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takyon writes:

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released a 337-page report about the health effects of cannabis. Unfortunately, the Schedule I status of cannabis makes good studies hard to come by, so we know almost nothing truly definitive:

A report [DOI: 10.17226/24625] published Thursday by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine analyzed more than 10,000 studies to see what could conclusively be said about the health effects of all this marijuana. And despite the drug's increasing popularity — a recent survey suggests about 22 million American adults have used the drug in the last month — conclusive evidence about its positive and negative medical effects is hard to come by, the researchers say.

According to the report, that's at least partly because the federal drug enforcement agency's designation of the drug as a Schedule I substance — having "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse" — entails so many restrictions that it has been difficult for researchers to do rigorous research on marijuana. We just need "far more information," Dr. Marie McCormick, chair of the NAS committee and professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, tells Shots.

The report found evidence that cannabis is effective for treating chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Smoking it doesn't appear to increase the risk of cancers associated with tobacco use, but might increase cardiovascular risk. Frequent cannabis smoking is associated with some respiratory problems.

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