Marijuana may stave off Alzheimer's

From CNN:

Smoking pot may stave off Alzheimer's disease.
New research shows that the active ingredient in marijuana may prevent the progression of the disease by preserving levels of an important neurotransmitter that allows the brain to function. Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in California found that marijuana's active ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, can prevent the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from breaking down more effectively than commercially marketed drugs. THC is also more effective at blocking clumps of protein that can inhibit memory and cognition in Alzheimer's patients, the researchers reported in the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics.

I originally read about this in the October 27 issue of The Week magazine, which went on to explain the following: "In lab tests, THC completely blocked the formation of the damaging protein, while the major Alzheimer's drugs only impeded it by up to 22 percent, even at twice their usual doses."

Interesting.

Hey, don't get me wrong: I like a cold beer, good red wine, and the occasional gin and tonic. But while research like that described above continues to vindicate users of marijuana, alcohol — which actually kills people — is the legal recreational drug available most everywhere in the world. If we must micromanage people's personal habits through laws, shouldn't we at least get it right?