http://exhibits.library.stonybrook.edu/mfp/files/original/cb88bfb90b7fa617e095208d97678086.pdf bb4f1109f5c2051658551aa218b8ef8d PDF Text Text ‘- mw-wmn-vu :— 1,:—-.m- «r» n; :45»; :er m. -'V""P‘u'<1"nz"ymu Hr. Ha: Singar March 7, 1970 Hudscn Institute Cratenmen-Hudson, flew York Dear Mr. Singer, I hnva read your interim report and apttndices with interest, particularly since tha viawa are both novel and engaging. A heroin difittibution system, if faaaibla, may indeed be a useful interim step in reducing the opiata abuae probleg. An immediate reaction is raferanta to tha reputed failura of the Britiih system, and your teviaw of that 'failure' is too superficial to be convincing. I 3139 believe that our present climate will not allaw such a system unlass it is encumbered by psychotherapy, social tharapy, rehabilitatian, gtuup therapy. ggg,~ and this will increase the costs markedly. Is this not nae of the handicaps of the flaw York State system, that it pays lip setvica to all systems. much having none at its can i I wauld immediately agree that tha heroin addiction ptoblem~is not purely a medical problem, and that the solution is not purely a madical oat. But that was also the status of the syphilis, the tuberculasia and the leprosy problems. before medical sclutiona wart definad. These medical solutions plus tha social has had tht major impact in raducing the tragedies of these, now curable, diaeaaea. Since discussing our praposal for unloxona with you, we have reviewei tha cyclazocint data, and find that the same approach is feaaible for this drug as wall~~ that increasing the costs of our proposal, since two drugs ought-to be studied. We are not optimistic that either the flaw York State nor the National Institute of Mental Eaalth will provide fundu~~ both have said all the nice things like the idea is excellent and tha awed is great. BUT . . . differ in their ”BUT’S"? the results will be the same. we have aleo made a presentation to the lawyers cf the Vera Institute, who alao spoke highly at the ideas but "BUT«TED” the possibility of They tunding away. �Max Singer 0..HOODGIO.QifitboblotOO‘OIOOIOOIOOOUOOMarch 7, 1970 principal question of your letter relates to the of channeling opiate users to other substances if a concerted governmental action inhibits the use of heroin. Indeed, that is likely. Let us suppose that the heroin (opiate) use is severely inhibited, and marijuana use increases markedly. So long as the penalties for marijuana uoe remain the same, the results iutterms of crime will be the same. But is it necessary to maintain the fiction that marijuana in as deleterious as opiates ? I have worked with both types of substances, and have read the literature carefully. There is no relation in pharmacology or physiology between the substances. One is Beverly toxic to the body, causing extensive chemical chengeo that persist for weeks, months and perhaps years; the other, minimal changes, of a transient nature. Deaths do not occur with cannabis; they do with opiates. That is a sufficient basis for me to consider the channeling of opiate users to marijuana to be a social good, not evil, in the present climate (provided the penalties were removed for marijuana use). The for the ’soft~drugs‘, here too, the pharmacology and of physiology methedrine, amphetamine and the barbiturates are sufficiently unique that the distinction from ooiatee is easy. Addiction may occur, but deaths are lose common; dosages necessary are very large for fatality; and while I am not so enthusiastic about channeling to these drugs from opiates, I consider them eo much less damaging, one addiction so difficult to achieve, that e ‘uer' on opiates with a resultant increase in the abuse of these drugs is still a useful 'wer’. (In the balance of nature, the abuse of these drugs seems less commonly achievable than the abuse of alcohol, and we have been able to live with that abuse as a nation.) As - You mey be pleased to know that the National Institute of Mantel Health has looked upon our suggestion that a team of atientiote be sent to Greece to study chronic (20»30 year) heehieh users with some favor, and called to any that that contract will effort to obtain some be awarded effective June 1. This will be our data on chronic cannabis abuse (use). for the comments, the questions, and especially for the preliminary reports with their novel (7daring?) suggestions. Thank you Sincerely yours, Fink, M.D. Profeaoor of Psychiatry Max mf/ � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Correspondence Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Correspondence to: Singer, Max Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context mfp-05-00-024-3-140 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1970 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource <a title="Fink, Max, 1923-" href="http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n79039548" target="_blank">Fink, Max, 1923-</a> Subject The topic of the resource Correspondence -- Correspondence Relation A related resource The Max Fink Collection Description An account of the resource Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a title="IN COPYRIGHT - EDUCATIONAL USE PERMITTED" href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/" target="_blank">IN COPYRIGHT - EDUCATIONAL USE PERMITTED</a> Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries. 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