Piers Morgan interviews Dr Sanjay Gupta on American News on CNN appologises for his previously unresearched opinion on cannabis and put the record straight.
Dr Sanjay Gupta has apologised for his previously unresearched opinion on cannabis and put the record straight.
In the interview with Piers Morgan on CNN Live, Morgan admitted to trying cannabis and compared its safety to the Vicodin he was prescribed after an accident which left him feeling much higher than cannabis ever did. He questioned the current schedule of cannabis being in the most harmful category, stating it has no medical benefit and high potential for abuse.
Dr Sanjay Gupta told the programme: “You know if you look at all the papers that are written in the United States about marijuana the vast majority of them about the harm. We fund studies on harm, we don’t fund studies on benefits nearly as much, so it gives a distorted picture, but you know I didn’t look far enough, I didn’t look deep enough, I didn’t look at labs in other countries that are doing some incredible research, I didn’t listen to the chorus of patients who said not only does marijuana work for me, it’s the only thing that works for me.
“I took the DEA at their word when they said it was a Schedule I substance and has no medical applications. There was no scientific basis for them to say that.”
This conversation is becoming increasingly more mainstream in America as there are now 21 States that allow for the medicinal use of cannabis and bothe Colorado and Washington have both voted to regulate the sale of cannabis for all adults over the age of 21 despite its Federal status still being illegal.
Dr Gupta who was previously an opponent to cannabis and medical marijuana, even stating publically in 2009 that he would vote against it. A series soon to be aired in America called “Weed” is following patients and looking into the ways and reasons that they need to use cannabis to treat their illness.
In the full statement published on the CNN website today Gupta says: “I apologize because I didn’t look hard enough, until now. I didn’t look far enough. I didn’t review papers from smaller labs in other countries doing some remarkable research, and I was too dismissive of the loud chorus of legitimate patients whose symptoms improved on cannabis.”
This can undoubtably be true for thousands of GPs and doctors across the UK who are all too ready to believe that because cannabis is a scheduled drug and the Home Office claims it has no medical benefit that it doesn”t warrant being looked further into for their patients claims. Barely any of them seem to know what the Endocannabinoid system is when patients mention it to them.
Hopefully now that this admission has come out from Dr Sanjay Gupta more GPs and Drs will feel that they can break the taboo and start speaking from a scientific and evidence based perspective over practicing traditional conservative values toward patients needs.
If I was going to my doctor to speak about cannabis and I had a smart phone I would have this video loaded up ready to show them. Piers Morgan seems to be quite defensive over the fact that there is no rational logic behind keeping cannabis in the political status it is while other more harmful and more peddled pharmaceutical drugs (which in America doctors make millions off) are handed out like they are sweets or have no adverse effects.
We should not ask when this debate will be raised in the UK, rather we must make it happen.