Is Cannabis Preventative Medicine? The Impact of Marijuana Use on Physical Health.

Abstract

Cannabis appears to have been one of the first domesticated plants, appearing with humans at the dawn of Western civilization. It is currently illegal in Indiana and at the federal level, but many states have legalized medical use and a growing list of states have legalized adult use for any purpose. In this emerging legal environment, one of the main concerns of potential medical and recreational users is the long-term health impact of Cannabis use. My research has revealed that evidence for a net increase in rates of premature death from any cause due to Cannabis use is weak. Instead, moderate, adult Cannabis use reduces the risk of premature death and disability from multiple causes. Health benefits of moderate Cannabis use include reduced rates of obesity and cancer, reduced use of more harmful pharmaceuticals, illicit drugs, and alcohol, and protection of the brain from trauma, neurodegenerative diseases, and neurotoxins. A theory explaining the physiological mechanisms leading to the observed reduction in obesity rates Cannabis users will be proposed and supported. Finally, the origins of prohibition as a weapon of white supremacy, and its contribution to mass incarceration and voter disenfranchisement, will be explored.