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dnt any & Lene ao & Atky Washington 15, D.C.
bifin che W tf, peer Virile November 1, 1957
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Mr. John Presmont
157 East Thirty-First Street :
New York 16, New York : | poe

Dear Mr. Presmont:

I have been interested in intoxicants and narcotics during -
my entire medical career and especially since I became a psychiatrist
in 1915. My studies have been centered mostly on alcohol, the opiates,
cocaine, and marihuana. My marihuana interest was intensified in
1937 after this drug wag brought within the scope of Federal anti
narcotic laws. The suppressive measure then taken by the government
markedly increased the volume of sensational marihuana stories and
articles. All of this made it desirable for me to have a comprehen~
sive, exact knowledge of the effect ofthe drug, since I was then
head of the Lexington Narcotics Hospital and was destined to become

Chief of the Division of Mental Hygiene of the Public Health Service.
3 I have of course studied scientific reports and the more or less
fictional literature on the subject. By fictional literature I mean
‘ the writing of great authors who have experimented with the drug.
\ This literature, excellent as literature and doubtless factual to a

certain degree ,probably is responsible to some extent for the
nonsensical sensational material that the country has been flooded
with in recent years.
eee 7

I have carefully studied marihuana users and have never seen
ene who has been harmed by the drug either physically, mentally, or
in his behavior. However, this does not prove even to me that the
drug is h@wmless., The work of competent authors in Eastern countries
where marihuana use is mich more) prevalent than it is here, and reports
of pharmacologists convinces me that Indian Hemp (marihuana) is
potentially harmful when used to excess.

ieee ene

You suggest in your letter that marihuana is no more harmful
than alcohol and tobacco. This is true if the three drugs are used
in moderation, but we must consider all aspects of the subject and
perhaps we should not consider tobacco at all because no one feels
that tobacco causes insanity or affects behavior,
Mr. John Presmont~<11/1/57 oe

If our people, including legislators and judges, would
consider the relative effects of alcohol and marihuana and rely
on. the evidence of experts, our marihuana problem would lose its
fictional nature and be reduced to the relatively unimportant
problem that it really is.

Both alcohol and marihuana are sedatives; both cause relaxa-
tion and relieve the anxiety due to stress or emotional problems.
Moderate doees will do this and when used to moderation both drugs
are harmless and helpful, But both drugs are intoxicating and harm-
ful both to health and behavior when used tu excess, As to relative
harmfulness alcohol is both actually and potentially more harmful,
Alcohol causes more physical and mental disease and more crime than
marihuana, Of Gourse in this country crime due to marihuana is, and
always has been, practically non-existent, Sir Ram Nath Chopra of
India who is probably the world's leading authority on merihuana
ranks it far below alcohol as a cause of crime, but Dr. Chopra does
gay that it may lead to irresponsible actions and crime in certain
types of people. iI reached the same conclusion years ago. Against
this but not definitely contradicting it are five comprehensive
studies on marihuana and crime in this country that definitely failed
to show any connection between marihuana and crime. These studies
Were made by competent sciengisig, ,3gachjcaliy all the statements
and reports about specific marihuana/enforcement officials have
been ridiculous, Nevertheless I feel that if we had in this country
as many marihuena users a6 alcohol drinkers (68,000,000) there would
be cous authentic marihuana crimes.

Marihuana intoxication is legs dangerous than alcoholic
intoxication. Marihuana intoxication is a mixture of pleasant and
fantastic symptoms likely to lead to reverie and contemplation rather
than to the fury, irresponsibility, and foolish activity so commonly
associated with elcoholic intoxication, Another thing that to my
mind is important is that excessive doses of marihuana are likely to
bring on unpleasant feelings that cause the user to stop before he
becomes completely irresponsible or stupefied while the alcohol
drinker< is more likely to go on and on. |

Insanity and marihuana needs some comment, Many cases of
insanity due to Indian Hemp (marihuana) have been reported in Eastern
countries. Some of these reports are probably honest exaggerations
made by overworked personnel who have attached a convenient marihuana
psychosis to marihuana users when a thorough study would have disclosed
some other cause?. Nevertheless, workers in whom I have great
» dohn Presmont~<11/1/57 | «Zo

confidence, Chopra for instance, have reported marihuana induced
peychosia and The Mayors Committee in New York, experimenting on
prisoners, admittedly en unstable group, induced temporary
marihuana toxic psychosis in a few of them, |

Mavihuana does not produce physical dependence as morphine,
heroin and other opiates do and marihuana does not cause its users
to resort to morphine and heroin as is so often claimed by the
uninformed,

| The estimated 200,000,000 marihuana users in the world (we
have only a few thousand) do less harm to themselves and to the
social order than our 68,000,000 alcohol drinkers, Lest I be mis~
understood about sioohel , only a aneaa proportion of our users are
harmed by ite

Despite this disparity, I favor a somewhat more rigid
restriction on marihuana than on alcohol, Two thousand ue of
_@Xperience has shown that alcohol use is an implaceable and
probably useful element in Western culture. We should be realistic
however and not snoop around looking for a musician, actor or other
law abiding citizen who is harmlessly and pleasantly relaxing with
& marihuana cigarette,

5 nave been Sold of denen that get ton youre imprisonment
for possessing one marihuana cigarette. A poor Mexican coming to
_ this country for work had been told to apply a marihuana infusion
to a limb for some discomfort, Acting on this medical advice he -
came across the border with some marihuana in his pocket and was
given a four year sentence with no possibility of probation or
parole,

In England such persons, it bothered at all, would get
from one to ten days in jail. Our handling of the marihuana
problem is a serious reflection on our civilization, I look forward
to the time when a better informed and aroused public will put an
end to the prevalent misdirected frenzy that now results in so
much injustice and suffering.

Sincerely yours,

Lawrence Kolb, MD