New York Times - Top Stories

Megan Twohey

Tens of millions of people in the U.S. use marijuana, most of them without problems. But a growing number of users have had serious health effects. Our reporting found that some widely held beliefs about the drug’s safety aren’t true →

Megan Twohey

It’s a myth, for instance, that no one gets addicted to marijuana. An estimated 18 million people meet the threshold for cannabis use disorder. Of those, about three million at the severe end are considered addicted.

Megan Twohey

Marijuana also is known for soothing nausea, but it can sometimes have the opposite effect: Doctors are seeing more cases of severe, sometimes debilitating nausea and vomiting caused by the drug.

Megan Twohey

And as people increasingly use marijuana to self-medicate for anxiety or depression, few know that the drug can harm mental health, inducing temporary psychosis and contributing to chronic psychotic disorders.

Megan Twohey

Few states require that these risks be disclosed. Research has been held back by federal restrictions. And the medical system lacks tools to precisely track the effects. Again and again, people told us they wished they’d been warned.