demonstrate time and time again that they are not working with all of the facts, particularly when it comes to marijuana. Take Robert Patterson, chief of the Drug Enforcement Agency. He recently gave testimony during a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee on the opioid abuse crisis. The topic of medical marijuana came up frequently, yet Patterson was embarrassingly unprepared to discuss cannabis and its ability to help free people from opioid addictions. In fact, he didn’t seem to have much of a grasp on information about marijuana in general, according to a report Dispensaries.com.

The committee is rightfully concerned about opioids. According to the committee chairman during the hearing, almost a third of drug overdoses in the United States in 2016 were from synthetic opioids, at more than 20,000 deaths. He went on to say that in 2018 more than 2 million people will suffer from opioid addiction, whether obtained by prescription or illicit means. Studies and anecdotal evidence are growing that show cannabis is an effective replacement for opioid prescriptions and, therefore, ultimately could prevent overdoses. However, Patterson claimed to be unaware of these studies, a rather shocking statement for the top drug enforcement official in the country.Two important studies were released in March from JAMA Internal Medicine that showed opioid prescription rates were significantly lower in areas where adult-use marijuana was legalized by the state. Additional studies from Minnesota and New Mexico support these claims. This is a significant finding, considering about 40 percent of opioid deaths involve prescriptions. Given his willful ignorance on the studies, perhaps it should not be too surprising that Patterson would revert to tired, unfounded rhetoric about cannabis contributing to drug abuse, rather than the other way around. He even pointed to marijuana deaths, without any data to back up the claim.

When it comes to the over-incarceration of marijuana users, Patterson acknowledged that he had heard the numbers but said he didn’t see it for himself. This, again, is alarming considering the statistics are coming from the FBI, which should hold some credence to a federal official whether or not he sees it for himself.

Our Orange County medical marijuana lawyers are glad to hear Patterson state that marijuana users are not a priority for DEA. The agency is rightfully more concerned about opioids and other deadly drugs that are causing much turmoil in the country. However, this passive stance is not really doing the country any favors either. Of course states appreciate being given the space and freedom to do what they believe to be right. They are also being strangled, however, by the federal Schedule I classification of cannabis under Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. Section 812 in many ways, such as banking and transporting prescriptions to other states. This is not to mention the many arrests still being made every year connected to cannabis, 800,000 arrests in 2016 alone. Whether those arrests are connected to DEA or not in inconsequential to the people whose lives are being ruined by archaic laws. We expect the agency whose entire job is understanding drugs and enforcing regulations to have a stronger grasp on the facts or, at the very least, show a vague awareness of emerging research and data. That’s why our legal team is on top of federal, state, and local laws, the latest case findings, and the most recent studies. If our officials are not going to take the time to stay current on these important matters, it is up to our trusted marijuana attorneys to protect you and your rights.

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:

DEA Chief’s Congressional Testimony About Legal Marijuana Angered Some, Baffled Many, May 18, 2018, Dispensaries.com guest writer, Entrepreneur

More Blog Entries:

Marijuana as a Replacement for Opioids, Dec. 6, 2017, Medical Marijuana Lawyers Blog

The results, which stem from two decades of data, show in states where medical marijuana is legal and readily available, Americans over 50 have greater workforce participation. Is this link causative? The study participants offered compelling evidence to suggest just that.

Researchers with Johns Hopkins School of Public Health (Baltimore) and Temple University (Maryland) found that the health improvements experienced by both older men and women revealed increased participation in the labor market. In states with pro-marijuana laws there was a 9.4 percent increase in the probability of employment for Americans over the age of 50. There was also an increase in hours worked – 4.6 to 4.9 percent – in the number of weekly hours worked.

The results of this study help to belay the notion of marijuana users as being primarily young stoners using the drug solely for recreational purposes.

Although the exact prevalence of marijuana use among older adults isn’t known, there is evidence to suggest it is on the uptick – both for recreational and medicinal purposes.

For example, one survey by the International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines analyzing the therapeutic use of marijuana and derivative medicines revealed that of nearly 1,000 participants from more than 30 countries (including the U.S., Canada and France) that nearly 7 percent of cannabis users were between 61- and 75-years-old. In the Netherlands, nearly 40 percent of those prescribed the drug were between the ages of 61 and 93.

In some ways, this makes a lot of sense. After all, older people suffer on the whole from more ailments and have much higher levels of overall prescription use. It’s notable, though, for the fact that they are from the generation of “reefer madness,” when marijuana was painted in an extremely negative light as the source of numerous societal ills. So for them to be open to taking it at all is remarkable.

It seems many of them are finding that relief from this herb, which has been used for its medicinal properties for centuries, is more effective and often less dangerous than powerful prescription opioids and other painkillers. Marijuana may be gentler on the system than these other drugs, which is of particular concern for patients who are frail and vulnerable.

A survey conducted of 1,500 readers of the New England Journal of Medicine said they agreed that medical marijuana could be legitimately used therapeutically for a 68-year-old woman suffering from metastatic breast cancer, fatigue, pain and severe nausea.

Numerous randomized clinical trials espouse the benefits of medical marijuana, but most don’t look specifically at older adults. This should be an important consideration moving forward, both for individual states considering legislative changes and for the federal government in weighing whether to legalize – or at least decriminalize – possession, use and small-scale sales of marijuana.

The older adult population is not only growing exponentially, but on the whole are a vulnerable group due to physiological changes and a high likelihood of adverse drug events and comorbidity. It’s important that doctors and scientists study these interactions more carefully, but the research that does exist tells us that marijuana is a preferable alternative to other drugs for a myriad of conditions.

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

Additional Resources:

Study: Medical Marijuana Laws Associated With Greater Workforce Participation Among Older Americans, Oct. 6, 2016, By Paul Armentano, The Daily Chronic

More Blog Entries:

Diamond Logo on Marijuana Edibles in Colorado to Help Avoid Confusion, Oct. 25, 2016, Medical Marijuana Lawyer Blog