In the wake of recent legalization of marijuana by multiple states and the increasing use of and support for medical marijuana, I have begun to question my views of the substance. It had been vilified and chastised by my parents, teachers, and other adults during childhood. To this day, it conjures a negative sentiment when mentioned in the media and in social gatherings. However, my growing clinical and life experiences have steadily challenged this notion. I’ve learned about, heard about, and dealt with the impact of substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs (including heroin and cocaine) on health, but cannot say the same about marijuana. Additionally, I regularly interact with patients suffering from chronic pain who are not using prescription and over the counter pain medications. Instead, they are using medical marijuana to alleviate their pain. With all the known dangers of alcohol and tobacco, why are they readily available while marijuana, with its at best ambiguous detriments, controlled? Is the widely accepted and propagated narrative of marijuana false or misleading? Delving into history and statistics has shed some light on the answers to these questions. Behind the drug schedules In 1970, President Richard Nixon signed the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). This brought about the classification of recreational and prescription drugs based on classes deemed schedules, ranging from Schedule I to Schedule V. Schedule I drugs are those with high potential for abuse and no currently accepted medical use, while Schedule V drugs are those with the lowest potential for abuse. Marijuana was classified as a Schedule I drug; however the motivation behind doing so was based on personal views and political and commercial gain rather than clinical or scientific evidence. Marijuana is still classified as a Schedule I drug despite the fact that the benefits of its use clinically for multiple ailments have now been well established. Furthermore, when comparing marijuana’s health hazards to those of other substances and prescription medications, their impact is significantly dwarfed. Marijuana has shown some evidence of stunting brain function and development and harming the cardiovascular system. However, alcohol, tobacco, and opioids have been shown to be far more harmful. In fairness, studies of marijuana are currently limited. This is in large part due to its Schedule I classification. The comparative death rates are the most striking. I was not able to find much evidence on reported deaths linked directly to marijuana use; however, information on mortality from tobacco, alcohol, prescription and other drug use is well documented, and particularly high. Source
