Marijuana use by adults tied to few physical health problems

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Other than being at an increased risk of gum disease, people who smoked marijuana for up to 20 years during adulthood were generally as healthy as people who didn't light up, according to a new study.

The same researchers had previously found that marijuana users were at higher risk of cognitive decline and descent into lower social and economic strata, but the new study suggests the same isn't true for physical health.

"The only measures that seemed to indicate any really serious health problem was periodontal disease," said senior author Terrie Moffitt, of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

In periodontal disease, the gums around the teeth become inflamed, according to the National Institutes of Health. The gums pull away from the teeth, creating pockets that can become infected. Left untreated, periodontitis can lead to loss of teeth.

For the new study, the researchers studied 1,037 people born in New...

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