In western Ohio, we know a lot about growing crops to feed the world, and we have no interest in plowing under good soybeans, corn and wheat to trade in our combines for a marijuana grow site. Marijuana legalization promises societal concerns and an economic shift, which if not monitored could be devastating. This discussion around medical marijuana should look at the problems in other states and focus only on establishing a legitimate medicine market in an above-board healthcare pharmacy.

To further encourage the study of the medical benefits of marijuana, we need to remove the roadblocks to research. The legislation that the Ohio legislature is currently reviewing will encourage Congress to change marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule II. This is important, because that change will make it better for legitimate scientific research to explore the possible benefits of this plant. Until the federal government makes research more accessible, it would be hard to determine if there are any medical benefits of the product.

So-called “medical marijuana” is an atrocity in other states, where smokable medical marijuana is available on street corners from legal “dispensaries.” States like California and others have done medical marijuana wrong; they are allowing anyone and everyone to get high in the name of medicine. It’s a sham, and Ohio can do better. We should be focusing on pharmaceutical marijuana only, talking about products that can’t be smoked and won’t let a patient get high. These types of products might have true, proven, medical justification.

There are cannabis products in development that experts believe can help true medical conditions, and science is going to allow us to produce these medicines without THC, the chemical that causes a high. Drugs like Marinol and Cesamet are synthetic drugs used to treat AIDS and cancer patients who do not respond to conventional treatment. These kinds of drugs are regulated and cannot be smoked. Pharmaceutical marijuana should be derived from the medical benefits observed from these two drugs.

As this discussion continues, I will be working to ensure we keep marijuana gummy bears, brownies and smokable marijuana off our streets and away from our children. Any efforts to the contrary are misguided and ill-informed. To learn more, please visit tinyurl.com/buchystandingstrong.

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