Until recently, marijuana was a schedule 1 drug. Other schedule I drugs are: heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy), methaqualone, and peyote. The significance of being a schedule 1 drug is that medical research is incredibly difficult to accomplish.

As a result, some medical experts have said that there was no such thing as medical marijuana.

However, now that marijuana is a schedule 3 drug, I expect that there will be significant research regarding the multiple compounds that are present in marijuana plants. At this time, the main approved medical indication for marijuana is to treat a very specific kind of seizure disorder.

There are those who say that, because marijuana is now a schedule 3 drug, it is safe. Clearly, that is not the case. Marijuana is addictive. It is associated with a higher risk of suicide and mental health disorders, high risk of motor vehicle accidents, intellectual delay, and in some cases, uncontrolled vomiting, although the latter is an unusual syndrome.

There are suggestive studies that some components of marijuana are beneficial for anxiety, chemotherapy induced nausea, and chronic pain. The ability to actually do research will help define the true risks and benefits of marijuana related products.

–Ron Asher, North Platte

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