Expert Responds to "Safe" Marijuana StudiesSeptember 30, 2003
Research Summary
Although two large studies were unable to identify a direct link between marijuana and serious health problems or death, Alice Chang, M.D., of Harvard Medical School said people shouldn't assume that the drug is safe, the British Medical Journal reported Sept. 22."The studies explain why we cannot link marijuana use directly to serious health problems or death. There is an important difference between not seeing an effect and proving that a substance is safe," said Chang.
The studies did say that marijuana use is harmful, but did not show an increase in death or chronic diseases related to long-term use. The research also indicated that exposure to smoke is much lower among marijuana users than among cigarette smokers. And since marijuana does not contain the hazardous chemical nicotine, the risk of heart disease among users is lower, researchers said.
However, Chang noted that the research did not track marijuana smokers into later adult life.
"These studies do not make a good argument for legalizing marijuana use, since we don't know what would happen if people smoked into later adulthood for many years and if use increased to many cigarettes per week," she said.
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