medical marijuana

Dateline Bradenton, Fl: At the car wash where I can get on the Internet with my laptop. I am getting the car ready for the trip tomorrow. Slept much better last night. Ran and lifted weights today; my last of each with my two Saturday buddies. Mom and I are going to the movies later and I am hoping that my sister will come to tell me good-bye. Now for the news!

I was going to write about cholesterol levels in young people, but adjacent to the article I was reading was another, on medical marijuana. The story was really about the dilemma that some employers are facing with staff who use this drug in compliance with certain state laws that allow it. I did not know that people used marijuana for pain. I had only heard of it for amelioration of nausea associated with cancer treatment.

It was harder for me to find evidence for the health promoting effects of marijuana in the science journals that I trust. However, it has been associated with the two conditions above and also with boosting ones mood especially when that person is suffering chronic illnesses. That does make it a broad spectrum drug. Marijuana is primarily a psychoactive drug which basically means it alters the mood.

I do not have a political opinion in regards to legalizing marijuana, but a public health one. With the current estimate of 4% of the population using marijuana once a year (WedMD) we do not know the true nature of health consequences. It was only when 42% of the country smoked cigarettes on a daily basis that the deleterious effects of tobacco came to light.

That being said, I am concerned about the use of marijuana for additional indications. When the amount of users and the frequency of use increases so will the risk of lung and heart problems from the smoke and the chemicals in it, like tar and carbon monoxide. This is just another example of where we have got to think things through a little bit. To legalize it is to make it more accessible and that will increase the numbers of persons at risk for unintended consequences. Think about it. If you took a drug to reduce your nausea and the side effect was emphysema or lung cancer, the risk would outweigh the benefit. An adverse consequence such as that would get a pharmaceutical drug off the market.