CANNABIS IS SAFER THAN ASPIRIN, SCIENTIST SAYS…
Cannabis is a safer drug than aspirin and
can be used long-term without serious side
effects, says a book by a leading Oxford
scientist.
THC must be considered a very safe drug
both acutely and on long-term exposure,” he
writes. “The available data is more than
adequate to justify its approval as a human
medicine, and indeed it has been approved
by the FDA [American drug authority] for
certain limited therapeutic indications.”
Alarming claims about the harmful effects
of long-term exposure to cannabis should be
put to rest, and there is no evidence the drug
causes any impairment in fertility or sexual
function in men or women.
People who stop using cannabis do not
suffer long-term side effects.
The Science of Marijuana, by Dr Leslie
Iversen of Oxford University’s department
of pharmacology, found many “myths”
surrounding cannabis use, such as extreme
addictiveness, or links with mental illness or
infertility are not supported by science.
He also found cannabis is an inherently
“safe drug” which does not lead to cancer,
infertility, brain damage or mental illness.
Legalisation of the drug for medical
conditions should be considered, he says.
Dr Iversen’s findings will increase pressure
on the Government to reopen the debate
about the decriminalisation of cannabis.
The author, a fellow of the prestigious Royal
Society, found cannabis was far less toxic
than other drugs and had “an impressive
record” compared with heroin, cocaine or
tobacco and alcohol.
His study showed that the active element of
cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC),
which made users high, had a lot of potential
as a safe drug to treat Aids patients and
people suffering severe pain.
“Cannabis does not cause structural damage
to the brain as some reports had claimed, nor
is there evidence of long-term damage”
The author says many adverse effects of
cannabis are related to smoking the drug.
But cannabis itself did not appear to cause
cancer. Compared with alcohol and
cigarettes, which led to more than 100,000
deaths a year, cannabis had a far better
record.
“Tetrahydrocannabinol is a very safe drug,”
he said. “Despite the widespread illicit use
of cannabis there are very few if any
instances of people dying from an overdose.
Even such apparently innocuous medicines
as aspirin and related steroidal antiinflammatory compounds are not safe.
“Thousands of people die every year
because of the tendency of these drugs to
cause catastrophic gastric bleeding.”
Keith Hellawell, the drug czar, also agrees
cannabis use does not lead to heroin
addiction.
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