Marijuana

The National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Drug Abuse has just announced the results of the largest study of its kind that concludes smoking marijuana, even regularly and heavily, does not lead to lung cancer. Some participants had lighted up more than 22,000 times, while moderately heavy usage was defined as smoking 11,000 to 22,000 marijuana cigarettes. But the study did find a 20-fold increase in lung cancer among people who smoked two or more packs of cigarettes a day.

Although the Bush administration is deeply opposed to following scientific advice, these results are hard to ignore. They also offer a solution that should appeal to the Administration’s paramount concern for the welfare of big business, and at the same time allow them to claim an interest in the health of normal citizens. They should immediately ban the use of tobacco as a health hazard dangerous to the American people and costly to the health system, while at the same time granting to big tobacco companies licenses to grow and market marijuana, thereby, preserving their business life.