Douglass puts down her joint and goes to a shelf for a tin bucket full of crumpled dollar bills. She opens the lid and dumps it over her head, laughing. The message is have some fun. Supporters of medical marijuana say it is the most studied drug in history and the benefits outweigh the costs. Those against it say it's a step toward legalization, and there is no proof it works.
Many researchers say more study is needed, although some medical benefit is likely.
Every culture has to say that a substance is bad. Dreher studied marijuana use in Jamaica. She even saw mothers mix it in liquids for teething babies. No new research will be presented this weekend. Last year's report by the Institute of Medicine on medical marijuana will be widely discussed.