“Marijuana is not harmless. The opposite is true and the evidence keeps growing“

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As drug advocates pushed marijuana legalization over the last 15 years, they portrayed the drug as harmless, a mild intoxicant with few side effects. Cannabis – the term scientists prefer for marijuana – might even have medicinal value, advocates said.

Even in states, from Maine to California, that have legalized cannabis, researchers have published paper after paper showing its risks, particularly to heavy or daily users. I do not mean the munchies or falling asleep on the couch. Powerful evidence links the drug to heart attacks, strokes, severe mental illness, and even suicides.

Cannabis and its active ingredient, the chemical called THC, are toxic to the heart and brain. They are also much more addictive than many users realize. Though cannabis does not cause the physical dependence of alcohol, it can make users psychologically dependent, leading to irritability, depression, and mood swings if they cut back. And a huge new study shows that legalization is linked to a sharp increase in diagnoses of cannabis addiction.

But just as it took decades for the public to realize the cancer risks of cigarettes, the health harms of cannabis are not completely understood. A majority of Americans still favor legalization – a fact that makes the emerging science even more alarming.

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