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Gummy Bears For What Ails Ya’

By Tom Anselm

It happened in November of 2018. It was called the ‘Medical Marijuana and Veterans Health Care Services Initiative,’ or more popularly known as ‘Amendment 2.’ And with that, Missouri became one of 33 states in this good ole US of A to legalize the growth, production, distribution and sale of marijuana and its products for medical use.

Tax proceeds are estimated to be $20,000,000 annually. Not that I’m a cynic (okay, I’m a cynic) but it will be interesting to see how much of that actually goes to improve health care for veterans. Or how much just goes into replacing already existing vet care budgets, and then gets thrown into general revenue. Kinda like the scam with the lottery and education funding. But that’s a story for another day. Now this whole issue is really Ancient History, in the sense that there is evidence of marijuana and hemp as far back as 500 BC in Asia being used for herbal remedies. Apparently some wise Mesopatamian realized that this could have ‘higher’ uses, with the isolation of the compound tetrahydrocannibinol, or THC, the psychoactive property of the plant. Maybe more easily referred to as ‘This Hemp Cwazy’. And so it spread across the world. It might have all started in the Americas with those importers of small pox, the British colonists.

At any rate, hemp was a very useful product in the New World (new to them, at least), one of the strongest natural fibers in the world. Enough of that, however. What does Amendment 2 mean to you and me? It basically means that there will be 192 dispensaries state-wide, 48 in the St. Louis region, selling products available by prescription only, in various forms, from oils to pills to cookies and Gummy Bears and… well, you get the picture.

Guardedly, I see this as a good thing for those who have great pain that conventional medicine cannot relieve without debilitating and addictive and sometimes deadly side effects. It has proven to be a competitive and very lucrative industry. Surely, it will be so in MO. But here’s my fear.

Consider that 33 states have this already. And that 11 have legalized recreational marijuana. (Sorry, that term cracks me up! Do we have recreational beer? Of course. I digress.) So how long will it be until The Show-Me State jumps into that column? So what, you may be saying. Just chill, dude. Weed, pot, ganja, dope, chronic, bud, mary jane, burrito, skunk and many other slang terms, it’s all harmless, man. Not so sure, Kemosabe.

The weed, et al, that is out there these days ain’t your daddy’s dope. Studies show that the current stuff is high-octane THC. Consider that in my day, it was at 4%… today’s skunk… up to 37%. Lots of debate on whether marijuana is a ‘gateway drug,’ one that leads to the use and abuse of other more powerful drugs. On one hand, those that say ‘yes’ point to the generally accepted fact that most people don’t start on heroin as their first experience. And that once this minor weed high is felt, the tendency is to move on up the ladder.

Those who say ‘no’ caution that it may not be the THC itself that starts the progression, that is, chemical/physical addiction, but rather the behavior composition of the individual who takes the risk of a joint and then become a seeker of other curiosities in the psychoactive menu. Maybe these individuals are less inhibited, run through life on the edge, have other emotional issues not related to drugs at all, thus seeking release and relief. So far, doesn’t seem to be a clear-cut answer. More research, as they always say, is warranted.

But like any other mood-altering substance, like say, oh, alcohol, there are dangers. Starting early and up to age 25, THC can mess with the brains development. Long term or daily use can alter that chemistry, at any age. Possible psychosis and paranoia can develop. And smoking it, the currently preferred input model… well, heck… It’s Smokin!

Heart disease, lung cancer, stroke. Yeah. Any good news here? Amazingly, a very new study just out that was done from 1993 to 2017 and included 27 states and over 1.4 million high school kids, says that states that have legal marijuana laws have seen a drop in teen use. Seems that the supply is being controlled by the legally operating dispensers. I guess they’re saying to the street pushers, “this bud is NOT for you.” Bummer. Next up, cannabis oil, and can it keep my knee from waking me up at night.

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