5 ms·

Marijuana is defined as a schedule one drug by the DEA, meaning they believe it has no accepted medical value and should not be studied. Being in possession of

Marijuana is defined as a schedule one drug by the DEA, meaning they believe it has no accepted medical value and should not be studied. Being in possession of or trying to purchase this drug for a medical study would therefore be illegal. Publishing the results would be admitting you performed a federal crime and you would be arrested. Additionally, human studies require approval by an on site or third party institutional review board prior to initiation to validate that they are ethical. It is unlikely that an IRB would approve such a study because it would be viewed as unethical and it would shift some liability to the university. Its possible to perform studies with illegal drugs that are not schedule one however. For example, cocaine is schedule 2, and I helped work on a study where we purchased cocaine legally from Sigma and administered it to animals to study something which actually had nothing to do with the stimulant effects of the drug.

stephengillie 8y ago
But the study would be okay if they merely interviewed individuals who purchased cannabis for their own recreation? What if these individuals were using it recreationally according to a schedule suggested by the interviewers?
- Thriptic 8y ago
  Suggesting that study participants use a drug of unknown purity, composition, and dosing would definitely not be ok or safe. Encouraging illegal activity generally is not ok. Interviewing self-professed users without instructing them to use the drug would likely be ok but of limited value.
  - drewrv 8y ago
    I don't know about other legal states but here in Washington the purity, composition, and dose of cannabis products are highly regulated and come with standardized labels.
    - mywittyname 8y ago
      Now sure, but what about 40 years ago?
      - stephengillie 8y ago
        We're discussing now, not the sociopolitical environment of the 1970s. Please stay on topic.
  - tzakrajs 8y ago
    The drugs purity is well known in many recreational marijuana states. Have you looked over CAs laws? https://www.bcc.ca.gov/law_regs/index.html https://www.bcc.ca.gov/law_regs/index.html
    - Thriptic 8y ago
      Parent did not say they would be purchasing in a state where recreational dispensaries exist or where weed is legal at a state level. Those are unstated assumptions.
- jedharris 8y ago
  Maybe an independent group could manage the schedule and have lab tests done so the drug details could be determined. Then the academic researchers could track the subjects, analyze the results and publish.
throwaway76543 8y ago
Look, this is absurd. Yes, it's illegal but so what? Plenty of people have MMJ cards, have scanned their ID at a dispensary, or have applied for state cultivation licenses. The idea that academia is somehow prevented from engaging in this field because it's federally illegal is not credible and it tarnishes the integrity of the field.
- deelowe 8y ago
  Sure if you completely ignore how research is funded, how one makes a career out of performing research and why research is performed in the first place. Specifically, anyone performing medical research on marijuana is likely to lose any grants they have, is likely to lose their job for putting their employer at risk, is likely to not be able to find future employment for being so cavalier in their research and is likely to not see any meaningful result from their research because the drugs can't be produced in the first place.
  - tzakrajs 8y ago
    Those are patriots and leaders if you ask me.
    - deelowe 8y ago
      Not everyone is interested in politics.
- Thriptic 8y ago
  I agree that it is absurd that we cannot study weed legally. At the end of the day when it comes down to illegal studies, it all comes down to risk tolerance: Is an individual willing to lose their ability to practice academic science (in that they can't get a university position, can't get federal funding, and may have to absorb a felony) in order to perform a study that the government says is not ok? For most people including me, that answer is no. How you choose to proceed is up to you, but I will tell you right now that embarking on such a study will end poorly.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
refurb 8y ago
That's not true at all. There are plenty of studies conducted on schedule 1 drugs. Yes, you need to get permission from the DEA to possess and use the drug, but it happens. There are over 170 active clinical trials in the US for THC.[1] [1]https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=&term=thc&cntry=US&state=&city=&dist=&Search=Search https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=&term=thc&cntry=...
- Thriptic 8y ago
  Fair enough, my understanding was there was nearly a categorical ban on research w/ schedule 1 drugs. I am pleased to see this is not the case. Thank you for the correction.

stephengillie 8y ago

But the study would be okay if they merely interviewed individuals who purchased cannabis for their own recreation? What if these individuals were using it recreationally according to a schedule suggested by the interviewers?

Thriptic 8y ago
Suggesting that study participants use a drug of unknown purity, composition, and dosing would definitely not be ok or safe. Encouraging illegal activity generally is not ok. Interviewing self-professed users without instructing them to use the drug would likely be ok but of limited value.
- drewrv 8y ago
  I don't know about other legal states but here in Washington the purity, composition, and dose of cannabis products are highly regulated and come with standardized labels.
  - mywittyname 8y ago
    Now sure, but what about 40 years ago?
    - stephengillie 8y ago
      We're discussing now, not the sociopolitical environment of the 1970s. Please stay on topic.
- tzakrajs 8y ago
  The drugs purity is well known in many recreational marijuana states. Have you looked over CAs laws? https://www.bcc.ca.gov/law_regs/index.html https://www.bcc.ca.gov/law_regs/index.html
  - Thriptic 8y ago
    Parent did not say they would be purchasing in a state where recreational dispensaries exist or where weed is legal at a state level. Those are unstated assumptions.
jedharris 8y ago
Maybe an independent group could manage the schedule and have lab tests done so the drug details could be determined. Then the academic researchers could track the subjects, analyze the results and publish.

throwaway76543 8y ago

Look, this is absurd. Yes, it's illegal but so what? Plenty of people have MMJ cards, have scanned their ID at a dispensary, or have applied for state cultivation licenses. The idea that academia is somehow prevented from engaging in this field because it's federally illegal is not credible and it tarnishes the integrity of the field.

deelowe 8y ago
Sure if you completely ignore how research is funded, how one makes a career out of performing research and why research is performed in the first place. Specifically, anyone performing medical research on marijuana is likely to lose any grants they have, is likely to lose their job for putting their employer at risk, is likely to not be able to find future employment for being so cavalier in their research and is likely to not see any meaningful result from their research because the drugs can't be produced in the first place.
- tzakrajs 8y ago
  Those are patriots and leaders if you ask me.
  - deelowe 8y ago
    Not everyone is interested in politics.
Thriptic 8y ago
I agree that it is absurd that we cannot study weed legally. At the end of the day when it comes down to illegal studies, it all comes down to risk tolerance: Is an individual willing to lose their ability to practice academic science (in that they can't get a university position, can't get federal funding, and may have to absorb a felony) in order to perform a study that the government says is not ok? For most people including me, that answer is no. How you choose to proceed is up to you, but I will tell you right now that embarking on such a study will end poorly.

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]

refurb 8y ago

That's not true at all. There are plenty of studies conducted on schedule 1 drugs. Yes, you need to get permission from the DEA to possess and use the drug, but it happens. There are over 170 active clinical trials in the US for THC.[1] [1]https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=&term=thc&cntry=US&state=&city=&dist=&Search=Search https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=&term=thc&cntry=...

Thriptic 8y ago
Fair enough, my understanding was there was nearly a categorical ban on research w/ schedule 1 drugs. I am pleased to see this is not the case. Thank you for the correction.