The Medical Case for Rescheduling Cannabis

Dr. Peter Grinspoon replies to the editorial board

Letter to The WSJ. 

"Your editorial “Trump Goes for the Stoner Vote” (Dec. 20) misses some important aspects of cannabis use in the U.S. Among them: There is no evidence that teenage use has risen with legalization. Dispensaries are extremely careful in checking identification, and smoking simply isn’t as cool when grandma is a taking a puff or two for her arthritis.

The medical review you cite, which claims “no medical benefit” to use, is one study among thousands. It was performed by researchers who, to my understanding, haven’t treated a single medical cannabis patient to alleviate symptoms. The doctors who directly help patients use cannabis have a different vantage. There is abundant evidence for the efficacy of medical cannabis for most, if not all, of the claims patients make. The 2017 report by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine concluded there was “conclusive” evidence of effectiveness in treating chronic pain and other conditions.

Cannabis doubtless has several potential harms, and certain people should stay away from it—e.g., teens, pregnant women, those with a history of psychosis. We don’t want an unregulated industry running amok, either, as we experienced with tobacco and alcohol. Yet cannabis is less dangerous than both substances—both of which are excluded from the Controlled Substance Act and contribute to hundreds of thousands of deaths per year. We shouldn’t treat cannabis any different.

As a physician, I suggest we primarily look at how we can reduce patients’ suffering. With education and careful regulation we can avoid or minimize many of the harms associated with cannabis use, which is already helping Americans with intractable chronic pain, nausea, anxiety and insomnia. A majority of Americans support legal access to medical cannabis—so a baby step in this direction, rescheduling cannabis into a less restrictive category, is a step in the right direction.

Dr. Peter Grinspoon

Harvard Medical School"