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25 Billion Reasons (and Counting) on Why Big Pharma Hates Marijuana Legalization

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Real Reason Pharma Hates Weed

Sometimes I forget that not everyone has the same relationship with cannabis as I do. After spending over two decades researching, writing about, and experiencing the medical benefits of this remarkable plant, it’s become as normal to me as taking a daily vitamin. Cannabis is simply part of my wellness toolkit – a natural remedy that promotes balance and healing in ways that continue to amaze me.

But then I catch myself. I remember that for most of the world, cannabis still lurks in the shadows of illegality. Despite the growing wave of legalization, countless people remain in the dark about its therapeutic potential, their understanding clouded by decades of propaganda and misinformation.

Much of this ignorance can be traced back to Big Pharma’s influence over mainstream media and medical research. Through carefully crafted narratives and cherry-picked studies, they’ve painted cannabis as nothing more than a dangerous drug of abuse – just some “hippie grass” with no real medical value. It’s a masterful stroke of corporate manipulation that has kept millions from exploring this ancient medicine.

However, the truth has a way of emerging, especially in our digital age. Recent studies are painting a very different picture of cannabis – one that has pharmaceutical executives breaking out in cold sweats. Not only is cannabis proving effective for a wide range of conditions, but it’s also leading patients to reduce or eliminate their dependence on prescription medications.

Today, we’re going to explore these groundbreaking findings and expose the real reason Big Pharma is terrified of cannabis legalization. When you see the data on how this simple plant is impacting their bottom line, you’ll understand why they’ve fought so hard to keep it illegal.

So grab your favorite strain (if you’re in a legal state, of course), and let’s dive into the fascinating world of medicinal cannabis. What you’re about to learn might just change how you think about this controversial plant – and the companies trying to keep it out of your hands.

A groundbreaking yearlong study just published in the Journal of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy has caught my attention, and believe me, it should catch yours too. The research followed 96 patients over 12 months, tracking their experiences with prescribed medical cannabis for chronic pain and mental health conditions. What they found wasn’t just impressive – it was downright revolutionary.

Let’s dive into the numbers, shall we? Within the first six months, patients reported significant pain reduction and improved mental well-being that continued throughout the entire year. We’re not talking about minor improvements here – a whopping 91% of participants reported their pain was “at least a little better,” with 75% declaring it was either “much better” or “very much better.”

But here’s where things get interesting, especially if you’re a pharmaceutical executive. By the study’s end, 55% of participants had reduced their prescription pain medication use, and 45% had cut back on over-the-counter pain medicines. The side effects? Mostly just dry mouth and sleepiness. Compare that to the novel-length list of potential complications from typical prescription pain medications.

And this isn’t an isolated finding. A separate review published in Cureus found that cannabinoids provided significant relief from chronic pain (33% versus 15% with placebo) with “minimal to no side effects.” The researchers went so far as to call it a “life-changing alternative” to conventional pharmaceuticals.

Another recent study revealed that 57% of patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain found cannabis more effective than their other analgesic medications, with 40% reducing their use of traditional painkillers after starting cannabis. The American Medical Association’s own research showed “significant improvements” in quality of life for people with chronic conditions like pain and insomnia, with effects “largely sustained” over time.

See the pattern emerging? Across multiple studies, we’re consistently seeing two things: cannabis works, and when it works, people need fewer pharmaceutical drugs. This isn’t just about pain medication either – patients reported decreasing their use of medications for depression, anxiety, and sleep problems too.

For those of us who understand cannabis, these findings aren’t surprising. But for Big Pharma, they’re absolutely terrifying. When half your patient base starts reducing their medication use by 40-55%, that’s not just a dent in profits – it’s a crater.

But here’s the kicker: the numbers I’ve just shared with you are just the tip of the iceberg. In our next segment, we’re going to translate these percentage drops in medication use into cold, hard cash. We’ll see exactly why pharmaceutical companies are spending millions lobbying against cannabis legalization, and trust me, when you see the figures, you’ll understand why they’re sweating.

Because let’s be honest – this isn’t about patient welfare anymore. It’s about protecting profit margins. And nothing threatens those margins quite like a plant people can grow in their backyard.

 

Let’s put these numbers into perspective, shall we? When we look at just one category of pharmaceutical drugs – say, prescription pain medications – we’re talking about a market worth over $25 billion annually. Now, imagine watching 40-55% of your customers walking away, choosing instead to use a plant they might be growing next to their tomatoes. That’s the nightmare Big Pharma is facing.

Research indicates that pharmaceutical companies lose approximately $10 billion annually in states with medical marijuana programs. And that’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. As more states legalize and more people discover cannabis’s therapeutic potential, these losses are projected to grow exponentially.

But here’s what really keeps pharmaceutical executives up at night: they can’t monopolize cannabis like they do with their synthetic drugs. Sure, they can create cannabis-based medications (and they are), but they can’t patent the plant itself. Mother Nature, in her infinite wisdom, made cannabis remarkably easy to grow and process.

Think about it – any moderately skilled home grower can produce a variety of cannabis medicines right in their backyard. Want to make a topical salve for arthritis? Just infuse some cannabis in coconut oil. Need something for sleep? You can make your own tincture. Looking for anti-inflammatory benefits without the high? Raw cannabis juice or leaves will do the trick. No pharmaceutical company required.

This accessibility terrifies Big Pharma because it completely circumvents their carefully controlled production and distribution systems. You don’t need a sophisticated laboratory or millions in equipment to create effective cannabis medicine. You need soil, water, sunlight, and a little knowledge passed down through generations of growers.

Even more threatening is cannabis’s versatility. One plant can potentially replace multiple medications. A patient might use cannabis to manage their chronic pain (goodbye opioids), help them sleep (see ya, Ambien), and ease their anxiety (farewell, Xanax). That’s three revenue streams dried up from a single plant growing in someone’s garden.

And let’s not forget about raw cannabis consumption – a method that completely bypasses the need for processing altogether. Raw cannabis contains THCA and CBDA (the acidic precursors to THC and CBD), along with hundreds of other beneficial compounds including terpenes and flavonoids. These compounds offer significant therapeutic benefits without any psychoactive effects, essentially giving patients a nutrient-dense superfood that doubles as medicine.

This is the real reason behind Big Pharma’s anti-cannabis stance. It’s not about safety concerns or public health – it’s about protecting their bottom line from a plant that threatens their entire business model. Cannabis represents everything they fear: a natural, effective medicine that people can grow themselves, process in their kitchens, and use to treat multiple conditions without ever stepping foot in a pharmacy.

No wonder they’re spending millions on lobbying against legalization. When your profit margin is threatened by a plant that literally grows like a weed, you’ve got a serious problem on your hands.

JG

Now let’s write a 350-word conclusion entitled, “The Sticky Bottom Line”

 

In this segment focus on:

* I believe that everyone should have access to medicine they can grow. I even favor people growing their own opium, coca plant, psychedelic mushrooms, etc. This all in the name of bodily autonomy.

* Getting people off pharmaceuticals and taking health into their own hands is one of the best things that could happen for humanity.

* The science backs cannabis as a medicine, and each day that we continue to stall on making it widely available to people in need, is another day we perpetuate suffering for no reason other than greed.

 

 

Here’s a 350-word “Sticky Bottom Line” conclusion:

 

Let me be perfectly clear about where I stand: I believe every human being should have the right to grow their own medicine. Whether it’s cannabis, poppies, coca plants, or mushrooms, bodily autonomy means having sovereignty over your own consciousness and the ability to manage your own health. The idea that we need corporate gatekeepers to mediate our relationship with plants that have been used medicinally for thousands of years is not just absurd – it’s morally reprehensible.

 

The evidence we’ve explored today paints a crystal clear picture: cannabis works. It helps people manage pain, reduces anxiety, improves sleep, and allows countless patients to reduce or eliminate their dependence on pharmaceutical drugs. This isn’t just anecdotal anymore – it’s backed by rigorous scientific research. Yet millions still suffer needlessly because an industry more concerned with profits than patients continues to obstruct access to this healing plant.

 

Every day we delay full cannabis legalization, we’re choosing to prioritize corporate profits over human welfare. We’re forcing people to remain dependent on expensive, often addictive medications when they could be growing a safer alternative in their backyard. We’re maintaining a system where healthcare is a privilege rather than a right, where healing is commodified and monetized rather than democratized and accessible.

 

The shift away from pharmaceutical dependence toward natural, self-grown medicine represents one of the most significant opportunities for improving human health and wellbeing in our lifetime. It’s not just about cannabis – it’s about reclaiming our right to heal ourselves, to make informed choices about our health, and to access the therapeutic tools nature has provided us.

 

The science is clear. The benefits are proven. The only thing standing between millions of people and potential relief is a profit-driven system that values patents over patients. It’s time to choose: will we continue to support a system that prioritizes profits over people, or will we finally embrace the healing power of plants that grow freely under the sun?

The choice, like the bottom line, is sticky indeed.

Inspiration: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/medical-marijuana-improves-chronic

-pain-and-mental-health-symptoms-while-reducing-prescription-drug-use-study-shows/

 

BIG PHARMA BLOCKING MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION, READ ON…

WHY BIG PHARMA HATES MARIJUANA

WHY BIG PHARMA HATES WHEN PEOPLE SWITCH TO WEED!



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MLK Day 2025: Cannabis and Civil Rights

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It’s MLK Day once again.

I’ve been writing an MLK Day post on this blog for eight consecutive years. The theme of my posts is that cannabis is a civil rights issue, and that Dr. King would have advocated for ending prohibition based on that fact.

Each year, I have demonstrated with facts (upon facts upon facts) that the War on Drugs continues in insidious ways. In, 2023, which is the most recent year that FBI data is available, law enforcement officials made over 200,000 arrests for marijuana-related convictions. Those 200,000 arrests constitute roughly 25% of all drug-related arrests.

Sadly, arrests of black people constituted 29% of all drug arrests in 2023, although only 13.6% of Americans are black.

Heading into MLK Day weekend, President Biden announced that he is commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of non-violent drug offenses. The focus was predominantly on individuals “who received lengthy sentences based on discredited distinctions between crack and powder cocaine…”, as opposed to cannabis-related crimes. According to the Last Prisoner Project, “the total number of those incarcerated for cannabis who received commutations is not knows, but nine LPP constituents will be free.”

For all that Biden promised as to cannabis, it’s the least we could have asked. Under the new Trump administration, attention will quickly return to the frustrating marijuana rescheduling process. If cannabis ends up on Schedule III, criminal penalties for traffickers may soften, but make no mistake: possessing and distributing cannabis will still be a federal crime.

At the state level, where most arrest occur, progress has slowed in the last few years. Out here where I live in Oregon, with our 800 cannabis stores, it’s astonishing to think of 200,000 annual cannabis arrests– most for simple possession, no less.

There is a lot of work to do. Here are a short list of organizations if you’d like to get involved:

For prior posts in this series:



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No Smoking, No Vaping – What’s the Safest Way to Consume Cannabis Based on Your Genetics and Science?

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The Safest Way To Consume Cannabis For Health, According To Science and Genetics

 

Marijuana legalization continues to help thousands of people.

Most especially those who need marijuana to treat conditions in a safer, more natural, and more cost-effective manner compared to pricey, addictive, and dangerous pharmaceutical medications. That said, not all weed is made the same: depending on where you get your weed, some of it may be grown using pesticides, which can be bad for your health especially when smoked. So yes, it does matter what kind of weed you’re smoking and where you got it from.

In addition, not all methods of consumption are also the same. Many consumers, particularly extremely health-conscious individuals, prefer not to smoke weed. Smoking weed that’s been grown with pesticides can also be dangerous for one’s health. It’s especially not recommended if you are immunocompromised,

 

That’s why a growing number of consumers prefer to explore the variety of other consumption methods available these days, such as edibles, tinctures, beverages, and cannabis oil to name a few.

Now, the results of a new study have just been published, suggesting that cannabis oil extracts may be the safest way to consume weed. Researchers studied MCT oils that contained high concentrations of CBD with some THC.

 

“Several studies have found damage to various chromosomal associated with cannabinoid use,” said the researchers. “Considering numerous studies demonstrating the genotoxicity of cannabis, it is noteworthy that many of these investigations have focused on individuals who consume cannabis through smoking or in cigarette form, normally rich in THC,” they said.

 

The researchers specifically found that extracts of cannabis sativa don’t exhibit genotoxic or mutagenic potential in doses that are commonly used by patients to manage anxiety, pain, epilepsy, and other conditions. “Although the current literature on cannabis sativa extract remains inconsistent, most evidence suggests that these extracts are safe for cells and DNA under both acute and chronic experimental conditions, even at high doses, in studies involving both male and female animals,” wrote the researchers.

 

Some consumers were alarmed recently when studies, albeit weak in nature, were published, which suggested that cannabis smoke had the potential to be genotoxic. That said, it still isn’t recommended for individuals who may be immunocompromised but there is no strong evidence that cannabis can indeed cause genetic mutations.

 

Since oral consumption of cannabis oil bypasses the respiratory system and allows patients a more accurate way to dose, it’s become the preferred method of consumption for many medical cannabis patients. Whether you’re young or old, the safety profile of cannabis oil has been proven; this is especially true if you wish to avoid respiratory harm.

 

The Role Of Quality Cannabis In Health

 

As cannabis consumers, there are many ways you can ensure that you’re medicating with clean, safe cannabis that’s free from dangerous contaminants. Pesticides aren’t the only contaminants to be aware of; street cannabis sold by dealers can be laced with toxic additives and even fatal ingredients, such as in the notorious case of the tainted THC vapes containing Vitamin E acetate. Other undesirable ingredients to take note of include residual solvents and heavy metals.

 

It’s also your role as a consumer to do research about the quality of cannabis you buy. Of course, it makes sense to only buy from licensed cannabis dispensaries since they can easily supply laboratory-tested cannabis products. From edibles to oils, flowers and more, licensed dispensaries can provide products that have a Certificate of Analysis or COA, which can either be printed on the packaging itself, accessed online, or via a QR code. A cannabis product with a COA can give you peace of mind that the product meets stringent testing and quality standards.

 

In addition, you can also seek out certified organic cannabis products. Of course, the fact that cannabis still isn’t federally legal means that there is nothing similar to a USDA Organic certification for weed, though some manufacturers make it easier for consumers these days to know if they are buying organic or not. For example, if you live in California, you can look for Clean Green Certified or OCal (weed that has been grown in standard that are comparable to organic).

 

 

Conclusion


If you are older or have pre-existing medical conditions, the best way to medicate with marijuana is by taking cannabis oil orally. It’s also extremely versatile, since it can be used to treat an array of conditions ranging from nausea to chronic pain, headaches, muscle pain, and so much more. While it may have reduced bioavailability compared to smoking, cannabis oil extracts do provide fairly quick relief for several conditions.

 

Smoking weed in any form, whether by flower, vape oil, or concentrates, should be avoided or limited altogether. There are also other potential consumption methods that are safer and more suitable for the immunocompromised, such as sprays, edibles, and topicals.

 

It also helps to carefully consider the type of cannabinoids you are consuming. For patients that need to medicate during the daytime, CBD or high-CBD products are always preferred. One must be careful with THC especially if you are older, operate machinery, or have no previous experience with psychoactive drugs. Always start with the lowest dose possible, and work your way to a higher dose slowly.

 

SAFEST WAY TO USE WEED, READ ON…

SAFEST WAY TO USE WEED

AMERICANS DON’T KNOW THE SAFEST WAYS TO USE WEED!



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MLK Day: Cannabis and Civil Rights

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It has become an annual MLK Day tradition here at Canna Law Blog to remind our readers that, first and foremost, cannabis is a civil rights issue. We’ve explained why herehere, here and here.

The past year ushered in some promising developments, from progress with the MORE Act, to state and local developments on social equity licensing measures, to increased expungement of criminal records related to cannabis convictions. Things are looking up for 2021 as well, federally and in many states.

But it’s not enough. Regulation of cannabis–and the composition, orientation and momentum of the industry at large–is nowhere where it needs to be on civil rights issues. Not even close.

Here at Harris Bricken, we are committed to honoring MLK’s legacy this year through our continued work with the Last Prisoner Project, through reduced fees for minority-owned cannabis businesses, and through review and promotion of robust state-level social equity legislation.

Although Dr. King died 53 years ago, his legacy continues to resonate and expand. On this day honoring one of our greatest leaders, it is important to remember all of the reasons we strive to end prohibition– including the most important ones.



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