Articles Posted in Medical Marijuana in California

When the Drug Enforcement Agency released its 2015 National Drug Threat Assessment, the acting head of the DEA made a controversial comment. While the DEA official said that marijuana extracts showed promise, he went on to indicate that smoking marijuana had never been shown either safe or effective as a medication. Fortunately, Fact Check.org looked at the truth of his statement and determined it was false.

While the research is still being done on medical marijuana, the information that is available indicates that side effects are generally mild and that substantial medical benefits are apparent. It is important to have accurate information about both risks and benefits of medical marijuana, just like with other medications, in order to make actual, informed choices. Those in positions of authority should not contribute to spreading false information that could impact the ability of people with serious medical conditions to get access to medication they need.
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The Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act (MMRSA) has been controversial since the Act’s inception and now that the law has passed, the controversy has not faded. In fact, a lawsuit has been filed by the operator of a medical marijuana collective. The plaintiff in the litigation seeks to overturn the new law, arguing that the new regulations are a violation of the California state constitution. Voters in California passed Proposition 215 in 1996 to make medical marijuana legal, but a broad regulatory framework has not developed over the past 20 years, so MMRSA was aimed at creating a consistent set of state laws at long last.

MMRSA was supported by local governments and police agencies. However, the plaintiff and others who oppose the law argue that the regulations are too burdensome and will be too great of an infringement on the rights of growers, dispensaries, and patients. As the San Diego Tribune states, the plaintiff believes “the new laws that supposedly uphold the right of medical-marijuana patients actually restricts their rights under the initiative.”
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When a state opens up the medical marijuana market by approving medicinal use of cannabis, explosive growth generally follows.

The legal cannabis industry nationwide has more than doubled in the past two years, and in 2015 the industry is expected to bring in around $3.5 billion. Clearly, the rapid growth and high industry profits demonstrate a significant pent-up demand for marijuana to treat medical conditions. The opening of the recreational market is also expected to generate significant investment, bringing in substantial tax revenue to states that recognize that legalization is the answer.
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A study was recently conducted at McGill University Health Center in Montreal. The focus of the study was on the safety of long-term use of medical marijuana among chronic pain sufferers. According to WebMD, the trial conducted was the “first and largest study of the long-term safety of medical marijuana use by patients in chronic pain.”

The study took place over a period of one year, and the results provided some good news for patients who suffer from pain and who use marijuana to treat it. The study revealed few serious side effects for patients using cannabis products, compared with people who did not use marijuana to treat their pain.
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Medical marijuana is increasingly becoming the subject of scientific studies as more and more locations throughout the United States make cannabis accessible to patients with medical needs. Even as new health benefits are discovered every day, research is still lagging and the full potential of cannabis has not yet been discovered. The reason: the federal government is stifling research as a result of a refusal to reschedule medical marijuana and to accept its use for medicinal purposes.

A Los Angeles medical marijuana lawyer knows the federal government has continued to actively pursue legal actions against lawful medical marijuana dispensaries, despite a Congressional Amendment intended to prevent federal funds for being used for this purpose. Not only should the federal government stop these harmful legal processes, but the Brookings Institute also urges the government to take further action to expand medical research into cannabis use. The government needs to recognize that its approach to marijuana is harming the scientific community and preventing medical advancement.
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As of earlier this year, the official count of registered medical marijuana users exceeded 1.1 million. That figure could easily exceed 2.5 million if marijuana were legal for medicinal purposes in all 50 states plus D.C., as there are an average of 7.7 patients for every 1,000 population right now.

But these revelations are fairly new. In fact, marijuana has only been legal as medicine for two decades. It remains illegal under federal law, and it’s still considered a Schedule I narcotic – the most dangerous level of the drug.

While it’s true many of these patients are quite sick and may be unable to work full-time, many function just fine in their occupational roles, and their use of marijuana has no bearing on the job. Of course, just as with any controlled substance, many recognize that being under the influence of a drug – prescription or otherwise – at work can be, at minimum, a productivity issue and at worst, a safety issue.
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Drug-free school zone laws are in place all over the country. In an effort to keep illicit drugs and illegal prescriptions out of the hands of pupils, state laws multiply the fines and penalties for anyone caught violating drug statutes on school property – or even within a certain radius.

But those laws were written before the age of medical marijuana, and long before any state approved the recreational use of marijuana for adults. Many school districts and law enforcement agencies continue to enforce the old laws on school grounds. There is still merit, they say, to keep schools free of drugs and out of the hands of children.

And perhaps there is. But what if we’re talking medical marijuana? And what if the student is the patient?
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Marijuana was known as medicine centuries before lawmakers in the U.S. sought to stamp it out. But in the last two decades, it seems Americans are finally coming around, as 23 states plus the District of Columbia have passed laws that make it legal to use marijuana for medicinal treatments. Another four states have given the green light for recreational use of the drug.

Other countries such as Spain, Israel, Germany, Finland, Canada and Austria have also allowed people access to marijuana prescribed by a doctor.

Advocates of medicinal marijuana are still fighting for expanded access, arguing the drug is both effective and safe as a therapy for a wide range of ailments. However, opponents assert the benefits are overblown and the harms are swept under the rug. They insist the only reason people are pushing so hard for medical marijuana is that it makes it more accessible to those who want it solely for recreation.
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