Medical Marijuana

Please allow me to begin by saying I am not totally for nor am I totally against medical marijuana in Oklahoma. Rather, I hope to point out some inconsistencies I have seen in regard to this “medicine.”

I agree that medical marijuana may be a form of harm reduction. I have read literature and encountered anecdotal evidence that suggest those with an addiction to prescription painkillers tend to use less narcotics when they use medical marijuana.

I recognize that the process of regulating cannabis helps to decrease criminalization as a result of using and possessing the substance. Regulating the consumption of marijuana by creating a process by which an individual can become a legal, card-carrying consumer of the drug allows that consumer, if they are abiding by the regulations a legal marijuana consumer is supposed to abide by, to possess and consume the drug legally in this state. Regulation has allowed consumers to have their marijuana and smoke it too.

However, there are many factors regarding Oklahoma’s medical marijuana that concerns me:

1. The legal amount allowed to be possessed by each cardholder. In Oklahoma, a medical marijuana consumer may have the following: Up to three ounces of marijuana on their person, Up to eight ounces of marijuana at their residence, Six mature marijuana plants and six seedlings, One ounce of marijuana concentrates, and 72 ounces of edible marijuana products. That is a lot of marijuana. Why would anyone need that much at any one time?

2. Marketing. I go to a pharmacy for my medication. The pharmacy has a name that is pretty standard and boring. However, I encourage you to do an internet search for medical marijuana dispensaries. The names are often subtly suggestive of drug use and more often are over-the-top flagrantly flouting the consumption of the product for getting high, stoned, wasted, and other terms related to the consumption of the drug. I have never gotten medication from a pharmacy named in such a way that I knew I’d be getting intoxicated.

3. Comorbidity. I have worked in substance use long enough to know that marijuana use often occurs in conjunction with other substance use: methamphetamines, painkillers, alcohol, and so on. Rarely do I encounter an addict that uses only marijuana. Typically marijuana is used alongside other drugs. I will allow that this is my own anecdotal evidence and that the preceding statement is completely my own bias.

4. Children are watching. I recently received online training which shows that children are being impacted by the use of medical marijuana in the home. The training indicated accidental ingestion of marijuana (mostly edibles) has led to an increase of children being treated for marijuana-related overdose problems in hospitals. Additionally, I learned that reported cases of child abuse in homes in which parents are prescribed medical marijuana has increased in other states where the drug has become legal. Again, I am not saying all people who consume medical marijuana abuse their children, I am saying an increase of medical marijuana use in the home has coincided with an increase of child abuse reports in other states.

5. We are seeing an increase in driving under the influence of drugs cases involving marijuana use. Medical marijuana, like prescription opiates and other intoxicating drugs, can interfere with the safe operation of motor vehicles, and should not be used while driving because it becomes a public safety issue.

6. Call it what it is. A couple years ago, Oklahoma voters spoke, and they said they wanted medical marijuana. It is my opinion that Oklahoma’s very liberal amounts of marijuana allowed per cardholder seems nearly recreational. I know my doctor has never let me have THAT much medication for my high blood pressure or hypothyroid issues at one time. Also, is smoking this “medicine” really good for you? I’ve never had a medical professional tell me to smoke anything. So is it medicinal or recreational? With the copious amounts allowed, and the silly and suggestive dispensary names, along with the ease of obtaining this “medicine” for a plethora of illnesses, I think we should just call it what it seems to really be: Recreational Marijuana. Let’s just trash the whole “medicine” word.

I’ll end by re-stating what I wrote at the beginning of this piece: I really do not have a dog in this fight. Sure, I’m a little biased. I think using any substance in excess can be harmful. I think calling something medicine that may not be used in a medicinal way is harmful. Does that mean a person should go to prison for wanting to legally consume marijuana? I don’t think so. What we have here is a real headscratcher. Time will surely tell us how this will impact Oklahomans.

While we wait, please remember to be good to one another.