Medical doctors know the difference. When actually putting pen to prescription pad, some are not yet comfortable risking their medical practices to truly ‘prescribe’ medical marijuana, even though it be legal medically and recreationally in their state of practice. It is still a schedule 1 Federal crime that can cost you more than you thought it was worth.

I knew this before taking the Oaksterdam University Business of Cannabis semester that started in January of 2022, but all the lessons thus far (I’m about 50% complete) have really emphasized this, passionately.

Now, I’m so hyper aware of how people who do talk openly about their usage use language. They don’t characterize themselves as stoners, not even jokingly. They know, if you’ve had a conversation with a doctor, the doctors has recommended you smoke, or injest, or use topicals, but they certainly haven’t prescribed. No one in the cannabis industry wants the pharmaceuticalization of weed. No one. It is a plant, available to anyone, costs very little money grow. Grows like, uh, weeds.

The Pharmac-whatever-lization of weed would mean big Pharma companies (Hello Philip-Morris who already bought a significant portion of Juul) would co-opt the plant that was put here on God’s green earth to soothe us. And a doctor having to prescribe it, well, that limits access, doesn’t it. See what I’m learning here?