With more aggressive lobbying efforts at the statehouse to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes, the Fort Wayne-Allen County Health Department will set out to form an opinion on the pros and cons in 2018.
Board members stated they didn’t have strong enough medical opinions on weed one way or the other, but expressed mutual willingness to study other states that have successfully launched programs.
Fort Wayne-Allen County health commissioner Deb McMahan says the tide is turning nationally on medical pot, and the board should have an official position.
“What we’re trying to do is identify local and state, perhaps national for future meetings, experts who can help us review pros and cons and come to some sort of consensus so that we can make a very thoughtful, evidence-based recommendation to our public officials,” said McMahan.
While medical marijuana is said to help patients with chronic pain and some addicts taper off of drugs like opioids, board members expressed concerns over whether or not weed is a “gateway drug” that leads to addiction.
The next meeting of the health board will be Monday, April 16.
