The first concern over medical marijuana is its safety for the patient. Its classification as a level 1 drug gives people the idea that the drug is harmful to one's health. However, after reviewing the past 30 years of research, the British medical journal Lancet concluded, "the smoking of cannabis, even long term, is not harmful to health."

At the website 360 Degrees view on marijuana, they concluded that "a moderate user of marijuana is at less risk than a moderate tobacco smoker or alcohol consumer."

You're probably thinking that these are merely some pot heads' interpretation of research and that no one who is objective on the issue would come to the same conclusions. At least these where my thoughts until I read a report from the DEA's review of 1000's of pages of testimony and dozens of witnesses. After analysis of this information it concluded "marijuana is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man."

Regardless of these facts, the general opinion of the public is that pot fries your brain and is addictive. Well, Harvard decide to test this "fry your brain" theory. They had a control group of about 1000 students who never smoked marijuana, and a test group of the same number of students who smoked it every day. They performed various memory tests on the patients. The students who never smoked marijuana only got four percent more of the questions right. Since the smokers smoked every day, this could be caused by the smokers still experiencing a residual "high" which adversely affects memory.

360 Degrees stated there is "little evidence that users have cognitive defects after intoxication." As for the assumption that cannabis is addictive, reviewing the IOM's latest report on marijuana in 1999, it has been concluded that "Marijuana does not cause physical dependence." If people experience withdrawal symptoms at all, they are remarkably mild. So, marijuana does not fry your brain or cause physical dependence.

Now lets take a look at the pharmacological perspective. First and foremost, it should be noted that marijuana is safer than aspirin. In the past 5000 years of its use, there has not been a single death attributed to an overdose of marijuana. As of yet, the NIH has found marijuana to adversely interact with no other medications.

In contrast to this, marijuana studies have shown an increase in the rate of cancer in smokers, that marijuana can trigger psychosis in people who are predisposed to it, and that marijuana has more carcinogens than tobacco. The first claim can be supported by a study conducted where researchers surveyed 173 patients diagnosed with carcinomas of the head and neck and 176 cancer free controls. The investigators found that the people who previously used marijuana were more than twice as likely to develop head and neck cancer than people who had never used the drug. This is most likely a result of the fact that "marijuana smoke contains higher concentrations of carcinogenic hydrocarbons" than tobacco. If we know how dangerous tobacco is, and marijuana is worse, then how can it be considered safe with all of these adverse affects? Another safety issue associated with marijuana is its ability to trigger people with predisposed psychosis. This mean if you are predisposed as schizophrenic, smoking pot will help manifest the symptoms associated with this disorder. Marijuana also has a number of side effects. Multiple surveys conducted by the NIH conclude that about 17 % of individuals who smoke marijuana have experienced one or more of the following: anxiety, depression, paranoia, or disphoria. This is an alarming amount of individuals which experience some adversity to the drug. To consider something safe that has more carcinogens than tobacco, can triggerer of mood disorders, and whose users experience side effects is absolutely absurd.

These negative effects of marijuana might seem overwhelming at first glance, but if you analyze the situation, you will come to a better understanding of the safety of this drug. The claim that marijuana increases the risk of head and neck cancer has been backed by a scientific study. That does not necessarily mean it is true. In the same article's summary, it is concluded that, "There is not firm evidence to link head and neck cancer to marijuana use, but there is potential." My initial reaction to this conclusion was to think that through the further study of marijuana they would be able to link it to cancer. So, I looked at possible reasons why it would cause cancer. The statement "marijuana smoke contains more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco" caught my eye immediately. Pot must be worse for you than smoking tobacco. We all know that cigarettes cause cancer, so marijuana smoke (having more carcinogenic hydrocarbons) must equate to a higher rate of cancer in patients who smoke it. What I did not consider is the small amount of smoke needed to achieve the beneficial effects of marijuana. While many people smoke as many as twenty cigarettes a day, one gram of high grade cannabis is all that's needed for a 24 hours of sedation. But even with this minute amount of smoke, it is unacceptable to try to treat a cancer patient with a carcinogen of any amount.

So, I did a little research and found some alternatives. I learned it was possible to achieve the same effects of smoking marijuana by taking it orally or through vaporizing the THC and inhaling the vapor. Both of these techniques completely eliminate the harmful smoke, thus freeing it from all carcinogenic properties.

Another claim that intimidates people is that marijuana triggers psychosis. This sort of statement usually makes people flinch. Well, let's define what marijuana is claimed to do. Generally speaking, if you already have a mood disorder, marijuana may make the symptoms more pronounced. Notice I used the word "may." I used it because the NIH's report concerning this states, "Whether marijuana can trigger mood disorders is not clearly established." So, as long as a doctor knows your medical history, he will be able to safely determine whether or not marijuana is the right choice for you.

The next issue to address is the "alarming" rate of side effects. First of all, 17% of people experience side effects, but if you read carefully it is stated "have experienced." That means that 17% of them have had a bad experience one of the times that they smoked marijuana. In the same NIH report, it also says that these effects usually occur during a very high dose of marijuana, and early in the smokers use of the substance. Secondly, 17% is an acceptable rate of side effects. After all, some prescription drugs have side effects on all of their users. Not to mention the acuity of the side effects or the fact that with marijuana, the negative symptoms become "completely clear without any specific treatment other than reassurance and a supportive environment." Through eliminating the smoke, avoiding use if you have a mood disorder, and regulating the amount you consume, marijuana can be a perfectly safe medication.

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