Medical marijuana

From RationalWiki

Medical marijuana is the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, largely to relieve conditions such as glaucoma, and nausea associated with chemotherapy.

The issue is a hotly contested one because many states have specifically legalized this use of marijuana, while the federal government continues to insist on classifying marijuana as a dangerous "narcotic" with no medical value, and criminally prosecuting those who grow, sell, and use the plant.

Medical marijuana is usually used by smoking it, which presents the usual problems from a scientific perspective associated with alternative medicine and the use of herbs for medicinal purposes, namely the lack of a controlled, carefully measured dose of the plant's active ingredient (THC in this case), which as in all herbs can vary widely. It also presents the issue of inhaling smoke; pot smoke actually contains more "tar" (i.e. aromatic carcinogens like pyrenes) than cigarettes, though usually less smoke is inhaled. (This particular problem can be avoided by using a vaporizer or putting the marijuana in food.)

The main argument in favor of medical marijuana is a moral one, that the government should not be dictating what an informed person can and cannot put into their own body, and should not be treating those who choose to use one substance or another as criminals. However, see health freedom; depending on who is making the argument, this argument is sometimes the edge of a slippery slope.

The issue has implications for those of us who believe much (not necessarily all) of alternative medicine is quackery and woo. Believing that, for example, Laetrile is ineffective bullshit does not necessarily mean believing that it should be illegal or that people should be prosecuted for using or selling it in the United States as they currently are. The same goes even more so for medical marijuana, which unlike Laetrile does have some scientific studies showing it is effective for treating some specific conditions.

Alternative medicine articles on RationalWiki
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