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Highlighting Cannabis pioneers who paved the way to greater herbal acceptance.
DR. LESTER GRINSPOON
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rinspoon is an associate professor of psychology emeritus at Harvard Medical School. Our subject for this month’s column is possibly one of the most important contributors to the normalization of Cannabis in America in the 20th and 21st centuries. Long before Cannabis was ever conceived of being legal in the United States, he was talking about the benefits of this herb to humankind. He’s an expert on the history of Cannabis, and the author of Marihuana Reconsidered a book first published in 1971 that turned the notion of Cannabis as a harmful substance on its ear. Grinspoon’s work in researching medical ‘marihuana’ in the 1960s was a direct result of personal experience: his son was diagnosed with cancer at age 10 and went through a rigorous and toxic chemotherapy process. The child’s nausea became so tremendous at this time that Grinspoon and his wife were looking for any method possible to help aid their son. In his research, Grinspoon found anecdotal evidence supporting Cannabis for nausea related to chemotherapy. He tried the approach with his son before treatments and found that not only did Cannabis help alleviate symptoms of nausea, but that it actually helped his son feel better through the process. His first inkling as to the beneficial nature of this herb in medical application was “how remarkably FOLLOW ALONG:
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non-toxic this drug was.” Indeed, in the annals Globe, laughing uproariously. “I got the attention of pharmacopeia – when comparing Cannabis of one of the world’s biggest [jerks]. It’s a red to virtually any drug in the realm of toxicity to the badge of courage.” Despite this fact, Grinspoon human body – Cannabis always wins. was likely blacklisted for his findings and writings Grinspoon cites the draconian drug laws of the on Cannabis, as he never was granted full early 1900s with Cannabis’ criminalization, but professorship at Harvard and remains an associate also the under-educated physicians of that time professor emeritus to this day, despite calls from with only looking at Cannabis as an Asperin-like alumni and editorial boards for this status to be alternative, rather than fully granted. understanding its myriad “I personally think it’s LONG BEFORE effects on other maladies a kind of blessing, which CANNABIS WAS that humans encounter. we’re going to realize as a As for the culprit today? country at some point,” he EVER CONCEIVED Dr. Grinspoon primarily told Cannabiz in 2013 as blames the pharmaceutical legalization was beginning OF BEING LEGAL IN and alcohol industries for to take hold in Colorado THE UNITED STATES, and Washington. Here, more the illegality of Cannabis but also notes that the five years later – the tide DR. GRINSPOON WAS than federal government – with continues to turn on the view its reliance on money TALKING ABOUT THE of Cannabis as a helpful, not from the prison industrial harmful substance. He cites BENEFITS OF THIS complex, DEA, and even the exponential expansion of local law enforcement that number of conditions that HERB TO HUMANKIND. the is preventing Cannabis from Cannabis is used for today becoming legal nationwide. as truly remarkable. Richard Nixon particularly hated Grinspoon’s However, without a researcher and scientist like book Marihuana Reconsidered, railing against Grinspoon being willing to stick his neck out for him in the oval office on tapes released later. the cause, it is unlikely that we’d be where we are When Grinspoon heard the tapes at age 89 he today in terms of legalization. For that, we all owe laughed. “Imagine that,” he said to The Boston Dr. Lester Grinspoon a special thanks.
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