Feds’ & Meds’ Marijuana Moves Going to Pot?

Letter to Philippians: As Trump administration moves to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, many health experts AGAIN warn about the obvious health risks of the stink weed. Is Dr. Common Sense still in the House so common folks can make sense of the PR, policy & political smoke?

The seemingly contradictory information as related in recent WSJ coverage is the latest headscratcher in our head scratching health-conscious times. On the one hand, we’re told the Acting Atty Gen Todd Blanche signed an order “that began the process of moving marijuana out of the government’s most restrictive drug classification that includes LSD and heroin, thereby making it obtainable for medical reasons with a prescription. On the one hand, the policy shift will make it easier to buy and sell pot in those cases in which the FDA, at least, believes it provides an established health benefit. The multi-billion-dollar cannabis industry is certainly lighting up in celebration. On the other hand, there’s the cautionary article titled, "What to Know About the Health Risks of Marijuana.” It doesn’t paint as giddy a picture as open marijuana advocates would. As the paper warns, a growing number of “studies show the drug can exacerbate anxiety” while “teen use poses risks for developing brains.” Is that all?

The short answer is, “no.” The “risks” of even occasional pot smoking “have become more of an issue in recent years as products with high levels of THC, the main psychoactive component of cannabis, have become widely available & popular.” The result has been a steep jump in ER incidents & overdose cases. Panic and paranoia is increasingly reported. Said one prominent addiction psychiatry expert, “People [even] come in worried that they’re dying.” Adding to the confusion that comes with mixed signaling by authorities, the paper notes, is that in many states, it’s already easy to get marijuana … at nearly any age or health condition. Now, “with the Trump administration’s move to reclassify the drug as less dangerous, one has to wonder if the drug is going to get even more dangerous.

Davd Soul