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Volkow ND, Baler RD, Compton WM, Weiss SR. 
“Adverse Health Effects of Marijuana Use”. 
N Engl J Med. 2014 Jun 4;370(23):2219-2227.
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    Abstract
    As marijuana use becomes legal in some states, the dominant public opinion is that marijuana is a harmless source of mood alteration. Although the harms associated with marijuana use have not been well studied, enough information is available to cause concern.

    In light of the rapidly shifting landscape regarding the legalization of marijuana for medical and recreational purposes, patients may be more likely to ask physicians about its potential adverse and beneficial effects on health. The popular notion seems to be that marijuana is a harmless pleasure, access to which should not be regulated or considered illegal. Currently, marijuana is the most commonly used “illicit” drug in the United States, with about 12 of people 12 years of age or older reporting use in the past year and particularly high rates of use among young people. The most common route of administration is inhalation. The greenish-gray shredded leaves and flowers of the Cannabis sativa plant are smoked (along with stems and seeds) in cigarettes, cigars, pipes, water pipes, or “blunts” (marijuana rolled in the tobacco-leaf wrapper from a cigar). Hashish is a related product created from the resin of marijuana flowers and is usually smoked (by itself or in a mixture with tobacco) but can be ingested orally. Marijuana can also be used to brew tea, and its oil -based extract can be mixed into food products.

    The regular use of marijuana during adolescence is of particular concern, since use by this age group is associated with an increased likelihood of deleterious consequences2 (Table 1). Although multiple studies have reported detrimental effects, others have not, and the question of whether marijuana is harmful remains the subject of heated debate. Here we review the current state of the science related to the adverse health effects of the recreational use of marijuana, focusing on those areas for which the evidence is strongest.
    Comments and Responses to this Article
    #
    Status: display
    earth
    Jun 6, 2014 0:25
    More Bullshit from Science Liars #
    It is depressing to have to use harsh language to refer to the output of the largest research organization in the world dedicated to studying psychoactive drugs.

    But the garbage that Volkow et al. produce is staggering given the weight of history against them. This was produced by NIDA the same month as the DEA's "The Dangers and Consequences of Marijuana Abuse", which also repeats and broadcasts a number of ideas that are not scientifically valid.

    An example of the type of crap in this report is the following opening sentences about marijuana's cancerous effects:

    "The effects of long-term marijuana smoking on the risk of lung cancer are unclear. For example, the use of marijuana for the equivalent of 30 or more joint-years (with 1 joint-year of marijuana use equal to 1 cigarette [joint] of marijuana smoked per day for 1 year) was associated with an increased incidence of lung cancer and several cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract; however, the association disappeared after adjustment for potential confounders such as cigarette smoking."

    In science, this is what is called lying. The authors of this article know that the evidence is the opposite of what they say, yet they choose to repeat the wrong interpretation of the massive medical surveys. And the editors of the New England Journal of Medicine know this too. They are complicit in this lie.

    Yes, cannabis smoking is /associated/ with cancer because the folks who were part of the survey who smoked a LOT of cannabis were more likely to be tobacco smokers. Tobacco smoking is strongly correlated with airway cancers. The research that Volkow et al. cite actually found a negative effect from cannabis, that is, it _REDUCED_ airway cancers compared to the population who only ever smoked tobacco. Cannabis protected tobacco smokers from cancer.

    The question of whether a lifetime of heavy cannabis smoking causes lung cancer has not yet been answered, but most signs seem to point to the effect being somewhere between a small increase or a small decrease in lung and airway cancers.

    It is sad that when the US is moving clearly towards legalizing medical and recreational use of cannabis that the top drug-expert federal officials just keep producing known-wrong lies for political reasons.

    Yes, it's scary that 15 year olds are smoking 90 THC oil. Talk about that. Don't lie about the risks of cancer or driving intoxicated. You will look very bad in history's rear-view mirror.
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