FACTS & SCIENCE
Marijuana has become a controversial and divisive topic. We are exposed to all sorts of "facts" and "claims" about both sides of the issue, and our media and popular culture can give us a skewed and uninformed version of this drug. What are the true facts? What does the science say? What do the researchers who have been studying this substance for the last 50 years say? What do our legitimate medical professionals say?
This page is designed to provide scientific answers to many of the common questions that we get asked about this drug. It is meant to be educational. We include citations to peer-reviewed, academic journals for all of the scientific information provided here so that you can look up the resources and study them for yourself. The questions included here are the most common questions we get asked. We hope this is helpful to you.
This page is designed to provide scientific answers to many of the common questions that we get asked about this drug. It is meant to be educational. We include citations to peer-reviewed, academic journals for all of the scientific information provided here so that you can look up the resources and study them for yourself. The questions included here are the most common questions we get asked. We hope this is helpful to you.
Questions:
What is Marijuana?
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It's a plant. The technical term is Cannabis Sativa. It's a tall, spindly plant that contains more than 500 chemicals, and includes over 100 compounds that are called cannabinoids, (i.e. CBG, CBC, CBD, THC, CBN, CBDL, CBL, CBE, CBT).
The two most commonly known compounds in the plant are CBD and THC. THC (Delta-9-Tetrahydro-cannabinol) - is a psychoactive compound of cannabis. (Psychoactive = a chemical substance that has a profound or significant effect on mental processes; one that changes brain function and alters perception, mood and/or consciousness.) CBD (Cannabidiol) - a non psychoactive compound of cannabis. It is the most abundant cannabinoid in the plant, and actually lessens the psychotropic effects of THC. |
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Sources:
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. The health effects of cannabis and cannabinoids: The current state of evidence and recommendations for research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
- Volkow, et al. 2014. Adverse Effects of Marijuana. New England Journal of Medicine. 4; 370
Why is marijuana a schedule-1 drug?
In 1971, in Vienna, Austria, the United States joined with other countries in executing an international treaty, entitled the Convention on Psychotropic Substances. It was designed to establish suitable controls over the manufacture, distribution, transfer, and use of certain psychotropic substances. That treaty resulted in the Controlled Substances Act, which gives the authority to control substances to the Attorney General, who has the National Food & Drug Administration (FDA), in consultation with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), review, analyze and asses the medical and scientific data to decide which schedule a drug should receive. There are 5 distinct categories or schedules that depend upon the drug’s acceptable medical use and the drug’s abuse or dependency potential.
Marijuana is a Schedule-1 drug because: (1) Marijuana currently has no accepted medical use in the United States, (2) Marijuana currently has a lack of accepted safety for use even under medical supervision, and (3) Marijuana has a high potential for abuse, (high likelihood of causing dependence and addiction).
The FDA has reviewed the scheduling of marijuana many times, the most recent review by the FDA in 2015, and the DEA in 2016:
Marijuana is a Schedule-1 drug because: (1) Marijuana currently has no accepted medical use in the United States, (2) Marijuana currently has a lack of accepted safety for use even under medical supervision, and (3) Marijuana has a high potential for abuse, (high likelihood of causing dependence and addiction).
The FDA has reviewed the scheduling of marijuana many times, the most recent review by the FDA in 2015, and the DEA in 2016:
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“The FDA has not approved any product containing or derived from botanical marijuana for any indication. This means that the FDA has not found any such product to be safe or effective for the treatment of any disease or condition. Study of marijuana in clinical trial settings is needed to assess the safety and effectiveness of marijuana for medical use.”
www.FDA.gov/PublicHealthFocus "Using established scientific standards that are consistent with that same FDA drug approval process and based on the FDA's scientific and medical evaluation... marijuana will remain a schedule I controlled substance. It does not have a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, there is a lack of accepted safety for its use under medical supervision, and it has a high potential for abuse."
Drug Enforcement Agency, August 11, 2016 |
HOW DOES MARIJUANA EFFECT THE BRAIN?
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When marijuana is consumed, the bloodstream carries the chemical throughout the body, impacting the entire system, including the brain.
Many studies show how marijuana use can cause functional impairment in cognitive abilities, and the degree and/or duration of the impairment depends on the age when an individual begins using, how much they used, and how long they used. 1 Impacts are both short and long term. The image to the right includes a list of many of the ways that marijuana impairs higher brain function, including reduced learning, memory, problem solving, decision making, behavioral control, and motor coordination. |
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Short Term Research Example:
“Marijuana intoxication causes short-term effects on the brain related to memory, verbal fluency, attention, learning, perception of time, and sensory perception.”2 Long Term Research Example: “Research evaluating the neurocognitive effects of marijuana provides evidence that heavy marijuana users persistently show decreases in neurocognitive performance and worse neurocognitive effects among individuals who began marijuana use early.”3 |
Marijuana Use Lowers IQ
Research shows those who used cannabis heavily in their teens and continued through adulthood showed a permanent drop in IQ of 8 points.4 A loss of 8 IQ points could drop a person of average intelligence into the lowest third of the intelligence range.
Research shows those who used cannabis heavily in their teens and continued through adulthood showed a permanent drop in IQ of 8 points.4 A loss of 8 IQ points could drop a person of average intelligence into the lowest third of the intelligence range.
1- Volkow ND, Swanson JM, Evins AE, et al. Effects of Cannabis Use on Human Behavior, Including Cognition, Motivation, and Psychosis: A Review. JAMA Psychiatry. February 2016. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2015.3278.
2- McHale, S., & Hunt, N. (2008). Executive function deficits in short-term abstinent cannabis users.Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical & Experimental, 23(5), 409-415. doi:10.1002/hup.941
3- Schweinsburg, A. D., Brown, S. A., & Tapert, S. F. (2008). The Influence of Marijuana Use on Neurocognitive Functioning in Adolescents.Current Drug Abuse Reviews, 1(1), 99-111.
4- M.H. Meier, Avshalom Caspi, et al. 2012. “Persistent cannabis users show neuropsychological decline from childhood to midlife.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
2- McHale, S., & Hunt, N. (2008). Executive function deficits in short-term abstinent cannabis users.Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical & Experimental, 23(5), 409-415. doi:10.1002/hup.941
3- Schweinsburg, A. D., Brown, S. A., & Tapert, S. F. (2008). The Influence of Marijuana Use on Neurocognitive Functioning in Adolescents.Current Drug Abuse Reviews, 1(1), 99-111.
4- M.H. Meier, Avshalom Caspi, et al. 2012. “Persistent cannabis users show neuropsychological decline from childhood to midlife.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
IS MARIJUANA MEDICINE?
It depends on what you mean by "marijuana" and what you mean by "medicine".
You can't buy marijuana at a pharmacy, and a doctor can't prescribe you marijuana, just like they don't prescribe ephedra and you don't buy opium from your pharmacist or willow bark from the drug store. Instead, professional chemists extract the compounds from willow bark to create aspirin, so that it's clean, and pure, and an exact dose of the chemical is contained in each pill, (without any of the parts that result in negative side effects). Doctors don't prescribe methamphetamine, but they do prescribe ephedrine, which is a synthesized medication from the ephedra plant (which is also what methamphetamine comes from). Another prime example is opium: doctors don't prescribe opium cookies to eat or oils to be smoked, but morphine is a synthesized, purified drug that comes from the opium poppy and can be prescribed in exact doses. Additionally, rigorous clinical trials are conducted to understand the exact side effects, dosage, and prescription guidelines for medical professionals.
You can't buy marijuana at a pharmacy, and a doctor can't prescribe you marijuana, just like they don't prescribe ephedra and you don't buy opium from your pharmacist or willow bark from the drug store. Instead, professional chemists extract the compounds from willow bark to create aspirin, so that it's clean, and pure, and an exact dose of the chemical is contained in each pill, (without any of the parts that result in negative side effects). Doctors don't prescribe methamphetamine, but they do prescribe ephedrine, which is a synthesized medication from the ephedra plant (which is also what methamphetamine comes from). Another prime example is opium: doctors don't prescribe opium cookies to eat or oils to be smoked, but morphine is a synthesized, purified drug that comes from the opium poppy and can be prescribed in exact doses. Additionally, rigorous clinical trials are conducted to understand the exact side effects, dosage, and prescription guidelines for medical professionals.
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Likewise, we have many medications that are derived from the marijuana plant that are available on the market with a prescription, like Dronabinol (which has THC in it), Sativex, Nabilone, Dexanabinol (which isn’t approved yet,) CT-3, Cannabinor, HU308, HU331, Taranabant, and Rimonabant. Just like aspirin or morphine or any and every other drug that has come into use in the past 50 years, these drugs are tested through clinical trials and approved through the FDA process and then provided to doctors to prescribe with regulations and training on their potency, dosage and prescription schedules. So if the question is, 'do we use the marijuana plant to create medicines, just like other plants that have shown medicinal properties?', the answer is YES. |
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The marijuana plant itself is not a medicine, and almost every major medical association agrees:
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American Medical Association (AMA) - 2015
The AMA has called for more research on the subject, with the caveat that this “should not be viewed as an endorsement of state-based medical cannabis programs, the legalization of marijuana, or that scientific evidence on the therapeutic use of cannabis meets the current standards for a prescription drug product.” Furthermore, AMA believes (1) cannabis is a dangerous drug and as such is a public health concern; (2) sale of cannabis should not be legalized. |
American Psychiatric Association (2014):
“There is no current scientific evidence that marijuana is in any way beneficial for the treatment of any psychiatric disorder. Current evidence supports… a strong association of cannabis use with the onset of psychiatric disorders… Medical treatment should be evidence-based and determined by professionals standards of care; it should not be authorized by ballot initiatives.” |
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American Cancer Society - 2014
“The ACS is supportive of more research into the benefits of cannabinoids. Better and more effective treatments are needed to overcome the side effects of cancer and its treatment. The ACS does not advocate the use of marijuana or the legalization of marijuana.” |
American Glaucoma Society (2015)
“…Unless a well tolerated formulation of a marijuana-related compound with a much longer duration of action is shown in rigorous clinical testing to reduce damage to the optic nerve and preserve vision, there is no scientific basis for use of these agents in the treatment of glaucoma.” - Position Statement on Marijuana and the Treatment of Glaucoma |
American Academy of Pediatrics - 2015
The AAP opposes the legalization of marijuana. “Any change in the legal status of marijuana, even if limited to adults, could affect the prevalence of use among adolescents… The significant neuropharmacologic, cognitive, behavioral, and somatic consequences of acute and long-term marijuana use are well known, and include: …negative effects on short-term memory, concentration, attention span, motivation, and problem solving, which clearly interfere with learning; adverse effects on coordination, judgment, reaction time, and tracking ability, which contribute substantially to unintentional deaths and injuries among adolescents; and negative health effects… The American Academy of Pediatraics opposes the legalization of marijuana.”
The AAP opposes the legalization of marijuana. “Any change in the legal status of marijuana, even if limited to adults, could affect the prevalence of use among adolescents… The significant neuropharmacologic, cognitive, behavioral, and somatic consequences of acute and long-term marijuana use are well known, and include: …negative effects on short-term memory, concentration, attention span, motivation, and problem solving, which clearly interfere with learning; adverse effects on coordination, judgment, reaction time, and tracking ability, which contribute substantially to unintentional deaths and injuries among adolescents; and negative health effects… The American Academy of Pediatraics opposes the legalization of marijuana.”
IS RESEARCH BEING DONE ON THE MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OF MARIJUANA?
Yes. A lot. In fact, during the last two years, the total number of individuals and institutions registered with Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to research marijuana, marijuana extracts, derivatives, and tetra-hydro-cannabinols (THC) has more than doubled, from 161 in April, 2014 to 354 in August, 2016. Some of the ongoing research even includes studies of the effects of smoked marijuana on human subjects. The DEA and National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) have also increased the amount of marijuana available for research. Currently, there are 90 researchers registered with the DEA to conduct CBD research on human subjects. They have approved every waiver application that has been submitted by these researchers - to date, a total of 47.
The DEA say's that: "Currently, NIDA is filling requests for research on marijuana in an average of 25 days. We will continue to work with NIDA to ensure that there is a sufficient supply of marijuana and its derivatives (in terms of quantity and the variety of chemical constituents) to support legitimate research needs. This includes approving additional growers of marijuana to supply researchers."
The DEA say's that: "Currently, NIDA is filling requests for research on marijuana in an average of 25 days. We will continue to work with NIDA to ensure that there is a sufficient supply of marijuana and its derivatives (in terms of quantity and the variety of chemical constituents) to support legitimate research needs. This includes approving additional growers of marijuana to supply researchers."
Is marijuana addicting?
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Yes. In fact, more people are receiving treatment for marijuana addiction than any other illicit drug. Even in Southern Utah, nearly 40% of people in treatment for substance abuse addiction list marijuana as their primary drug of use, (2015 Treatment Episode Data).
Research shows that 1 in 10 adults who use marijuana will become addicted to it, and 1 in 6 adolescents, (Hall, 2015; Wagner & Anthony, 2002). The number of people entering treatment for marijuana addiction is increasing exponentially. One explanation is the increase in potency of the drug (see chart on the right). Back in the 70's, the average marijuana plant only had about 2% THC (the psychoactive chemical in cannabis). By 2010 THC levels were over 12%, and some reports now show levels higher than 35%. In other words, marijuana today is very different from the marijuana of the 70's, and far more people are facing addiction. |
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- Hall, 2015. What has research over the past two decades revealed about the adverse health effects of recreational cannabis use? Addiction. 110(1):19-35.
- & Anthony, 2002. Exposure Opportunity and Other Mechanisms Linking the Use of Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana, and Cocaine. American Journal of Epidemiology, V 155, I 10, Pg 918–925.
DOES LEGALIZING MARIJUANA INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE (AND KIDS) WHO USE IT?
Yes. States with "medical marijuana" laws saw an increase in marijuana users not seen in other states, especially with the number of kids who use marijuana, (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), State Estimates from 2008-2009, National Surveys on Drug Use and Health, 2011).
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Medical and recreational legalization of marijuana also makes the drug more available to youth. Research from Colorado shows that 74% of kids in treatment for addiction in Denver report getting their marijuana from “medical marijuana” card holders, (Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Volume 51, Issue 7 , Pages 694-702, July 2012)
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HAS LEGALIZING INCREASED CERTAIN PROBLEMS IN STATES?
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Yes. Use rates are going up. Hospitalizations and overdoses are increasing. Car crash fatalities and accidents with people high on marijuana are increasing. School and education problems are increasing, and fewer people qualify for job placement because they can't pass a drug test.
Hospitalizations: (Rocky Mountain HIDTA Report)
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Car Crash Fatalities:
Marijuana is a psychoactive drug, meaning it significantly impacts brain function. Marijuana use impairs abilities needed for safe driving, including: Divided attention; Reduced peripheral attention; Reduced stop-signal performance; Impaired ability in maintaining lane position, Impaired information processing / Slowed decision-making, Increased risk-taking. 2 Driving under the influence of marijuana is associated with a 92% increased risk of vehicular crashes. Such driving is associated with a 110% increase in fatal crashes. 3 Since marijuana was legalized in Colorado, 27% of the blood tests for impaired driving showed THC. That’s a 7-point jump just a few months after legalization. 3 |
1- Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Report (2014)
2- Prevention Research Institute, 2016).
3- Asbridge et al. "Acute Cannabis Consumption and Motor Vehicle Collision Risk: Systematic Review of Observational Studies and Meta-Analysis". British Medical Journal, 2012).
1- Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Report (2014)
2- Prevention Research Institute, 2016).
3- Asbridge et al. "Acute Cannabis Consumption and Motor Vehicle Collision Risk: Systematic Review of Observational Studies and Meta-Analysis". British Medical Journal, 2012).
WILL LEGALIZING MARIJUANA REDUCE OPIOID DEATHS?
No. In fact, Colorado research shows that their opioid overdose rates are actually increasing since legalizing marijuana. We already have a problem with people dying from drug overdoses on prescription narcotics, do we really want to make another drug more available for people to overdose on?
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Research from the Centers for Disease Control shows that although opioid overdose deaths have quadrupled since 2000 all across our nation, the increase has been even higher in states with "medical marijuana" laws.
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Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (2003) found that adolescent marijuana use seemed to prime the brain for opioid addiction later in life. This chart demonstrates the % of people addicted to opioids who used marijuana before age 17, versus those who used marijuana after age 17, showing that those who used earlier in life were more likely to become addicted to opioids later in life. (Lynskey, Heath, Bucholz - Journal of the American Medical Association, 2003 - Vol 289, 427-433).
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Does using marijuana impact education and school performance?
Yes. Research shows a direct correlation between use of marijuana and grade point average decline. In fact, the more marijuana a student uses, the lower their grade point average is likely to be AND the more likely they are to drop out of school, (Johnston, L.D., O’Malley, P.M., Bachman J.G., & Schulenberge, J.E. University of Michigan, 2016. Monitoring the Future Study)
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Research also indicates that students with high levels of marijuana use are twice as likely as those without to have an enrollment gap in college, (e.g. dropout and/or failure to graduate on time), (Dr. Arria, MD. Drug Use Patterns and Continuous Enrollment in College: A Logitudinal Study, 2013, vol. 24, Issue 1). Researchers have also found that how many times marijuana is used directly impacts likelihood to graduate. Teens who use marijuana are less likely to get a bachelors degree, more likely to be unemployed, and more likely to be on welfare, and the more times used, the greater the impact. Users also report less life satisfaction as adults, poor career and educational achievement, and demonstrate poorer mental and physical health, (Ferguson & Boden. Addiction, 2008).
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DOES USING MARIJUANA Increase the likelihood of using other drugs (Is it a gateway)?
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Yes. People who use marijuana are more likely to use other illegal drugs. And the more a person uses, the more likely they are to use other drugs, and the more likely they are to be addicted. The researchers who did this study also found that the more someone uses, the more likely they are to attempt suicide.
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Will legalizing or decriminalizing reduce drug abuse and problems?
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No. This is a common myth, and the research can be contradictory and confusing, but evidence and experience show that laws impact behavior... that's why we create them. Some people will use no matter what, and some won't, no matter what. But many are influenced by laws and penalties, and laws shape our norms and attitudes about behaviors.
Decriminalization means: "the lessening of criminal penalties." It is different from legalization, which is removing all penalties. With decriminalization, penalties are just reduced, and often made civil rather than criminal. In some cases penalties are actually increased, but are civil instead of legal. A common argument made is that other countries, like Portugal, have decriminalized drugs, and their drug use has gone down. Those arguments are usually based off of a single report that was published by an attorney, funded by the Cato Institute, (a pro-legalization think-tank). But the actual evidence shows that Portugals decriminalization and legalization have actually increased use rates. (Drugs: The Portuguese Fallacy and the absurd medicalization of Europe, Motricidade Vol 11, n. 2, pp 3-15, 2015) |
This chart shows that drug use increased for all drugs (and you can see the increase in marijuana use and cocaine use) in the seven years following decriminalization. The increase is even greater when just looking at ages 15 - 34, which is the largest demographic of drug users worldwide.
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