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Marijuana Law vs. Science

Marijuana is a plant that is regularly enjoyed by many as an intoxicant, which has also been found to be a good treatment for nausea with people who are undergoing chemotherapy. Marijuana contains delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. 

We know this lovely molecule as THC. The intoxication effects of Marijuana have been studied, with funding from the legendary Mayor LaGuardia during his heyday. Marijuana relaxes people, makes them easily amused, enhances perception of sound, and makes them easily amused. Off course another word for a state of being easily amused is happiness. 

No matter what your personal feelings on the ethics of recreational delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, if you think its weak, foolish, or a waste of time, I have something to say about how this substance is dealt with in regulating scientific research that should outrage everyone concerned about the public having access to potential medical discovery.

Science is a complicated enterprise. It requires massive quantities of funding. A good fluorescent microscope can cost $25,000. An fMRI machine, made famous with its colorful accurate brainscans, with software exceeds $1,000,000. 

In addition to these cost barriers, the scientific enterprise demands a great deal of regulation.

Research done on animals has to pass an ethical review of the experimental design.

Clinical trials are even better regulated.

Usually these regulations are wise, and provide good consumer protection and a high ethical standard.

But not with THC.

Enter the nightmarish world of drug scheduling:

The drug scheduling system goes from 1-5. With 5 being the least regulated drug.

This system makes intuitive sense.

Indeed, I have no disagreement with the basic premise that intoxicants are different and should be treated differently by the law. Different laws should be required for Heroin, which is currently classified schedule 1, for among the most dangerous drugs.

Heroin is a more dangerous drug than effexor which is a simple anxiolitic and anti-depressant. 

But lets talk about Marijuana, whose intoxicant is THC.

Marijuana is also scheduled 1, just like heroin.

Among the many problems with the scheduling of marijuana includes the fact that a schedule 1 drug is virtually inaccessible to scientists, and they are incapable of researching and furthering the common understanding of how THC affects people.

We do know from research that THC does not make those who are intoxicated dangerous in anyway, it does not cause overdose if marijuana is the delivery system, and it is one of the greatest treatments for nausea ever discovered. 

The current scheduling of marijuana is unethical and unscientific.