These state and local acts, although will intended, are useless, as the federal prohibition overrides them. A plant that can be easily grown and consumed as medicine is Schedule I, while a pill of the main psychoactive chemical contained in that plant can be developed by a pharmaceutical company and sold for profit as a Schedule I drug. Also important to note is that it appears the pharmaceutical industry pressured the government to prohibit university research of marijuana. The role of addictions nurses in the medicinal use of marijuana Addictions nurses understand that no drug is completely safe and that any drug can be abused. Prior to using any medication or drug, the patient should have an understanding of its expected benefits and associated risks so that he or she can make a responsible decision regarding its use.
Nurses are patient advocates.
Addictions nurses advocate treatment for addicted people. As addictions nurses, we are expected to base our knowledge of drugs of abuse and the disease of addiction on scientific evidence and clinical experience. Advocating legal access to marijuana for patients whose quality of life can be improved through the use of this drug is a moral and ethical obligation we owe the general public, if we are truly serving as patient advocates. The emperor wears no clothes. Institute of Medicine.