prahocalypse now wrote: ↑Tue Dec 12, 2017 11:10 am The National Academies of Science Engineering and Medicines published a report the effects of cannabis and cannabinoids on health earlier this year. They reviewed 10,700 studies into its effects. They concluded that there were 'modest' benefits of using cannabis and cannabinoids for patients with chemotherapy-induced nausea, chronic pain, and MS.

They also reported that "There is insufficient evidence to support or refute the conclusion that cannabinoids are an effective treatment for cancers".

Here's the report: The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids: The Current State of Evidence and Recommendations for Research

The growing acceptance, accessibility, and use of cannabis raise important public health concerns, and there is a clear need to establish what is known and what needs to be known about the health effects of cannabis use.

The committee was tasked with conducting a comprehensive review of the current evidence regarding the health effects of using cannabis and cannabis-derived products. The study was conducted in a limited time frame in order to respond to a quickly moving landscape, but as described in the report’s methods section, the amount of work that this report entailed and the volume of literature reviewed clearly indicates the substantial effort involved and the importance of this issue to the committee.

In the current report, the committee presents a rigorous and thoughtful summary of the landscape of cannabis and health and puts forth recommendations to help advance the research field and better inform public health decisions. https://www.nap.edu/read/24625/chapter/1

Kuroneko, I know you have a fairly extensive background in medicine. Were you ever or are you now a practicing MD? If yes, did you have a specialty? Just curious, thanks.

Other research suggests that the use of cannabis 'alters a person's DNA structure, causing mutations which can expose them to serious illnesses, and be passed on to their children and several future generations'.

They 'found that cancers and illnesses were likely caused by cell mutations resulting from cannabis properties having a chemical interaction with a person’s DNA'.

Professor Stuart Reece at the University of Western Australia says "Even if a mother has never used cannabis in her life, the mutations passed on by a father’s sperm can cause serious and fatal illnesses in their children,” ...“The parents may not realise that they are carrying these mutations, which can lie dormant and may only affect generations down the track, which is the most alarming aspect.”

http://www.news.uwa.edu.au/201605248687 ... e-mutation

taabarang wrote: ↑Tue Dec 12, 2017 1:19 pm Kuroneko, I know you have a fairly extensive background in medicine. Were you ever or are you now a practicing MD? If yes, did you have a specialty? Just curious, thanks.

No, my clinical experience was confined to the military, and subsequently my area was more academic. I have been mainly focused on research in health issues of concern, to inform health policy. Prior to retirement I did consultancies to support various health services and programs. In Cambodia I was involved in health service development and also conducted some research on HIV/AIDS.

I tend to dig up relevant health/medical related reports when someone brings up a health topic, because I was involved in teaching MD's evidence based medicine, which requires targeting and retrieving the best evidence for treatment. Old habits die hard

Highly impressive career path starting from an humble military corpsman.