Health

HE A LTH • Spring 2019 13 The CDC says marijuana can be helpful in treating side effects of che- motherapy, but warns not enough evi- dence warrants recommending patients use it as a treatment. The same goes for treating chronic pain. Likewise, the CDC says, researchers haven't definitively linked marijuana to heavier drug use – a gateway drug, as critics call it. Though research has shown marijuana users to be more likely to use so-called harder drugs, there isn't a proven cause-and-effect. The National Institutes of Health is similarly ambivalent. Alcohol and nicotine users have higher rates of other drug use too. "Whether smoking or otherwise consuming marijuana has therapeutic benefits that outweigh its health risks is still an open question that science has not resolved," says Dr. Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, which reviews applications from prospective pot growers and sellers, is keeping a close eye too, said Jennifer Flanagan of Leominster, a commissioner placed on the board by Gov. Charlie Baker as a public health appointee. Flanagan's role on the commission is noteworthy as someone who had said she didn't think the 2016 ballot question calling for legal adult use was a good idea. Flanagan, a former state representative for the Leominster area, said she still worries about youth using marijuana now with it available for legal purchase by those over 21. Flanagan said she doesn't like the term "recreational use" for the new marijuana law, in contrast to the earli- er state law, which passed in 2012 establishing medicinal-use shops. "It is an adult product, which is why we call it adult use," she said. State remains active The Cannabis Control Commission is still working to educate residents in the first state on the East Coast to open pot shops, which opened their doors last November. CCC has set up a website with short answers to common questions about effects on lung health, mental health or addiction. It has created brochures and videos urging responsible use for adults and youth prevention. Residents should expect to see billboard ads soon, too, Flanagan said. The commission – which is expect- ed to move its headquarters to Worcester's Union Station later this year – will monitor health research on marijuana use and its effects in a detailed way Flanagan said hasn't been done in Massachusetts before. "We don't have a lot of the data because we've never had to collect the data before," she said. The Region's only AAA Four Diamond-Rated Hotel Voted Best Hotel / Telegram & Gazette Voted Best Venue for a Business Meeting Voted Best Hotel for Business Clients Voted Best Venue for a Corporate Event Worcester Business Journal OpenTable Diners' Choice Award Winner DiRo¯ NA (Distinguished Restaurants of North America) Awarded Restaurant "It's one of the best dining destinations anywhere in New England." phantom gourmet WHEN ONLY THE BEST WILL DO FOR YOUR NEXT MEETING, EVENT OR CONFERENCE beechwoodhotel.com 508.754.5789 sonomaatthebeechwood.com 508.754.2000 363 plantation street worcester, ma addiction to pot itself – a less-discussed effect than the potential role some doc- tors see as a gateway to use of more serious drugs. "They cannot and will not go without it," Fitzgerald said of addicted users. Fitzgerald is a bit more optimistic on whether legal marijuana could lead to harder drug use. Users might pick up more dangerous habits if a marijuana drug dealer carries other drugs, or laces marijuana with nar- cotics. That's not a risk at a licensed pot shop, she said. Inconclusive findings The medical community is split on the benefits and harms of marijuana, with studies sometimes showing corre- lation, if not necessarily causation. Even the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, a reliable go-to for the health industry, is somewhat unsure, if largely cautious. The state legislature's Joint Committee on Marijuana Policy is tak- ing up bills to lead to further change. In just the short period since the leg- islative session started in January, the Continued on Page 14 committee has already been tasked with reviewing a series of bills includ- ing one to devote 1 percent of the recre- While science around the benefits and harms of marijuana hasn't changed, public perception has. In 2013, a majority of Americans for the first time said marijuana should be legal. Public opinion on legalizing marijuana 0 20 40 60 80 1969 '72 '73 '75 '76 '78 '80'83 '86 '87 '88'89'90 '91 '93 '94 '96'98 '00 '02 '04'06 '08 '09 '10'11 '12 ' 1 3 '14 '15'16 '17 ' 1 8 I l l e g a l L e g a l U . S . o p i n i o n o n l e g a l i z i n g m a r i j u a n a ( I n p e r c e n t ) 6 2 % 3 4 % Note: Two surveys were conducted in 2014. Source: Gallup (1969,1972), General Social Survey (1973-2008), Pew Research Center (2010-2018) PHOTO/ELIZABETH BROOKS

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