Clearing the Smoke
Debunking Medical Marijuana Myths.
By Becca Bona
Photography By Matthew Martin
Educating oneself on cannabis is a tricky endeavor, especially in the United States. A divisive subject, supporters tout anecdotal stories of its cure-all magical medicinal powers, while challengers claim it’s the root of all evil.
To clear the smoke, we’re exploring cannabis from a bird’s-eye view, with a focus on the series of events responsible for positioning it in the American psyche.
Tracing history reveals the plant’s place in early medicine, although its uses also included being a food and fuel source, making fiber, rope and paper. Archaeologists believe it was used as an anesthetic in China as early as 400 B.C. Many historians credit the colonization period for bringing the plant from China and Africa to North America and beyond.1
Hemp remained nonpolitical for quite some time. Cannabis was used for pain relief throughout the 18th century and inked into the United States Pharmacopeia in 1851. During this time, widely recognized benefits included quelling opioid addiction and soothing pain.2
Mainly due to Mexican immigration in the early 1910s, Americans began to view cannabis in a negative light. At that time, the immigrants encountered fear and prejudice from American citizens — and these views spilled over to cannabis use, a culturally acceptable activity employed by the newcomers. Twenty-nine states banned the use of marijuana altogether by 1931.
Cannabis came under federal attack in the United States in the 1930s with the passing of the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act, led by Henry Anslinger, the first director of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics who, with newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst, waged a propaganda war against marijuana. The American Medical Association opposed the act’s passage at the time, touting the above-mentioned benefits. Regardless, it passed.3
A multitude of events swirled in motion to continue criminalizing cannabis use, including President Nixon’s introduction of the war on drugs, despite recommendations from his own-appointed Shafer Commission recommendations. In 1970, the Controlled Substances Act made possession of cannabis federally illegal. The act also classified the plant as a Schedule I drug alongside addictive heavy-hitters like heroin and cocaine.4 This oversimplified history highlights events that have made it difficult for the U.S. to perform adequate, rigorous research involving the plant, its benefits and its scientific makeup.
These events bring us to today, a time when we still don’t fully understand the benefits and limitations of cannabis — medically and beyond. However, there has been a significant shift in the American public’s perception of cannabis, even within the past few years.
According to a Gallup Poll conducted at the end of 2023, 70% of Americans support the legalization of cannabis. In fact, over half of the 50 states have already legalized cannabis, either for recreational or medicinal use.5
In Arkansas, for instance, the medical marijuana program has been beneficial to numerous patients for a variety of ailments. However, a disconnect remains surrounding cannabis knowledge.
Luckily for those interested in unlocking the benefits of cannabis and achieving a more robust understanding of the plant, rigorous research is on the rise. The U.S. Department of Human Services recommended that the Drug Enforcement Administration reschedule cannabis from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug. (This category has a moderate to low potential for dependence; other everyday schedule III drugs include testosterone and ketamine.)6
Below is a list of common myths, assumptions and questions surrounding cannabis and its proposed benefits. We consider each and provide answers to help educate current and future patients on their path to wellness and healing.
Myth
Cannabis doesn’t have any medical benefits.
The historical record shows human beings have safely and effectively used cannabis for millennia. The trick here is that cannabis has been shown to treat a variety of ailments for a variety of people. The evidence, however, is often anecdotal instead of via prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studies the modern pharmaceutical industry considers the standard today. As we mentioned, however, rigorous research via random control trials is increasing.
Research found that cannabis is effective in treating chronic pain, muscle spasticity and neuropathic (nerve) pain.7
One of the difficulties of pinning down the full range of benefits is that the plant contains over 100 cannabinoids and a wide variety of physiological active chemicals called terpenes. These cannabinoids interact with the human endocannabinoid system to produce different effects on mood, appetite, muscle control and pain, to name a few.
The most recognized cannabinoids include tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THC has many proposed benefits, improving mood, appetite, muscle spasticity and inflammation. CBD has proposed benefits such as relieving pain and anxiety. The many other cannabinoids, referred to as “minor” because of their low concentrations, have their effects. They are being investigated and utilized for their unique effects, like using CBN for sleep.
In 2015, the Food and Drug Administration approved two cannabinoids, dronabinol and nabilone, for medicinal use. Both are used for appetite stimulation, typically seen in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or in other situations where patients may have issues with appetite; however, these synthetic forms of THC are less effective and have more side effects than the natural plant. The FDA has also approved the use of a prescription form of CBD for two rare forms of epilepsy: Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome.8
We still have a long way to go in understanding and unlocking all of the benefits of cannabis, especially from a medicinal perspective. The work is ongoing, but it’s gained momentum in recent years.
Myth
Marijuana is a gateway drug.
Stigma, stigma, stigma.
Politicians, parents and concerned groups have long used the term “gateway drug” to imply that cannabis use will lead to the use of other, harder drugs like cocaine, ecstasy and LSD. However, the National Institute of Justice (the research entity attached to the U.S. Department of Justice) found in 2018 that there is no causal link between cannabis use and the increased use of hard drugs.9
Similarly, researchers in Minnesota and Colorado published a study in 2023 that found that legalization of cannabis does not positively correlate with substance abuse.10
Those who have used hard drugs might likely have utilized cannabis at some point or another in their lifetimes, just as they have likely abused alcohol or tobacco. However, this does not mean that cannabis and hard drugs are mutually exclusive. You could also say that individuals abusing hard drugs also consume caffeine. Perhaps they also drink seltzer water. Or consume dairy. This type of thinking is a failed logic, and there is no credible evidence that increased use of cannabis leads to increased drug use.
However, it is worth noting that a small percentage of individuals who use cannabis will become addicted to it via what is called Cannabis Use Disorder. Cannabis itself is not the issue, but rather the problem lies within an individual’s personality, genetic makeup and predisposition to addiction.11
Knowing and understanding the risks can help individuals navigate the ever-changing cannabis wellness industry.
Myth
Marijuana leads to violence.
It’s easy to see how this myth traces its roots back to the stigma surrounding cannabis from the turn of the 20th century, at least in the U.S. Cannabis critics have always touted the plant as a pathway to violence and even death.
However, like the previous myth that cannabis is a gateway drug, there is a fallacy in this claim and the logic attached to it. In 2013, a report conducted on behalf of the White House noted that marijuana use does not induce violence.12 Plus, there is a growing body of research that has found a decrease in violence in states where marijuana has been legalized.13 Legalizing cannabis forces criminals out of the game over time, just like mobsters were eventually pushed out of alcohol production after alcohol was legalized following Prohibition.
Researchers studying Denver neighborhoods found that introducing a dispensary into a particular area reduced violent crimes without spillover into adjacent areas.14 On top of this, researchers have discovered that couples who consume cannabis are less likely to engage in domestic violence.15
Indeed, we don’t have all the answers yet as to the effects of cannabis on various populations, as the government is slow to catch up with rigorous studies. However, the trajectory thus far is that there is a growing body of evidence that cannabis is not causally linked to violence. Plus, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reported that there has not been an overdose on marijuana alone, suggesting that cannabis itself is not rooted in violence.
The cannabis industry is probably best described as dynamic. As researchers learn more and patients become educated, driving demand for medically focused cannabis products, the market adjusts. Those interested in learning more about cannabis must remember this when navigating the new terrain. It’s always best to consult your doctor or medical professional to discuss potential benefits and risks.
Cannabis is not a magical cure-all and does come with risks. The best we can do is continue to educate ourselves and engage our medical professionals in conversations about the plant.
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7605027/
2. https://www.aafp.org/about/policies/all/marijuana-position-paper.html
3. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326780539
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK574544/#article-131542.s2
5. https://news.gallup.com/poll/514007/grassroots-support-legalizing-marijuana-hits-record.aspx
6. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/12/health/marijuana-fda-dea.html
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8540828/
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8952215/
9. https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/252950.pdf
10. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine/article/recreational-cannabis-legalization-has-had-limited-effects-on-a-wide-range-of-adult-psychiatric-and-psychosocial-outcomes/D4AB5EB78D588473A054877E05D45F16
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7255842/
12. https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/ondcp/policy-and-research/drug_crime_report_final.pdf
13. https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/255060.pdf
14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2019.103460
15. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25134048/