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Dr. Geoffrey Kane, Medical Director of Adult Chemical Dependency Services at Charter-Brookside Hospital in Nashua and graduate of Yale Medical School, alerted students last night to the adverse effects of marijuana -- a drug often said to be harmless.
A group of about 60 students heard the speech, titled "Bong hits, blunts and brownies: What do you really know about marijuana?" in 105 Dartmouth Hall, during which they peppered him with questions.
Kane began by saying "marijuana is a hot topic" and then took off his jacket to reveal his need to cool off and lighten the mood.
Kane said it is important to discuss the ramifications of using the common drug because people should not be "blindsided with consequences."
Many people are still attracted to the image of marijuana from the 1960s, when there was "little evidence that marijuana was dangerous," he said.
In the 1990s, marijuana's adverse effects on memory, learning, sexuality, health and other factors are apparent, he said.
Marijuana comes from the hemp plant and is "called 'weed' because, as some of you may know, it is easy to grow," he said.
The drug's active ingredient, called tetrahydrocannabinol, attaches to receptors in the brain, impairing their function, and generally "slows things down," he said.
Kane explained immediate effects of the drug -- which include
altering the user's perceptions of time and place and impairing their ability to drive or complete other complex tasks.
Kane said even casual marijuana use can hinder memory and learning functions -- even days after ingesting the drug
"School work is likely to be impaired," as well, he said.
He then showed a slide labeled "Marijuana and Sex" and joked, "For guys, I could put marijuana or sex." since chances for impotency are doubled in heavy users, Kane said.
Kane said it is also dangerous to mix marijuana with other drugs.
If used with alcohol, for example, he said marijuana can heighten the chances of death since it inhibits vomiting, which might normally protect the body from absorbing high levels of alcohol.
Despite its reputation, Kane said marijuana can be addictive.
"A lot of people consider marijuana not to be addictive," he explained, but claimed that recent studies show evidence of behavioral addiction.
Kane said symptoms of withdrawal can include chills, restlessness, insomnia or weight loss.
The audience reacted passionately to much of what Kane said and engaged the doctor in an hour-long debate following his speech.
Audience members cited a "conflict of interest," saying that since Kane dealt with addiction as a doctor, he was biased against the drug.
