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SF report weighs health risks raised by legal pot

San Francisco Chronicle: Just weeks before recreational pot becomes legal in California, San Francisco public health officials have published a report on their best guesses for problems that could arise from widespread marijuana use, including abuse of the drug by young people and unforeseen health risks among adults.

The challenge, authors of the report noted, will be warning new users about the hazards of cannabis consumption — like the possibility of overdosing or driving under the influence — without straying into fearmongering.

The report takes no stand for or against legalization, which was adopted by California voters in November 2016. Because legalization is still a relatively new phenomenon in the United States, though, it’s not yet clear what public health issues might arise, officials said. The report, therefore, stands as a sort of benchmark.

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