In a letter to Alex Azar, President Trump’s nominee to head HHS, Warren asks whether or not he will utilize a science-based approach when making policy.
While President Trump himself has been quiet on his marijuana views since being elected, several in his administration, most notably Attorney General Jeff Sessions, have been eager to make their desire to crack down on the industry and patient’s rights loud and clear.
Perhaps this is why Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is posing some tough questions for Alex Azar, Trump’s nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“Medical marijuana has the potential to mitigate the effects of the opioid crisis,” Warren said in a letter to Azar according to Forbes.
Warren wants to make sure Azar and the Trump administration would use a science-based approach to marijuana policy instead of a political one.
Below are some of the key questions from Warren’s letter:
- As HHS Secretary, what would you do to further study this potential alternative to opioids?
- Are you committed to implementing evidence-based policies regarding its use?
- What steps will you take to improve our knowledge of the potential therapeutic benefits of marijuana when used for medical purposes?
It could take a great deal of effort to convince members of Trump’s administration that the reefer madness days of demonizing marijuana are over. Recently, Chris Christie, head of a Trump commission to combat the opioid crisis, went back to a familiar punching bag. Christie suggested that marijuana users have a severely increased chance of becoming addicted to opioids. There is no scientific data to back this up. However, there is information suggesting the opposite could be true.
But with a vast majority of Americans supporting medical marijuana, can the Trump administration keep picking extremely unpopular political fights? Americans are unhappy with the current tax reform bill being debated in the U.S. Senate and many are worried about Trump’s plans to dismantle Obamacare.
Could the Trump administration go for an easy, popular, and much-needed win on medical marijuana?
