Seeking Common Ground #2: Marijuana & the "Experts"

[IdaBriggs]

We've got an incredibly long thread going on with a huge discussion of whether or not marijuana is a "safe" drug, or simply an over hyped victim of bad press and stupid governmental policies. (I am paraphrasing with some exaggeration of both opinions on purpose.)

So, in this thread, let's look for some common ground on areas where we can agree. I suggest the second point of discussion be a little more complicated: Who is *REALLY* an "Expert"? Who can we trust to tell us "the truth" about the medical, social and / or emotional effects of (currently illegal) "recreational" drugs?

For the sake of sanity, let us assume that no article published before 1995 is to be considered "credible".