Congressional Forces Vote Against Studying Medical Marijuana as Alternative to Painkillers

Marijuana support has been progressing allover the country as more states legalize, but congress continues to deny the American people proper research into the drug that helps so many. This week, the US House Rules Committee had a chance to include marijuana in the future research of opioid addiction as an alternative or in cohesion with prescription pain killers. Two amendmends including further research into medical marijuana were both denied by the committee, and then a finally a third pro-marijuana amendment was rejected, one which would have allowed CBD (the non-psychoactive cannabinoid that treats seizures in children in many states) to avoid being treated as a controlled substance. After all hope for medical marijuana was struck from the bill, it passed the House vote with flying colors as our congress continues to dictate what substances are used in our own bodies. 

“Medical marijuana is a possible and likely way to reduce opioid prescription painkiller abuse for chronic pain,” Polis said. “And unfortunately, it’s hardly been explored due to government policy, in large part because of the federal government’s monopoly on legal cultivation and studies.” 

Unfortunately, this means that thousands of Americans will likely continue to die every year as a result of opioid overdoses, while a promising solution—one which is now legal in almost half the nation—remains an outlawed medication in the eyes of the federal government.