Breaking News:Dangerous Delays: What Washington State (Re)Teaches Us About Cash and Cannabis Store Robberies [REPORT]

Pot as Prescription Drug: Where it Stands Today with the Health System

Patients who need medical marijuana are constantly caught in the crossfire between the State and the Feds. In early 2008, the battle intensified yet again.  The DEA, which had been after medical marijuana dispensaries and clubs throughout California, closed 7 of 28 clubs in San Francisco, and threatened action against others.

The city of Berkeley declared itself a “medical marijuana sanctuary” which would not cooperate with the Feds in the event that they went after dispensaries there. At the same time, Marijuana vending machines were placed in Los Angeles to ease access for dispensary users there, with the Feds threatening closure. Since 1996, 12 states have legalized medical marijuana use, placing them at odds with federal law.

The science of medical marijuana is also still controversial, despite strong evidence of benefits under certain circumstances. Still, some researchers and health insurance providers have contended that medical marijuana causes cancer.

Is There a Prescription Substitute for Marijuana?

A form of synthetic THC, the chief therapeutic compound in marijuana, has been developed by Solvay Pharmaceuticals called Marinol. Marinol was specifically developed as a Schedule III prescription drug, and is covered by most insurance health plans.

Marinol supposedly has many of the same therapeutic benefits, but lack other cannabinoids (substances other than THC) found in marijuana that also have therapeutic benefits.  As a result, many patients prefer medical marijuana to Marinol. Although Marinol is covered by prescription plans and medical marijuana is not, the average cost is approximately the same, and may be less, prompting patients to pay for it themselves, once they obtain the necessary recommendation from a physician and accompanying state card.

Permits for Medicinal Marijuana

States issue permits for patients and/or caregivers to possess and/or grow a pre-defined amount of marijuana. While not providing prescription coverage, Med-Cal or other state medical insurance may cover a portion of the application fee to obtain a medical marijuana identification card.

Unlike Marinol which has been approved by the FDA, Medical Marijuana cannot be prescribed by a physician, only “recommended,” thus removing the possibility of benefit coverage until FDA approval is possible. Several benefit providers, such as Kaiser Permanente, are known to be positively disposed toward medical marijuana, which may well pave the way for benefit coverage in the future.

Sources

Permission to Reprint: This article is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license.
Looking for the easiest way to join the anti-drug war movement? You've found it!

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <i> <blockquote> <p> <address> <pre> <h1> <h2> <h3> <h4> <h5> <h6> <br> <b>

More information about formatting options

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Drug War Issues

Criminal JusticeAsset Forfeiture, Collateral Sanctions (College Aid, Drug Taxes, Housing, Welfare), Court Rulings, Drug Courts, Due Process, Felony Disenfranchisement, Incarceration, Policing (2011 Drug War Killings, 2012 Drug War Killings, 2013 Drug War Killings, 2014 Drug War Killings, 2015 Drug War Killings, 2016 Drug War Killings, 2017 Drug War Killings, Arrests, Eradication, Informants, Interdiction, Lowest Priority Policies, Police Corruption, Police Raids, Profiling, Search and Seizure, SWAT/Paramilitarization, Task Forces, Undercover Work), Probation or Parole, Prosecution, Reentry/Rehabilitation, Sentencing (Alternatives to Incarceration, Clemency and Pardon, Crack/Powder Cocaine Disparity, Death Penalty, Decriminalization, Defelonization, Drug Free Zones, Mandatory Minimums, Rockefeller Drug Laws, Sentencing Guidelines)CultureArt, Celebrities, Counter-Culture, Music, Poetry/Literature, Television, TheaterDrug UseParaphernalia, Vaping, ViolenceIntersecting IssuesCollateral Sanctions (College Aid, Drug Taxes, Housing, Welfare), Violence, Border, Budgets/Taxes/Economics, Business, Civil Rights, Driving, Economics, Education (College Aid), Employment, Environment, Families, Free Speech, Gun Policy, Human Rights, Immigration, Militarization, Money Laundering, Pregnancy, Privacy (Search and Seizure, Drug Testing), Race, Religion, Science, Sports, Women's IssuesMarijuana PolicyGateway Theory, Hemp, Marijuana -- Personal Use, Marijuana Industry, Medical MarijuanaMedicineMedical Marijuana, Science of Drugs, Under-treatment of PainPublic HealthAddiction, Addiction Treatment (Science of Drugs), Drug Education, Drug Prevention, Drug-Related AIDS/HIV or Hepatitis C, Harm Reduction (Methadone & Other Opiate Maintenance, Needle Exchange, Overdose Prevention, Pill Testing, Safer Injection Sites)Source and Transit CountriesAndean Drug War, Coca, Hashish, Mexican Drug War, Opium ProductionSpecific DrugsAlcohol, Ayahuasca, Cocaine (Crack Cocaine), Ecstasy, Heroin, Ibogaine, ketamine, Khat, Kratom, Marijuana (Gateway Theory, Marijuana -- Personal Use, Medical Marijuana, Hashish), Methamphetamine, New Synthetic Drugs (Synthetic Cannabinoids, Synthetic Stimulants), Nicotine, Prescription Opiates (Fentanyl, Oxycontin), Psilocybin / Magic Mushrooms, Psychedelics (LSD, Mescaline, Peyote, Salvia Divinorum)YouthGrade School, Post-Secondary School, Raves, Secondary School