Ushering marijuana into the twenty first century

Marijuana, cannabis—whatever you may call it—is highly stigmatized and persistently linked to negative stereotypes. An important distinction should be made between the illegal use of recreational marijuana and the legal use of medical marijuana in the state of Pennsylvania. Although legislation has been introduced for recreational use, legislation for medical use in Pennsylvania has been successfully passed. In spite of this approved use, countless qualms still overshadow the medical power of marijuana.

On Oct. 27, State Sen. Daylin Leach presented “Marijuana Policy in Pennsylvania” at Muhlenberg. Sen. Leach’s impetus for his medical marijuana bill was rooted in the moving story of a three-year-old child with severe epilepsy. Prevailing treatments for this condition were described by Sen. Leach as “powerful, toxic medicines with horrible side effects.” A new drug to be used on patients with this epileptic condition resulted from a derivative of cannabis, known as “Charlotte’s Web.” Sen. Leach then dedicated himself to pass a medical marijuana bill to make such treatments possible.

Today, medical marijuana treatments are not just limited to extracts of cannabis. Marijuana is used in many shapes and forms ranging from the whole plant, to oils, to topical treatments and is approved for the use of seventeen conditions in Pennsylvania. Sen. Leach described other conditions treated with medical marijuana, including veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

In spite of the myriad of medical conditions treated with medical marijuana, medical marijuana is still regarded with doubt and skepticism. Two major components of this doubt consist of the lack of concrete medical studies on the long term effects of marijuana, and marijuana’s reputation as a gateway drug. Both issues were appropriately addressed by Sen. Leach.

Sen. Leach cited lack of medical studies on long term effects. Instead of substantiating our fears with scientific evidence, we are more afraid of what we do not know about marijuana and assume the worst because we are dealing with marijuana. What we know or think we know cannot be separated from the inherent negative stigma associated with marijuana.

But what about opioids and so many pharmaceuticals with debilitating side effects? Just because they are not marijuana, we are okay with them as a society? Another unsubstantiated claim against marijuana, relative to other prescription pharmaceuticals, is attributing marijuana as a gateway drug. Sen. Leach dismissed this claim by explaining the lack of logic in the argument. “If we give you medical marijuana it will lead you to harder drugs,” he explained. “So instead we will skip the gateway and just give you OxyContin.”

There is much evidence for medical marijuana as a therapeutic treatment for severe ailments whose alternative medications are linked to adverse side effects.

The counter argument, of course, is the lack of certitude regarding highly regulated, long-term scientific studies on the use of medical marijuana. This problem is not easily solved, as marijuana is a Schedule I drug, indicating it requires additional clearances from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) for research.

As much as we wonder what harmful possibilities we do not know yet, we also may not know the full potential of medical usages from marijuana due to the difficulty in conducting research on marijuana, since it is a Schedule I drug.

Another hurdle to the accessibility of marijuana and its medical use is the lack of insurance covering the costs of medical marijuana. Contrary to other pharmaceuticals widely studied and covered by insurance, these roadblocks hinder both the accessibility and future prevalence of marijuana’s medical use.

Though medical marijuana is legally allowed in the state of Pennsylvania, there is still much to be done until the use of this therapy can be maximized.