The use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes is already a reality in several countries around the world, including: Canada, Finland, Italy, Israel, Spain, Portugal, Germany, and the Netherlands. In the United States, both the sale and purchase of cannabis is a federal crime, while production for personal use is legal in 20 states and the District of Columbia.
That said, in collaboration with a pharmaceutical dispensary called Greenway Compassionate Relief, an American rock star, Melissa Etheridge, is preparing a line of "cannabis-infused wines".
Unlike other cannabis-containing products, Etheridge specifies, heating the cannabis is not required for the production of her infusion. The compound is created through cold extraction performed during the fermentation of the cannabis.
For this reason, the singer emphasizes, the effects of her creation are far less potent than simply smoking it or consuming the famous marijuana-based cookies known as Pot Brownies.
Melissa Etheridge's mission is to change society's perception of marijuana, and to use her wine for therapeutic purposes as well.
Criticism has naturally not been lacking.
Dr. Stephen Ross, director of NYU's Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship, is highly skeptical about the use of wine for pharmaceutical purposes, and even more so when combined with cannabis.
"Prescribing alcohol to any patient is highly suspect," Ross warns.
The debate is still open, but Etheridge, currently on tour, is not giving up and is ready to increase production in anticipation of a possible easing of marijuana laws.
Updates on the matter will follow.
What do you think?
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