Marijuana Research: For A Parent, Medical Marijuana Is Not A Joke

By Nicole Earll, Parent Herald

An elderly man holds up leaves from a marijuana plant at the annual Hemp Parade (Hanfparade) in Berlin, Germany.
(Photo : Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

The Drug Enforcement Administration had previously banned research on medical marijuana, even calling it "a joke." But for a parent of a patient who needs to use marijuana for medical purposes, for them to have a normal life, there is nothing ridiculous about it.

 

As featured in a video from ATTN, Yvonne Cahalane, a mother of a cannabis patient, shares her story. Her son would have as many as 10 seizures a day; but after introducing marijuana, he gets to enjoy three months with no seizures at all.

Lack of Research
The lack of research on marijuana consumption is one of the factors why cannabis is still considered by many as a hard, addictive drug. The DEA's ban on medical marijuana just made it a lot more difficult for scientists to conduct studies that would show how the use of cannabis can be good or bad for patients.

Dr. Michelle Ross, a neuroscientist, told ATTN that the irony is that the government keeps saying that they want more research and facts to prove that marijuana is a safe and useful drug. However, they keep denying the conduct of studies and a fund to do such research.

Ban Pushes Patients To Black Market
Cahalane's case is just one of many others where marijuana is needed. Without a legal medical marijuana, patients will be forced to get their medicines in the black market. The black market is prone to crime and is unregulated and untaxed. Experts say this shouldn't be the case and the DEA should stop being subjective when it comes to medical marijuana and begin looking into facts that research can provide.

Progress Made
On a positive note, there is some progress being made, and the DEA actually approved the first-ever clinical study on marijuana. As reported by WATE 6, the DEA in April gave its go signal for a study on the benefits of medical marijuana use for the treatment of post-traumatic disorder (PTSD) in U.S. veterans.

The study, with $2.156 million funding from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, aims to gather information on "the dosing, risks, and benefits of smoked marijuana for PTSD symptoms" that could eventually lead to marijuana prescriptions for veterans," MAPS Public Benefit Corporation executive director Amy Emerson told WATE 6.