As the November presidential election approaches, the issue of medical\nmarijuana has come to the political debate. The Democratic candidate\nHillary Clinton has presented a liberal-leaning, yet cautious\nstand on medical marijuana.
\nClinton supports legal access to medical marijuana. She would like to\nsee more research into the medical benefits of cannabis, and has stated\nthat she would support the reclassification of marijuana to increase\nsuch research.
\n\"I do think on the federal level we need to remove marijuana from the\nSchedule I of drugs, move it to Schedule II, which will permit it to be\nthe basis for medical research,\" said Clinton in an interview with WBZ\nNewsRadio in\nBoston\nin January 2016.
\nWhile this support is encouraging, I feel it doesn't go far enough. She\nneeds a more thorough exposure to the current cannabis environment to\nunderstand why she needs to \"up her game.\" In particular, she needs more\nknowledge about:
\nChanging Attitudes
\nSupport for legalizing marijuana for both recreational and medicinal use\nis at an all-time high. In 1969, at the height of the counterculture\nmovement, Woodstock and Vietnam War protests, fewer than 12 percent of\nAmericans supported marijuana legalization, and only about four\npercent\nreported that they had tried marijuana. Research focused on marijuana as\na gateway\ndrug,\non its psychological effects such as\npsychosis\nand physiological\nintoxication.
\nJump ahead nearly 50 years. A 2015 Gallup\npoll\nreport that 58 percent of Americans support marijuana legalization, a\n2015 Harris\nPoll\nreport that 81 percent support medical marijuana usage and access, and\nabout 76\npercent\nof doctors support medical cannabis. In addition, nearly 49\npercent\nof Americans admit to having tried marijuana and 12\npercent\nare current, regular users.
\nThis growing support for legalized marijuana is a cultural change, which\nI believe is based on the growing idea that cannabis is safer than\nalcohol, the recognition that cannabis has specific medical effects that\nshould be explored and the complete failure of the \"war on\ndrugs\"\nto curtail illicit drug use. Support is highest among younger\nindividuals (18 to 34 years) and those who typically support Democratic\nor Independent party candidates and platforms.
\nMedical Cannabis Users
\nApproximately 2.6 million\nAmericans\nuse medical cannabis currently. According to a recent and comprehensive\nsurvey of\nmedical cannabis users, most are:
\nAmong the survey respondents:
\nFederal Narcotic Classification Implications
\nMarijuana is currently classified as a Schedule 1\nnarcotic, which by definition\nmeans it has \"no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for\nabuse.\" As such, research is difficult to conduct. It requires a complex\napplication process for a highly restrictive license from the Drug\nEnforcement Agency. In addition, funding for Schedule I drug research\ntypically comes from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which tends\nto limit such studies to the effects of abuse, and not medical\napplications.
\nIn addition to research roadblocks, cannabis distribution, possession\nand use remains a criminal offense, and federal laws could supersede\nstate laws. Although the US Justice\nDepartment\nupdated its marijuana enforcement policy in 2013 to defer their right to\nchallenge state legislation as long as states actively ensure a policy\nof strict regulatory control, in my opinion, the threat of federal\nprosecution remains.
\nI believe that this threat would be reduced if Clinton's proposed\nreclassification of marijuana to a Schedule II drug occurs. Marijuana\nwould be downgraded to \"dangerous,\" which would put it in the same\ncategory as cocaine, methamphetamine, oxycodone and Adderall. However,\nthis classification is still misleading. Evidence shows that cannabis is\na much\nsafer\ndrug compared to these other Schedule II drugs.
\nUnequal Access
\nAs of 2015, 23 states, the District of Columbia (DC) and Guam have\npassed medical cannabis legislation. Clinton is on record for supporting\nstate-level legislation for medical cannabis.
\n\"I think that the states moving forward is appropriate and I think the\nfederal government has to move to make this more available for research\nthat they can then distribute to interested people across our country,\"\nsaid\nClinton.
\nLeaving it up to the states, however, means unequal access as more than\nhalf of the states continue to block medical cannabis. Patients who\ncould benefit from medical cannabis are unable to legally obtain or use\nthe medication because of where they live. Those who cross state lines\ncould be subject to prosecution upon returning home with their\nmedication.
\nEconomic Sense
\nAnother argument for the liberalization of marijuana legislation is\nfinancial. According to \"The State of Marijuana Marketing,\" by ArcView\nMarket Research, \"The cannabis\nindustry is growing at a compounded annual rate of 30%, making it one of\nthe fastest growing sectors in the economy.\" States that have legalized\ncannabis have received an economic\ninflux: Colorado generated $135\nmillion and Washington generated $70 million in cannabis taxes and\nlicense fees in 2015. These numbers are expected to grow.
\nContrast that with the cost of enforcing federal marijuana laws. A 2010\nstudy\nestimated that the cost of prohibiting marijuana was $3.4 billion in
\nThis information makes it is clear that Clinton needs to become a\nstronger supporter of medical cannabis. In my opinion, it's just good\npolitics.
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