Ask Dr. Mitch: The Marijuana Majority

Dr. Mitch Earleywine, the author of Understanding Marijuana and The Parents’ Guide to Marijuana, dishes on the entourage effect, pot & pregnancy and discrimination. 

Tell me that whole-plant medicine is better than synthetic! — Terra Firma

Hi Terra,
CBD is most effective under one simple condition: when it’s applied with all of its entourage-effect pals in a natural extract. All by its lonesome, CBD is only effective at very specific dosages. Chalk up another win for the whole plant!

I feel like the world is against me because of my cannabis use. Is there such a thing as cannabism, like racism or sexism? — Nelson Marley

Yo Nelson,
One of my students showed that if people see your picture and assume you’re a cannabis user, they also assume you’ve got a bad memory. Actual memory abilities didn’t vary between users and non-users—but if people thought you merely looked like a cannabis user, whether you were or not in real life, then they thought your memory was bad, too. I’m not sure if “cannabism” is the name we want, but there’s definitely a bias against people who look like fans of the plant.

Are doctors finally catching up with normal people when it comes to medical cannabis? — Oscar Snarky

Hi Oscar,
New reviews in the best research journals offer broader support than ever. Medical cannabis consistently delivers not only relief from pain, but also improves the quality of life. Experiments involving other ailments keep stacking up too. We’re close to the day when everyone will brag that they always supported medical pot.

Tell the truth: If your mom smoked when she was pregnant, will you be retarded? — Lenny Rabbit

Yo Lenny,
This is the kind of stuff that gets me in trouble. Researchers from my alma mater (Columbia University) showed that kids exposed to cannabis in utero and those who weren’t differed on cognitive measurements only rarely—and even then, the difference was rarely very big. Every pregnant woman should take good care of herself, but cannabis use during pregnancy really isn’t child abuse.