 | NORML News: Medical Marijuana Dosage and Plant Numbers |
 Medicinal cannabis patients have widely
varying needs: some need only a few
specks of pot as their symptoms require, while
others may need to medicate almost all the time,
although individual dosages may change with
time or severity of symptoms.
It is not unusual for patients using cannabis to
consume far more than the average recreational
user - particularly those with chronic pain or
other severe ongoing symptoms. It’s interesting to consider what the authorities have to say about how much medi-weed is appropriate.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a dosing guideline for synthetic THC (Marinol) of 30-90mg per day. Researchers applied these guidelines to herbal cannabis and calculated how much would need to be smoked in order to achieve the FDA’s recommended daily dosage.
For
average cannabis that is 10% THC, 1.8 grams
per day would be required for a dose of 30mg
THC, or 5.5 grams for a dose of 90mg THC.
For cannabis that is very potent, such as 20%
THC, 0.9 grams would be required to achieve
a dose of 30mg THC, or 2.8 grams for a dose
of 90mg THC. That adds up an estimated
range of 339 to 2000 grams per year, which
the researchers say is consistent with amounts
reported in surveys of patients in California and
Washington (Carter, et al, 2004).
The US Federal government’s Compassionate
Use Investigational New Drug Program has
supplied a handful of patients with federallygrown
medical marijuana for almost 3 decades.
Patients have received 300 pre-rolled joints
per month, every month, since entering the
program. Those suffering from chronic pain
receive 50% more than the others, or 450 joints
per month. The joints each contain about 0.9
grams of marijuana. The US government has
therefore established a medical marijuana dose
range of between one half and three quarters
of a pound per patient per month. (Russo et
al, 2002)
Plant numbers
Setting plant limits based on arbitrary amounts
risks denying effective treatment to those most
in need, and/or criminalising those patients
who happen to require more medication than
others. If a limit must be set, it would be better
to limit the growing area rather than the number
of plants. This is because plant yield is more
closely related to the available area than to
plant numbers. Plants require light to grow and
the available light (sunlight or indoor growing
lamps) is a fi xed quantity. Putting more plants
into the same area will result in smaller plants,
while the total yield will be about the same.
US State medical marijuana programs include
various plant limits (available at www.norml.
org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3391), several of
which regulate growing areas rather than plant
numbers:
Alaska: Patients (or their primary caregivers)
may legally possess up to an ounce of usable
marijuana, and may grow up to six plants, of
which no more than three may be mature.
California: Proposition 215 did not set any
limits regarding the amount of marijuana
patients may possess and/or cultivate. Senate
Bill 420, which took effect on January 1, 2004,
imposes statewide guidelines outlining how
much medicinal marijuana patients may grow
and possess. Under the guidelines, qualified
patients and/or their caregivers may possess
no more than eight ounces of dried marijuana
and/or six mature (or 12 immature) marijuana
plants. However, SB420 allows patients to
possess larger amounts of marijuana when it
is recommended by a physician. The law also
allows counties and municipalities to authorise
patients to possess larger quantities of cannabis
than allowed under the new state guidelines. For
example, Humboldt County guidelines allow
patients a 100 square feet garden and 3 lbs with
no plant number limit. San Diego City Council
guidelines allow up to 1lb of marijuana, and 24
plants in 64 square feet indoors.
Colorado: Patients (or their primary
caregivers) may legally possess no more than
two ounces of usable marijuana, and may
cultivate no more than six marijuana plants.
Hawaii: Patients (or their primary caregivers)
may legally possess up to one ounce of usable
marijuana, and may cultivate up to seven plants,
of which no more than three may be mature.
Maine: Patients (or their primary caregivers)
may legally possess up to one and one-quarter
ounces of usable marijuana, and may cultivate
up to six plants, of which three may be
mature.
Montana: Patients (or their primary
caregivers) may possess no more than six
marijuana plants.
Nevada: Patients (or their primary caregivers)
may legally possess up to one ounce of usable
marijuana, and may cultivate seven marijuana
plants, of which three may be mature.
New Mexico: The law mandates the state to
issue rules governing the use and distribution
of medical cannabis to state-authorised patients,
including defining the amount of cannabis that
is necessary to constitute an “adequate supply”
for qualified patients, and the creation of state licensed “cannabis production facilities”.
Oregon: Patients (or their primary caregivers)
may legally possess no more than six mature
cannabis plants, 18 immature seedlings, and 24
ounces of usable cannabis.
Rhode Island: Patients (or their primary
caregivers) may legally possess 2.5 ounces of
cannabis and/or 12 plants, and their cannabis
must be stored in an indoor facility.
Vermont: Patients (or their primary caregiver)
may legally possess up to two ounces of usable
marijuana, and may cultivate three plants, of
which one may be mature.
Washington: Patients (or their primary
caregivers) may possess or cultivate a 60-day
supply of marijuana.
More info: US NORML guide to active State medical marijuana programs
 Share your experiences in the Growing Marijuana Forum
Share your experiences in the Medical Marijuana Forum
|
|
|
|
| |
| Login |
|
You can register for some special extra features. | |
| Article Rating |
Average Score: 5
Votes: 2
| |
|
