MARIJUANA LAW UPDATES BY JO MCGUIRE, OF SUBSTANCE MEDIA
Clearing the Smoke about Medical vs. Recreational Marijuana
This column will update readers on developments in marijuana legalization.
tug at heart strings for compassionate care, appeal to the fiscally concerned for eco- nomic recovery and on some levels, seem like good theories for controlling drug use. Te result has spilled over to the workplace where business owners and managers find themselves grappling with social accep- tance for marijuana while understanding the need for a safe and drug-free workplace. Tis is understandable when we look at the intense media campaign surrounding marijuana. Add to that employee excuses for positive drug tests and a perfect storm is created for potential missteps in consistent drug policy enforcement. Tis issue does not need to be so confus-
A
ing and a few solid facts can help. So let’s clear the smoke. THC is not a medicine. Tis is a point
to be very clear on. Carcinogenic intake of marijuana does not contribute to heal- ing, health or wellness. Tis is partly why marijuana has repeatedly been declared to have no medical value by major medical associations such as the American Medical Association, American Cancer Society, American Academy of Pediatrics, Institute of Medicine, and the American Society of Addiction Medicine, among others. But the issue is greater than that. Crude marijuana (or the raw plant) has never passed the rigorous safety and efficacy requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration which looks for things such as toxicity, carcinogens, other impurities and potential for harm (Stuart Gitlow, MD, 2013). To quote Dr. Bob DuPont of the Institute for Behavior and Health, “You don’t smoke medicine. (DuPont, 2014)” Tis has been made repeatedly clear in research, reviews,
56 datia focus
s efforts toward marijuana legaliza- tion become more prominent, the arguments made to sway voters can
position statements, court challenges and the classification of crude marijuana in the United States. Where THC has a mild to moderate
analgesic effect, there are products such as Marinol® that can ease pain. Marinol® is a synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol approved by the FDA that has litle or no mind-alter- ing effects. However Marinol® is drastically under-utilized and most definitely not the product found in marijuana dispensaries that offer a wide array of products for “medical” use. Keeping that firmly in mind, understand
the individual component of marijuana having potential for medical use for symp- toms such as neuropathic pain related to cancer, seizures caused by Dravet Syn- drome or spasticity related to Multiple Sclerosis, is called cannabidiol or CBD. CBD and THC do not exist in the can-
nabis plant in equal proportions once the THC potency gets higher than 2-3 percent. Te same is true for CBD. Once the CBD potency is increased, the THC is reduced to smaller amounts. CBD can also lessen the intoxicating effects of THC. Tere are on-going studies and pro-
grams being funded to understand the medical efficacy of CBD-based products and to make the availability broader for those who could benefit. A positive effort in creating sensible change where cannabis is concerned would be to high- light those efforts and call for increased funding and time tables in providing effective, pharmaceutical-grade relief for those whose suffering could be eased. Te pursuit of these cannabis-based medicines seeks to provide relief in the form of pills, mouth-sprays, injections, etc. Sativex is one example of a mouth spray that has an appropriate dose delivery method.
winter 2015
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