Medical marijuana is a broad term which refers to the (purportedly) therapeutic use of marijuana or marijuana-based products to treat symptoms of illness and other conditions with the whole, unprocessed marijuana plant or its basic extracts. Medical marijuana should be distinguished from pharmaceutical-grade medications developed from components of the cannabis plant that have been developed according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards. Supporters of medical marijuana claim it can make chemotherapy more tolerable, boost appetite, reduce eye pressure due to Glaucoma, relieve pain, stop muscle spasms, treat depression or anxiety, alleviate PTSD, and help with a whole host of other conditions. Two chemicals found in the marijuana plant (Cannabis sativa) are of special interest for medical treatment: tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THC has the mind-altering effects which get people “high” when smoking marijuana. The FDA has approved two drugs containing THC—Dronabinol and Nabilone—to treat nausea caused by chemotherapy and to increase appetite in patients with extreme weight loss caused by AIDS. CBD by itself does not make you high. Currently, only one drug derived from CBD is approved by the FDA: Epidiolex is prescribed for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare and severe forms of epilepsy. As more states make recreational marijuana legal, some Christians will be tempted to self-medicate using legally purchased pot. But a robust survey of scientific and Biblical evidence will demonstrate that while Christians may use tested and approved pharmaceutical-grade medications derived from cannabis under correct supervision to address specific medical needs, smoking or digesting cannabis for supposed medical purposes presents far more problems and should be avoided by Christians.
To prove this thesis, the paper will begin with a brief summary of the pharmacology of marijuana. Then, the best research regarding the effectiveness of medical marijuana and marijuana products will be summarized. This will be contrasted with the negative effects of smoking cannabis. Finally, Biblical reflection on pain management, warnings about intoxication, and the use of wisdom for critical analysis will be utilized to argue for appropriate use of medically dispensed drugs derived from marijuana while rejecting smoking or digesting cannabis.