FAQ #1: Is marijuana medicine?

QUESTION: The Marijuana Policy Project says marijuana is medicine.  Does Keep AZ Drug Free think marijuana is a medicine?

ANSWER: No.  Marijuana is a Class I illegal substance under the Controlled Substance Act, because it has been found to have no acceptable medical use, is subject to abuse, and is not safe for use even under a physician’s care.

We acknowledge that there are people who truly believe they are helped by marijuana. Contrary to the anecdotal evidence of a few people with compelling stories, however, the FDA and the top medical associations of our country, including the American Medical Association, the American Cancer Society, the American Glaucoma Society, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the very medical societies that advocate for patients with serious illnesses like cancer, glaucoma and MS, all have rejected marijuana as a medicine.  They say marijuana has too many negative effects and that real medicines, like Marinol, work as well or better for the problems stated and are approved by the FDA, available for prescription by physicians, and could be reimbursable by insurance.  The Marijuana Policy Project does not care about weighing benefits against negative effects.  Their agenda is to legalize marijuana.  They want voters to ignore science and override health care standards that have protected the public for years.

Listen to doctor and experts, not the Marijuana Policy Project.  The Marijuana Policy Project is not a medical association.  It is a national pro-drug lobby, whose mission statement to legalize marijuana in this country can be read on their website at www.mpp.org/about/mission-statement.html.

For seriously ill people, marijuana can do more harm than good.  There is not conclusive scientific research on marijuana’s effectiveness or risks, dosages, interactions with other drugs, or impact on pre-existing conditions.  Smoked marijuana has been proven to damage the immune system, leaving immune-suppressed patients more vulnerable to infection.  Specifically with respect to MS, the National MS Society expressed “concerns that coordination, cognition (thinking and memory) and other functions affected by MS could be worsened” by marijuana! nationalmssociety.org/chapters/mnm/msconnectionnews/chapter-news-detail/index.aspx?nid=2399