Do illegal drugs have approved therapeutic effects?
Yes, some do. Heroin has none, since it is totally illegal in the United States. However, it has powerful pain-relieving properties (but it breaks down in the body to morphine, which is used instead). Cocaine has an approved use as a local anesthetic for eye surgery, but possession and use of the drug for other purposes is illegal. Marijuana (actually, the active ingredient in pill form, THC) is approved for the treatment of nausea and vomiting, and for its anti-wasting (appetite-increasing) effect in AIDS patients. All other alleged medical uses of marijuana (pain relief, anti-asthma, anti-glaucoma) are unapproved.
