Mass. doctor on FDA’s new report on marijuana risks

NEW LOOK AT MARIJUANA. THE FDA RELEASES DATA SHOWING IT’S NOT AS DANGEROUS AS MANY OTHER DRUGS HERE TO EXPLAIN IS DOCTOR ARI COHEN, CHIEF OF PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE AT MASS GENERAL FOR CHILDREN. GOOD TO SEE YOU, DOCTOR. HEY, DOCTOR, IT’S GREAT TO SEE YOU. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. AS YOU KNOW, MARIJUANA MARIJUANA IS LEGAL FOR ADULTS USE RECREATIONALLY HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS. AND 23 OTHER STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. BUT UNDER FEDERAL LAW, MARIJUANA IS STILL CONSIDERED A SCHEDULE ONE DRUG. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WELL, IT’S SCHEDULE ONE DRUG IS A DRUG THAT IS NO MEDICAL USES. UM, THAT IS THE SAME CLASS THAT HEROIN IS, FOR EXAMPLE. OKAY, WE KNOW THE FDA RESEARCHERS RECENTLY RELEASED A REPORT SAYING THEY BELIEVE MARIJUANA ACTUALLY BELONGS IN A DIFFERENT GROUP OF DRUGS. WHY IS THAT? I THINK THE IDEA OF HAVING A CLASS IS THAT THERE’S SOME SIMILARITIES BETWEEN IT AND THAT THE RISKS OF THE DRUG ARE SIMILAR. AND I THINK MARIJUANA DOES FALL INTO A DIFFERENT GROUP. IT HAS DIFFERENT SIDE EFFECT PROFILE. IT HAS DIFFERENT, UM, ADDICTION RATES. UM, IT DOES HAVE JUST THE SEVERITY OF THE UM, OF THE USE IS JUST SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT. MHM. SO A FINAL DECISION IS WHAT IS, IS IT STILL MONTHS AWAY. RIGHT. UH, THE DECISION BY THE POLICY MAKERS IS MINUTES AWAY. YES. SO STILL MONTHS AWAY. SO IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL OPINION, WHAT SHOULD BE DONE. WHAT WILL HAPPEN. SO SO I DO AGREE THERE IS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MARIJUANA AND HEROIN RIGHT. I MEAN THERE ARE JUST UH COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SIDE EFFECT PROFILES OF THESE DRUGS. AND MARIJUANA DOES HAVE MEDICAL USES. IT’S USED FOR MANY DIFFERENT, UH, UH, ILLNESSES. AND THERE IS SOME REASONABLE SCIENCE BEHIND THE USE OF THAT DRUG. THE THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT IS NOT A, UM, SIDE EFFECT FREE DRUG. DOUG. UM, AND WE DO SEE NOW IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM, MORE AND MORE PATIENTS COMING IN WITH THE SIDE EFFECTS OF, OF MARIJUANA USE. DOCTOR.

Mass. doctor on FDA’s new report on marijuana risks

Updated: 6:43 PM EST Jan 15, 2024

Dr. Ari Cohen, chief of pediatric emergency medicine at Mass General for Children, speaks about a new FDA report about marijuana and how it is classified.

Dr. Ari Cohen, chief of pediatric emergency medicine at Mass General for Children, speaks about a new FDA report about marijuana and how it is classified.