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CENTRAL MICHIGAN LIFE | CM-LIFE.COM | APRIL 20, 2017 John Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, presented research at AAAS about the effects of different dosages and consuming habits. The negative consequences associated with marijuana include sleepiness, increased heart rate, hunger, paranoia, dizziness and nausea. Vandrey said these symptoms rarely occur and are often a direct product of higher THC content found in certain strains of marijuana. For Welsh, cannabis only negatively affects him when he smokes too much. “It’s like any medication, in moderation it’s fine,” Welsh said. Considering the effects of THC content, Vandrey said it’s important for cannabis users to have control of the dose while medicating. However, because the state and federal governments have implemented inconsistent policies, plant quality is poorly regulated. After testing products at dispensaries and comparing results to the labels, Vandrey’s research found that only 17 percent of legally sold marijuana products were accurately labeled. False labels were often lower than the actual THC content. “There’s concern over the lack of quality control and oversight of cannabis in the U.S.,” he stressed. “I think that’s something that needs to be addressed.”
WHEN POLICY HINDERS SCIENTIFIC ADVANCEMENTS Most states have legalized some form of medical marijuana, but because research is so restricted in the U.S., drug policy is outpacing the science. Brown said he doesn’t understand why the government isn’t more supportive of marijuana research, but does understand the contentious history of prohibition and propaganda shaping attitudes toward marijuana. Brown thinks the government should prioritize testing so it can take a definitive stance. Regulations tend to endorse cannabis products more if it emphasizes other cannabinoids such as CBD I and CBD II. However, while there is less of a psychoactive element in CBD, the medical benefits are also much more mild, Marchalant added. “The only way we can find out how good or poor it is for health in general is to try it out on the population,” he said. As more states pass medical legislation, the doors are opening for researchers interested in the observational effects of marijuana on behavior, Marchalant said. However, investigating the physical and medical components of the plant is much more difficult. If a researcher wanted to work with a marijuana plant, they would need to apply for various approvals and licenses. They can only get the product from one growing facility in the country, located at the University of Mississippi. The process can take years to complete.
“We live in a very pragmatic world,” Marchalant said. “If you take three years to conduct your research, your research will probably be dead by then.” Most researchers use synthetic THC in their labs in part because it is more easily accessible, Marchalant said. He suspects synthetic THC may be more impactful as a medication anyways, because it utilizes the benefit of one cannabinoid as opposed to the collective effect of 400 cannabinoids that are found in the plant naturally. Still, Vandrey maintains that marijuana is becoming increasingly popular and more widely accepted for recreational use, too. That said, there needs to be a healthy push in momentum toward studying the plant in whole. The disparity between federal policy and societal practices hinders research in a way that is disadvantageous to both users and science. Vandrey describes the struggles of cannabis research as a “catch-22.” Efficient studies to understand the effects of cannabis and how to properly prescribe it cannot be done until it is removed from the Schedule 1 category, he said. Yet, it cannot be removed until more research is done to support its benefits. “Efforts to try and reconcile this and to help put science in line with policy is important,” he said. Gruber agreed, and emphasized the need for more research on dosages, long-term effects and cognitive abilities is necessary for both medical and recreational users. “Research is knowledge and knowledge is power,” Gruber concluded at the conference. “I would always underscore the importance of more research in each of these areas.” Because marijuana is widely supported by the public and helps so many people with medical conditions, Welsh said it’s the government’s responsibility to let science happen. He hopes that science showing the benefits of medical cannabis will help continue the journey toward full legalization. Because the drug is becoming so socially accepted, he believes legalization is bound to happen eventually. “It’s not as big of a deal as it’s been made out to be in the past and people are finally realizing it,” Welsh said. “Trying to resist or advocate against it is a waste of time because legalization is inevitable. It’s only slowing the process.”
NEWS
Josh Barnhart | Staff Photographer Ph.D. student Tomas Barrett, of Ireland, writes information down while working in a laboratory on April 18 on the second floor of the Health Professions Building.
WATCH:
Central Michigan Life sat down with two medical marijuana patients as they smoke and discuss the benefits of pot. LittleCaesarsQTR01262017.indd 1
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