The motion picture Reefer Madness, produced in 1936, posited effects of a single use of marijuana for recreational (or perhaps any) purposes as ranging from criminal and predatory sexual behavior to insanity. The film appears to have been created in complete seriousness, perhaps even earnestness--that is, without a comic-ironic style or intent. Today, however, most people would readily agree that Reefer Madness is strictly for laughs, a pop-culture artifact that, from the standpoint of both aesthetics and sophisticated research lacks verisimilitude or credibility in characterization, plot line, concept, or execution. As a work of art it is routinely characterized as a BOMB, or "the granddaddy of all 'Worst' movies" (Maltin, 2005). Reefer Madness did not dispose of warnings against marijuana's negative physical and mental effects on the human organism. As one commentator puts it: "Medical use of marijuana for persons with certain conditions is rarely discussed without some consideration of the social context" (Kane, 2001, p. 1162). Yet medical use of marijuana can be defended with reference to scientific research.
Some studies have has demonstrated that marijuana is associated with certain kinds of cognitive impairment, particularly in so-called "heavy" users of cannabis (Hart, et al., 2001). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has published mortality statistics showing a linkage between drug use and reported deaths. Drugs most commonly reported "singly," or not in combination with other drugs, in connection with deaths are cocaine, heroin/morphine, narcotic analgesics (i.e., prescription drugs), and marijuana (USDOJ, 2005).
It may come as a surprise to persons who are not familiar with the medical literature that not all refereed research into the medical applications of marijuana uniformly condemns it. Additionally, as Kane points out, the discourse of marijuana is not confined to advocates for government regulatio...