Whatever the risks of pot smoking, the current laws make matters worse in many respects. Paraphernalia laws have impeded the development and marketing of vaporizers and other devices that could significantly reduce the harmfulness of marijuana smoke. Prohibition encourages the sale of pot that has been contaminated or adulterated by insecticides, Paraquat, etc., or mixed with other drugs such as PCP, crack and heroin. Finally, of course, criminal punishment is itself more harmful to personal welfare than smoking marijuana. Unlike the government, NORML is interested in reducing the dangers of pot smoking. California NORML and MAPS (the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) have sponsored research on alternative inhalation systems, in particular vaporizers, which are designed to deliver smoke free cannabinoid vapors. The results indicate that it is possible to virtually eliminate the risk of smoking related respiratory damage by using vaporizers instead.
