The surgeon general promises to support the decriminalization of cannabis

The general surgeon Dr. Vivek Murthy (USA) spoke to CNN on July 18 in an interview about the pandemic, health misinformation and a quick question about cannabis.

In the interview, Murthy was asked, “Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, introduced law this week to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. Do you support this from a health point of view? “

While he wasn’t directly in favor of recreational cannabis, he affirmed that scientific evidence is ensuring how progress can be made – and this will only help those affected by the war on drugs.

“When it comes to marijuana, I think we need to be guided by science, and we know that science tells us that from a medical point of view, marijuana has some advantages, but also some disadvantages that we need to consider – and we do have to put these together when we think about the right policy, ”he said in response to the question.

“When it comes to decriminalization, I don’t think there is any value to individuals or society in locking people up for marijuana use. I don’t think that’s anybody good. “

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The general surgeon speaks out

He also expressed his hope that in his role as Surgeon General he will be able to positively steer evidence from future scientific knowledge and research. “But I think when it comes to our approach to marijuana, I worry if we don’t let science guide our process and policy making, and as a doctor general my job is to work with policymakers who work with members of the community and the general public to help people understand what science is telling us where [there are] Closing the gaps in order to fill those gaps with research and honest investigation. “

Murthy has a long history in his role as the US surgeon general, having initially served under the Obama administration for nearly two and a half years. He was asked to resign under former President Donald Trump in 2017, but returned to the position under the Biden administration in March 2021 after serving on President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 advisory board between November 2020 and January 2021.

Though he’s not been a vocal advocate of cannabis over the years, Murthy has made some notable claims about legalization and potency. Back in 2015, he told CBS This Morning that cannabis had potential.

“We have some preliminary data showing that marijuana can help with certain conditions and symptoms,” he said in his interview. In 2018, he took a different stance, claiming he was “concerned about how quickly states are legalizing marijuana” because of its “unknown” implications.

Surgeon General shows support

Still, Murthy’s strong statement is a major shift in favor of cannabis compared to statements made by general surgeons in the past. A statement by the US Surgeon General in 1982, for example, took a very different stance on the subject almost 30 years ago.

“Marijuana use is a major public health problem in the United States. In the past 20 years, its use has increased 30 times; It is estimated that more than a quarter of the American population has used it. ”The statement also included claims that the effects of marijuana included numerous“ chronic effects ”that the general public should be aware of, including“ slowness of learning ”and “Impaired immune response”.

Ultimately, it will be up to President Joe Biden to sign federal decriminalization and recreational legalization when bills like Schumer’s recently proposed law get on Biden’s desk. Biden spoke out in favor of decriminalization and reform in the August 2020 election campaign. In February 2021, President Biden received a letter from 37 lawmakers urging President Biden to pardon non-violent offenders convicted of cannabis crimes.