Advertisement Concerns grow about state's medical marijuana regulations Massachusetts' possession limit ranks third highest among 21 states and the District of Columbia Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Concerns about the state's current medical marijuana regulations are growing. Experts across the state say the Massachusetts Department of Public Health needs to change them to avoid putting public health at risk.Watch the NewsCenter 5 report"Massachusetts is a medical mecca, and as such, we deserve to have one of the safest, if not the safest, medical marijuana program in the country, not one of the more dangerous ones, said Dr. Tim Naimi, an associate professor at Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health and clinician-investigator at Boston Medical Center.One of the biggest problems, experts say, is Massachusetts' sky-high possession limit: 10 ounces of high quality cannabis every 60 days."Over the past couple of decades, the potency of marijuana has been increasing … The people who produce marijuana have been selectively breeding it to get higher and higher concentrations of THC because that is the molecule that is most responsible for the euphoric effects," said Dr. Sharon Levy, the director of the Adolescent Substance Abuse Program at Boston Children's Hospital.In fact, Massachusetts' possession limit ranks third highest among 21 states and the District of Columbia with medical marijuana programs."Four or five times higher than it is in other medical marijuana states," said Naimi.To use it all you'd have to smoke an average of 12 joints every day. The major concern then becomes where any unused marijuana will end up."(In Colorado) three-quarters of their adolescent kids that are in marijuana treatment programs for marijuana addiction … are using diverted medical marijuana and … their medical limit is 2 ounces, not 10 ounces," said Naimi.Those treatment programs also shine a light on the reality that one in 10 adult users will become addicted, according to medical studies. For adolescents, that number jumps to nearly one in six."Marijuana addiction remains in the U.S. the leading cause of addiction treatment admissions," said Naimi."There are people who really might very well benefit from cannabinoids, but I think medical marijuana is a bad policy for them as well," said Levy. "These should really be developed as proper medications.""Normally for any pharmaceutical product, it has to undergo gold standard studies where you compare people who take it to people who don't take it and see what dose causes what effect. We have none of that evidence," said Naimi."We just don't know how much marijuana, if any, is safe," said Dr. Jodi Gilman, a neuroscientist at Massachusetts General Hospital.In a statement to NewsCenter 5, the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance backed the current regulations, saying, "Dosage limits must accommodate those with most extreme need ... patients suffering from extreme pain from traumatic accidents ... those who use edibles and tinctures ... often need higher dosages … Concerns about diversion to recreational users can and should be addressed without limiting access for patients with legitimate need. The medical marijuana program in Massachusetts includes such controls.” (read full statement here) In an email to NewsCenter 5, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health defended its policies, saying, "Balancing the potential for diversion with legitimate patient needs, the regulation allows up to 10 ounces for a personal 60-day supply."Physicians retain the autonomy and authority to increase the amount of a 60-day supply in limited circumstances as they see fit in their professional judgment.The regulations reflect unprecedented public input from hundreds of stakeholders across the Commonwealth including legislators, patient advocates, nationally recognized dispensaries, prevention advocates, leading clinician and physician groups, municipal leadership and law enforcement. DPH also took into account best practices from 17 other states as well as public input from several listening sessions and formal public hearings."