than opioid addiction. Both U.S. and Canadian governments have dubbed the rapid increase in overdoses to be a crisis or epidemic. Meanwhile, cannabis has demonstrated itself to be the potential key to unlocking the addictive cycles, adding to the urgency in passing more effective medical marijuana laws. In New York, emergency rules have been put in place to allow medical marijuana as an opioid replacement. Yet in Ontario, where medical marijuana is permitted at the federal level for a variety of conditions, workers are still having opioids pushed on them.

New York state Department of Health recently added opioid dependency to the list of 12 other conditions that qualify patients for medical marijuana recommendations, according to Marijuana Moment. Chronic pain, one of the key issues opioids are used to treat, is already on the list, but specifically adding opioid substitution gives doctors the freedom to recommend cannabis to those with opioid addictions regardless of the reason they started taking them. Officials are hoping this strategy reduces the number of opioid deaths, noting that states with pro-medical marijuana laws on the books have seen a 30 percent drop in opioid prescriptions for Medicaid users.Statistics as of March 2018 from National Institute on Drug Abuse show more than 115 people die of opioid overdoses every day in the U.S. In Canada, numbers are also on the rise with an average of almost 8 deaths per day in 2016 and a push for better data collection across the provinces. Meanwhile, cannabis has continued to hold strong at zero deaths from overdose year after year. Hard to fathom, then why marijuana remains a Schedule I narcotic (considered the most dangerous) compared to opioids which are Schedule III, according to Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. Section 812.

These anecdotes and evidence make it more confounding what’s happening in Ontario. Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board is denying medical cannabis claims from patients licensed to use it to treat their injuries and manage pain. Other private insurers in the country have gotten on board with covering their patients, but WSIB has opted to favor opiates. Despite citing a concern over the addition crisis, WSIB has reportedly denied patients who have found pain relief from CBD and other cannabis compounds and want to free themselves of their opioid addictions. We’re used to these types of games in the U.S. because insurers have to be wary of federal laws, but it’s disappointing to see professionals still dragging their feet even when law is on their side.

So long as misconceptions and falsehoods about cannabis continue to prevent people from accessing the care they need, our Riverside medical marijuana attorneys will keep fighting for your rights. Our law firm protects patients, advises business owners, and even offers defense in criminal cases related to cannabis. We take pride in our work to defend medical marijuana users in Southern California and educating people about the truths and benefits of this substantially useful drug, especially in the face of the international opioid epidemic.

The Los Angeles CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients, defendants, workers and those facing criminal marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.

Additional Resources:

Injured Workers in Ontario Advised to Seek Opioids Instead of Cannabis, July 12, 2018, By A.J. Herrington, High Times

More Blog Entries:

Study: Legal Marijuana is Saving Lives Amid Opioid Epidemic, Oct. 23, 2017, Cannabis Law Group

treatments. University of Utah is planning a $740,000, two-year study on how marijuana affects the brain and why it affects some people differently. UC San Diego, meanwhile, received a cool $4.7 million to research the effects of cannabidiol (CBD) in the treatment of autism. The university said it is the largest private donation for medical cannabis research in U.S. history, according to KPBS.

Where the federal government has failed, The Ray and Tye Noorda Foundation is attempting to fill a need for more comprehensive medical cannabis research. The foundation says it donates sizable grants to projects it believes will help build a “world where all people enjoy equal opportunities to achieve health, purpose, and happiness.” Our medical marijuana attorneys certainly agree cannabis research fits the bill. Project subjects the foundation is funding also include chronic homelessness, economic advancement, housing and health initiatives, and re-entry into society after serving jail time, in addition to cannabis research. The study at the University of Utah will track the reaction of the psychoactive compound in cannabis (THC) with certain brain receptors in 40 adults, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. Finding the right balance of psychoactive and non-psychoactive compounds to produce the desired effect in the brain could be a major breakthrough for treating disorders such as PTSD and anxiety. UC San Diego’s research will stick to non-psychoactive CBD, which shows promise in helping autism patients adapt to brain abnormalities.

Because of marijuana’s status as a Schedule I narcotic according to the Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. Section 812, funding for medical marijuana research is more complicated than other types of medical treatments. Schedule I means a drug has been determined to have a “high potential for abuse,” “no currently acceptable medical use,” and there is a “lack of accepted safety” even with a doctor’s supervision. For drugs in which these qualities are true, it is understandable why federal agencies would have extremely strict standards for using the drugs in human testing. We would want the highest restrictions possible for medical testing involving other Schedule I narcotics, such as heroin and LSD. We all know cannabis is not in the same league as these highly dangerous drugs. Continuing to hide behind this classification as a reason to delay much needed medical testing is political posturing, pure and simple. To add insult to injury, the little bit of funding tagged for cannabis research often goes toward studying negative effects, like driving under the influence, or drug use prevention studies.

When the federal government is not fulfilling its obligation to the people, it is up to the people to stand up for themselves. Generous donors can help us progress with research and medical testing. Meanwhile, our skilled Orange County marijuana lawyers will protect your rights on the legal front. We have attorneys with extensive experience in both civil and criminal cases, so we can tackle a broad range of legal issues. We also can help cannabis businesses get started with business plans and licensing assistance. Our team is ready to help Southern California progress forward with hopes the rest of the country will follow.

The Los Angeles CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients, defendants, workers and those facing criminal marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.

Additional Resources:

UC San Diego Receives Significant Medicinal Cannabis Research Donation, April 26, 2018, KPBS Public Broadcasting

More Blog Entries:

Research: Marijuana Possibly a Treatment for HIV, Nov. 20, 2017, Orange County Medical Marijuana Lawyers Blog

children who benefit from it, there comes a question of who is really being protected.

Some children use cannabis oils, tinctures, capsules, creams, or liquids as treatment for medical issues with the recommendation and guidance of a physician. These treatments can offer relief to suffering that might otherwise prohibit the child from normal participation in school activities. However, the treatment itself has become a disruption: currently parents must remove children from school property before administering doctor recommended medical marijuana, according to a report from South San Francisco Patch.

Sen. Jerry Hill (D-Mateo) is hoping to put an end to this absurd practice with the introduction of SB-1127. The bill would allow governing bodies of school systems and charter schools to set their own policies, opening the door to allow medical marijuana use on school grounds for grades kindergarten through 12. It would still, of course, prohibit smoking or vaping, even if it is for medicinal purposes. The drug cannot be administered in a way that would be disruptive to the educational environment or that would expose other students. And storage of medical marijuana would not be permitted on school grounds.

The process would therefore still be a disruption for caregivers, who would need to come to the school to dole out the necessary dosage. Parents would still be required to manage and administer the drug without assistance from a school nurse or administrator. But at least children would not be ripped from their daily activities and dragged off school property, just to be used as a prop in some ridiculous point about marijuana.

It is important to teach minors about risks and why marijuana is regulated and should only be used recreationally by adults. But it is also true that cannabis is beneficial when used for children with special medical needs. Treating marijuana like radioactive material that can’t even be in the same building as the other children is only perpetuating the stigma of years past. We must arm the next generation with facts and understanding as well as protections and regulations.

It’s been more than two decades that medical marijuana has been available in California, with the Compassionate Use Act of 1996. And with Prop 64 recently going into effect, cannabis will be in the public consciousness more than ever. Children are going to have questions. Hauling their classmates off campus to responsibly and legally receive medical treatment is alarming and confusing, and will not be a deterrent to the other students who might be curious. Grandstanding and symbolic restrictions are no replacement for education.

Our medical marijuana lawyers in Orange County applaud any steps toward easier access of cannabis for patients and deconstructing myths and stigmas surrounding marijuana. This next generation will grow up in a world where marijuana is commonplace. But there is absolutely a time and a place for it. It is up to all of us to teach them responsibility, rather than rely on scare tactics so they can lead us all into a brighter future.

The Los Angeles CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients, defendants, workers and those facing criminal marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.

Additional Resources:

CA Lawmaker Seeks to Allow Cannabis Medicine in Schools, Feb. 16, 2018, South San Francisco Patch

More Blog Entries:

Medical Marijuana for Children with Serious Medical Conditions, March 6, 2016, Medical Marijuana Lawyers Blog

It was two years ago that we learned of findings uncovered by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) which showed that in states where medical marijuana had been approved between 1999 and 2010, there were 25 percent fewer people dying from opioid overdoses. This is major when you consider the scope of the prescription pain medication epidemic nationally, particularly addictions and overdoses involving Vicodin and OxyContin. The Department of Health and Human Services reports more than 165,000 Americans died from prescription opioid overdoses between 1999 and 204. The social and health costs of this drug abuse are estimated to be $55 billion annually.

This had lead researchers on a quest to find a less risky alternative for those in desperate need of pain relief.

Some 15 years ago, doctors started to hear that patients were turning to marijuana to treat their pain, to avoid the negative effects of opioids. Those anecdotes are what prompted the Johns Hopkins researchers to launch their study. However, that research, spearheaded by Marcus Bachuber, assistant professor of medicine at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, couldn’t say conclusively that it was use of marijuana that was directly resulting in fewer opioid deaths. Plus, Bachuber was counting both prescription opioid deaths, as well as those attributed to illegal heroin. But this study opened the door to further research.

A recent study published in the Journal of Pain indicated that of 185 medical marijuana patients in Michigan using the drug to treat their chronic pain, a significant number had slashed their opioid usage by more than half.

Another recent study published in the Clinical Journal of Pain indicated that of more than 175 patients suffering from chronic pain in Israel, 44 percent stopped using prescription opioids within just seven months of beginning to take medical marijuana.

Of course, each of these studies has grappled with certain limitations. These and others haven’t been focused on whether cannabis is an effective and less risky alternative to pain medications. The few that have showed encouraging results, but those were all limited to small patient samples. A big part of the reason for that has been government restriction on the drug.

Researchers say the best way to tell if medical marijuana in Orange County would be an effective alternative to powerful prescription painkillers would be to launch experimental clinical trials that might help to clearly show any cause-and-effect relationship. But it’s tough to do that, researchers note, because the U.S. government still stubbornly classifies marijuana as a Schedule I narcotic that has no currently accepted use as medicine and a high potential for abuse. A number of other countries have the same type of restrictions.

When the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was recently pressed once again about lifting the restriction, it said it could not do so because there was a lack of research to show the drug had valid medicinal properties. It’s a classic Catch-22 situation – and these officials aren’t blind to it.

That means researchers are left to try to press forward as best they can with the tools and techniques available. Progress is moving slower than we’d like – but it is still marching on.

The Los Angeles CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients and those facing marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.

Additional Resources:

Could Medical Cannabis Break the Painkiller Epidemic? Sept. 1, 2016, By Jeremy Hsu, Scientific American

More Blog Entries:

FDA: Liquid Marijuana Synthetic Approved for Cancer, AIDS Patients, Aug. 24, 2016, Orange County Marijuana Lawyer Blog