Marijuana is more potent and accessible than ever before, and many young people are purchasing high-dose products that are legally available to adults. Some of these products are exceptionally strong and might have an unexpected effect, even on adults who have consumed marijuana before. In young people, whose minds are not fully mature, research suggests that casual use of marijuana increases the chances of developing major depression, suicidal thoughts and trouble with school. The risk is enhanced when consuming high-potency marijuana.
It is critical to set better federal regulations for marijuana research to inform regulations that will make marijuana safer. We already have broad cultural awareness that undiluted vodka is more intoxicating than beer, for example. Similarly, we also know that three tablets of acetaminophen are riskier than the recommended one or two tablets to treat a headache. If the Drug Enforcement Administration reclassifies marijuana as a Schedule III drug, it be easier for academics and private companies to conduct studies by expanding access to and sources of the material. The Food and Drug Administration should move quickly through its backlog of requests to conduct studies. Everything researchers learn about different potencies and delivery systems for cannabis can inform better federal regulation and labeling requirements, and in turn can shape better public understanding that “marijuana” is a broad category of substances and should be approached with care.
As a cannabis scientist and a new father, the current state of research makes me fear for my child’s future. We have the chance to avoid a “cannabis crisis.” Let’s take it. Leaving marijuana in regulatory limbo limits the advancement of science and threatens the future of the next generation.
E. Alfonso Romero-Sandoval, Winston-Salem, N.C.
The writer is a professor of anesthesiology and social sciences and health policy at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.