There are over 400,000 emergency room visits per year from marijuana. THC has biphasic activity. At low doses it can create the desired effects but at higher doses it has the opposite effects. These effects include irritability and even psychosis.
Should we outlaws sugar and high fructose corn syrup ?
Anyway, looking at the full statistics on drug abuse emergency rooms visits it doesn't look like total [hypothetically successful] prohibition of marijuana would have any effect as OTC, other drugs and alcohol would obviously fill the void:
"Highlights from the 2009 Drug Abuse Warning Network
In 2009, there were nearly 4.6 million drug-related ED visits nationwide. These visits included reports of drug abuse, adverse reactions to drugs, or other drug-related consequences. Almost 50 percent were attributed to adverse reactions to pharmaceuticals taken as prescribed, and 45 percent involved drug abuse. DAWN estimates that of the 2.1 million drug abuse visits—
27.1 percent involved nonmedical use of pharmaceuticals (i.e., prescription or OTC medications, dietary supplements)
21.2 percent involved illicit drugs
14.3 percent involved alcohol, in combination with other drugs
If you take the time to read the articles from NEJM, PNAS, and so on that have been cited, then you'll see the dangers of marijuana use. Please don't be critical until you've read the medical studies.
I have seen people in the ED with marijuana-related complaints. I can count the total number on my hands. Every single one of those patients has been absolutely fine. Am I aware of patients with marijuana-related complaints who weren't fine? Sure, a few case reports. But overall, the "dangers" of marijuana do not exist in a real sense, compared to the dangers of every other recreationally-used/abused substance out there, or compared to prescription medications, both psychotropic and not. Not even close.
> Should we outlaws sugar and high fructose corn syrup ?
Did you just compare diabetes (which is a real illness) to marijuana induced problems? One is not your fault. The other is.
> other drugs and alcohol would obviously fill the void:
RIGHT! The bttr reason to legalize another drug because illegal drugs would fill the void.
> alcohol
Nobody thinks alcohol is not a serious problem in this country. And you mister high flying pot smoking moron would like to introduce another problem. Way to go!
man, arguing against the cannabis on the basis that it is bad for children/teenagers ... We don't even let them drive cars - should we argue against cars on that basis?
[1]New England Journal of Medicine (2014): Adverse Health Effects of Marijuana Use: http://dfaf.org/assets/docs/Adverse%20health%20effects.pdf
[2] http://www.menshealth.com/medical-marijuana/