Is marijuana a medicine?

“Is marijuana a medicine” is the headline of an article in Wall Street Journal on January 18.

The article states, As the legal landscape for patients clears somewhat, the medical one remains confusing, largely because of limited scientific studies. A recent American Medical Association review found fewer than 20 randomized, controlled clinical trials of smoked marijuana for all possible uses. These involved around 300 people in all—well short of the evidence typically required for a pharmaceutical to be marketed in the U.S.

It is worth noting that so called “medicinal” marijuana is not approved as a medicine by FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in the United States, and nowhere else either.

It might be interesting to know that Professor Raphael Mechoulam in Israel has been involved in cannabis related research during the past 40 years. You will find an interview with him here.

After the article in Wall Street Journal, Calvina Fay, Executive Director of the Drug Free America Foundation, Inc. has sent the following letter to the editor.

January 19, 2010

Dear Editor:

There are many issues surrounding so-called medical marijuana. Ms. Mathews tried to wrap them all up in a little neat box when she wrote “Is Marijuana a Medicine?” published in The Wall Street Journal. Unfortunately, the topic is not that simple. As a drug policy expert, I recommend breaking the issue down into the science, the patients, the distribution and the propaganda to better understand it.

First, the scientific research just isn’t there yet for smoked marijuana to be approved as a legitimate medicine by the Food and Drug Administration. Some components of marijuana have indeed shown medicinal benefit; however, dosage of those cannabinoids cannot be delivered consistently to consumers by smoking, making the drug extremely unpredictable.

Next is the patient. Who is really smoking marijuana as a medicine? I can tell you that the majority of people with legitimate diseases go to legitimate doctors and take legitimate medications. In fact, studies show that in cities like San Diego where this issue has been closely examined, only 2% of those smoking marijuana under the guise of medicine have serious conditions such as AIDS, glaucoma or cancer. A full 98% are ‘treating’ conditions such as back and neck pain, anxiety, muscle spasms, insomnia, headaches and other less significant conditions. But even more troubling is that 12% of the users are under 21!

Marijuana dispensaries, or pot-shops, have nothing to do with whether marijuana is a medicine or not. Pot shops are not even remotely similar to pharmacies. Many pot shop employees have criminal records and no medical backgrounds. The storefronts clearly promote a toxic weed, utilizing elaborate neon signs and other propaganda such as the “pot” candy mentioned in this article. This type of deceptive marketing seems as though it would certainly appeal more to young people than the sick and dying.

The propaganda surrounding this entire issue seriously jeopardizes consumer protection. More importantly, determining medicine by popular vote is not appropriate scientific methodology and is frankly very dangerous to society at large.

Finally, to answer the question in the title – marijuana in its FDA approved pill form, dronabinol, is a medicine. However, smoked marijuana being recommended to people by snake oil salesmen in fourteen states across the country is not.

Sincerely,

Calvina Fay

Executive Director

Drug Free America Foundation, Inc.

5999 Central Ave. Ste. 301

St. Petersburg, FL 33710

727-828-0211