"Fake News" Headlines about Marijuana Distort Truth

A recent article published by Reuters touted in a bold headline, "Little evidence shows cannabis helps chronic pain or PTSD."

However, buried in the article was one sentence that brought light to the facts: "That’s because there hasn’t been enough high-quality research to produce conclusive evidence of the benefits or harms of cannabis for pain or PTSD, the two studies found."

So why then, wasn't the headline something more factual, like: "Research into Cannabis Cures Lacking Due to Federal Mis-classification"

The fact is, these types of false headlines help fuel the anti-cannabis factions, and give rise to people like Jeff Sessions, who regularly cites facts and figures about marijuana that cannot be backed by science or reality.

“The current studies highlight the real and urgent need for high-quality clinical trials in both of these areas,” said Dr. Sachin Patel, a psychiatry researcher at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

One in 10 U.S. adults use cannabis, the researchers note. Medical marijuana is legal in 28 states and the District of Columbia even though it is illegal under federal law.

Between 45 and 85 percent of people seeking medical marijuana in the U.S. do so for pain management, according to the researchers. But when they examined 27 previously published studies on this topic, they found too little information to determine whether the drug helps most types of pain.

It's time to open the door and allow quality research into the untold potentials of cannabis.