United States: Health Secretary denies the existence of medical cannabis

During a conference on opioids in Ohio, U.S. Health Secretary Alex Azar stated, «There is no such thing as medical marijuana.».

He added, «There is no FDA-approved use for cannabis, which is a botanical plant. I just want to be very clear on this point.»

This statement came in response to a question about the possibility of doing Medical cannabis: an alternative to opioid-based pain relievers which are currently wreaking havoc in terms of addiction in the United States.

Opioids are now the leading cause of death among Americans under the age of 50. The opioid epidemic was even declared a «National Public Health Emergency» by President Trump, although that declaration was more symbolic than anything else.

And while Azar is partly right—since the U.S. government still classifies cannabis as a Schedule I controlled substance in the United States, which does not recognize any therapeutic value in the substances listed there—Azar dismisses this out of hand the numerous studies and patients' testimonials about the effectiveness of cannabis in managing pain.

A quick glance at the Alex Azar's Resume However, we learn that after serving as George W. Bush’s Secretary of Health, he became president of Eli Lilly and Company, a pharmaceutical company, between 2012 and 2017. During that same period, Azar was also a member of the board from Biotechnology Innovation Organization, a major pharmaceutical lobby.

His denial of the existence of medical cannabis appears to be a strong enough indication of the conflicts of interest he describes—conflicts that are shaping current federal policy in the United States.

In many states, «anti-medical cannabis» campaigns have already been publicly funded by Big Pharma, for example, in Arizona. Further afield, in the United Kingdom, the The minister in charge of drug policy is also in the same position, the ban on medical cannabis, which directly affects her husband.

Twenty-nine U.S. states currently allow the medical use of cannabis.