Law & Politics

Florida's Black Market Cannabis Oil Ruffles Pharmaceutical Doctor, Source: http://thejointblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/cannabisoil.jpgAs the fight for cannabis legalization, medical or otherwise, rages on in the U.S., Florida remains one of the most heated battlefields. Apparently, however, some people are not waiting for the law to catch up with their entrepreneurial spirits.

According to one news report, there are many ads cropping up trying to sell cannabis oil. Craigslist and other modes of advertising are rife with purveyors claiming that their cannabis oil can cure many ills, cancer included. I also believe cannabis can cure many ills, but I think a healthy dose of suspicion should accompany any back page, Craigslist purchasing, but that’s a story for another day.

One Florida doctor is decrying the claims as the modernized version of snake oil. Sarah Steinhardt, a doctor of pharmacy, says people should be leery of cannabis oil, especially websites that claim to show layfolk how to make their own cannabis oil.

“Really it looked similar to the directions to cook meth,” she commented.

Look, I think anyone ought to be cautious when buying anything online or following DIY suggestions. But let’s call into focus that this doctor may have some underhanded motives for attacking cannabis oil. She is a doctor of pharmacy, for starters. Her entire profession depends on sick people needing lab-made chemicals, and they make a killing doing so. If people start growing cannabis and distilling their own cures, Ms. Steinhardt will be filling out her Wendy’s application before too long.

Also, snake oil is an oft-used metaphor for charlatanism and false cures. Cannabis oil is not a false cure. The hard science is lacking because of the unjust scheduling of cannabis that prohibits in-depth research. Parents across the country have seen miraculous results for their epileptic children; results engendered by cannabis oil that pharmaceuticals could not match.

Yeah, you ought to be careful when buying anything from unsavory sources, but you stand to harm yourself far more by using chemical pills than you do with cannabis oil.