medical marijuana

Medical Marijuana in Minnesota 

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

Medical MarijuanaThe debate for legalizing marijuana is continuing in Minnesota. Bills are progressing through the legislature, but nothing as of yet has been decided. There are some very vocal groups supporting medical marijuana in Minnesota, with one of the most passionate groups being parents with children who are prone to seizures. The medical and law enforcement communities are less excited about the legalizing of medical marijuana.

It’s interesting to note that the Senate and House bills are not legalizing the smoking of marijuana. Instead, they’ve proposed the legalization of state-dispensed marijuana in pill or liquid form for vaporizing. There will be fees paid by the user and pharmacy, and it appears that it will be restricted to only certain medical conditions.

Qualifying Conditions

The Senate has created a list of conditions that would make a person eligible for medical marijuana. Some of the conditions include:

  • HIV
  • Glaucoma
  • ALS, MS, and Crohn’s Disease
  • PTSD
  • Seizures
  • Some forms of Chronic Pain

The Senate and the House do not agree on some eligible conditions, as the House is not supporting medical marijuana for PTSD or chronic pain.

The legal community is not thrilled with legalizing marijuana due to concerns about control and abuse. There are so many prescription medications that are currently being abused, and the law enforcement community does not want to add to the existing problems. Tight restrictions on use may control the availability and abuse potential, but these problems are unknown. In states where less restrictive medical marijuana laws are present, abuse is a large problem.

The medical community is not thrilled with marijuana at this time more on a scientific basis. There are at least 84 cannaboids associated with different forms of marijuana. All these compounds have different actions in the body and they have not been studied in depth. The compounds that are helpful in various conditions have not been isolated. In general, it is bad medicine to give people drugs without knowing all of the potential side effects. Medically, we have no idea if these compounds may cause cancer or other horrible problems later in life.

Marijuana may have some very good attributes for treatment in some conditions, but at this time we are only guessing what may be helpful or dangerous. The best solution would be to get serious in testing and scientifically studying the various ingredients in marijuana. Legalizing does not really help in our understanding of the plant. Research is needed to determine the real nature of the cannaboids in the plant. A national effort to appropriately study marijuana would be beneficial.

Can Marijuana Relieve Pain?

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

MarijuanaThere is currently a raging controversy about legalizing marijuana, especially for medicinal purposes.  A few states have recently legalized it, and several other states (including Minnesota) are considering it. This article will examine the potential benefits of marijuana for managing pain.

Marijuana Compounds & Ingredients

The active ingredients in marijuana are cannaboids, and there are at least 84 different ones present in the plant.  There are also 483 known compounds in marijuana.  The main compound is THC, which has psychoactive components.  For medical purposes, it has been used and approved for glaucoma and poor appetite related to chemotherapy and cancer.  Unfortunately, there are claims about the success of the plant for many other conditions, but very little scientific support to determine the reality of these claims.

Studies have shown that marijuana has psychoactive effects, some positive, and some negative. A few of the more common effects include:

  • Heightened mood
  • Relaxation, and euphoria
  • Decreased short-term memory
  • Impaired motor skills and judgment
  • Anxiety and paranoia

Marijuana & Pain

Marijuana has been known to have some impact on pain. Some studies show its effectiveness in managing nerve pain such as:

Why it works it not understood, but there are multiple areas in pain pathways that it may modulate.

The Need for Better Research

The problem with marijuana is that there are many compounds in the plant when taken as a whole.  Some of the chemicals may be beneficial, while others may cause problems.  On a scientific basis, most medical doctors want to know the specific compounds that are effective for any condition and use just that compound.  Marijuana has 483 different compounds and at least 84 cannaboids, and the whole plant is on the “Black List” – thought to be dangerous to society.  In the United States, research on marijuana is strictly controlled.  The variety of plants grown is extremely limited by the U.S. government and the restrictions on handling the plant make good research extremely difficult.

In reality, it is likely that there are beneficial cannaboids for a variety of painful conditions.  Good research is needed to determine which compounds are effective for what conditions.  The U.S. government needs to at least legalize marijuana for medical research, and get serious about determining the real safety issues with the various compounds.  Control of marijuana for safety versus making it illegal on all fronts is wise.