In 1996 California passed a law that legalized medical marijuana use. Unlike in the laws of the twelve other states that followed California in legalizing marijuana use, California’s law is very open, allowing marijuana to be used “for any illness for which marijuana provided relief.” In effect, this has allowed doctors to “recommend” marijuana (they are not allowed to “prescribe” it under the law) to anybody they see fit. In past years, this has increasingly begun to include adolescents with ADD and ADHD.
While I have not systematically gone through the literature on the linked between marijuana use and ADD/ADHD, neither the New York Times article that I read nor a search on google scholar with the search term “marijuana ADHD” revealed any studies examining the use of marijuana for treatment of these disorders. Thus, it appears that any “proof” that marijuana is or is not effective in treating ADD and ADHD is purely anecdotal.
I am not against marijuana use as long as a proper risk-benefit analysis has been conducted and it has been concluded that the benefits outweigh the risks. However, in this case, it does not appear that any proper medical study has been carried out. Some doctors anecdotally swear that marijuana use has allowed ADD and ADHD symptoms in a few of their patients to wane, while other doctors insist that marijuana only serves to disrupt attention and concentration, problems that those with these disorders already must grapple with. In addition, without further research, it would seem that the default should be to steer away from prescribing marijuana as the currently available research does suggest that marijuana can cause dependency and significant long-term problems.
While some oppose marijuana use on ethical grounds stemming from the fact that it is illegal etc, I believe that marijuana should be treated as any other medicine is: put through rigorous medical trials to determine if it is appropriate to use it for various different illnesses and disorders. It seems unacceptable to me that California has allowed doctors such free-license with recommending marijuana to patients when it would seem that other medicines are regulated much more carefully.
Related Links:
Ellison, Katherine. "Medical Marijuana - No Longer Just for Adults." New York Times. 21 Nov. 2009.
1 comment:
Using marijuana for medical reasons in California should be much more carefully regulated. Wynne is correct in saying that the state needs a much more thought out policy on to whom they “recommend” these drugs to. In the case of ADD, it is known that people with ADD have overactive parietal lobes. It is also known that smoking marijuana allows parts of the brain to relax and become less hyperactive. However, the assumption that the drug benefits all people with varying degrees of ADD is dangerous. Each person should be thoroughly evaluated. More medical research in this field is certainly called for regarding all diseases.
This would be facilitated by a much more united federal government and a more cohesive national plan. With Obama’s new administration, changes in the national drug policy are occurring. 14 states currently allow the sale of medical marijuana. Barrett explains, “The Obama administration will not seek to arrest medical marijuana users and suppliers as long as they conform to state laws, under new policy guidelines to be sent to federal prosecutors Monday… The new policy is a significant departure from the Bush administration, which insisted it would continue to enforce federal anti-pot laws regardless of state codes.” This new regime hopes to make a better policy.
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