Page "Weekend at Burnsie's" Paragraph 13

On May 17, 2002, Robert S. Stephens and Roger A. Roffman of The Seattle Times wrote an analysis of " Weekend at Burnsie's " in a guest column for the newspaper.

The two argued that drugs are almost always shown as having only negative effects, even though 10 million people in the United States use marijuana for recreational purposes.

" We believe there are good reasons for a more honest dialogue about the positive and negative effects of marijuana use.

A recent episode of the popular TV show The Simpsons highlighted the pros and cons of marijuana use, and Homer Simpson's experiences with marijuana provide an example of what we mean ", they wrote.

For example, when under the influence of marijuana, Homer is relieved from the pain in his eye, and he also finds himself having a variety of sensory experiences and an enhanced appreciation of music and food.

" These are real effects reported by many marijuana users, and we would be hard pressed to call them anything other than benefits ", Stephens and Roffman wrote.

However, Homer is also depicted spending more time with other drug users than with his family, and his friends find that his personality has changed.

Eventually, Homer is shown having problems with memory and attention, losing track of the date on which a pro-marijuana rally takes place.

Stephens and Roffman wrote that the side effects shown in the episode are " Perhaps a bit exaggerated, but clearly there are costs of marijuana use similar to these that are experienced by real-life users.