Are we saving lives or killing them? As a child my mother always warned me about pot, those who smoked it, and the type of atmosphere that surrounds those “types of people”. I’ll assume a lot of you reading this were given similar precautions--and rightfully so. What parent wouldn’t protect his/her child from an illegal activity that has been endangering the health of our youth for decades. What if I told you it wasn’t as bad as everyone thinks? What if I told you that, in fact, has the potential to help cure one of the worst diseases of mankind—the disease that quietly slips into your body and smothers it. Cancer.

In April of this year, the National Institute on Drug Abuse revised some of their publications to indicate their acknowledgement that Cannabis has successfully killed cancer cells in trial studies. On a similar note, the website “cancer.gov” even has a page on these studies and a section titled: Antitumor Activity. This section details the potential of Marijuana, which has previously been used to fight the symptoms of cancer and chemotherapy rather than the actual tumor, to both enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy and actively fight the growth of the cancer cells. Different studies show a variation of different (yet still positive) results when using the non-psychoactive chemical CBD (Cannabidiol) naturally found in cannabis instead of THC (Tetrahydrocannibinol) the chemical famous for giving the “high feeling”. Some studies even suggest that both ingredients in union work the best. The truth is there hasn’t been enough research on the subject.

This brings me to the real problem at hand. Maybe you don’t know but Marijuana is a schedule I drug. Do you know what the other schedule one drugs are? According to the DEA’s website, the list of schedule I drugs is as follows: Heroin, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), Marijuana (cannabis), 3.4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy), Methaqualone, and Peyote. These are classified as drugs that are “the most dangerous” with “potentially severe psychological and physical dependence”. Cocaine is a schedule II drug. Methamphetamine is a schedule II drug. What? That’s right, Marijuana is ranked as a more dangerous drug than Cocaine and Meth. Don’t believe me? Look it up. All this does is beg the question, are the 23 states (also D. C.) that legalized medical marijuana filled with a bunch of fools? Or is something else happening?

Now I don’t know about you and I don’t really care, but I don’t even partake in the “festivities” that some of my peers enjoy. But with growing evidence that Cannabis can help fight cancer alongside all the help it currently provides to the plethora of other ailments it’s prescribed for, why are we not researching all the possibilities of just how effective a medicine Cannabis could become? I’ll tell you why. It’s all about the scheduling. To my knowledge, it’s very difficult trying to test a Schedule I drug for its potential as a medicine. It’s heavily guarded and most researchers aren’t willing to go through the struggle needed to obtain Marijuana when there are so many other research options readily available. The red tape is too daunting, and we (as a collective) are not interested enough. Maybe someday.

I’d like to note that in no way does this mean that you should go buy a dimebag and break the law because “Hey, this guy said it cures cancer.” But I do hope that we all can educate ourselves about the truth hidden within the world we reside. I know that someday the light will be seen, and we can finally find out just how much Cannabis can help. I just hope I don’t get cancer before then.

When this is all said and done, I do urge you, whoever and wherever you are, to always inform yourself. Be safe. Be smart.