Adventage
- cannabinoids help reduce pain and other distressing symptoms
- Smoking marijuana does give the desired effect in a matter of minutes and could, therefore, relieve the symptom quickly.
Disadventage
- the smoke from burning marijuana shares an array of dangerous and potentially carcinogenic chemicals with cigarette smoke
- The DPA fumbles here, saying "there have been no reports of lung cancer related solely to marijuana
- It is accepted in medical circles today that marijuana use causes no evident long-term cardiovascular problems for normal persons. The DEA aggressively goes after this point, claiming that according to Harvard researchers, in the hour after having smoked marijuana, one's heart attack risk goes up five fold
- If smoked marijuana were to inhibit the activity of T-lymphocytes in the blood, it would compromise the body's ability to fight infection