A Tribute to Gabriel Nahas (1920 – 2012)

We have lost an important contributor to drug policy and prevention. The American drug researcher, Gabriel G. Nahas, has died at the age of 92. For many years he was Professor of anesthesiology at Columbia University in New York. In 1988 he was awarded the title of Doctor of Medicine honoris causa by Uppsala University.
 
When cannabis abuse started spreading in the Western world in the 1960s, Nahas warned of its risks. During his youth in Egypt, he had seen the hazards of hashish smoking, especially on mental health. His book “Marihuna – Deceptive Weed” (1973) was one of the first overviews of what was really known by science about the risks of cannabis. Throughout his life, he went on to publish more books about marijuana, many of which are in Drug Free America Foundation’s Otto and Connie Moulton Library for Drug Prevention.
 
For decades, Nahas was at the center of the public debate on cannabis. He was indefatigable in his initiating of research on the biological effects of cannabis and in publishing new findings. His positioning against the legalization of cannabis went against the media and university establishments. He received his full measure of insults from the pro-drug lobby. However, American parents’ organizations always gave him strong support
 
We at Drug Free America Foundation will feel the loss of one of the greats. Gabby, you will be missed!
 
*Thank you to Jonas Hartelius for the bio-summary for Gabby*