From: [philsm t h] at [teleport.com] (Phil Smith)
Newsgroups: or.politics,rec.drugs.cannabis,talk.politics.drugs
Subject: Marijuana Related Emergency Room Visits
Date: 14 Feb 1996 03:34:57 GMT

from 'Ongoing Briefing'
a publication of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Suite 1010
Washington, D.C. 20036
[natlnor m l] at [aol.com]
http://www.norml.org

January 1996, pp. 1-2

"Marijuana Related Emergency Room Visits: The Last Word"

[Lift-out quotes:]

"[Marijuana] is a very dangerous drug that can well cause you to fight 
for your ... life in a hospital emergency room." Lee Brown; July 19, 1995

"The percentage of total emergency room visits in 1994 attributed directly 
to the use of marijuana alone:  .0002 percent."

[End lift-out quotes]

The primary focus of the federal anti-marijuana campaign launched this 
past summer was to shatter the drug's image as a relatively benign or 
"soft" drug.

To accomplish this, Drug Czar Lee Brown, Health and Human Services 
Secretary Donna Shalala and others began flooding the media with reports 
of increasing and purportedly epidemic numbers of marijuana-related 
emergency room episodes. For example, during his introductory speech at 
NIDA's (National Institute on Drug Abuse) first ever marijuana conference 
this past July, Brown remarked that marijuana "is a very dangerous drug 
that can well cause you to fight for your ... life in a hospital 
emergency room." However, now that the final annual figures have been 
released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 
(SAMSHA), it is apparent that our nation's anti-drug leaders have some 
explaining to do. 

For all of the talk and media attention this summer surrounding the 
alleged newfound risk of marijuana induced emergency room visits, year-
end figures reported by the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) indicate 
that marijuana alone contributed to only .0002 percent of the total 
number of emergency room visits for 1994. This data thoroughly rebukes 
Brown's much-repeated claims that marijuana is a highly dangerous drug 
and that it is responsible for sending record numbers of individuals to 
hospital emergency rooms.

The data recently released by DAWN also directly conflicts with 
additional statements made by federal prohibitionists that compared the 
number of marijuana related emergency episodes to those of cocaine. For 
example, this summer Brown told the national media that, "[Marijuana now 
sends nearly as many people to the hospital as cocaine." ('Washington 
Post,' July 28, 1995) In contrast, the figures released at the end of the 
year demonstrate that more than seven times as many individuals went to 
the emergency room because of cocaine related episodes in 1994 as did 
those who consumed marijuana alone. Therefore, the final data released by 
DAWN indicate that Brown and others grossly exaggerated their previous 
statements regarding marijuana-related emergency room dangers and 
admissions to incorrectly imply that marijuana health risks are 
comparable to those of hard drugs such as cocaine. (*Note* An 
exceptionally small percentage of marijuana users are admitted to 
hospital emergency rooms after suffering panic attacks from consuming 
cannabis. These attacks are typically relegated to inexperienced users, 
are relatively harmless, and subside within a few hours.)

Overall, the use of illicit drugs accounted for only .003 percent of the 
total number of emergency room episodes in 1994. An estimated 38 percent 
of all drug-related emergency visits were attributed to suicide attempts 
and only 8 percent (or .0005 percent of the total number of episodes) 
were linked to recreational drug use.

[End of story. Phil Smith adds:]

There has never been a documented case of anyone dying or suffering 
permanent harm from a cannabis overdose. According to "Consequences of 
Alcoholism, Alcohol Use and Abuse," published by the National Council 
on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Inc. [p. 236], from 15 percent to 25 
percent of all emergency-room admissions involve alcohol.  Similarly, 
self-reports of alcohol use indicate that 55% of people injured in fights 
had consumed alcohol prior to the event. More than half of homicide 
victims tested positive for alcohol.

"Ongoing Briefing" together with "PotPourri" are monthly publications 
available for $50 per year (after membership) through national NORML.
I recommend them highly. Contact NORML for more details. -- Phil Smith