Physician-scientists must weigh in on medical pot

It is time for physician-scientists to weigh in on the legalization of so-called "medical marijuana."
I am the president of the Ohio Chapter of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), the leading organization specializing in addiction medicine representing over 3,000 physicians across the country. I see daily examples in my practice that marijuana is a drug of abuse and dependence that has serious negative consequences for many users. I see previously healthy teens now relegated to illegal activities to fuel their drug abuse that started with marijuana.

The adolescent brain is undergoing major changes and we know that marijuana-smoking teens have changes in their brain chemistry that makes them more likely to abuse opiates and heroin later in life.
We know that teens that start smoking marijuana have a significantly increased risk of cocaine, heroin and prescription drugs use. They also have a four to nine times increased risk of experiencing drug abuse and drug dependence later in life.

In states where marijuana is legal to be used as "medicine," serious unpredicted negative outcomes have developed. In Colorado, most teens that start to smoke marijuana are doing so with regulated "medical marijuana" that had been recommended to other patients. In California, unscrupulous providers are opening cash-only strip mall offices to sign off on medical marijuana recommendations for anyone with the enough money to receive a recommendation.
Proponents feel that they can pass this measure by showing cancer victims that can only gain relief from smoking marijuana. In fact, good scientific research has shown that smoking marijuana is not necessary and in fact is dangerous as is smoking any product.

We already have a form that has been studied and approved in the proper manner by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Dronabinol is a cannabinoid available to all patients at this time. Controlled scientific studies of head to head comparison with dronabinol vs. smoked marijuana showed dronabinol to be equal or better than smoked marijuana for pain and nausea.
ASAM asserts that marijuana (cannabis, cannabis-based products, and cannabis delivery devices) should be subject to the same standards that are applicable to other prescription medications and medical devices and that these products should not be distributed or otherwise provided to patients unless and until such products or devices have received marketing approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

Medical marijuana is a bad idea for Ohio, a state already being ravaged by drug abuse and dependence. Physicians have the medications we need to treat patients.
What we do not need is a repeat of the Ohio pill mills that drove the current opiate epidemic to be replaced with shady clinics providing uncontrolled marijuana for the smallest of medical conditions.


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