Citation

Barbizet J. Concours Med. 1977; 99(48-49): 7511-7514.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1977, Hygie)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

One of the most difficult problems today is whether or not to 'liberalize' the sale of soft drugs. In favour of doing so is the fact that Cannabis indica is tolerated very well by healthy persons if it is used moderately and only occasionally, and there is no physical syndrome of withdrawal; also that experience has shown that prison is not required, as it does more harm than good. Moreover, there is not the urge to obtain supplies of it, so leading to various delinquencies, as is the case with the hard drugs. Nevertheless there are certain risks that cannot be overlooked : these are of psychological and physical nature. Of the former one of the worst is the acute accident of overdosage leading to ruin of the personality and danger to others by such activities as driving a motor car. It is particularly dangerous for psychopathological personalities. In psychotics or depressives the use of hashish may trigger off deliriant states or cause exacerbation of some existing condition. The physical dangers apply mainly to chronic smokers of hashish. These include changes in the immune system; abnormal mitoses in lymphocytes in culture; oligospermia and loss of sperm motility, plus abnormal forms. There is an increase of abortions and stillbirths in animals that present malformations. Hashish smoke is as cancerogenic as tobacco. There remains much to be investigated with regard to the evils of hashish smoking, but there is enough known to cause great anxiety about smokers of it, and about their descendants.


Keywords: Cannabis impaired driving

Language: fr

Keywords

cannabis; legal aspect; forensic medicine; drug legislation