John rasped out, his voice scratchy from liquor and marijuana.

Sometimes people have negative effects from marijuana, such as sudden feelings of anxiety or paranoid thoughts.

The risk of progression from marijuana to cocaine to heroin is now well documented.

Cannabinoids from marijuana also appear to be similar to codeine for treatment of pain.

"A year ago we would see drug paraphernalia all over the ground, related to everything from marijuana to crack cocaine."

But numerous patients who have tried Marinol and found it ineffective report having benefited from marijuana.

One contributor to the progression from marijuana to hard drugs is their shared black market.

If a doctor says that a patient can benefit from marijuana, she supports we listen to the doctor rather than listening to the police.

He is appealing his sentence, which requires him to abstain from marijuana for a year.

Critics point out that no well-designed study has ever shown any medical benefit from smoked marijuana.