Dear Ann Landers,
ou have given lots of advice to people who write to you about drugs. But you have never touched the main subject that hits me square on the nose. I am talking about the long-term ef-fects of grass. I am an 18-year-old pothead who is having some firsthand experi-ence. I work in a restaurant on the 1 l-to-7 shift as a cook, or should I say the cook. (There is no manager, just the waitress and me.) I am in charge. The waitress is also a pothead. Every night, we end up smoking about six joints each. There isn't a day that goes by that I'm not stoned out of my mind. Anyone who thinks the effects of pot are gone after the high wears off might as well hang it up. I really don't know how to say this, but pot affects your head permanently. I now have a severe mental blockage. I'm losing my memory, and it's frightening. I said I'm a cook. Sometimes when I get an order while I'm stoned, I'll repeat the order and turn around to make it. Then, I'll forget what it was and have to go back and ask. So, those of you who want to smoke pot or are just starting, ask yourself a few questions. Do you want to lose your memory in your teens and see it get worse every day? Thanks for listening, Ann, and please keep on printing that terrific column. -Been There and Still There

Dear Been,
You mentioned the long-term effects of pot-well, here's the latest: There is growing evidence that pot does indeed inter-fere with the memory. Heavy pot smoking also can reduce the testos-terone level in males and cause fertility problems. Females may also run into trouble when they want to have children. Pot damages the lungs more than ordinary cigarettes and, as you pointed out, produces memory loss. Thanks for writing. I'm glad you remembered to mail the letter.