Originally Posted by
Bleeding Angel
It is NOT safer, it is linked to a lot of mental health issues, if it was proved to be safe it wouldnt be illegel right now.
Actually, the available evidence does suggest it's safer. It's illegal because the tobacco industry doesn't want the competition.
Marijuana is actually less addictive than caffeine, and it's not associated with any adverse health effects (of course the smoke is still not so great, but there's nothing in the actual marijuana that's harmful, whereas tobacco is carcinogenic on its own). Whereas tobacco use during pregnancy is associated with lower birth rate and increased risk of spontaneous abortion, the only effect of marijuana use is that children of women who used marijuana during pregnancy actually score higher on measures of cognitive function and agreeableness during their first months of life.
Marijuana also has proven medical benefits, but remains illegal even for medical use for one reason: politics. It's nothing to do with the safety of the drug, but rather who has political power.
But this isn't really what the thread is even about.