>> DOES AMERICA HAVE A MARIJUANA PROBLEM?

"THE NEW YORK TIMES" EDITORIAL BOARD ARGUES IN A RECENT OPINION PIECE THAT IT DOES.

AND IT'S CERTAINLY TRUE THAT IN JUST OVER TEN YEARS ATTITUDES TO THE DRUG HAVE CHANGED DRAMATICALLY.

IT'S NOW LEGAL SOME 40 STATES FOR MEDICAL USE.

234 FOR RECREATIONAL USE.

AND IT'S MORE COMMON TO USE CANNABIS DAILY THAN IT IS ALCOHOL.

THAT'S ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL SURVEY ON DRUG USE AND HEALTH.

BUT IS IT AS SAFE AS REGULAR USERS THINK?

MARGARET HANEY IS A NEUROBIOLOGY PROFESSOR AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER AND HAS SPENT DECADES RESEARCHING HOW MARIJUANA AFFECTS THE BRAIN.

SHE JOINS MICHEL MARTIN TO UNPACK THE LATEST DATA.

>> THANKS, BIANNA.

DR.

MARGARET HANEY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TALKING WITH US.

>> VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE.

>> YOU'VE STUDIED CANNABIS FOR 30 YEARS.

YOU'VE STUDIED CANNABIS, THE HEALTH EFFECTS.

FOR SOME 30 YEARS NOW.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN THIS?

THE REASON I ASK IS IT'S NOT EASY TO STUDY A DRUG THAT IS CONSIDERED ILLEGAL IN THE UNITED STATES.

EVEN IF IT'S FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH.

>> YEAH, NO, IT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.

I DON'T THINK THE PUBLIC IS AWARE OF HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO STUDY CANNABIS .

SO I GOT INTO IT BAYS WAS STUDYING THE COCAINE ADDICTION.

IT WAS KIND OF THE ERA OF CRACK COCAINE AND I WAS DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH LOOKING AT TREATMENTS FOR COCAINE.

WHICH IS AN EASIER DRUG TO STUDY BECAUSE IT'S NOT SCHEDULE 1, BECAUSE IT'S CONSIDERED TO HAVE SOME MEDICINAL BENEFIT.

WHILE I WAS DOING IN IN THE '90s THIS PAPER CAME OUT SHOWING THERE'S A CANNABIS WITHDRAWAL YOU COULD PRECIPITATE IN RATS.

AND IT REALLY BLEW OUR MINDS.

WE DID NOT THINK SOMETHING LIKE WITHDRAUM TO CANNABIS EXISTED.

THIS WAS TO THC.

SO WE ENROLLED DAILY CANNABIS SMOKERS, THEY LIVED IN THE LABS WITH US, WE HAD THE LICENSES AND APPROVALS IN PLACE TO GIVE THEM CANNABIS, AND WHEN WE SWITCHED OUR ACTIVE CANNABIS TO PLACEBO CANNABIS WE COULD TRACK THE WITHDRAWAL.

IT WAS IN THE '90s AND IT GOT ME COMPLETELY IMMERSED IN THE FIELD.

WHEN IT COMES TO STUDYING CANNABIS I HAVE TO HAVE CANNABIS STORED IN A DRUG SAFE IN A DRUG ROOM.

I GET IT WITH MY FINGERPRINTS, TREATED LIKE AS IF I WERE GIVING PEOPLE HEROIN.

IT'S AN EXTRAORDINARILY DIFFICULT DRUG TO STUDY.

AS A SCHEDULE 1 DRUG.

YOU NEED D. E. A. LICENSE.

YOU NEED NARCOTICS CONTROL LICENSE.

YOU NEED FDA APPROVAL.

IT'S A VERY HIGH BAR AND IT'S SIGNIFICANTLY LIMITING HOW WE CAN STUDY THIS PLANT THAT MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE USING THINKING IT HAS MEDICAL BENEFIT FOR WHICH WE DON'T HAVE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T DONE THESE STUDIES.

>> SO WHEN YOU SAW THAT MARIJUANA, CANNABIS, WAS BEING LEGALIZED AT A VERY RAPID PACE, RIGHT?

WERE YOU RELIEVED OR WERE YOU WORRIED?

>> I HAVE A LOT OF THOUGHTS ON THAT BECAUSE IT'S STILL FEDERALLY ILLEGAL.

STATES CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT.

IT DOESN'T MATTER FEDERALLY.

IT'S FEDERALLY ILLEGAL.

SO I STILL HAVE TO OPERATE UNDER THOSE RULES.

SO THERE'S TWO THINGS WHEN YOU LEGALIZE.

THERE'S LEGALIZATION FOR RECREATIONAL USE AND THEN THERE'S MEDICAL CANNABIS.

WHAT REALLY, REALLY BOTHERED ME WAS THAT POLITICIANS WERE BASICALLY DECIDING WHAT WAS A MEDICINE OR NOT.

YOU KNOW, AT ONE POINT IN MANAGE MANAGE IT WAS DEEMED A MEDICATION FOR GLAUCOMA.

IN NEW YORK IT WAS ILLEGAL.

THAT'S NOT THE WAY WE DECIDE WHAT A MEDICINE IS.

SO JUST AS A SCIENTIST IT REALLY MADE ME CRAZY THAT IN LIEU OF ANY EVIDENCE THAT'S NEEDED FOR EVERY OTHER DRUG AND MEDICATION CANNABIS GOT THIS BACK DOOR ENTRY AS A MEDICINE.

THAT'S NOT TO SAY IT DOESN'T HAVE THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL BUT I THINK EVERYONE WOULD BENEFIT IF WE COULD DEMONSTRATE WHAT IT HAS THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL FOR.

THIS IS A SAFE DOSE.

THERE'S NO DATA.

SO WHEN HE THIS SAY TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR YOUR DOCTOR HAS NO EVIDENCE TO GO ON.

IT'S A PROBLEM THE WAY WE'RE TREATING IT AS A MEDICINE FOR EVERYTHING.

I THINK THERE'S LIKE 60 INDICATIONS IF YOU ADD THEM UP ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.

IT VARIES STATE BY STATE.

ANTI-DEPRESSANTS DON'T VARY STATE BY STATE.

IT WORKS IN NEW JERSEY, NOT NEW YORK.

SO THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD --I WOULD REALLY WANT TO START.

RECREATIONAL USE, THAT'S A DECISION FOR VOTERS TO HAVE, DO WE WANT ANOTHER LEGAL INTOXICANT OUT THERE?

LET'S LOOK AT THE PROS AND CONS AND DECIDE FEDERALLY.

BUT IN TERMS OF THE MEDICINE IT REALLY BOTHERS ME.

>> WELL, IT'S ALREADY KIND OF DECIDED.

I MEAN, THE FACT IS A 2024 STUDY FROM CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY ESTIMATES THAT ROUGHLY 18 MILLION AMERICANS NOW USE MARIJUANA ALMOST DAILY.

THAT'S UP FROM UNDER 1 MILLION IN 1992.

THE STUDY SHOWS THAT IN 2022 FOR THE FIRST TIME THERE WERE MORE DAILY OR NEAR-DAILY USERS OF CANNABIS THAN ALCOHOL.

CANNABIS.

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CANNABIS, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?

IS IT WEED?

>> YES.

IT'S A PLANT.

>> SO WHEN YOU SEE PEOPLE SORT OF SELLING THC PRODUCTS, IS THAT THE SAME THING?

>> NO, IT CAN BE QUITE DIFFERENT.

AND THAT'S BEEN THE OTHER ENORMOUS SOCIETAL SHIFT.

YOU HAVE THE PLANT.

AND THE PLANT CAN ONLY GET UP TO MAYBE 25% THC.

IN THE '70s IT WAS 1% TO 4% THC.

NOW YOU CAN GET UP TO 20%, 25% THC.

BUT THE OTHER THING NOW IS THESE THC OILS SOLD IN PENS AND THEY'RE BBING AND IT'S VERY CONCENTRATED THC.

THAT'S A WHOLE OTHER CAN OF WORMS.

THE PLANT WE KIND OF UNDERSTAND HOW TO HANDLE ITS EFFECTS.

BUT THESE VERY, VERY HIGH CONCENTRATED SOLUTIONS OF THC THAT ARE SO EASY IN THE VAPE PENS TO MASK AND TO HIDE AND TO USE IN SCHOOL AND SO FORTH, THAT'S A REAL CONCERN.

>> WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS PEOPLE THOUGHT WERE TRUE WHEN THERE WAS THIS BIG PUSH TO DECRIMINALIZE AND LEGALIZE THAT TURNED OUT JUST NOT TO BE TRUE?

>> LIKE THE ONE NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART IS ADDICTION.

YOU KNOW, THE WAY WE DEFINE A USE DISOFFERED, THERE'S A LIST OF CRITERIA.

AND ALL THE DRUGS SHARE THE SAME CRITERIA.

DO YOU UNDERGO WITHDRAWAL?

ARE YOU GIVING UP IMPORTANT THINGS IN YOUR LIFE FOR THE DRUG?

IS IT DISRUPTING YOUR FAMILY AND JOB?

THERE'S A SERIES OF CRITERIA AND THE MORE YOU MEET THE MORE SEVERE YOUR USE DISORDER IS.

WHEN I STARTED THE NOTION WAS LAUGHED AT, THAT ADDICTION TO CANNABIS CAN OCCUR.

AND NOW PEOPLE ARE SEEING IT.

AND I THINK MOST SIGNIFICANTLY ALL THE PEOPLE WHO START USING CANNABIS FOR THERAPEUTIC REASONS ARE DEVELOPING A USE DISORDER.

IF YOU'RE USING CANNABIS FOR PAIN, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?

YOU'RE GOING TO USE IT AS SOON AS YOU WAKE UP.

YOU'RE GOING TO USE IT AS SOON AS IT WEARS OFF.

YOU'RE GOING TO USE IT REPEATEDLY THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

THESE ARE ENORMOUS RISK FACTORS FOR DEVELOPING A USE DISORDER.

AND NOBODY'S TELLING THEM THIS IS.

IT'S NOT GOING TO KILL YOU, BUT WHO WANTS IT?

BECAUSE THE DEITCHING FEATURE OF USE DISORDER, NOT ONLY IS IT IMPEDING VARIOUS ASPECTS OF YOUR LIFE BUT REINING IT IN IS ENORMOUSLY DIFFICULT.

THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR COME IN FOR AND THEY'RE REALLY HARD ON THEMSELVES, IT'S JUST CANNABIS, WHY CAN'T I QUIT THIS?

WHY CAN'T I USE TWO DAYS A WEEK INSTEAD OF SEVEN DAYS A WEEK?

AND BECAUSE IT'S QUOTE UNQUOTE JUST CANNABIS.

THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE SEEING OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND WE'RE DOING MULTIPLE STUDIES LOOKING FOR POTENTIAL TREATMENTS FOR CANNABIS USE DISORDER BECAUSE THERE'S A NEED FOR IT.

>> YOU AS A MEDICAL RESEARCHER ARE SAYING YOU ARE SEEING PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY SICK, WHO ARE HAVING SERIOUS HEALTH EFFECTS, WHO ARE UNABLE TO STOP USING IF THEY WANT TO.

I'M JUST CURIOUS WHY IS THERE THIS BIG DISCONNECT BETWEEN WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THE HEALTH FIELD AND WHAT OUR PUBLIC CONVERSATION ABOUT IT IS?

>> YES, COMPLETELY.

AND I THINK THAT'S THE PUBLIC CONVERSATION WE HAVE TO HAVE.

AND I THINK THERE'S BEEN THIS HALO EFFECT AROUND CANNABIS.

PARENTS HAVE BEEN KIND OF UNSURE WHAT TO SAY TO THEIR KIDS BECAUSE THEY DON'T THINK IT'S ALL THAT TERRIBLE.

WE HAVE OUR OWN ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM, WE HAVE THIS PART OF OUR BRAIN WHERE THC BINDS AND IT GOES UNDER TREMENDOUS DEVELOPMENT IN THE ADOLESCENT YEARS.

THAT'S WHEN YOUR BRAIN DEVELOPS.

AND TO BE EXPOSING IT TO HIGH LEVELS OF THC ON A DAILY BASIS IS A RISK FACTOR.

THERE'S CONSEQUENCES FOR EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS.

OUT COMES A RANGE OF THINGS.

THE POINT IS WHAT I WOULD TRY TO SAY TO MY OWN SONS IS IT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE SMOKING EVERY DAY WHEN YOU'RE 14 AND WHEN YOU'RE 34.

THAT REALLY MATTERS.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING -- AGAIN, E. R. DOCTORS TALK ABOUT THE HIGH INCIDENT OF PSYCHIATRIC CONSEQUENCES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE SMOKING AND THE YOUNGER YOU START THE MORE VULNERABLE YOU ARE TO DEVELOPING CANNABIS USE DISORDER BUT ALSO HAVING PSYCHIATRIC AND OTHER OUTCOMES.

>> WHAT I THINK I HEAR YOU SAYING IS YOU CAN ACTUALLY HAVE PSYCHIATRIC IMPACTS FROM HEAVY USE, DAILY USE, NEAR-DAILY USE.

WHY IS THAT?

>> THERE IS SOMETHING, CANNABIS-INDUCED PSYCHOSIS THAT IS INCREASINGLY PRETTY COMMON.

THESE RECEPTORS WHERE THC BINDS, EVERY PART OF THE BRARNGS AREAS THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR MOOD, MOOD REGULATION AND SO FORTH.

BUT THERE IS AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN A LOT OF CANNABIS USE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THESE PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS, PSYCHOSIS BEING ONE OF THEM.

THAT'S THE OTHER THING THAT I REALLY CARE ABOUT.

IF YOU LOOK AT SURVEYS AS TO WHY PEOPLE SEEK MEDICAL CANNABIS, THE THREE TOP REASONS ARE PAIN, ANXIETY, AND SLEEP.

WELL, ALL THREE OF THOSE HAVE AN ENORMOUS PLACEBO RESPONSE.

THAT MEANS IF - -YOU HAVE SOCIETY TELLING YOU THIS PLANT IS GOING TO CURE WHAT AILS YOU.

THE FEVER RESPONSE.

PEOPLE TAKING SOMETHING THEY THINK IS GOING TO HELP THEM HAVE A TREMENDOUSLY HIGH, YOU KNOW, SUCCESS RATE.

THEY LITERALLY FEEL BETTER.

THEIR PAIN NEUROBIOLOGY LESSENS WHEN THEY TAKE A PLACEBO THAT THEY THINK IS GOING TO HELP.

SO PLACEBOS WORK.

SO PEOPLE DO FEEL BETTER.

THIS JUST CAN'T BE OUR MEDICAL POLICY.

THIS IS WHY WE NEED TO BRING GOOD SCIENCE TO THIS QUESTION.

BECAUSE WE NEED TO ACCOUNT FOR EVERY OTHER MEDICATION, YOU HAVE TO COMPARE IT TO A PLACEBO AND SAY THE MEDICATION IS SUPERIOR, IT'S NOT EXPECTATION.

WE DON'T HAVE THAT FOR CANNABIS.

AND THE FEW STUDIES THAT HAVE DONE THAT HAVEN'T REALLY PANNED OUT.

>> YOU'RE SAYING EVEN PEOPLE ARE USING CANNABIS EVERY DAY CAN'T STOP IF THEY WANT TO, SOMEHOW THEY DON'T SEE IT AS A PROBLEM OR THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS A PROBLEM.

WHY IS THERE THIS HALO EFFECT?

IS IT BECAUSE IT'S A PLANT?

BECAUSE PEOPLE THINK OH, IT'S A PLANT?

>> I THINK IT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS SO UNREASONABLY DEMONIZED FOR SO LONG.

IT REALLY WAS.

I MEAN, WHEN I STARTED, MY PARTICIPANTS WERE THROWN IN JAIL CONSTANTLY FOR HAVING A NICKEL BAG IN THEIR POCKET.

THEY'D GO THROUGH THE SYSTEM FOR THE WEEKEND.

IT WAS SO DEMONIZED FOR SO LONG.

EVERYONE WAS JUST LIKE ENOUGH, THIS WENT TOO FAR IN THAT DIRECTION.

THIS IS JUST MY OWN THOUGHT ON THIS.

AND NOW IT WENT ON THE COMPLETE OTHER DIRECTION.

WHICH IS WHY IT WAS VERY HARD TO BRING UP ANY NEGATIVE CON CONSEQUENCES TO CANNABIS BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE LIKE WE DON'T WANT TO HEAR THIS.

WE'RE NOT READY FOR THIS.

NOW, AGAIN, IT SEEMS TO ME PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO RECOGNIZE OF COURSE, IT'S A DRUG THAT CAN BE MISUSED AND IT'S A DRUG WITH POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC CONSEQUENCES BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S ALL GOOD OR ALL BAD.

IT'S SOMETHING IN BETWEEN.

AND IF PEOPLE CAN COME INTO IT RECOGNIZING IF I'M USING IT FOR MY PAIN EVERY DAY I MIGHT RUN THE RISK OF DEVELOPING A PROBLEM WITH IT.

I DON'T THINK ANYONE'S WARNED OF THAT.

>> AND YOU TOUCHED ON THIS A BIT EARLIER.

THERE WAS A JOINT STUDY BETWEEN DANISH RESEARCHERS AND THE N. I. H. LOOKING AT MORE THAN 6 MILLION PEOPLE IN DENMARK.

AND THEY FOUND A STRONG LINK BETWEEN CANNABIS USE DISORDER AND SCHIZOPHRENIA, ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUNG MEN.

IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT UP TO 30% OF SCHIZOPHRENIA CASES IN MEN AGE 21 TO 30 MIGHT NOT HAVE OCCURRED WITHOUT HEAVY CANNABIS USE.

LIKE THERE'S A LINK THERE.

CAN YOU SAY MORE ABOUT THAT?

>> YEAH.

THERE'S DEFINITELY A LINK.

THERE IS A STRONG ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CANNABIS USE AND PSYCHOTIC SYMPTOMS INCLUDING PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS.

THE CAUSALITY OF THE LINK IS STILL TRICKY.

SO WE KNOW THERE'S A LINK.

JUST LIKE WE KNOW THERE'S A LINK BETWEEN EARLY ONSET CANNABIS USE AND WORSE EDUCATIONAL OUTCOME.

THE TRICK IS THE CAUSALITY OF IT.

I REMAIN A TINY BIT AGNOSTIC ABOUT CAUSALITY.

BUT THERE IS A STRONG ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CANNABIS AND, YOU KNOW, PSYCHOTIC SYMPTOMS.

>> DO WE HAVE ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OCCASIONAL USE AND HEAVY USE?

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE?

AND WHAT DEFINES THE DIFFERENCE?

>> IT'S HARD FOR US TO SAY LIKE WHAT LEVEL IS ACCEPTABLE AND WHAT'S NOT CLINICALLY, WHAT IS A BIG RED FLAG FOR ME IS MORNING USE, WAKE AND BAKE.

SOMEBODY IS DOING THAT, TO ME THEY'RE SHOWING --IF YOU'RE DOING THAT EVERY DAY YOU'RE REALLY SHOWING SIGNS OF AN INCREASED LIKE LIVHOOD OF A CANNABIS USE DISORDER.

CLEARLY THE POISON'S IN THE DOSE.

IF YOU'RE BEFORE GOING TO BED, TWO NIGHTS A WEEK SMOKE HALF A JOINT, I'M NOT GOING TO BE --IT'S ALL PROPORTIONATE.

JUST LIKE THE PERSON WHO HAS A GLASS OF WINE ON A SATURDAY NIGHT.

OF COURSE IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE DOSE.

THERE'S NO HARD AND FAST RULE.

THERE'S DIFFERENT VULNERABILITIES.

BUT DAILY USE, REPEATED USE THROUGHOUT THE DAY, THESE ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE RED FLAGS FOR ME.

>> SO THERE WAS AN N. I. H. STUDY THAT FOUND THAT DAILY CANNABIS SMOKING WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A 25% HIGHER LIKELIHOOD OF HEART ATTACK AND A 42% HIGHER LIKELIHOOD OF STROKE.

WHY MIGHT THAT BE?

>> YEAH.

ONE OF ITS VERY RELIABLE AND ROBUST EFFECTS IS TO INCREASE HEARTRATE.

NOT TO THE LEVEL THAT COCAINE DOES.

BUT IT'S A VERY RELIABLE 10 TO 15 BEATS PER MINUTE INCREASE IN HEARTRATE.

AND I THINK IF THERE'S ANY UNDERLYING VULNERABILITY, THAT SOMEBODY'S VULNERABLE CARDIOVASCULARLY, THAT COULD BE ONE CONSEQUENCE.

>> THAT'S COUNTERINTUITIVE BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT IT'S A ELAXANT, IT WOULD OPEN UP THE SORT OF BLOOD FLOW.

RIGHT?

>> YOU KNOW, EVEN LOW DOSES OF ALCOHOL HAVE LIKE A STIMULANT- LIKE EFFECT.

AND I THINK THIS IS ALMOST LIKE A STIMULANT- LIKE EFFECT THAT CANNABIS HAS.

IT'S SOMETHING I CAN SEE, IT'S ONE OF MY MOST ROBUST EFFECTS I SEE IN THE LAB WHEN PEOPLE SMOKE CANNABIS IS AN INCREASE IN HEARTRATE.

>> INTERESTING.

>> THERE'S A LOT MORE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THE CARDIOVASCULAR RISKS OF THAT FOR SURE.

>> THERE'S ALSO THIS OTHER SYNDROME -- >> NECEREMESIS.

>> WHICH IS VOMITING, RIGHT?

WHY DOES THAT HAPPEN?

>> WE DON'T ENTIRELY UNDERSTAND IT.

IT DIDN'T EXIST BACK IN THE '70s, '80s, WHEN CANNABIS WAS MUCH LESS POTENT.

BUT IT SEEMS TO BE WITH THESE NEW PRODUCTS, THIS PHENOMENON IS REAL.

>> IT AFFECTS APPARENTLY WOMEN, OLDER WOMEN MORE THAN MEN.

>> YEAH.

>> SO IN DECEMBER PRESIDENT TRUMP RECLASSIFIED CAN CAN BIS FROM SCHEDULE 1 TO SCHEDULE 3 DRUG BY EXECUTIVE ORDER.

AND THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS THIS IS GOING TO FACILITATE RESEARCH ON HOW MARIJUANA CAN TREAT PAIN.

IS THAT TRUE?

>> IT HASN'T HAPPENED YET.

THAT RESCHEDULING HASN'T OCCURRED YET.

AND I HAVE ADVOCATED FOR THIS BECAUSE I DO WANT TO OPEN THE DOORS FOR MORE PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO STUDY IT WITHOUT ALL THE REGULATORY BARRIERS IN PLACE.

IT WOULD BE EASIER TO STUDY.

THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT WOULD REMAIN.

AND OF COURSE THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY IT'S AI BILLION-DOLLAR INDUSTRY AND THEY WERE EXTREMELY EXCITED ABOUT THIS CHANGE.

THEY HAVE A CYNICAL REASON I THINK AS TO WHY THIS CHANGE IS HAPPENING.

IT SHOULD IMPROVE RESEARCH.

AND IT'S GOING TO GREATLY IMPROVE PROFITS FOR THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY BECAUSE THE TAX --THERE'S FINANCIAL DIFFERENCES WHEN IT'S -- >> WELL, YOU CUT OUT --ESSENTIALLY IF IT'S A SCHEDULE 1 DRUG YOU'RE BASICALLY BARRED FROM THE KIND OF BANKING SYSTEM MOST PEOPLE --MOST BUSINESSES USE.

>> EXACTLY.

>> BUT IT HASN'T HAPPENED YET.

WHAT ABOUT THIS WHOLE THING?

YOU STARTED HEARING PEOPLE TALK ABOUT BIG WEED.

>> YEAH.

>> IN THE SAME WAY THAT PEOPLE USED TO TALK ABOUT BIG PHARMA.

>> YEAH.

>> WHAT IMPACT DOES THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF THE INDUSTRY HAVE ON THE ISSUES THAT YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON?

>> NO, IT HAS A TREMENDOUS IMPACT BECAUSE THEY'RE DRIVING THE NARRATIVE.

BECAUSE THE SCIENCE CAN'T GET DONE AND THE HORSE IS OUT OF THE BARN, EVERYBODY'S GOBBLING IT UP FOR EVERY INDICATION, WE CAN'T KEEP UP.

THEY'RE DRIVING THE NARRATIVE.

THEY'RE SELLING --DISPENSARIES, IF I CAN LEAVE THE VIEWERS WITH ONE PIECE OF ADVICE, IS DO NOT BELIEVE A WORD YOUR VERY FRIENDLY BUDTENDER TELLS YOU IN A DISPENSARY BECAUSE THEY'RE MAKING IT UP.

THE CONTENT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THIS AND THE CAN BID YOL IS GOING TO HELP WITH THIS.

IT'S NONSENSE.

IT'S MADE UP.

THEY'RE MARKETERS AND THEY'RE DRIVEN BY THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY.

THIS IS HUGELY DISTRESSING TO ME.

THE OTHER AVENUE I CARE ABOUT GREATLY IS PREGNANT --USE DURING PREGNANCY.

NOT TO DEMONIZE ANYBODY.

BUT AGAIN YOU CALL A DISPENSARY AND SAY I'M NAUSEATED AND I'M PREGNANT THEY'RE GOING TO TELL YOU TO COME RIGHT IN AND GET A PARTICULAR PRODUCT.

ANOTHER TIME OF TREMENDOUS BRAIN DEVELOPMENT, NOT A GOOD TIME TO BE INTRODUCING CANNABIS OR CANNABINOIDS.

THAT'S DISTRESSING TO ME.

>> FOR PEOPLE LISTENING TO OUR CONVERSATION WHETHER THEY DON'T USE AT ALL, WHETHER THEY'RE OCCASIONAL USERS, WHETHER THEY'RE CONSIDERING IT, WHETHER THEY THINK GEE, I'M IN CHRONIC PAIN, I'D LIKE TO BE MORE COMFORTABLE, HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT CREATING A RISK-BENEFIT ANALYSIS FOR YOURSELF?

>> I THINK I JUST WOULD LEAVE PEOPLE WITH THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES TO USING CANNABIS.

I MEAN, IT CAN -- DEPENDING ON HOW YOU'RE TAKING IT IT COULD AFFECT METABOLISM OF OTHER DRUGS, IT INCREASES HEARTRATE.

THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES.

IT'S NOT THE WORST DRUG IN THE WORLD.

BUT THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES TO USING IT.

AND WHATEVER THE BUDTENDERS TELL YOU, YOU CAN JUST FORGET.

DON'T TRUST THAT.

DON'T TRUST THEM AT ALL.

THAT'S SOMEBODY I REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE.

>> DR.

MARGARET HANEY, THANKS SO MUCH FOR TALKING WITH US.

>> YOU BET.

I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE.

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