Last August, CNN's Sanjay Gupta publicly apologized for dismissing outright the medical potential of marijuana, and for "[his] own role in previously misleading people." Now, after months of continued investigation, Gupta says he's "doubling down" on medical marijuana.
Gupta writes extensively on what he calls "a medicine, known scientifically as cannabis" in an article posted earlier today at CNN:
This scientific journey is about a growing number of patients who want the cannabis plant as a genuine medicine, not to get high.
It is about emerging science that not only shows and proves what marijuana can do for the body but provides better insights into the mechanisms of marijuana in the brain, helping us better understand a plant whose benefits have been documented for thousands of years. This journey is also about a Draconian system where politics override science and patients are caught in the middle.
Since our documentary "Weed" aired in August, I have continued to travel the world, investigating and asking tough questions about marijuana.
I have met with hundreds of patients, dozens of scientists and the curious majority who simply want a deeper understanding of this ancient plant. I have sat in labs and personally analyzed the molecules in marijuana that have such potential but are also a source of intense controversy. I have seen those molecules turned into medicine that has quelled epilepsy in a child and pain in a grown adult. I've seen it help a woman at the peak of her life to overcome the ravages of multiple sclerosis.
I am more convinced than ever that it is irresponsible to not provide the best care we can, care that often may involve marijuana.
Read the rest of Gupta's feature over at CNN.
Image: Shutterstock/holbox.
onlinecollegedegreee.blogspot.com CNN's Sanjay Gupta "Doubles Down" on Weed