Backassward: First authorize marijuana to treat ailments, then try to scare up evidence it works

"Anyone familiar with the literature already knew all this, but of course the typical American is listening to 30-second television commercials that say 'marijuana cures cancer' ."

But of course the "typical American" is listening to the TV commercials. The question is why those commercials are being broadcast. I'd say the answer is money talks and big money shouts.  Oh and by the way, don't worry about the dosage amounts:  Forbes report June 23 Wide Variability in Potency Plagues Medical Marijuana Edibles, JAMA Study.  

Study: Medical pot isn't proven, but Colorado is launching studies
By Ricardo Baca
The Denver Post

June 23, 2015

Medical marijuana hasn't yet proven to remedy most of the conditions governments have authorized it to treat

Despite medical marijuana's unquestionable worldwide momentum, it hasn't yet scientifically proven to remedy most of the conditions governments have authorized it to treat, according to an influential new analysis of existing research.

While pro-legalization advocates don't disagree with the analysis' findings, they point out that the barriers to legitimate research on cannabis' medical efficacy have been so substantial in the U.S. that President Barack Obama's administration this week slashed some of those bureaucratic hurdles in a historic action — and yet marijuana still remains more difficult to study than cocaine or heroin.

The new compendium's findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on Tuesday, are based on 79 trials involving nearly 6,500 participants. The analysis found that marijuana helps with some ailments, but its efficacy regarding most related conditions is unproven — a finding that didn't surprise the chief medical officer of Colorado, where medical pot was legalized in 2000.

"It's pretty consistent with our take and our observations within CDPHE and within the state," said Larry Wolk, executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. "We all recognize that we're lacking a bit in credible research, even amongst conditions that are deemed appropriate in different states, including Colorado, for medical marijuana."

[plenty more in the report]

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