[april15Bendovr]

I would love to see a study on the amount of people that smoke marijuana that are actually self medicating.

[tacticalogic]

I would love to see a study on the amount of people that smoke marijuana that are actually self medicating.

The results are going to be dependent on how you define "self medicating", but I'll wager if you apply the same criteria to alcohol users you get similar results.

[jocon307]

"I would love to see a study on the amount of people that smoke marijuana that are actually self medicating."

I'm not entirely sure what you are getting at (I keep coming back to this thread, but I am not following it in its entirety, so forgive me if your point should already be clear to me), but mightn't it be better for people to be medicated with pot than prozac, or some other such drug?

I'm not asserting is would be better, just raising the question.

[philman_36]

I would love to see a study on the amount of people that smoke marijuana that are actually self medicating.
A report on some people that are self medicating. Your criteria is very broad and I doubt such a report has ever been undertaken since the scope of it would seem too vast. Control group analysis, however, being representative, should give you an overall idea.
Characteristics and Experiences of a Cohort of 489 Patients Self-Medicating with Cannabis for Pain and Other Symptoms

The GAO report mentioned in there in HTML...
MARIJUANA Early Experiences with Four States’ Laws That Allow Use for Medical Purposes (GAO-03-189)

Why the impetus on self medicating? In the old days plenty of people went to the local herbalist for treatment and, once they found the cure to their ailment, continued to use the herb recommended.
Ain't ya never seen "The Outlaw Josey Wales"?
Granny Hawkins: I say that big talk's worth doodly-squat. Now, them poltices is laced with feathermoss and mustard root. Mind you drop water on 'em occasion to keep 'em damp. (Walks off) You can pay me when you see me again, Josey Wales.