Medical marijuana

Happy Birthday Prop 215! Don’t know what this is? This was the first medical marijuana law in the United States. It was passed in California a decade ago. (Mercury News)

Call me old fashioned, but I don’t think that marijuana should be used in the medical setting whatsoever. However, I have read and reviewed some of the medical studies which state that there could be a benefit in conditions such as cancer, anorexia, and AIDS.

The legal controversy is a little more interesting. The California law states that marijuana can be used not only for the above conditions but also "where medical use is deemed appropriate and has been recommended by a physician who has determined that the person's health would benefit."

What does that mean? Potentially, you could get a “prescription” for marijuana for just about any reason. For example, that bunion would feel so much better if you had some pot, wouldn’t it?

The California Medical Board has tried to set up guidelines, but these will undoubtedly make their way through the courts. It may be another ten years until all that is sorted out.

Finally, did you know that there is a state funded research center at the University of California, San Diego, doing clinical trials for marijuana use?

Igor Grant, director of the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research, said the results have been promising, in reducing inflammation and muscle spasms and treating conditions such as high blood pressure and multiple sclerosis. By studying the brain receptors that stimulate appetite when exposed to the chemicals in marijuana, scientists even are looking into possible treatments for obesity.

I think I’m having second thoughts on this. At least in California, I can’t get sued for improper use of marijuana, right? Maybe I’ll move there. NAH!