Research on the risks of long-term marijuana use is also spotty. Studies to date have found little solid evidence that marijuana is harmful to the lungs or otherwise toxic to the body, says Dr. Abrams.
But Jeannette Tetrault, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn., who has studied marijuana’s effects on the lungs, says her review of 34 studies found some evidence linking long-term use to symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, like coughing, sputum production, and wheezing.
The studies she and her colleagues did find were of middling quality, Dr. Tetrault adds. “I don’t think we know enough to really be in a place where we can say that it’s something that we should be allowing," she says. "I think the jury’s still out in terms of what it may do in terms of long-term complications.”
However, Dr. Abrams argues that given the alternatives, pot is pretty safe. “It’s not really a toxic agent,” he says. “Compared to tobacco, alcohol, and sugar, it’s relatively benign.”
*Story updated 10/21/2009 to clarify Los Angeles policy on medical marijuana dispensaries.
Medical Marijuana Users Cautiously Optimistic About New Federal Policy
Patients in the 13 states where medical marijuana is legal can now light up without fear of federal reprisal—but they may still have to worry about their local authorities. While the Justice Department announced this week it will no seek to prosecute people using, prescribing or distributing pot for medical purposes—as long as they’re in compliance with local law—regulations in some medical marijuana states remain murky.
Last Updated: October 20, 2009
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