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WEBVTT SOLEDAD: IN OUR STATE OF ADDICTION COVERAGE -- A NEW RESEARCH PROJECT FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH IS INVESTIGATING WHETHER MARIJUANA COULD REDUCE THE USE OF OPIOIDS FOR PAIN RELIEF. THE RESEARCH COULD BE GROUNDBREAKING, BECAUSE SINCE 1970, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS CATEGORIZED MARIJUANA AS A SCHEDULE ONE SUBSTANCE, ALONG WITH HEROIN AND LSD, AND LIMITED ACCESS FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH. IN FACT, RESEARCHERS CAN ONLY USE POT GROWN AT A SECURED LAB AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI. DOCTOR CHINAZO CUNNINGHAM IS A PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR IN THIS NEW STUDY. SHE JOINS US FROM NEW YORK. SO NICE TO HAVE YOU. THANKS FOR TALKING WITH ME. THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME THAT YOU’RE STUDYING MARIJUANA AND PAIN, FUNDED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. WHAT’S BEEN THE OBSTACLE SO FAR TO DO THIS? CHINAZO: WELL AS YOU MENTIONED, MARIJUANA IS A SCHEDULE ONE SUBSTANCE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, AND SO THAT REALLY CREATES A LOT OF PROBLEMS IN TERMS OF THE REGULATIONS, IN TERMS OF OUR ABILITY TO ADEQUATELY STUDY MARIJUANA. SO IN MY STUDY, IN FACT, WE’RE NOT ADMINISTERING MARIJUANA TO PEOPLE, BUT IN FACT WE’RE JUST FOLLOWING THEM AS THEY TAKE MARIJUANA THROUGH THE NEW YORK STATE’S MARIJUANA PROGRAM. AND THEN WE’RE LOOKING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO THEIR OPIOIDS. SOLEDAD: SO THAT MUST COMPLICATE YOUR STUDY. IT DOESN’T SOUND LIKE YOUR CLASSIC SORT OF SUCH STANDARD STUDY, RIGHT? CHINAZO: ABSOLUTELY. SO, WE WOULD LOVE TO DO A STUDY IN WHICH WE COULD ACTUALLY RANDOMIZE PEOPLE AND ADMINISTER MARIJUANA TO THEM, BECAUSE THEN IT WOULD BE MUCH MORE RIGOROUS, AND OUR FINDINGS WOULD SORT OF HOLD UP AGAINST A LOT MORE CRITICISM. BUT THAT’S BASICALLY IMPOSSIBLE, GIVEN THE FEDERAL REGULATIONS. SO INSTEAD WE’RE WATCHING TO SEE HOW PEOPLE TAKE MARIJUANA, AND WHAT HAPPENS TO THEIR OPIOIDS. SOLEDAD: WHY IS THERE SUCH A RELUCTANCE, DO YOU THINK, TO STUDY MARIJUANA AND ITS POTENTIAL TO ALLEVIATE PAIN OR EVEN GET PEOPLE TO USE FEWER OPIOIDS? CHINAZO: YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION, BECAUSE AT THE STATE LEVEL, THERE IS NOT SO MUCH RELUCTANCE. SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE REALLY VOTED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH MARIJUANA, BUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS NOT FOLLOWED SUIT. SOLEDAD: DO YOU THINK IT’S BECAUSE THERE IS A RELUCTANCE TO FIND ALTERNATIVES TO OPIOIDS FOR PAIN? I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE WE WOULD ALL RECOGNIZE THERE’S A HUGE PROBLEM RIGHT NOW WITH THE ADDICTION TO OPIOIDS HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. CHINAZO: WELL, IT’S INTERESTING THAT THE FRAMEWORK THAT -- IN TERMS OF RESEARCH AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL -- IS REALLY ABOUT THE HARMS ASSOCIATED WITH SUBSTANCES. AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO SORT OF SHIFT OUR THINKING AND REALLY UNDERSTAND BOTH THE BENEFITS AND THE HARMS. THEN, THAT CAN GUIDE PRACTICE AND CAN GUIDE POLICIES. SOLEDAD: SO THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME THE FED HAS FUNDED THIS KIND OF RESEARCH, BUT ANECDOTALLY YOU ACTUALLY HEAR THIS A LOT. I MEAN, I’VE DONE STORIES ON PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYERS WHO TALK ABOUT HOW SMOKING MARIJUANA ACTUALLY HELPS THEM IN THEIR RECOVERY FROM THE BRUTAL SEASON. YOU MUST HAVE OBVIOUSLY HEARD THOSE SAME ANECDOTAL STORIES. CHINAZO: ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, I TAKE CARE OF PATIENTS WHO USE MARIJUANA AND WHO HAVE PAIN. AND OVER MANY, MANY YEARS, FROM MANY DIFFERENT PATIENTS, YOU KNOW, I’VE HEARD THAT MARIJUANA REALLY HELPS WITH THEIR PAIN, AND EVEN TO THE POINT WHERE OTHER PRESCRIBED MEDICATIONS REALLY DON’T AFFECT THEIR PAIN, BUT MARIJUANA DOES. AND, YOU KNOW, I DO WANT TO SAY THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME SHORT-TERM STUDIES THAT HAVE LOOKED AT MARIJUANA AND PAIN AND FOUND THAT MARIJUANA DOES REDUCE PAIN, BUT NOBODY’S REALLY LOOKED AT THE OPIOIDS, AND HOW THAT THEN IS AFFECTED IN TERMS OF THEIR PAIN AND THEIR MARIJUANA USE. SOLEDAD: SO IT COULD HAVE HUGE POTENTIAL. SO LET’S SAY YOU FIND AT THE END THE STUDY, IN FACT, THAT YES, IT REDUCES PAIN, AND IN FACT IT DOES REDUCE OPIOID USE. DO YOU THINK THIS COULD OPEN THE DOOR TO REALLY CHANGING HOW THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LOOKS AT MARIJUANA FOR PAIN AND OPIOID USE? CHINAZO: I HOPE SO. I MEAN, I REALLY HOPE THAT THAT OUR FINDINGS WOULD HELP TO GUIDE POLICIES AND TO GUIDE CLINICAL CARE. I MEAN, THE OTHER ISSUE IS THAT A LOT OF MEDICAL PROVIDERS ARE HESITANT TO ACTUALLY CERTIFY PATIENTS FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, THE LACK OF DATA. BUT IT’S A CATCH 22 THAT THERE’S A LACK OF DATA BECAUSE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS. SOLEDAD: IT’LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHERE THE STUDY GOES. IT’LL BE FIVE YEARS, SO WE’LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHECK IN WITH YOU AGAIN AS THE STUDY PROGRESSES. DR. CHINAZO CUNNINGHAM,