CNN's Sanjay Gupta: Americans 'terribly and systematically misled' about marijuana

CNN's Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon, apologized on Wednesday for publicly opposing marijuana legalization, saying science was clearly on the side of the drug.

"I think we have been terribly and systematically misled in this country for some time, and I did part of that misleading," he told CNN host Piers Morgan.

Though studies on marijuana in the United States tended to focus on the drug's negative effects, Gupta explained, research from across the world had made marijuana's positive effects clear. He said there was "no scientific basis" to claim marijuana had no medical benefits.

"I think it is irresponsible of the medical community not to offer this as an alternative," Gupta added, citing the high rates of deaths from prescription drugs. "I couldn't find one documented case of someone dying of a marijuana overdose."

Gupta also admitted he had tried smoking marijuana, but "didn't particularly care for it." He said it made him feel anxious.

Watch video, uploaded to YouTube, below:

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