The Emperor Wears No Clothes

by Jack Herer

Therapeutic Emphysema Potential

Medical research indicates that light cannabis smoking might be useful for a majority of mild emphysema victims. It would improve the quality of life for millions of sufferers and extend their life spans.

The U.S. government and DEA (since 1976) say the side effect of being “high” is not acceptable, no matter how many years or lives it saves. Even though some 90 million Americans have tried marijuana 25 to 30 million still smoke marijuana relaxationally, or use it responsibly as a form of daily self-medication, without one single death from overdoes – ever! All research into the oxygen blood transfer effects cause by cannabis indicates that the chest (lung) pains, extremity pains, shallowness of breath, and headaches we may experience on heavy smog days are usually alleviated by cannabis smoking throughout the day.

Dr. Donald Tashkin, the U.S. government’s leading scientist on marijuana pulmonary research, told us in December 1989*, and again in December 1997, that you cannot get or potentiate emphysema with cannabis smoking. * See Tashkin’s Marijuana Pulmonary Research, UCLA, 1969-1997. Since 1981, this author has personally taken part in these studies and has continuously interviewed Tashkin on cannabis’ medical indications; last personal interview was in December 1997.