New York became state No. 23 to open a medical marijuana dispensary last Thursday.
They’re not taking the word “medical” lightly. The program is available only to those with serious or terminal illnesses, who must then pass through layers of security before receiving treatment. Smoking the marijuana is still prohibited.
Instead, it is to be consumed in liquid or oil form, taken with vaporizers and inhalers or with an extract capsule taken orally.
That is, after the capsule is retrieved from an underground vault.
Though proponents of the program don’t find it entirely satisfactory, they would say it is a half-step in the right direction.
On some level, they’re right. The dispensary is very beneficial for the patients who can get the treatments they need for their serious illnesses.
However, it might be difficult for patients with terminal illnesses to travel to dispensaries when there is a maximum of only 20 locations throughout New York.
On some level, they’re also wrong. Officials insist that these strict procedures are to ensure the efficiency and medical credibility of the program.
Edward Bednarczyk, pharmacy practice chair of the State University of New York, claims the state can conduct reliable research into medical marijuana while maintaining the drug’s purity and allowing for greater dosing standardization.
The Editorial Board hopes this is the case. We wish for the best possible medical outcome for these patients.
We applaud any efforts to perfect a science but we’re concerned the program increases stigma surrounding marijuana.
The program treats marijuana as if it’s the bogeyman. It’s like something we put on a short leash and slowly let out from underneath our beds lest it unexpectedly harm us.
The program leaves absolutely no room for even the slightest possibility of recreational marijuana, something that, by our hypocritical standards, has yet to be socially accepted.
We could easily compare marijuana to other legal substances. Alcohol is perfectly okay to consume, usually to the point of excess. Marijuana is safer than alcohol, yet stigmatized and socially condemned.
Why not make liquor stores have underground vaults?
Why not make those customers pass through layers of security before being able to make a purchase?
But we still struggle to study marijuana’s medical benefits due to the legal restrictions.
This slows medical and scientific progress which keeps us from understanding and obtaining the benefits of marijuana.
The Editorial Board believes we can professionally and medically credible a program as soon as possible, in order to ensure that patients receive the best medical marijuana treatment that they possibly can, without the influence of societal politics.
We also believe there should also be a recreational program. There should be no stigma or outrageous conditions for its use.
Let’s not condemn or marginalize recreational users either.
