Yo, peep this: in the last election, my man President Biden talked a big game about helpin’ out the cannabis industry. Now, two years into his term, he finally agreed to start the process. And guess who’s showin’ support? The American Nurses Association, that’s who. These frontline warriors in patient healthcare know what’s up. They recognize that medical marijuana has some mad medical benefits, especially when it comes to fightin’ against opioids.
The ANA ain’t the only ones backin’ this move either. We got bipartisan governors, the Health and Human Services crew (HHS), and even the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) all on board with reschedulin’.
The ANA dropped some knowledge in a public statement. They said, “Yo, marijuana and its derivatives are bein’ used to ease symptoms and side effects of diseases. We got some mixed results from studies on how effective it is for patients, but we can’t really do more research ’cause of all these dumb federal regulations. We ain’t talkin’ ’bout legalizin’ weed for recreational use though. We just wanna get that evidence-based approach goin’ so we can treat diseases and manage symptoms.”
Right now, cannabis is on that Schedule I drug list, which basically means it’s classified as havin’ no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. It’s in the same league as heroin, LSD, MDMA (ya know, Molly), and them psilocybin mushrooms.
On the other hand, we got Schedule III drugs, which have a lower potential for dependence—physically and mentally. We talkin’ ketamine, anabolic steroids, testosterone, and codeine with acetaminophen.
Now let’s peep what the ANA really wants. They tryna make some moves:
1. They want a scientific review of marijuana’s status as a Schedule I drug. They think it should be bumped down to a Schedule II controlled substance so scientists can do more research on it.
2. They wanna set some standards for prescribin’ weed. Give us some guidelines on how much to use, how to take it, what effects to expect, and any side effects. Keep it professional, ya feel me?
3. They tryna establish some evidence-based standards for usin’ marijuana and related stuff like cannabinoids. Basically, they want solid proof that this stuff works.
4. They want patients who use medical weed to be protected from gettin’ in trouble with the law. If the state says it’s cool, then they don’t wanna see patients gettin’ locked up or slapped with fines.
5. And lastly, they want health care practitioners to be safe too. If we talk about marijuana as a treatment option or prescribe it or whatever, they don’t want us facin’ criminal charges or losin’ our licenses.
Sounds pretty reasonable, right? Well, here’s the deal: the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has the final say on reschedulin’. And it seems like the Biden administration ain’t really pushin’ for a quick resolution. It would be wild if the DEA went against the recommendations of HHS and the FDA, but that don’t mean they gonna do it anytime soon. But with the ANA speakin’ up, there’s definitely pressure on ’em to make a move.
So there you have it, fam. The nurses are standin’ up for medical marijuana and pushin’ for some changes in the system. They wanna see more research, better guidelines, and protection for patients and practitioners alike. Let’s hope the powers that be listen up and let this green medicine do its thing. Peace out!