Medical Cannabis: In Need of a Regulatory Model That Puts Patients First
As a pediatric emergency department pharmacist, I witness both the incredible potential of modern medicine and some of its most glaring gaps. One of those gaps is medical cannabis, which, in my opinion, is a tremendously underutilized tool. Even among the sickest and most vulnerable patients I see, I often find myself wondering: “Could medical cannabis help this person?”
The answer isn’t always “yes,” but far more often than most people would realize it is. From managing anxiety to addressing complex seizure disorders, stimulating appetite during cancer treatment, or supporting chronic conditions like cerebral palsy, cannabis can be a game-changer for patients and providers who are desperately searching for more tools.
Yet the healthcare system and cannabis businesses aren’t currently set up to prioritize cannabis medicine accessibility and reliability. Instead, cannabis patients must navigate a fragmented, state-by-state system that was built on the idea of compassionate use laws but has become riddled with barriers and conflicting priorities.
Why Compassionate Use Isn’t Enough
Compassionate use laws were groundbreaking in their time—starting with California’s in 1996 and spreading like a wave over more than 39 states today. But over the decades, the patchwork nature of these laws has created inconsistency, inequality, and even some chaos. This patchwork has led to problems in a few key areas:
Protections: Patients are denied fundamental civil rights, like protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act, in states where cannabis is illegal. Even with federal de-scheduling, a move regularly touted as the only sensible path forward by the cannabis industry, state-level bans could still leave patients stranded without access.
Knowledge: Most healthcare providers receive no formal training in cannabis or the endocannabinoid system. Patients are often more informed on Cannabis research than their doctors—a glaring failure of healthcare education that needs to change.
Consistency: Patients who split their time between states face doubled costs and sometimes the potential for criminalization. Even something as routine as traveling with their medicine can quickly become stressful and escalate into a legal nightmare. Restrictive licensing models and the lack of interstate commerce severely limit access to consistent, contaminant-free products in medically appropriate dosage forms.
The Existing Market Isn’t Helping- Even in medical-only states; cannabis markets prioritize profits over patients. Taxes are crushing businesses, brands come and go, and product consistency isn’t what adult-use consumers are focused on; they like variety, the next new thing, which cannabis companies then prioritize. Patients are left searching—again and again—for affordable, reliable, accessible medicine.
A New Path Forward: The MCCA and a National Medical Cannabis Program
It’s time for us to stop patching holes in a broken system and time for us to start thinking bigger. The Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoid Act (MCCA) offers a bold, patient-first framework:
National Protections: Ensure medical cannabis patients have consistent rights and access across all states and that their rights – be it a medical right, a civil right, or a constitutional right – are protected.
A Unified Network: Create a national system for cannabis-based medicines that improves quality and affordability, ensuring patients have access to life-changing medicine.
Affordability & Consistency: Reduce financial and supply chain challenges to cannabis-based medicine through the integration into traditional healthcare settings- accessible to all— covered by existing insurance channels.
Cannabis is medicine, but we need a system that works for all patients. It’s time to move beyond compassionate use and build a framework that delivers what medical cannabis patients deserve: safety, consistency, affordability, and dignity. Join me in pledging your support for the Americans for Safe Access (ASA) campaign to create a national medical cannabis program; you can start by signing their petition to the new administration and Congress. Let’s make Safe Access 4 All happen!
ASA Board Member 2024
Share this page
