“There is now a growing body of evidence that marijuana is a medically valuable treatment . . . It appears that the medical dangers of marijuana have been vastly overstated while the medical value grossly understated and ignored.” — Dr. Lester Greenspoon, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, as quoted by Sidney Katz in “Marijuana as Medicine,” The Toronto Star, November 30, 1997

Terry Parker isn’t the only Canadian who uses marijuana to ease a medical affliction. Thousands of Canadians grow or acquire marijuana to treat a whole variety of conditions. In almost all cases, marijuana is not used to cure a disease but rather to lessen symptoms either of the disease or of drugs taken to ease or cure a disease. Here are a few of the claims made by individuals.

• Marijuana controls nausea caused by AIDS drugs, and spurs appetites of AIDS patients.
• Marijuana controls the nausea brought on by chemotherapy for cancer patients.
• Marijuana lessens the severity and number of epileptics’ seizures.
• Marijuana lessens the intraocular pressure that damages the retina and optic nerve causing blindness resulting from glaucoma.
• Marijuana combats the paralyzing effects of multiple sclerosis.
• Marijuana eases the joint pain of arthritics and rheumatics.

Few of the above claims have been verified through long-term scientific studies. There is currently a lot of strong anecdotal evidence but not much scientific evidence. Without that evidence, governments cannot legalize potentially harmful drugs. As General Barry R. McCaffrey stated after conducting a study of the existing evidence for U.S. President Clinton, “There is no scientifically sound evidence that smoked marijuana is medically superior to currently available therapies.”

So why haven’t extensive studies been conducted? Usually it is pharmaceutical companies that bear the enormous cost of testing a new medicine. They assume such costs in the hope of developing a new medical product, acquiring the exclusive patent for it, and therefore becoming the major producer and distributor, thus creating significant profits through sales. But marijuana cannot be patented because it’s a plant, not a new drug. Therefore, there are few economic reasons for conducting expensive, long-term studies.

Are Canadians ready to accept marijuana as a legitimate medicine? Both heroin (in the form of morphine) and cocaine—both much stronger drugs than marijuana—are legal when used for legitimate medical purposes. Canadians seem to be warming to the idea of marijuana as medicine as well. According to a CTV/National Angus Reid Poll taken in October 1997, eight out of 10 Canadians believe that it should be legal to use marijuana for health purposes.

Discussion and Activities
1. Compare the statement of Dr. Lester Greenspoon with that of General Barry R. McCaffrey. Why do you think there is such a difference of opinion concerning the medical use of marijuana?

2. Anecdotal evidence consists of one or more convincing testimonies of individuals. Scientific evidence consists of extensive studies that prove a theory with empirical, measurable evidence. Why do you think anecdotal evidence may support individual cases in a court of law—as was the case with Terry Parker—whereas scientific evidence is required before a government body will authorize a drug as a medicine? Begin by considering the issues of safety and dosage.