Legalized Marijuana Can Create Tough Tasks For EPs
What's it like to be an emergency physician in a state where marijuana is legal? Some places see patients using more frequently, giving rise to cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome and DUIs. Some see tourists swoop into the state and overdo it, not knowing how to regulate their use. Others find children mistaking edibles for brownies and the like, resulting in ED visits. Thirty-three states have legalized medical marijuana, 10 have approved medical and recreational cannabis, and 13 states and some cities have decriminalized marijuana, reducing or eliminating legal penalties for possessing small amounts. Its use, however, is still against federal law, which considers it a Schedule I drug with high potential for abuse and no accepted use. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved cannabidiol (CBD) to treat rare diseases that cause seizures because it does not contain THC and will not cause a high. The Rohrabacher-Farr amendment prohibits the U.S. Justice Department from spe...