Arizona Rules Marijuana Ineffective in the Treatment of Depression, Anxiety and Migraines

Patient advocates in Arizona sought to expand the qualifying conditions for the use of medical marijuana. Their goal was to include PTSD, depression, migraines, and anxiety. However, recent “studies” at the University of Arizona allegedly show that there is no evidence to prove that cannabis use is beneficial. As a result of these “studies”,  the proposal was rejected.

Will Humble, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, also runs the state’s medical marijuana program.  His reasoning behind the denial of the expanded conditions:  “There’s just not the scientific evidence out there yet to support permanently adding any of the conditions to the qualified list, at least right now. I recognize there’s a real shortage of studies and data that’s out there.”

Humble’s claims that there isn’t any evidence to show that cannabis use is effective, when there have been studies done to prove that medical marijuana use does reduce chronic neuropathic pain, and this includes headaches and general body pain. In fact, cannabis was highly regarded as a headache remedy by prominent physicians in the late 1800s into the mid-20th century.

True, that there aren’t many formal studies that have been done to prove the effectiveness of medical marijuana, especially in the cases of depression. PTSD, and anxiety. Part of the problem is the fact that these conditions by themselves are difficult to measure scientifically, but they can certainly trigger neuropathic pain such as body aches and migraines.

The University of Arizona might as well have said that marijuana is good for nothing. Their decision insults every war victim and trauma sufferer, as well as the hardworking, tax-paying individual with a dead-end job whose only solace is marijuana. In addition, the ruling downplays intangible conditions that can be debilitating, if not deadly.

It all comes down to the fact that if cannabis was a Schedule II drug or higher, real medical dollars resulting in research could flow in. The government complains about the lack of research, yet they will not allow the proper studies to be concluded. Since there aren’t any studies to prove that cannabis use for these conditions is ineffective, it is logical to assume that it just indeed may be a viable and wise option.