College, medical marijuana, and you

Laura Mishkin 

James Smith first started smoking weed at age 16. He and his friends would get high recreationally every month or so and hide the evidence from their parents. Now a sophomore at the UW, James smokes two to three times a day to help him focus on homework and curb his depression and anxiety.

 He’s one of almost 150,000 Washington state residents who smoke marijuana for medicinal purposes.

For centuries, marijuana has been used recreationally and medicinally for its ability to relieve mental and physical ailments. The cannabis plant is composed of 100 chemical compounds, or cannabinoids, that have pharmacologic properties. But only in the past century have these properties and their effects on the body and brain been tracked. Beatriz Carlini, a research scientist at the UW Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute (ADAI), has been studying these effects and their societal implications since 2010.

“Legal drugs have the least concerns from society, but are the ones used the most,” Carlini said. “Therefore, you see more consequences [of legal drugs] in society than other drugs.”

Carlini has noticed some consequences since marijuana’s legalization in Washington in 2012 with the state’s Initiative 502 in 2012, but effects are hard to pinpoint.

“We can’t really say anything because it’s so new,” Carlini said. “Results are going to take three to four years to track.”

What is confirmed, however, is that cannabinoids can clinically treat chronic pain. There is strong, conclusive evidence that marijuana helps adults with chronic pain by reducing pain symptoms, and that it can relieve chemotherapy-induced nausea or spasticity in multiple-sclerosis patients.

Fuzzy boundaries arise in research studying the difference between medical and recreational usage of marijuana.

“It’s similar to challenging the validity of having a glass of wine with dinner,” Carlini said. “It helps to cope with the stress, and it’s hard to judge whether it is a medicinal therapeutic use or recreational, or both. Marijuana is similar to that.”

Because of marijuana’s status as a Schedule I drug, federally funded research is rare, meaning there isn’t enough research to definitively prove its effects on depression and anxiety. On top of its DEA classification, marijuana research is stunted because of economic, moral, and political barriers, according to Carlini.

“There is still so much we don’t know. As Washington, we’ve decided to be the guinea pigs of the experiment, and we still don’t know what’s going to happen,” she said. “There are still so many layers of barriers that our hands are tied.”

But for Smith, whose whole family has struggled with depression, marijuana comes as a huge help. After coming to the UW, his depression and anxiety hit a high and his doctor prescribed Prozac, a fluoxetine antidepressant. It was during this time that he started smoking more and noticing it curbed his anxious tendencies more than taking the Prozac.

“I used to smoke and go out and do things, but now I have to use it before doing homework or beginning my daily routine,” he said. “If I don’t smoke, I don’t do well. It calms me down and clears my mind so I can actually focus on the things I need to be doing.”

Though Smith has a prescription for Prozac, he doesn’t have a medical marijuana card, and isn’t old enough to purchase it legally from a Seattle dispensary. His parents don’t know about his smoking, and Smith feels as though there’s a stigma around his usage.

“I think [getting a card] is just more of a pain than to buy it illegally,” he said. “It’s a convenience thing. I’m not sure how easily I could get a card if I’m not 21 yet.”

This is a common misconception regarding medical marijuana cards. To acquire a card, you don’t have to be 21, nor do you have to have a qualifying medical condition like cancer or epilepsy.

Any Washington state doctor or physician can recommend medical marijuana use, as long as it’s written on tamper-resistant paper and accompanied by a health care provider’s signature and a date.

There are online communities, blogs, and forums, like cannabis.com, with information about the process of authorization and access, most of which have links and contact information for more help.

Most users agree that the process is relatively easy, and that helpful resources are there for people who are considering getting a card.

For UW students over 21 who don’t visit a doctor or don’t have a health care provider, the U-District and its neighboring communities are home to plenty of marijuana dispensaries. American Mary, located across the I-5 bridge, boasts a knowledgeable staff and over 45 different strains. Uncle Ike’s on Capitol Hill gives patrons a free Lyft ride with purchase and has multi-lingual employees, making getting high more accessible than ever.

Side effects of medical marijuana are slim, and it is a relatively safe medication compared to other prescription drugs used to treat chronic or intractable pain, according to ADAI.

As with any substance, though, there are risks involved, many of which are still being researched.

Discussing medical marijuana with your doctor would be the best first step for those who are able.
“It’s not a miracle drug,” Carlini said. “There are still big black holes in what we know about weed.”