DEA & NIDA Block Medical Research of Marijuana

The debate over the beneficial uses of marijuana as medicine has provoked much controversy in recent years. Many people believe that medical marijuana can be extremely effective in treating certain conditions and their symptoms, such as cancer, glaucoma, and AIDS. However, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the National Institute for Drug Abuse have made it difficult for researchers to obtain marijuana in order to conduct research by placing tight restrictions on the availability of the drug.

In the past few years, eighteen different states and Washington DC have passed medical marijuana laws, and Colorado and Washington both legalized the limited recreational use of marijuana. But federal laws have not changed, and both the DEA and NIDA have blocked substantial medical research on the issue. President Obama recently indicated that he may push for the decriminalization of the possession of marijuana under federal law however, until this occurs it may remain an obstacle for researchers to conduct studies on the subject.

Marijuana & Drug Abuse

Because extensive research on the benefits of marijuana has been blocked by the DEA and NIDA, a federal court recently determined that marijuana should remain a Schedule I drug, meaning that it has no real medical value and a high risk for drug abuse. Marijuana is a drug, and just as with any other drug it has a potential for abuse. However, when compared to other substances that are much more harmful and addictive, such as prescription painkillers, alcohol and tobacco, the use of marijuana may not be nearly as dangerous.

Prescription medications such as OxyContin, Vicodin, and Xanax are highly addictive and can cause users to overdose. But government agencies have allowed research to be conducted on these medications in order to prove their effectiveness. It is estimated that roughly 100,000 Americans die each year from prescription medication abuse. Marijuana has been proven to be non-toxic and does not lead to death from overdose.

Other legal substances like alcohol and tobacco that are used for recreational purposes lead to an additional 450,000 deaths each year, yet they still remain legal. In addition, these substances cannot be used for medical purposes. Smaller studies on marijuana, which have been supported by agencies such as the National Cancer Institute and the Institute of Medicine, have shown that marijuana can be effective as a medicine. In order to prove this on a federal level, restrictions on the drug must be loosened in order to allow for more research.

The use of marijuana can lead to drug addiction, and many individuals do go to rehab each year because of their addiction to marijuana. Just like other drugs, it has impacts on a person's brain, and it can cause them to have cravings and drug abuse issues. However, thousands of people go to rehab treatment for alcoholism, yet it still remains legal and widely accessible. Marijuana may not be beneficial for everyone, and its medical uses may be limited, but in order for the federal government to arrive at a reasonable and agreeable decision on the matter, it may be in their best interests to fund proper research on the subject.