Page Three
Mexican Marijuana Treated with
Herbicides May Harm Local Students
If your end-of-semester
financial status is forcing you
to pass over Columbian mari
juana for the cheaper Mexican
ounces, you may want to take
a second look at your pot.
Is it "sticky and yellowish?"
If so, chances are it has been
contaminated with an extrem
ely toxic hervicide.
Mexican-grown marijuana
that has been sprayed with
herbicides could pose a serius
danger to local marijuana users,
especially if they eat the weed
rather than smoke it.
According to a suit filed by
NORML in U.S. District Court
on March 13, the U.S. govern
ment, principally through the
Department of State, has
encouraged and supported the
spraying of highly toxic herbi
cides on marijuana and poppy
plants in Mexico for more than
two years. The two principal
herbicides used in the Mexican
program are paraquat and
2,4-D.
Research is being conducted
at several institutions in the
nation, inlcuding North
Carolina's Research Triangle
Institute, to determine the
effects of Paraquat and its
possible neutralization by
heat when burned and
smoked.
The consumption of Para
quat has been linked to birth
defects and more than 100
I I
IMPORTANT MEETING S
3
For all those registered and
those who are interested in S
8
I SUMMER SCHOOLS ABROAD
r" - fc
ENGLAND - Study art, literature, and sociology ft
GERMANY - Study language and science
FRANCE - Study culture, civilization and language
&
GREECE - Study literature and history
S S
Films will be shown of the various countries. ft
Questions answered. Programs discussed. a
|
1
Founder's Hall 5
*
| This will be the only meeting this Spring of all the schools!
deaths in the United States,
according to an article in the
FEbruayr 24 issue of Science
Magazine.
A recent government analysis
of marijuana seized along the
Mexican-U.S. border found
up to 20% of the samples
contaminated. NORML states
that the U.S. government was
aware of a number of research
findings showing that paraquat
causes irreversible lesions
(fibrosis) in the lungs of test
animals, and still continued
the use of this chemical for
more than two years, knowing
that U.S. marijuana smokers
might be similarly harmed.
"How can our government
in good conscience," asked
NORML National Director
Keith Stroup, "urge the spray
ing of marijuana with extremely
toxic herbicides without
first considering the health
consequences to those who
smoke it? At the least, the
federal government has an
obligation to insure that its
actions do not harm the health
of any of its citizens, including
the approximately 15 million
people who smoke marijuana,"
he continued. "This obligation
does not disappear just
because marijuana is classified
as an illegal substance.
"A number of recent federal
government reports and
scientific studies have acknow
The Guilfordian
ledged that marijuana is a
relatively harmless plant, and
now, with the use of herbi
cides," Stroup said, "the
United States government
may be turning it into the
'killer weed' which it propa
gandized against in the 1930'5,
40's and 50's.
NORML issued an urgent
warning to consumers to avoid
Mexican marijuana altogether
until these herbicide spraying
programs are stopped, and all
the health and safety assess
ments have been satisfactorily
concluded. Moreover,
NORML said that any marijuana
suspected of being contamin
ated with paraquat or other
herbicides should be analyzed
by a licensed pharmaceutical
laboratory, such as Pharm
Chem Research Foundation,
1844 Bay Road, Palo Alto, CA,
94303, (415) 322-9941, before
being consumed.
"Marijuana contaminated
with paraquat cannot easily be
detected by the consumer,"
Stroup said, "though some
seized samples have been des
cribed as 'sticky and yellowish.'
Since good quality marijuana
is also often gold in color, the
potential for confusion is
obvious. Consumers should
not try to make this distinc
tion themselves. The risk to
their health is far too great."
Student Union News
With the warm weather
here at last, Guilford is
preparing to catch is annual
spring fever. And what
better way to go a little crazy
than to watch The Pink
Panther on Saturday night?
In the first of a series of zany
comedies, Peter Sellers plays
the inimitable Inspector
Clouseau. The film is sup
posedly about the theft and
recovery of the fabulous Pink
Live On Campus Without
Living in a Dorm
The Housing Office is now
accepting proposals from any
group of students interested in
living in an alternate housing
situation next year. Anyone
intrigued by the possibility of
living in one of the Dana
Houses, George White Hall or
Frazier 35/36 should submit
a proposal to the Housing
Office no later than April 7,
1978. Decisions regarding
SIX
BILLION
IS A LOT
OF PEOPLE.
It is the number who will be living
on the Earth by the year 2000.
Most of them will not have enough to
eat. Most will be suffering from
shortages of other essentials of life...
but there will be plenty of nuclear
bombs—enough to kill all six billion
twelve times over.
These people will not be strangers...
THEY WILL BE YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN.
Governments that claim they cannot
afford to eliminate poverty, rebuild
cities, solve problems of unemployment,
health and education, are already using
untold billions for "defense" in an
arms race that is likely to destroy us all.
We think it is time to change these priorities.
If you agree, you can help.
FELLOWSHIP OF RECONCILIATION
Box 271, Nyack, New York 10960 I
Send me:
□ Disarmament Petition
□ Information on anti-nuclear action
at Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons
Plant in Denver, April 29 & 30
□ Information on programs related to
U.N. Special Session on Disarmament,
New York, May-June.
Name
Address Zip
March 21,1978
Panther gem, but it's really a
wonderful mixture of cops
and robbers, runaway cars,
bungles, slapstick, satire, and
just plain fun. Come to
Sternberger at 8:15 p.m. on
March 25 for a night of excite
ment!
The Union also wishes you a
happy Easter . . . may there
be plenty of eggs in your
basket.
occupancy will be made by
April 15,1978.
The proposal should include
the special emphasis of the
house (i.e. French HOuse,
Cash-in-a-Flash, Men's Co-op),
specific activities you would
like to carry out next year,
organization of the house, and
the names of those students
interested in the alternate
housing.