Tap 鈥淗ealth Benefits of Cannabis鈥� into your search engine and you鈥檙e likely to see dozens of uses, including treating autism, regulating diabetes and slowing the symptoms of Alzheimer鈥檚.
People say it can help you lose weight, gain weight, manage depression and regulate seizures. Scott Matthews, who owns the , says he uses it to protect against cancer.
鈥淚 got on preventative maintenance,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not a smoke 鈥� it鈥檚 an oil. Put it under your tongue.鈥�
To be clear, there鈥檚 no solid evidence marijuana can prevent cancer. There鈥檚 also no solid evidence that it can鈥檛. That scientific uncertainty is at the heart of why the future of medical marijuana is unclear.
The plants鈥� medicinal properties were declared by popular vote in a 鈥� not by any science. Back then, some true believers hoped legalization would herald a new era in the scientific research of marijuana.
But that hasn鈥檛 happened.
鈥淲here is the concern, where is the effort that goes towards true medical scientific work on cannabinoids?鈥� said Dr. Christian Le, who runs Green Earth Medicine, a Portland clinic.
For casual smokers, it鈥檚 cheaper to buy small quantities in the recreational market than to pay $200 for a medical marijuana card. For patients, the health benefits still aren鈥檛 clear, so sellers are limited in what they can legally say.
At dispensaries in Washington state for example, 鈥渂udtenders鈥� are not allowed to address the medical properties of cannabis at all.
鈥淪o someone could come to you, with tears in their eyes, and they could say, 鈥榊ou know what, nothing鈥檚 helping me. What can I do?鈥� And you have to say, 鈥榊ou know, 鈥業 can鈥檛 speak to that,鈥欌�� says Sarah Lemos, who has sold marijuana in both Washington and Oregon.
Lemos now works at 鈥�. She鈥檚 pleased that Oregon law allows her to deliver anecdotal information: She can鈥檛 tell customers marijuana will cure cancer, but she can tell them stories about the experiences of other customers.
鈥淔or me, I think the beauty of being a budtender and having heard the stories of people that come in gray from cancer, from chemo treatments, where their hair is falling out, they haven鈥檛 eaten. And I鈥檓 able to say: 鈥楳y understanding is that you can try this. And this is an opportunity for you to eat tonight鈥欌�� 鈥� that makes Lemos feel like she鈥檚 helping, she says.
鈥淪o for me, I鈥檓 very passionate about that because it gives opportunity. No, I can鈥檛 speak to fact. But at least now I can speak to the illness,鈥� she says.
, a professor of cannabis law and policy at Lewis & Clark College, says such anecdotal advice is about the best sales staff can ask for right now 鈥� 鈥渁t least within the confines of the law.鈥�
Sliwoski said perhaps Oregon鈥檚 way is not the worst way to sell marijuana.
鈥淵ou know there鈥檚 the placebo concept. If somebody thinks it is helping them, it may be helping them,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 enough anecdotal testimony out there to support the fact that marijuana is fairly helpful to people with a variety of medical conditions, for one reason or another.鈥�
It鈥檚 not just marijuana sales staff who are limited in what they can say. Manufacturers are limited, too.
Jamie Dickinson is labeling specialist at the .
鈥淪o if somebody wants to say, 鈥業t puts pep in your step,鈥� or something like that, those types of things wouldn鈥檛 be something that we would prohibit,鈥� she says.
鈥淏ut if you got into kind of a disease or specific health condition, that鈥檚 where we would really want to look at it. If you wanted to say it cures cancer, that would obviously not be allowed.鈥�
If the federal government were to loosen its restrictions on marijuana and allow more research, Oregon鈥檚 dispensaries would likely have to operate more like regular pharmacies 鈥� with all the attendant FDA regulations.
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