Former Harvard prof. speaks of marijuana controversy

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Law (NORML) hosted Lester Grinspoon, a retired Harvard psychology professor, to speak about the controversy surrounding medicinal marijuana on Feb. 10.Grinspoon believes marijuana holds "extraordinary medicinal utilities."


He claims marijuana is more useful and less toxic than other medication, especially since no patient has died from an overdose. Grinspoon firmly stated that marijuana has "never caused a single overdose death in all history."

Grinspoon said the government fears medicinal marijuana due to the effects it has on users.

Yet he added that it is significantly useful for cancer patients and therapeutic in the treatment of AIDS. It also eases the symptoms of some diseases, like Crohn's disease.

Grinspoon also said that marijuana can have positive effects on the immune system, making it useful for a variety of people, including paraplegics, women with pre-menstrual syndrome, men with erectile dysfunction, people with bi-polar disorders and maybe even children.


Grinspoon asserted that he would like to see marijuana put on the same legal status as alcohol, where it is available for all adults over 21.

Grinspoon said there was little or no feeling of being high when used for medicinal purposes.


He explained that marijuana was widely used in the 19th century.

Doctors did not know the proper dosage because it took nearly two hours to feel relief. Doctors would typically overdose because they were concerned with an insufficient dosage and were unaware of any possible defects.

Marijuana was mostly used as a substitute for a sleeping pill or as an analgesic for pain, Grinspoon said.

When aspirin was discovered in 1898, doctors began to move away from prescribing marijuana and gave preference to the pharmaceutical drug.


Grinspoon advocated a nation where high-quality marijuana is legalized. He said he would like to see a buyers' club set up, where those in need of treatment come together to smoke in a comfortable setting.

Constructed like the "San Francisco Model Buyer Club," Grinspoon said that thoughts, therapy and medicinal marijuana could be shared.

But Grinspoon said the government consistently remains opposed to this idea.


Grinspoon argued that those in need of marijuana would benefit from the emotional support from friends and family when battling illness.

With a buyer club, he said the quality of life would improve for that person, and may even prolong life.


Grinspoon cited that women with ovarian cancer were five times more likely to die if they were socially isolated. He also argued in that married breast cancer patients live longer lives.


According to Grinspoon, the government is faced with a one glaring question of how to make medicinal marijuana widely available while prohibiting recreational use.


To address this issue, Grinspoon said the Food and Drug Administration must first approve and establish both the safety and efficacy of marijuana.

The drug must satisfy a risk-benefit analysis for a given patient with a certain condition.


Though Grinspoon said distribution would be difficult to enforce-considering corrupt physicians could prescribe marijuana to those who do not need it-he visualizes medicinal marijuana as a hope for those with chronic or terminal illnesses.

Grinspoon has a Web site, www.marijuana-uses.com, with random essays contributed by marijuana users, advocating what he terms in the Web site as "value from experience."

The Web site is aimed more at supporting those that smoke, not necessarily those surviving chronic or terminal illness.


From a Vietnam veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder, to a young wife and mother, all share their stories and thoughts.


Grinspoon said he will continue his quest to legalize marijuana, not only in the hopes of aiding those in pain, but also as his Web site states, to teach others, "marijuana's capacity to catalyze ideas and insights, heighten the appreciation of music and art or deepen emotional and sexual intimacy."


Students enjoyed the lecture.


"I was impressed with the turnout," Jay Hyne '06 said, "a lot of people showed up."

Hyne, a student who suffers from Crohn's disease, was able to speak with Grinspoon following the lecture.

"The actual subject matter was important, but I was most impressed with how he talked afterwards," Hyne said. "[Grinspoon] was helpful and polite.