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According to a new study, marijuana use has little to no side effects. It seems that the drug is more harmless than the majority of over the counter medication. The only consistent side effect that the doctors noticed was a high incidence of gum disease.
Madeline Meier, a doctor at the State University of Arizona, led a team that tracked the habits of 1,037 individuals from New Zeeland. They focused on the marijuana-related habits of the participants, and their systemic inflammation, lung function, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, dental health, body weight, and overall physical health.
The volunteers were monitored from their birth in the early 19970s until the present year. The results of the study showed that marijuana use has little to no side effects on the human body, unlike other substances that are deemed illegal in most states.
After testing for various factors that have been proven to affect the health of the marijuana consumers, mainly their socioeconomic status and tobacco use, the researchers found that the consumption of marijuana could only affect the gums.
The reasons for this strange affection was explained by the scientists as being conjectural. The people who smoke marijuana usually don’t brush their teeth or floss as often as they should. However, even after they eliminated this possibility, the gum problem persisted among the avid marijuana consumers.
“In general, our findings showed that cannabis use over 20 years was unrelated to health problems in early midlife. Across several domains of health (periodontal health, lung functions, systemic inflammation, and metabolic health), clear evidence of an adverse association with cannabis use was apparent for only one domain, namely periodontal health,” the study concludes.
Apart from causing minor gum problems, marijuana use was also associated with a large number of positive health outcomes. It seems that the individuals who consumed the drug were more prone to having a lower BMI, smaller waist circumference, improved glucose control, and better lipid profiles.
However, the researchers were keen on mentioning the fact that there is a link between the consumption of marijuana and the health benefits listed above, not a cause and effect relation.
The study is considered to be one of a kind because the researchers followed the progress of the patients from birth until middle age.
Image source: Deviantart
