Surgeon General Jerome Adams said he was skeptical of medicinal marijuana as an alternative for pain. Adams said at the Washington Examiner’s “Examining Opioids” event in Washington that the Food and Drug Administration needs to conduct further studies on the use of marijuana, which remains illegal under federal law.
“We know that exposing the developing brain to marijuana can prime the brain to addiction and have potential negative consequences including promoting cancer,” Adams said. He added that as surgeon general, his name is on the side of every cigarette box warning smokers of the dangers of cigarettes.
“It would be incredibly disingenuous of me to say that you shouldn’t smoke a cigarette but it is fine to go out and smoke a joint,” Adams said. “I think it is important that we do look at the studies, but I also think it is important that we not jump on something that may have more potential consequences down the road.”
