For many people, the multitude of medical uses of cannabis is too much to take. Since they find it hard to believe that one plant can tackle so many ailments and debilitating conditions, they falsely conclude that all of the medical uses must be hooey. I must admit that I was one of those people as well. It just seemed too good to be true. However, as more and more research is being conducted, science is bringing to light what the cannabis community has known for decades–marijuana is real medicine.
National Geographic has just published a great piece tracking some of the history of of medical marijuana and hemp, touching on the evolution of the plant and demonstrating how far we have come today:
In Siberia charred seeds have been found inside burial mounds dating back to 3000 B.C. The Chinese were using cannabis as a medicine thousands of years ago. Marijuana is deeply American too—as American as George Washington, who grew hemp at Mount Vernon. For most of the country’s history, cannabis was legal, commonly found in tinctures and extracts.
Then came Reefer Madness. Marijuana, the Assassin of Youth. The Killer Weed. The Gateway Drug. For nearly 70 years the plant went into hiding, and medical research largely stopped. In 1970 the federal government made it even harder to study marijuana, classifying it as a Schedule I drug—a dangerous substance with no valid medical purpose and a high potential for abuse, in the same category as heroin. In America most people expanding knowledge about cannabis were by definition criminals.
But now, as more and more people are turning to the drug to treat ailments, the science of cannabis is experiencing a rebirth. We’re finding surprises, and possibly miracles, concealed inside this once forbidden plant. Although marijuana is still classified as a Schedule I drug, Vivek Murthy, the U.S. surgeon general, recently expressed interest in what science will learn about marijuana, noting that preliminary data show that “for certain medical conditions and symptoms” it can be “helpful.”
The entire National Geographic article is certainly worth reading as Hampton Sides interviews the chemist Raphael Mechoulam, who discovered THC; a botanist; biochemist Manuel Guzmán, who has found THC to reduce and even eliminate tumors in mice; a caregiver and a geneticist to shine a light on the current state of medical marijuana science. From glaucoma to Crohn’s disease to inflammation to potentially even unlocking the cure for cancer, the medical properties of marijuana are clearly astounding. Dr. Mechoulam regrets that he doesn’t “have another lifetime to devote to this field, for we may well discover that cannabinoids are involved in some way in all human diseases.” Manuel Guzmán has a “gut feeling” that cannabis is a real cancer killer. Geneticist Nolan Kane, a researcher at the University of Colorado, states that cannabis “is an embarrassment of riches.”
While it is heartening to learn about the cutting-edge scientific advancements we are making with medical marijuana, it is sad to think about all of the people denied the benefits of this important medicine all of these years, and even across this great nation today. When local politicians in a progressive state like Oregon are allowing the Drug War mentality to seep into their policies and wannabe presidential candidates like Chris Christie proclaim that they would use federal agents to run roughshod over voters’ will and halt cannabis commerce, it demonstrates how vigilant we must be. While we are winning this war waged upon us, it is literally a matter of life and death that we prevail so we can truly ensure that people are never denied safe access to a safe and important medicine.
Anthony Johnson
Anthony, a longtime cannabis law reform advocate, was Chief Petitioner and co-author of Measure 91, Oregon's cannabis legalization effort. He served as director of both the New Approach Oregon and Vote Yes on 91 PACs, the political action committees responsible for the state's legalization campaign. As director of New Approach Oregon, Anthony continues to work towards effectively implementing the cannabis legalization system while protecting small business owners and the rights of patients. He sits on the Oregon Marijuana Rules Advisory Committee and fights for sensible rules at the legislature as well as city councils and county commissions across the state. Anthony helps cannabis business comply with Oregon's laws and advises advocates across the country. He also serves as content director of both the International Cannabis Business Conference and the Oregon Marijuana Business Conference, helping share the vision of moving the cannabis industry forward in a way that maintains the focus on keeping people out of prison and protecting patients. He was a member of the Oregon Health Authority Rules Advisory Committee, assisting the drafting of the administrative rules governing Oregon’s state-licensed medical marijuana facilities. He first co-authored and helped pass successful marijuana law reform measures while a law student at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. He passed the Oregon Bar in 2005 and practiced criminal defense for two years before transitioning to working full-time in the political advocacy realm. His blogs on Marijuana Politics are personal in nature and don't speak for or reflect the opinions of any group or organization.
