Potential dangers of cannabis.
Cannabis is not a harmless drug. The potential dangers of cannabis are briefly reviewed in this report. The above-mentioned observations on cannabis users should be kept in mind and carefully examined by all physicians. One could expect that as more potent cannabis preparations become available, some of the toxic manifestations which now seem rare might become more frequent. Some of the remarks about the dangers of cannabis may not be proved in future studies, and they may represent only our anxiety. However, prior to the elimination of these fears, no steps should be taken toward the legalizing of marijuana. At present there is no scientific evidence that cannabis is less harmful than either tobacco or alcohol. The opposite may be true. The analogy can be drawn between opium and cannabis. The permissive attitude toward the use of opium can easily lead to the use of morphine and other opiates. If we legalize the use of marijuana, we cannot prevent the use of more dangerous derivatives of cannabis; namely, hashish, cannabis oil and THC, itself. In my opinion, in the light of our present knowledge, legalizing of marijuana could be hazardous both for the individual and for society.
D000818:Animals; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000139:chemically induced; D002188:Cannabis / Q000506:poisoning; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000209:etiology; D006224:Cricetinae; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000401:mortality