A major new study finds that medical marijuana is not really effective in pain mitigation and, worse, it is addictive.
With medical marijuana now legal in 37 states, millions of Americans are legally indulging its use, many daily. But research is finding that it just hasn’t been worth legalizing.
The study conducted in part by Jodi Gilman, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, found that use of pot for depression and anxiety, some of the drug’s most common uses, just isn’t the help that advocates claim.
“People with pain, anxiety or depression symptoms failed to report any improvements, though those with insomnia experienced improved sleep,” Gilman wrote, according to the Spectator.
Seventeen percent of people who obtained medical marijuana cards immediately in the controlled study developed cannabis use disorder by the 12th week. That increased to 28 percent when people used marijuana to treat anxiety or depression.
Gilman said it was “disturbing” that patients treating symptoms of depression or anxiety with marijuana were the most vulnerable to developing cannabis use disorder. The study concluded that marijuana may “pose a high risk or may even be contraindicated for people with affective disorders.”
People with cannabis addiction may exhibit withdrawal symptoms such as depression, anxiety, irritability, restlessness, decreased appetite, and sleep problems. Previous studies have shown that about 30 percent of adults who use marijuana recreationally will develop cannabis use disorder.
Spectator added, “Other studies have also shown worrying effects of marijuana. A study published last year in JAMA Pediatrics showed that the heavy use of marijuana by teens and young adults with mood disorders like depression was associated with a greater risk of self-harm, suicide, and death.”
There have been other studies like this, too. And they are growing in number.
One report found that people who smoke pot regularly are many times more likely to develop psychotic disorders. And another one found that drivers are impaired by pot far longer than those impaired by alcohol.
The left’s claim that marijuana is totally harmless is a claim that is fading in veracity.
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Tags: Drugs Marijuana Pot
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