Reasons to reject marijuana proposal
Oklahomans will vote this summer on the medical marijuana issue. There are at least four reasons to be skeptical about the alleged benefits of legalizing cannabis for medical use.
First, despite what its advocates claim, there is less than universal evidence for the therapeutic benefits of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana. Trials of its effectiveness in a wide range of diseases and conditions tend to be haphazard and anecdotal.
For example, much is made of the supposed analgesic, or pain relieving, potential of THC. Yet a study by the Alberta College of Family Physicians found that, “Evidence for inhaled marijuana for pain is too sparse and poor to provide good evidence-based guidance.” Regarding chronic pain, the study found that “The mean pain improvement is 0.5 on a 0-10 scale, which isn’t clinically meaningful.”
Second, it would be virtually impossible to enforce the limitations on how much marijuana a person could grow and possess under the rules laid down in State Question 788. Police and health officials won’t be able to go around counting pot plants or weighing baggies. This makes it likely that a significant portion of marijuana claimed for medical use would be diverted to nonmedical consumption. And while SQ 788 requires a physician’s approval for medical pot use, we’ve seen past “pill mill” doctors lose their licenses for freely dispensing opioids; there are bound to be some who would cash in as “pot docs” as well.
Third, de facto legalization of pot for medical uses abandons proven methods in place for decades for the testing and approval of drugs. Under that system, new medications are extensively tested in double-blind clinical trials where their effectiveness and potential dangers and side effects are carefully monitored against
It would be virtually impossible to enforce the limitations on how much marijuana a person could grow and possess under the rules laid down in State Question 788.
comparable populations who receive placebos. Dosages in such studies are also meticulously measured and tested; there is no real way to determine how much THC a patient ingests from a marijuana joint. Under SQ 788, patients would be told to grow their own, bypassing the safeguards imposed on all other drugs, which are sold through pharmacies.
Finally, there are adverse effects of increased marijuana consumption, both to the individual and to society. THC impairs attention, memory, motor skills and other functions, with possible permanent damage from habitual use, especially by young people.
States that have legalized pot for medical and recreational use have seen increases in THC-triggered traffic accidents and emergency room admissions. Colorado has seen pot-related traffic fatalities double, and while Oklahoma is only considering medical pot legalization under SQ 788, can anyone doubt that some of those approved for medical marijuana permits would abuse that privilege and drive while intoxicated?
It may be that marijuana has some medical benefits for some patients. Careful clinical trials might prove or disprove that, and there should be ways to precisely regulate distribution and dosages. But SQ 788 provides none of those safeguards.
As we once did with a flawed lottery measure, Oklahoma voters should say “not this pot bill!”