Marijuana is safe, harmless and beneficial, or so claims those who push the legalization of medical and/or recreational marijuana use. Some even point to the known harmful carcinogenic effects of tobacco and say that marijuana is much better and safer than tobacco.

I recently shared that after Colorado legalized the medicinal and recreational use of marijuana that a number of people have died, been injured and even committed murder due to the effects of marijuana. There was also an increase in the number of auto accidents caused by someone being under the influence of marijuana.

More recently I reported that a study found a link between marijuana use and the increased risk of developing a psychosis.

I also reported that within a year or so of the legalization of marijuana that hospitals saw an increase in emergency room visits, mostly due to people getting ill from marijuana use.

It’s been 5 years since Colorado legalized the recreational use of marijuana and a group of researchers looked into the number of marijuana hospital visits.

One report states:

“The state of Colorado is seeing an increase in marijuana-related ER visits, since the state legalized the drug.”

“Health records indicate that nearly 10,000 patients were admitted to the emergency room at just one hospital, alone between 2012 and 2016. Researchers say, the reason for the growing hospital visits is due to people over-consuming marijuana edibles. Experts suggest that people tend to eat more of the cannabis products because it takes longer to produce a high.”

Gleaned from several other reports, the study led by Dr. Andrew Monte of the UCHealth University of Colorado hospital, indicated that emergency room visits related to marijuana went from about 1 every 2-3 days in 2012 to 2-3 per day by 2016. They also reported that about a third of the patients were admitted to the hospital with severe symptoms.

Here is a short (1:21) video from one news source that gives a quick run down on some of the problems with marijuana products.

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The more marijuana is being legalized, the more negative impacts of the so-called harmless weed are becoming known. But don’t get me wrong as there is an increase in the beneficial uses of marijuana and marijuana products for medicinal purposes.

Marijuana has been found to help some epileptics control their seizures. It has helped people suffering from anxiety, cancer/chemotherapy, chronic pain, Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disorder, depression, glaucoma, hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, Lou Gehrig’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, PTSD and rheumatoid arthritis.

A growing number of seniors are turning to marijuana and marijuana products to help treat their joint pains, and frankly, I don’t blame them. I know just how much joint pain can not only hurt but limit one’s activity and ability to just move around in one’s own home.

From all of the reports I’ve seen over the past few years, most of the negative impacts of marijuana have been linked to recreational use far more often than the medicinal use. Therefore, personally, I believe that marijuana should be legalized JUST for medicinal use and ONLY with a doctor’s prescription and then with doctor follow-up and supervision.