Gupta's Goof

CNN, the all-news TV channel and website, has an enormous power and reputation worldwide. So, whatever it puts out in coverage of events and comment carries a lot of weight and is accorded a great deal of credibility. But, sometimes its pundits get sloppy with the facts, and their analyses are somewhat faulty.

This is what happened to Dr. Sanjay Gupta, its chief medical correspondent, with regard to the issue of medical marijuana. After having dismissed it as having no scientific value, he has had to apologize and accept that he did not do his homework properly on the subject. He is now of the view that marijuana is, indeed, a valuable -- sometimes, only -- remedy for certain ailments and individuals, and that, except for extreme and rare cases, has no major ill consequences.

Gupta's retraction is courageous and should be commended. It should also give pause to other experts, so that they are more thorough in their research before they commit to a professional opinion.

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