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Controversy surrounds the medical use of marijuana, with proponents saying it is useful for treating pain and the nausea and vomiting that are side effects of cancer chemotherapy and for restoring the appetite in people with AIDS. Although its active ingredient, THC (synthesized in 1966 and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1985) is available by prescription in pill form, proponents say it is not as effective as the herb and is more expensive. A 1999 U.S.-government-sponsored study found that marijuana appeared beneficial for certain medical conditions. Because of the toxicity of marijuana smoke, however, it was hoped that further research might lead to development of new delivery systems, such as bronchial inhalers.
The Office of National Drug Control Policy has opposed legalization of the medical use of marijuana, citing law enforcement issues and the possibility that some would use it as a pretext to sell marijuana for nonmedical use. Proponents, disregarding the law, have set up networks for the distribution of the drug to people who they judge will be helped by it and continue to lobby for its legalization for medical use. Voters in several U.S. states have approved initiatives intended to legalize marijuana for medical uses, but such initiatives cannot protect medical users from federal prosecution. Because of court rulings, doctors may discuss the medical use of marijuana with their patients but may not help patients obtain the drug. A number of countries, including Canada, permit the medicinal use of the drug.
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