Migrating for Medical Marijuana

October 1, 2019
Even ardent just-say-no proponents may reconsider their feelings toward medical marijuana after reading the stories Ferrell, a teacher at the University of Colorado, shares about how pot helps people struggling with seizures, Crohn's disease, cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, and autism. She focuses on the medical refugees who moved to her state after exhausting traditional treatments elsewhere. Though 46 states now offer some form of medical marijuana, 13 of them only allow cannabidiol, or CBD, not high -producing tetrahydrocannabinols, or THC. Ferrell makes a compelling argument for changing federal laws, which classify marijuana in the same no currently accepted medical use and high potential for abuse category (Schedule I) as heroin and LSD. (Incredibly, cocaine and methamphetamine are listed as Schedule II.) Perhaps most helpful for weed warriors (the name of a pro-pot veterans group) are the appendices. One shows state-by-state medical cannabis laws. Another lists support groups, including American Medical Refugees, the Cannabis Patients Alliance, and the American Alliance for Medical Cannabis (with its colorful web address, www.letfreedomgrow.com). This is an informative, thought-provoking, and worthy read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)