Ask a public-health/nutrition student

[Aractus]

I reminded myself of another question - Regarding cannabis and marijuana, some people use as an argument for its legalization and consumption that it doesn't have any ill effects on one's health or if it has the effects are minimal and little likely to happen, when compared to tobacco smoking. Is this true and to what degree? If not, what health issues will frequent weed smokers have?

Because in most places it's an illegal drug, it can't be studied using RCT's (randomised controlled trials). It does however have health effects, both positive and negative (and even tobacco has both positive and negative health effects too, so does alcohol, so does most other illegal or controlled drugs).

I worry about the fact that, at least here, the government wants people to be allowed to self-medicate the drug if prescribed it. That is they'll grow their own and take an indiscriminate amount, instead of a measured therapeutic dosage which is the general way that medicine is administered.

The risk of lung cancer , and the development of emphysema should be lower than for smoking - but it's a dose response, and I would believe that smoking the same quantity of joints and cigarettes would be more-or-less equal on that.

THC has long-term negative effects on memory and mental health, however research also shows that it could slow the development of Alzheimer's. But take note that the research shows the dose required for the protective effect against Alzheimer's is very small, and taking a higher dose could have the opposite effect - it's one of those things, wait and see where the research goes.