By Stephanie Smith
CNN Medical Producer

The national conversation about medical marijuana - in particular smoked marijuana - is complex and often polarizing.

I liken it to having a conversation with my father-in-law about politics/race/religion/poverty/health care – you name it. We start off meaning to have dignified conversation, but we inevitably spiral into growling matches peppered with words like, “those liberals…” and “c’mon, you’re smarter than that…” or “that’s crazy! That’s insane.” In reality, we are not so far apart on the issues, but somehow we can muddy the conversation so that it seems like we are.

The medical marijuana debate has been historically cast in equally polarizing terms: Groups are either for or against legalizing it.

That is what makes a subtle, nuanced move by the American Medical Association at a board meeting on Tuesday such a remarkable twist in the dialogue. The AMA shifted a 72-year-old policy about smoked marijuana, acknowledging that there could be some medical benefits, and urging reconsideration of the drug’s Schedule I status (Schedule I is a drug of abuse with “no accepted medical use.” Heroin and ecstasy are also Schedule I).

The AMA’s new policy language suggests that “marijuana’s status as a federal Schedule I controlled substance be reviewed with the goal of facilitating the conduct of clinical research and development of cannabinoid-based medicines.”

What that means is that marijuana should be reconsidered as a Schedule I drug so that wider studies can be conducted that may establish that it is worthy of prescription drug status.

The organization is quick to add that it is by no means endorsing state-based cannabis programs or legalization. It also does not go as far as to say there is evidence that cannabis meets the rigorous standards met by prescription drugs on the market now – yet.

But that “yet” is key. What the new policy - and a forthcoming study - concede is that several short-term trials have shown that smoked cannabis is effective to treat neuropathy (nerve pain) in patients with HIV and hepatitic C. It is also effective, again, in a small number of trials, for stimulating appetite for people on chemotherapy; it may also be useful for patients with multiple sclerosis, to ameliorate pain and spasms.

The idea behind this policy shift is to widen the berth of studies about smoked marijuana, and to conduct them in a controlled manner, just as is done with prescription drugs, so that the debate can quiet down and give way to scientific evidence.

Now if only I could quiet down those debates with my father-in-law.

What do you think about the AMA’s new position on medical marijuana? Do you agree that it should be taken off of Schedule I status to make way for more studies in this area?

Editor's Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.

By Danielle Dellorto
CNN Medical Producer

“What was he thinking?” That seems to be the common reaction when fans hear the news that Olympic superstar Michael Phelps got caught smoking pot. What’s interesting is, as I dug deeper, I realized people weren’t too concerned that his behavior may harm his health, but more appalled that his getting caught could cost him millions of dollars in endorsement money.

This got me thinking that a lot people look at marijuana as having very limited impact on our health. One friend made his case to me with absolute certainty in his tone, “In the big scheme of things, smoking pot is not going to hurt me.” He added, “At least I don’t smoke cigarettes.”

But is that really true? Are cigarettes worse for your health than marijuana? An overwhelming amount of research says not so fast.

Smoking one marijuana cigarette sends the same amount of tar into the lungs as four tobacco cigarettes. Turns out pot contains about 400 chemicals and 50 percent more carcinogens than a tobacco cigarette. Carcinogens cause damage to the DNA in our cells, increasing your risk for lung infections, heart disease and even cancer.

Pot is becoming as addictive as tobacco too. What’s being sold today is not your parents’ generation of marijuana. A study released last summer compared pot being smoked today with what was smoked back before 1992 and concluded it is 175 percent more potent, resulting in more frequent use and increasing it's addictive properties.

The short-term health effects probably won’t surprise you: impaired judgment, forgetfulness, difficulty focusing. But the long-term effects are physical. Marijuana smoking causes asthma, chest colds, lung infections and increased heart rate. Experts believe marijuana causes more damage to the respiratory system than cigarettes because pot smokers hold the smoke in their lungs longer than a person inhaling tobacco.

People may not realize their chronic chest cold could be the result of smoking pot and quite frankly for some people it may not even matter. But for a professional athlete, a swimmer no less, who relies on the strength of his lungs to win gold medals — the health ramifications just don’t seem worth it.

So here are my questions for you: Why is it so common for people to believe smoking pot doesn’t impact your health? Were you surprised by what you read? And don’t forget to sound off on Phelps. I want to know what YOU think he was thinking!

Editor's Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.

By Caleb Hellerman
CNN Medical Senior Producer

This week the Drug Enforcement Administration overruled one of its own administrative judges, nixing a plan that would break the government’s monopoly on legally growing marijuana for research purposes.

The rejected application came from Lyle Craker, a plant researcher at the University of Massachusetts. He wants to produce strains of pot that could be used in medical research. The jury is still out on this one. Some studies show that marijuana helps ease pain in patients with muscular dystrophy or the eye disease glaucoma; others find that pot restores the appetite of AIDS and cancer patients who are otherwise too nauseated to eat. But some doctors aren’t swayed. Still others say it would be better to distill one or more of the chemicals in marijuana, to produce a more traditional medicine.

As things stand, all marijuana used for research is grown by ElSohly Laboratories, a government-sponsored private company in Oxford, Mississippi. That gives the federal government veto power over any new study. The arrangement also discourages private companies from taking part. Rick Doblin, head of a group called the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), which sponsored Craker’s application, told me, “No pharmaceutical company would spend ten  million dollars or more to obtain approval for a medicine and then have to purchase it from a monopolistic competitor.”

Doblin says the DEA decision is a parting shot by the Bush administration, a backhanded way to block further research. Unanswered is whether Barack Obama will take a different approach. During the campaign, he said he would stop federal raids on people using marijuana with a doctor’s prescription, but lately he’s shown a more cautious side. In December, in response to a popular question on his website, the incoming administration posted, simply, “President-elect Obama is not in favor of the legalization of marijuana.”

I asked a spokesman in the Transition Press Office if Obama would support research like Craker’s. He couldn’t say.

Should the government allow more research on medical marijuana? Tell us.

Editor's Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.

By Melanie Diaz
CNN Medical intern

Halfway through my undergraduate years, I think I can say I’ve been through enough to help me figure a few things out. But still, the college craze of cannabis continues to astound me. Oh, you know, marijuana, pot, ganja. If you’re reading this, you’re probably familiar with the terms.

My generation grew up with parents who were at Woodstock - hippies who believed in freedom on many levels. Freeing your mind was just one reason to smoke.

And now, we’re going through it too. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug on college campuses today. While this isn’t anything new, it’s still something to consider, especially when short-term effects of smoking include distorted perceptions, difficulty solving problems and complications with learning and memory.

But still, some of my classmates claim they can write more profound papers and engage in better conversations when high on marijuana. Others say they hit the pipe nearly every day and can still pull high GPAs. They say it’s just a phase.

Knowing this, it struck me when the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse recently released a study on marijuana. It supports my thoughts that marijuana might be more dangerous than we realize.

According to CASA, in the ‘70s, the chemical that determines the drug’s strength, THC, was at less than 1 percent of potency.

Now, potency levels are up to 8.8 percent in seized samples.

In addition, the study shows that abuse or dependency on the drug is up fivefold.

And finally, the findings reveal a 136 percent increase in the number of ER visits caused by marijuana.

These numbers are huge. This isn’t “Dazed and Confused”; it’s real life.

The facts suggest we’re getting higher than ever before, more people are getting hooked on the drug and more are going to the hospital because of marijuana.

What do you think? Is smoking marijuana now more a gamble with your health? Or is it just a phase that college students go through?

Editor’s Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.