Members of various professions have different ideas about how the legalization of marijuana will affect them and how they carry out their jobs. When asked questions regarding their opinions of new laws allowing for marijuana use, respondents in various professional groups—medical professionals, law enforcement/security, legal professionals, and educators and students—provided very different comments. All respondents were asked similar questions, including (1) how marijuana legalization affects their jobs; (2) if marijuana is a gateway drug; (3) whether medical marijuana should be legal; (4) whether recreational marijuana should be legal; and (5) what laws permitting marijuana use should include.
Medical Professionals
Medical professionals must interact with people who have used marijuana and manage any medical conditions resulting from that use, which can include short-term physical reactions like anxiety attacks or hallucinations or perhaps long-term consequences such as cancer. In states where medical marijuana is legal, medical professionals must decide whether to prescribe marijuana to patients, and if so, to which patients and under what circumstances.
Those participating in this analysis have been members of the medical profession for periods ranging from four months to forty years. These professionals hold a various of positions within the medical field, including EMT, paramedic, nurse, physician assistant, family doctor, optometrist, and psychologist.
How Will Legalized Marijuana Affect Your Job?
Many respondents noted that legal marijuana would not affect their job to any great degree. Some explained that their current calls are not primarily from people who have used marijuana, possibly because it is an illegal behavior. One respondent explained that the low number of marijuana-related calls was because it is difficult to overdose on marijuana.
Some respondents were unsure if more people would use marijuana if it was made legal and how that would affect the number of calls they received for help. Many predicted that more people encountered by medical professionals will be using marijuana, using more marijuana than before, or using marijuana combined with other drugs. They predicted that increased use will probably lead to more instances of misuse of the drug, resulting in more calls to help people who have used too much, mixed marijuana with other drugs, or need help for other marijuana-related reasons. Some users may be “first-timers” who are not familiar with the effects of the drug. There may be additional calls for medical help by those who have ingested too much and are unable to walk or are otherwise sickened by the drug. People may have more accidents resulting from using increased amounts of marijuana. One respondent said, “they may also do stupid things while high and need medical help. I may have to deal with more and more patients who are under the influence of the drug. Some of these patients are hard to handle because they are not thinking straight; some don’t respond well to medical treatment.” It was suggested that some people will use marijuana because it is easy to obtain rather than other, more dangerous drugs.
The legalization of marijuana may change the treatment options for emergency caregivers. Medical professionals must take into account if a patient has used marijuana, how it was used (smoked or edible), and how much. Since there is no currently accepted way to test for marijuana use, there is no way to know what drug a person has used. Instead, medical professionals must rely on patients reporting what they used. Patients who call for help after using marijuana are sometimes difficult to handle. There are often problems communicating with users and it can be more difficult to treat them. Most people are hesitant to tell doctors or EMTs that they have used drugs, making treating them more challenging.
It is interesting that a small number of medical professionals predicted a decrease in calls for help because patients will be in less pain. Some will no longer need professional assistance to help handle the pain of their medical conditions.
Most medical professionals indicated that even if marijuana is legal, they will not be able to use it. One respondent explained that most people in the medical field are tested regularly for drugs and will lose their jobs if they test positive for marijuana. Marijuana, whether for medical reasons or for recreation, will still be banned for these professionals even if it is made legal.
As one respondent said, the legalization of marijuana will result in happier co-workers.
Is Marijuana a Gateway Drug?
The majority of health professionals interviewed for this study agreed that marijuana is not a gateway drug and does not cause people to use other drugs. They reported that many people use marijuana once and do not want to use other drugs or even use marijuana again. Some admitted that there are drugs that are gateway drugs but marijuana is not one. Respondents explained that most marijuana users have likely used marijuana in the past and consider it is a “safe” drug. They believe that marijuana is natural and for the most part does not result in other health effects akin to tobacco or alcohol use. Most people don’t want to take a risk with harder drugs.
On the other hand, some medical professionals stated that marijuana is a gateway drug, explaining that people will use harder drugs and use them more often after trying marijuana because they want to know how other drugs will affect them. If users do not like the effects of marijuana or if they want other effects, they will use other drugs. They may want to use other drugs to experience a stronger high or a different kind of high. In short, these respondents believed that marijuana use causes people to try other substances and to continue to get high. Others explained that marijuana is a gateway drug in the sense that it may make users more comfortable with the lifestyle associated with using illegal drugs or it may expose them to drug dealers and others who sell or use harder drugs.
Some medical professionals did note that marijuana may be a gateway drug for some individuals but that it is not the drug itself that causes more drug use, but rather the individual’s personality. They explained that marijuana can be a gateway drug for individuals who are suffering from mental illnesses or those who have addictive personalities. One person noted that it can be psychologically addictive for some people.
Should Medical Marijuana Be Legal?
The majority of medical professionals believe that marijuana should be legal for medical purposes. A typical response was “if it helps people who are suffering from pain related to a chronic illness, they should be able to use it.” Another respondent said, “why not let patients use anything that helps them feel better or that may actually treat whatever symptoms they are having?” A long-term professional said, “anything that can help someone medically, I’m all for it. The bottom line is to help patients.”
Some respondents noted that marijuana has many medical benefits and can be used to help a variety of medical issues. For example, it was noted that marijuana can be a powerful pain killer; it can be used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), multiple sclerosis (MS), seizures, cerebral palsy, malnutrition, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), anxiety, glaucoma, depression, and cancer. It has been linked to helping people who are undergoing cancer treatments tolerate the side effects of chemotherapy. It helps reduce nausea, enabling patients to eat. In general, “it helps people get through the day and do things they need to do.” In short, doctors should be able to prescribe marijuana if patients are diagnosed with these disorders.
Others noted that marijuana can be safer for patients than some pills or other prescribed medicines that are currently used to treat medical ailments. Marijuana does not have the same long- or short-term side effects as many medicines and it is cheaper, explained a few professionals. It can help in cases in which there are no prescription drugs available to treat the condition or in which the prescription drugs either don’t work or cause other serious side effects. In most cases, there are no (or only minimal) side effects from marijuana. As one respondent said, “if opiates are legal, marijuana should be, too. It is far less dangerous and is effective for pain management.”
One doctor noted that she did not agree with legalizing medical marijuana and stated clearly that she will not prescribe marijuana to patients but admitted that many doctors would. She explained that there is no definite evidence that medical marijuana has any medical benefits. It has never been medically or scientifically proven to treat symptoms; only anecdotal evidence exists. There are no studies that show how marijuana interacts with other drugs. Further, there is no way to regulate dosage, so it is hard to prescribe. It is self-regulating, which is not an effective medical treatment. In the long run, she reported, marijuana could do much more harm than people realize.
Should Recreational Marijuana Be Legal?
Many of the health care professionals agreed that the state or federal government should legalize recreational marijuana. One person argued that, for responsible adults, using marijuana is no different than having a couple of alcoholic drinks, and it calms people down. It may even be safer or healthier. Both alcohol and tobacco, which are legal, have known health effects. Plus, marijuana is not addictive, whereas other legal drugs are. Additionally, if it was legal, marijuana could be regulated and the level of THC in the plant could be maintained as well. The product would be safer if the government regulated it rather than relegating it to the black market.
One of the arguments made in support of recreational marijuana was the money that could be made in taxes. Multiple professionals agreed that marijuana should be taxed and the money given to the schools, used to fix roads, or allocated wherever needed. It would also create jobs, adding to the tax base. One person said, “in Colorado they are making millions off of marijuana, so the money can be really useful.” Another professional wrote that marijuana should be legalized for recreational purposes so we can “tax the shit out of it.” However, one respondent argued that marijuana should not be legalized, because then it becomes just another drug “for the government to regulate and tax so they can profit. It is just another way to control people.”
One professional pointed out that if recreational marijuana is made legal, the crime rate will go down. There will be fewer people fighting over who can sell marijuana in neighborhoods, and there will also be “fewer burglaries and thefts. If it is legal, people will not be arrested for using it or possessing it.”
Some of the health care professionals disagreed and argued that marijuana should not be legal for recreational purposes. This was because of its unknown long-term effects, which may result in other medical problems in the future. Some argued that it is too dangerous to legalize. They noted that smoking anything is unhealthy. One person was concerned that people who should not use marijuana (specifically young people) will have access to it. She said, “it is hard to make sure that it is only used by responsible adults and not kids.” Others note that marijuana is a drug and therefore can be harmful to users and that the government should not allow people to get high simply because they want to. The respondent explained, “there is no point to smoking marijuana if it is not for a medical reason.”
Another reason for maintaining the illegal status of marijuana was provided by one professional who pointed out that if marijuana is legalized, police will be responsible for enforcing the regulations pertaining to regulating all aspects of the plant—from growing to selling and use. There will be costs associated with that. Legalization also reduces the number of police-issued fines that are often related to marijuana. “If we legalize marijuana, police can’t issue tickets and get fines. Plus, legalization will make it too easy for kids to get.”
It was predicted that recreational marijuana will increase the number of accidents (like DUI or similar offenses) due to an altered state of mind, feelings of invincibility, or the sense of freedom or right to use the drug. It was often noted that “people do stupid things when they are high.”
What Are Some Consequences of Use?
One medical professional stated that there are no short- or long-term consequences of legalizing marijuana, whereas another said that we do not know what the long- and short-term consequences are. A third responder described one consequence of legalizing marijuana is abuse: “they will try to use it too much, or someone who is too young (underaged) will use it. Others will try to sell it or take it to another state where it is not legal.” Some other predicted consequences include those listed in box 5.1.
Textbox 5.1. Long-Term Consequences of Marijuana Use
One health care professional stated that the worst consequence is that people will expose their children to secondary smoke from marijuana. Another said that some people will make a lot of money, explaining that the legalization of marijuana, both medical and recreational, is all about money. “Those doctors who choose to prescribe it will become known for that and will have many patients come to see them. People who grow it and sell it will make millions. Very little money will really come back to the people. The government will say they will give it to the schools or whatever, but that won’t happen as much as it should. Politicians, interest groups, sellers, growers, etcetera will all make a lot of money.”
What Should a Marijuana Law Entail?
There were many suggestions from health care professionals about the ideal marijuana law. Many suggested that a law should restrict who can buy it and where they can use it (similar to alcohol). In general, many respondents agreed that the laws should regulate the industry tightly so that kids can’t access marijuana. There should be a strict limit on how much people can have and how often they can buy it, that way people aren’t likely to give it to someone else or to someone who might be under age or to use it too often or overindulge when they do. Many professionals agreed that marijuana should be taxed and that the money should go to schools and roads. One suggestion was to tax recreational marijuana but not medical marijuana.
It was made clear that the government should oversee growing of the drug. Suggestions included licensing individuals who grow and sell it. Anyone who meets the licensing requirements should be able to sell it, not just those who have a lot of money or who know the right people. One professional suggested that farmers grow and sell to help the U.S. agricultural system.
Suggestions for regulating recreational marijuana included an age restriction (people should be at least eighteen, though some noted twenty-one) to buy it. Other suggestions for medical marijuana included requiring a doctor’s prescription along with a mandatory prescription renewal every six months. Medical marijuana should be legal only with a doctor’s prescription, and doctors should prescribe it only for chronic illnesses. Doctors should determine what patients could benefit from use, the dosage, and what strain of marijuana to use.
One person noted that it doesn’t really matter what the law is. Whether legal or not, people will continue to abuse and smoke marijuana. A law won’t affect how many people use it or why they use it. If someone wants to use it, he or she will do so. Many people currently use it for recreational or medical reasons and it isn’t legal.
Conclusion
Medical professionals share some perspectives on the legalization of marijuana, yet their viewpoints vary greatly in other respects. As a whole, the profession has a wide variety of ideas and predictions about how legalization will affect their jobs—some predicting that there will be no impact, but others predicting more serious effects. Many similar trends can be found throughout the profession, particularly revolving around the possible dangers of marijuana use to young people and the suggestion that marijuana, if made legal, should be taxed for the revenue potential. There are many unknowns about these new laws, and members of the medical profession will need to adapt to the legalization trend and the ensuing changes that will certainly occur in the field.