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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.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday January 15 2017, @03:23PM
Reading TFS, I was wondering "What about studies BEFORE cannabis was made illegal?"
Couple seconds though was enough to dismiss any information from before the 1940's. In the US, cannabis was most often used in snake oil. Enough alcohol and cannabis, and maybe some opium, a preparation would either cure whatever ails you, or make you not care. Unscrupulous people have always sold mixtures to make you feel good.
Today, it's probably impossible even for competent medical people to separate empirical medical knowledge from old wives tales, from the snake oil recipes. Little if any real science has survived our modern day dark ages.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 15 2017, @03:38PM
Is that a subtle grant application to do some original empirical research?
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday January 15 2017, @03:43PM
Hell no, I'm not buying your next bag of grass. Get a haircut and get a real job! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j0xq62AGdk [youtube.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 15 2017, @04:04PM
not buying your next bag of grass
"Hey, Mom."
"What do you need, Ophelia? Let me guess. You were caught selling grass again?"
"No, 'cause it isn't 1972."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 15 2017, @04:08PM
The troll was right!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 15 2017, @09:02PM
Today, it's probably impossible even for competent medical people to separate empirical medical knowledge from old wives tales, from the snake oil recipes. Little if any real science has survived our modern day dark ages.
This is the crux of the issue with weed. The 'issue' is FULL of this sort of thing. Both on the user side and the enforcement side.
Take for example my wife. She smoked weed for about 15 years. Hard core blaze it up whenever she could. Now however she can not touch the stuff. She found instead of making her feel decent and chill it made her extremely paranoid. Now I mention this on the internet and every single time some 'know it all' will pop up about how she must have got a bad bit of weed. I tell her this. "They are full of shit I tried all sorts of weed from grow it yourself to kindbud to whatever I could get and it all made me paranoid". Something happened to her and long term use. But there are 0 real good studies on this. I have observed this effect in several other long term users but not all.
These studies are all over the place from 'cures everything you have' to 'will get you addicted in minutes'. 'old wives tales' is a good term for where weed is at right now.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 15 2017, @10:47PM
I used to think that smokers were only paranoid because of
the illegality. Now that people are more open about their smoking,
I've know a few people and I think the paranoia thing is real. Actually,
paranoia doesn't seem to be quite the right word. I think it seems
to increase your tendency to accept ideas, and to form conclusions.
That's why when I run into somebody who smokes a lot, they seem
to believe conspiracies but also alternative health practices, new age
religions, etc. It is, for some people, the gullibility drug.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 16 2017, @12:37PM
I think it seems to increase your tendency to accept ideas, and to form conclusions.
...
It is, for some people, the gullibility drug.
I wonder why its consumption isn't mandated by governments, per joint request of businesses, then. I guess they concluded they don't even need it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 16 2017, @12:28AM
The paranoia is real and I got it from the first times. Still not a big fan, but set and setting can make it enjoyable. I need a "purpose' be it listening to music or watching TV shows, not sitting around talking face to face under a bare light bulb for hours and hours, a.k.a. most student dives.