Has it been proven that marijuana is more unhealthy than alcohol or tobacco? For example, there is a consensus that cigarette smoking causes cancer. Is there a similar consensus regarding the risks of marijuana?
ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: We librarians (and AP is one of them) aren’t supposed to discuss medical issues. You might want to explore the fine MedLine Plus web site, although you won’t get alternative viewpoints there such as what you might get at the websites of NORML or the American Medical Marijuana Association. MedLine Plus links to material from the National Library of Medicine, as well as to “trusted” sources such as the Mayo Clinic and various medical professional societies.
I don’t know about more or less unhealthy than alcohol or tobacco, but from many of the sites (and even from alternative sites), there appears to be some agreement in the carcinogenic effect of the tars (particulates) in the smoke, and also that it’s dangerous, for instance, to operate heavy machinery while under the influence of cannibis (you knew that, right?).