com (Patrick M Crumhorn)
Newsgroups: alt.drugs
Subject: Jamaican study shows no cognitive harm from MJ
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 92 19:24:28 PDT
Organization: The Portal System (TM)

tr;ok
=START=   XMT: 18:27 Mon Aug 17  EXP: 18:00 Thu Aug 20 

JAMAICA'S DRUG ABUSE COUNCIL CHALLENGES MARIJUANA STUDY 

KINGSTON, JAMAICA (AUG. 17) IPS -  A recent study on the effects of marijuana
(ganja) on the cognitive development of children whose mothers smoked the
narcotic while pregnant is being challenged here by the National Council on
Drug Abuse (NCDA). 

"There are no significant differences in developmental testing outcomes between
children of marijuana-using and non-using mothers," the study, published in the
latest issue of the West Indian Medical Journal, concluded. 

The study is titled "A five-year follow up of rural Jamaican children whose
mothers used marijuana during pregnancy" and, according to research team member
Dr. Ronald Lampart, it used standardized testing procedures on 59 children from
the prenatal period up to the age of five. 

Marijuana is among the most commonly used illegal substances world and the
active ingredient, 9THC, can cross the placenta and has been traced in the
mammary glands and breast milk of smoking mothers. 

Studies have shown that babies of these women make high-pitched cries and have
unusual tremors are easily startled. Some even display symptoms similar to mild
narcotic withdrawal. 

But the latest study, conducted by five leading researchers in Jamaica and the
United States, says the cognitive development of these children has not been
affected. 

"It was conducted with very strict control and scrutiny," says Dr. Ronald
Lampart, a member of the research team. 

The infants were evaluated at one, three and 30 days and at age four and five
years, using a variety of cognitive and behavioral assessment scales. The
physical home environment was also measured. 

"The dangers, if any, for these children were minimal, Dr. Lampart told IPS,
adding that at 30 days the babies of users had a more favorable score than
those of non-users on autonomic stability and reflexes. 

But chairman of the NCDA, Dr. Winston Davidson, has challenged the study -- on
the basis of common sense, he says -- adding that its conclusions were not
supported by clinical evidence, did not accord with reality and were taken out
of context. 

"As a cynical scientist I am not prepared to accept that there is no difference
in cognitive levels between children of marijuana users and those of
non-users," he told IPS. 

Marijuana, he continues, affects the ability to think logically, to perform
intellectually and dampens the drive and motivation for achievement. 

Lampart, who says he has had no feedback from the local medical fraternity on
the study, but was not surprised by Davidson's response to the findings. 

"People are afraid to stick their necks out for marijuana as the repercussions
are too great," he observes. 

However, Davidson says it is easy to "cook" scientific data and warns that
there are persons with a hidden agenda of pushing to legalize the narcotic. 

There is a significant marijuana legalization lobby in this northern Caribbean
island, made up principally of rastafarians who smoke the narcotic for
religious purposes. 

Marijuana, brought to Jamaica by Indian indentured servants in the last
century, has been illegal here since 1913. 

Legalization would have disastrous consequences for Jamaica, already strapped
for resources to fight drug abuse, Davidson noted. 

"We must preserve the integrity of our children and establish social norms of
behavior to facilitate the development of our population. 

"To enact legislation on the basis of spurious data is highly irresponsible. I
cannot support this. I will continue to fight against having ganja legalized,"
the NCDA head said. 



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