Maria La France

The Register published an editorial Dec. 29 [Remove barriers to marijuana research] on rescheduling cannabis and the FDA's role. It seems everyone has an opinion on what should be done about cannabis as a treatment. But whose opinion matters most? The sick and dying — who most desperately need and deserve freedom of choice for their own health care, especially if they have run out of treatment options or suffered side effects from medications that caused more damage than good. Every possible treatment should be available to Iowans. We shouldn't suffer because of where we live.

No one doubts cannabis has medicinal value, so why is it still categorized under DEA Schedule I, the most dangerous classification? The CARERs Act would reschedule it to allow legal research, if only Sen. Chuck Grassley would allow a hearing in his judiciary committee. Grassley says he wants research, but he alone is preventing research. That's hypocrisy.

Reluctant politicians and ignorant people assume that cannabis is a new, untested substance. This is just not true, it has been around for ages, and the side effects are widely researched and well-known for decades. One state representative even joked about the marijuana in the dorms in his days at Iowa State, yet he didn’t help us. Even his insensitive comment acknowledges that cannabis is nothing new. While there are side effects, they are relatively mild compared with that of alcohol, which causes 88,000 deaths per year. One day at the Capitol last year, a few of us moms were there hoping someone would have compassion for our sick children, when the Legislature gave a standing ovation to the Alcoholic Beverages Division for its revenue creation. There's more hypocrisy.

The FDA? There is no need to wait for the FDA. The FDA approves patentable natural or synthetic compounds that can be covered through insurance. It is not in the business of reviewing plants. Cannabis existed in nature long before the FDA. The sick and dying are willing to pay their own money to access it now, spending thousands on cannabis oil from out of state. People break state and federal laws to transport it, and there is no quality control. It’s irresponsible for Iowa not to regulate it. There are lots of toxic substances the FDA allows, such as noxious food colorings, BHT, BHA, etc. The FDA has even approved medicines that cause great harm, even death, such as opiates, which kill 17,000 annually. The hypocrisy!



So the public has spoken. Voters support medical cannabis. Doctors support access to cannabis, as shown in a recent WebMD survey. Success stories are abundant with cannabis helping epilepsy, MS, chronic pain, cancer, Autism, Crohn’s, PTSD, and the list goes on and on. Other states have helped their citizens. What are we waiting for? Sen. Grassley, Gov. Terry Branstad and Iowa legislators, set our people free to make educated healthcare choices without fear of criminalization. It’s your responsibility to make Iowa the healthiest state. Stop the hypocrisy now!

Maria La France of Des Moines is an advocate for reforming cannabis laws. Her son, Quincy, suffers epileptic seizures. Contact: marialafrance@gmail.com