During marijuana prohibition, it has been largely believed that the scientific community actually knows very little about the plant and the effects of its various compounds. That is changing more rapidly than you probably know.

According to a recent survey conducted by Salon: “there are over 20,000 published studies or reviews in the scientific literature referencing the cannabis plant and its cannabinoids, nearly half of which were published within the last five years according to a keyword search on PubMed Central, the US government repository for peer-reviewed scientific research.”

Of those, over 1,450 have been published this year.

Increasingly, the evidence is showing that there is virtually no increased risk or serious side effects caused by the consumption of cannabinoid compounds. The medical value of cannabis is also being continuously supported.

So while cannabis is still in the process of changing its pop-culture identity, the evidence against the plants perceived “ill-effects” is mounting, with the scientific community increasingly supporting the notion that it is safer than many over the counter drugs.

Article Link: http://www.salon.com/2013/12/26/the_lie_that_wont_die_we_dont_know_enough_about_marijuana_partner/