Science & tech Studies on Cannabis Vastly Outnumber Most FDA-Approved Pharmaceuticals Bailey Rahn February 5, 2015 Share Twitter Facebook Share Print

More clinical studies have been performed on cannabis than most legal medications approved by the FDA, and while this comes as no surprise to any of us, it’s an observation that should make your blood boil with the heat of a thousand Trinidad moruga scorpion peppers. This discovery brings infuriating data to the hypocrisy of U.S. drug policy and government-backed research.

A quick search for “marijuana” or “cannabinoids” in the PubMed database yields tens of thousands of studies researching both the benefits and side effects of cannabis. This research provides vast evidence of marijuana’s minimal risks and versatile uses, and yet it sits stagnantly as a Schedule I Controlled Substance alongside heroin and bath salts.

And then there’s this analysis of 200 FDA-approved drugs showing that almost a third of those were passed based on a single study. Even more are granted approval despite conflicting data, and only about 40 percent of those are compared to drugs currently being prescribed. These pharmaceuticals have on average 70 different side effects; meanwhile, the minor discomforts sometimes induced by cannabis can be tallied on less than two hands.

So that’s the current state of affairs. Now harness all that rage and write to your state representatives urging them to take a critical look at what’s going on here. And then maybe settle down with the most stress-numbing indica to help you forget how badly you want to bash your head against the nearest wall.

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Bailey Rahn Bailey is a senior content manager at Leafly, specializing in strains and health. She's spent 7+ years researching cannabis products, spreading patients’ stories, and exploring healthy ways of integrating cannabis into daily life. View Bailey Rahn's articles