Actually, I don’t smoke the stuff and have no desire to smoke the stuff. It’s not my bag of tea (which is probably only funny to me). I do support legalization, though, simply because marijuana just isn’t that scary--in fact, I’d much rather have a loud argument against someone who was stoned instead of someone drunk. Drunk people are unpredictable; stoned people are, at worst, irritating and slow.

Anyway, a new study shows that marijuana might not be quite as good in the medicinal department as advocates claim.

The pain-relieving qualities of cannabis have long been hailed, and several countries have made it available for medicinal purposes.

But quantity is key, according to the study in the journal Anesthesiology.

University of California researchers found moderate use had the greatest impact on pain in 15 volunteers, while large doses actually made pain worse.

Read the rest of the story--the cruel study methodology will probably bring a smile to your face, you sicko.

The study doesn’t change the ethical question of whether people should be able to medicate themselves with marijuana or not; it just changes the effective dosage. It also doesn’t change my assertion that, recreationally, the burn outs, hippies, stoners, and freaks should be allowed to puff themselves into their own, private oblivion using whatever dosage does the trick precisely because I don’t see the communities overriding interest in controlling this substance except in respect to minors or consumption leading to potential danger (pilots shouldn’t smoke before flights, for example).

So, if you’re puffing for pain, moderate your intake. You’ve been warned.

Speaking of pain. After the Rockies’ first game of the World Series, I would have to think that a lot of folks out here in Denver could use a moderate amount of pot right about now. Not too much, mind.