Why You Shouldn’t Allow Your Children To Smoke Marijuana

Some parents who saw marijuana being widely used in their youth have wondered, "Is marijuana really so bad for my child?" The answer is an emphatic "yes," and parents should familiarize themselves with these reasons:

Marijuana is illegal.

Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base

What did the Office for National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) ask the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to do?

In January 1997, ONDCP asked the Institute of Medicine to conduct a review of the scientific evidence for assessing the potential health benefits and risks of marijuana and its constituent cannabinoids.

ONDCP believed that an objective and independent evaluation of research regarding the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes was appropriate given the ongoing debate about cannabis and its health effects.

Specifically, ONDCP asked that IOM examine:

• The science base and gaps in scientific knowledge regarding use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
• Scientific information about marijuana’s mechanism of action.
• Peer-reviewed literature on the uses of marijuana.
• Costs associated with various forms of the component chemical compounds in marijuana and other pharmacotherapies for special medical conditions.

How extensive was this study?

This study is the most comprehensive summary and analysis of what is known about the medical use of marijuana.

It emphasizes evidence-based medicine (derived from knowledge and experience informed by rigorous scientific analysis), as opposed to belief-based medicine (derived from judgment, intuition, and beliefs untested by rigorous science.

We are delighted that the discussion of medical efficacy and safety of cannabinoids can now take place within the context of science.

We thank the two principal researchers:

Dr. John A. Benson, Jr. Dean Emeritus and Professor of Medicine at the Oregon Health Sciences University School of Medicine and President Emeritus of the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Stanley J. Watson, Jr.. Co-Director and Senior Research Scientist at the Mental health Research Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

What does the study say?

1) The study concludes that there is little future in smoked marijuana as a medically approved medication.

Although marijuana smoke delivers THC and other cannabinoids to the body, it also delivers harmful substances, including most of those found in tobacco smoke. The long-term harms from smoking make it a poor drug delivery system, particularly for patients with chronic diseases.

In addition, cannabis plants contain a variable mixture of biologically active compounds, therefore they cannot be expected to provide a precisely defined drug effect.

Medicines today are expected to be of known composition and quality. Even in cases where marijuana can provide relief of symptoms, the crude plant mixture does not meet this modern expectation.

If there is any future in cannabinoid drugs, it lies with agents of more certain, not less certain composition. The future of medical marijuana lies in classical pharmacological drug development.

2. The study notes that advances in cannabinoid science of the last 16 years have given rise to a wealth of new opportunities for the development of medically useful cannabinoid-base drugs.

The accumulated data suggest a variety of indications, particularly for pain relief, controlling nausea, and appetite stimulation. Cannabinoids are being used in symptom management, not as cures for underlying disease.

The evidence indicates that cannabinoids reduce nausea in about one quarter of patients receiving cancer chemotherapy. Cannabinoids are not as effective as several other classes of agents. The least promising categories are movement disorders, epilepsy, and glaucoma.

The effects of cannabinoids on symptoms are generally modest, and in most cases, there are more effective medications. The study recommends further research, studies, and pre-clinical and clinical trials so that safe and effective cannabinoids might be added to the pharmacopoeia of drugs that treat these symptoms.

3. The development and treatment of a rapid onset (that is, within minutes) form of THC is recommended.

Formulations that can rapidly and directly deliver THC to the circulation include deep lung aerosols, nasal sprays, nasal gels, sublingual preparations; and rectal suppositories; the last route is slower and may not be acceptable to many patients. Phase I clinical studies are underway for deep lung aerosols, nasal sprays, nasal gels, and sublingual formulations of Marinol.

4. The authors are not confident that cannabinoid-based drugs will become available.

The report notes that the expectation of high financial returns on investment is what drives drug development. It underscores that developing new drugs is a capital intensive, time-consuming process. According to the IOM, the average cost to develop a drugs is $200-$300 million. The pre-clinical stage normally lasts 5-10 years, while clinical trials last about five years. On average, the FDA approves one new drug for every 5,000 drugs evaluated in the pre-clinical stage.

The three marketed botanical preparations are older drugs that came to market years before safety and efficacy studies were required by legislative amendments in 1938 and 1962, respectively, and before modern chemistry and manufacturing controls came into being.

The study notes that few marijuana users become dependent but those who do encounter problems similar to those associated with dependence on other drugs. Slightly more than 4% of the general population were dependent on marijuana at one time in their life.

6. The study notes strikingly regular patterns in the progression of drug use from adolescence to adulthood.

The study notes that because it is the most widely used illicit drug, marijuana is predictably the first illicit drug most people encounter. Not surprisingly, most users of other illicit drugs have used marijuana first. In fact, most drug users do not begin their drug use with marijuana; they begin with alcohol and nicotine and usually when they are too young to do so legally.

The study asserts that progression from marijuana to other drugs arises not from pharmacological properties of marijuana itself but because marijuana serves as a gateway to the world of illegal drugs in which youths have greater opportunity and are under greater social pressure to try other illegal drugs. The study asserts that the factors that best predict illicit drug use other than marijuana are likely the following: age of first alcohol or nicotine use, heavy marijuana use, and psychiatric disorders.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy appreciates the contributions made by the Institute of Medicine to the debate on the medical efficacy and safety of cannabinoids. We will carefully study the recommendations and conclusions contained in this very detailed report.

We will continue to rely on the professional judgement of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Director of the National Institutes of Health, and the Surgeon General on all issues related to the medical value of marijuana and its constituent cannabinoids.

Welcome to the AOL Parents’ Drug Resource Center.

Like all great parents, you are concerned about your children and the pressures they are under. The AOL Parents’ Drug Resource Center is designed to help you learn more about the world your child lives in—which is more challenging and in many ways more tempting than the one in which we were raised.

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, working together with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America and America Online, created the Center as a part of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign which educates and enables America’s youth to reject illegal drugs. As a parent or an adult caregiver, you are the most important element in this delicate equation. Please get involved. Talk to your children. Use the information and educational resources provided here to make a difference. There are also areas that allow you to join an online parent-to-parent support group or just talk with other concerned parents who are looking for answers. You are not alone.

The Center is the first of many online initiatives that are happening throughout the year. Other anti-drug sites are being developed to reach out and educate about drug use and its consequences. There will also be special events on AOL such as chats with celebrity parents and teens as well as experts that will initiate a dialogue across the online community.

We hope you find the Parents’ Drug Resource Center and all the other online initiatives of helpful in keeping your family healthy.

Sincerely,

Barry R. McCaffrey