Medical marijuana research in Israel dates back to the early 90s. The drug is now fully integrated into the country’s pharmaceutical infrastructure. Questions of dosage and delivery have been resolved; patients either smoke or vaporize the plant, ingest tinctures, or apply skin balms, and as of last year the government oversees distribution to approved pharmacies. All of this has come to pass with zero controversy, though that might be explainable by the fact that in Israel – where recreational use is still illegal – the drug is mainly reserved for serious conditions, vs. California, where pretty much everyone in America knows at least one guy partaking for no particularly pressing medical reason. Indeed, our murky legal grey areas pose problems for legitimate research: state law conflicts with federal law, which hamstrings funding for research that might corroborate what is already accepted science elsewhere. A recent WebMD survey found that 69 percent of doctors believe marijuana can help with certain conditions and 67 percent believe it should be a medical option for patients, but until Americans figure out whether or not they’re going to get arrested for getting well (or in Colorado, just getting high), real progress for those who need it most might prove elusive.
