Cannabis laws in the United States have a tumultuous and convoluted history. Although the drug has been used in the United States since the late 1800s, it was first legalized for medical use by California in 1996. In 2012, Colorado and Washington legalized recreational cannabis. Today, medical-use cannabis is allowed in 47 states and non-medical-use cannabis is allowed in 24 states.
While most states have approved medical cannabis, the drug’s use is far from destigmatized. To learn more about cannabis’ path to legalization, place in healthcare, and possible risks, I am joined by physician and cannabis specialist Dr. Peter Grinspoon.
To begin, Peter explains that heavy criminalization charges and negative public opinion on cannabis primarily stem from the War on Drugs campaign.
“To get cannabis research in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, you had to show a drop in something. A drop in IQ, a drop in motivation, or a drop in sperm count, none of which are actually true. There are harms, but not those.”
Peter advocates for greater education on cannabis among healthcare professionals. The drug has been shown to help symptoms of chronic pain, insomnia, and anxiety. For the right patients, it can be a useful tool. Knowing how to dose cannabis gradually under the guidance of a medically trained professional will be crucial as public awareness of the drug grows.
“Every poll shows that most people want to get their information about cannabis from their doctors, but only about 3% do.”
Listen to the full episode for information on uses and risks, hemp-derived products like CBD, and different cannabis strains.
Here are the details of our conversation:
[00:01:28] Peter’s interest in medical cannabis
[00:04:08] The history of medicine and marijuana
[00:06:42] Populations who can benefit from medical cannabis
[00:09:17] Safe consumption methods
[00:10:09] Educating doctors on cannabis
[00:11:45] Increasing strengths of strains
[00:12:16] Risks and side effects
[00:14:13] Lab monitoring for cannabis and CBD
[00:16:22] Cannabis strains
[00:19:03] Criminal charges for cannabis
[00:19:59] CBD use
[00:22:11] Hemp vs. cannabis
[00:23:08] Supporting the endocannabinoid system naturally
[00:24:47] Is cannabis addictive?
[00:27:11] Age regulations for cannabis use
[00:28:54] Populations who are not recommended to use cannabis
References:
https://www.cdc.gov/cannabis/about/state-medical-cannabis-laws.html
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/02/29/most-americans-now-live-in-a-legal-marijuana-state-and-most-have-at-least-one-dispensary-in-their-county/
