The Oakland Press and its Editorial Board concede that ailing people are finding some relief through marijuana.

We’re glad that the drug is helping them but that doesn’t mean we’re convinced that use of marijuana for medical purposes should be legal.

The debate is somewhat moot now because it is law in Michigan but we’re still concerned about the drug, its use, misuse and its control.

We opposed approval of the law when it was voted on last year and we have continued to promote strict control now that it is law.

The board has not reached these conclusions arbitrarily.

Members have reviewed studies and discussed the problem with law enforcement and other officials.

When it was merely a proposal that voters were going to decide in a November election, we met with local, state and national law enforcement officers who expressed extreme concern over the proposal. Among other things, they were afraid it would hurt their efforts to crackdown on illegal drug use.

Once approved, the state struggled for months with attempting to come up with guidelines for controlling the substance, making sure those who legally could use it had access to it while trying to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.

Problems still exist on the local level with who to allow to distribute the drug.

Recent studies indicate that legal marijuana may be contributing to increased illegal use by teens. A decade-long decline in teens’ use of pot has stalled and some teen attitudes on how harmful marijuana can be may be softening, according to a federal survey on teen drugs. The findings were based on a survey of roughly 47,000 eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders conducted by the University of Michigan for the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The national debate over medical use of marijuana could be making the drugs seem safer to teenagers, researchers say.

Of particular concern in examining the survey results is how teens perceive the drug. Students were asked how much people risk harming themselves if they smoke marijuana occasionally or smoke marijuana regularly. Fewer eighth-grade students said that people who smoked pot put themselves at great risk than a year ago.

Consequently, the young people perceive the danger from marijuana use as less risky. That’s youthful and wrong thinking. The dangers of marijuana use are just not fully known. However, some studies are indicating that long-term marijuana use decreases fertility and increases the risk of certain cancers, such as prostate cancer.

Medical marijuana was approved probably more by emotion, than logic. People who voted yes felt sympathy for those who were ailing. It’s understandable.

The board still believes legal marijuana poses many risks so strict controls should be instituted. And since it is here for now, we’ve also editorialized about taxing it. Considering Michigan’s economy, the state could sure use the revenue.