Why is it so impossible to find unbiased information on marijuana?

How about Washington Post (2006): The largest study of its kind has unexpectedly concluded that smoking marijuana, even regularly and heavily, does not lead to lung cancer…

There are plenty of mainstream science reporting sites that scour peer-reviewed journals for newsworthy items. Announcements by a corporate or university lab should be taken with a grain of salt. Use a whole sack if the scientists themselves call a press conference!

Thank you! This is helpful. I wonder also about its relationship to heart disease and other factors as well. This is an excellent start.

@FluffyChicken Of course one study (611 subjects at UCLA) by itself holds little sway with medical advice or public policy. Marijuana research is rife with contradictory results, some of which may be attributed to researcher bias and some not. I’m guessing it’s not as well-funded as cancer or heart research.

There are million issues with heavily invested political interests that are never reported without a palpable bias. These include the role of unions, the existence of racism, the US national interests, and….marijuana.
Tetrahydrocannabinol may or may not be harmful to the species. But sucking smoke and all sorts of particles that are the by-products of burning vegetation can not be good for you. That is why firemen wear masks when they do their job.
So which question are you asking.
Is THC bad for you, or is inhaling smoke bad for you?

Well, inhaling smoke being bad for you seems like a no brain-er (though heck, they’ve done studies on more obvious things) . I’m talking about marijuana in general, be it smoked, vaped, eaten, etc.

I watched a Nation Geographic show called Drugged: High on Marijuana

On this show it talks about the effects on your heart right after you smoke it, amongst other things. I found it very informative! It showed me a lot of pros and cons. You might want to check it out.

Thank you. Although I find National Geographic to be very sensationalist, I’ll check it out. :)

@FluffyChicken I was impressed with the fact it didn’t really seem like it was trying to sway people to smoke or not smoke marijuana. The facts are the facts even when they come from a source you don’t prefer. You can look and look and you will find a source that answers your question the way you want it answered.

cool. I’m having computer issues at the moment, but I’m looking forward watching it.

Finding sources that answer it the way I want is easy. Finding honest unbiased answers is the difficulty. It seems y’all are pretty good at that though. Thanks.

Marijuana has been regulated by federal law and labeled as a Schedule 1 Drug – like Ecstasy, cocaine and other drugs. A Schedule 1 drug is considered to have no medical benefit. This regulation and classification has made it all but impossible for scientific studies regarding the safety and possible benefits of marijuana. So, there is little actual information because it’s illegal for anyone (universities included) to perform tests.

@JustJessica I finally got the video to work! Thank you that was a very helpful video!

@GladysMensch Actually, you can sometimes get permission from the government to handle Schedule 1 substances for certain purposes, like research.

I’ve had that trouble too. I found a great book though called Cannabis: A History. There may be a little hint of pro-marijuana in there but it’s as close as it gets.