Russian Addiction Specialist Expresses Concerns Over Medical Marijuana Legalization

The Chief Addiction Specialist of Russia’s Ministry of Health has expressed uncertainty about the prospects of an initiative from the Ministry of Industry and Trade to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. The Ministry is currently exploring the possibility of producing medications based on marijuana, should legislative changes be made. The Moscow Endocrine Plant has stated its readiness to conduct research on the pharmacological use of cannabinoids.

Evgeny Bryun, the Chief Addiction Specialist, told NSN that it is difficult to predict the outcome of this initiative. “It’s a complicated issue. On one hand, there is medical practice involving the use of marijuana-based medications, and there have been some positive results. On the other hand, we understand that this is a step toward legalizing drugs. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, marijuana was included in the British pharmacopoeia and used as an antidepressant-just like opium, by the way. But that was a dead-end path. The world has moved away from this. For 100 years, we have lived without these drugs, and pharmacological science has developed a vast arsenal of antidepressants and antipsychotics for treating mental disorders,” he explained.

Bryun also pointed out that in countries where marijuana and its derivatives have been legalized, it is difficult to speak about their strictly medical use. “There is a certain amount of dishonesty. In the West, marijuana is used in terminal stages of cancer to ease patients’ passing, but that’s not really medical use. It’s too early to talk about its medical application. The growing legalization of drugs in the West is very dangerous. In the United States, up to 10% of the population uses opioid drugs prescribed by doctors, and no fewer use marijuana, also prescribed by doctors. I think this is a very dangerous path. I doubt the Ministry of Health will support this idea,” he said.

Currently, Russian law allows the circulation of cannabinoids-cannabis, cannabis oil, hashish, and tetrahydrocannabinol-and medications containing them only for law enforcement, scientific, educational, and expert activities.