Marihuana

Abstract

MARIHUANA is among man's oldest and most widely used drugs. It has been eaten and drunk, snuffed and smoked as long as medical history has been recorded and is currently used throughout the world by hundreds of millions.^{1 2 3 4} The many published observations on marihuana users present a fairly consistent picture of its short-term effects. However, there are strongly contradictory opinions about whether the ultimate effects are harmful, harmless or beneficial to human functioning. This review will summarize present knowledge, — clinical, pharmacologiecand epidemiologic, — describe the legal status of marihuana and comment on the problems of controlling nonmedical drug use. . . .