Pubdate: Thu, 10 May 2012
Source: Jefferson City News Tribune (MO)
Copyright: 2012 Jefferson City News Tribune
Contact:  http://www.newstribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/845

MISSOURI MEDICINE: LEGALIZATION, MEDICINAL USE OF POT UNWARRANTED

Smoking marijuana can adversely affect your physical and mental
health, as well as interfere with your ability to function in social
and occupational settings, according to recent clinical studies
published in the latest issue of Missouri Medicine.

The negative data far outweigh the few documented benefits for medical
and psychological treatments, according to the article written by Dr.
Dragan M. Svrakic of Washington University School of Medicine.

In recent years, there has been a strong pressure on state
legislatures across the U.S. to legalize or decriminalize use and
possession of specified amounts of cannabis and/or to pass laws that
allow smoking of crude cannabis plant.

Advocacy groups claim that smoking cannabis is a safe and effective
treatment for various psychological and medical conditions, ranging
from stress and anxiety to Alzheimer's dementia and Parkinson's
disease. Cannabis has not been approved for such use by the Food and
Drug Administration.

The article in Missouri Medicine, which is produced by the Journal of
the Missouri State Medical Association, documents and references the
health dangers, including user death by increasing the availability
and use of cannabis products.

The author also argues cannabis is a powerful unstudied drug and
should follow the same basic and clinical research regulatory pathways
as other medicinal substances.
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MAP posted-by: Matt