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Judicial Ignorance & Overreach

May 9, 2023

The Consumer Cannabis Council’s mission is to speak out against the blatant judicial overreach that happened in a Tampa courtroom this past January, as reported this week by Justin Garcia of the Tampa Bay Times.

May 5, 2023

The Consumer Cannabis Council’s mission is to speak out against the blatant judicial overreach that happened in a Tampa courtroom this past January, as reported this week by Justin Garcia of the Tampa Bay Times. Our mission is to defend the rights of cannabis patients everywhere from the lies and ignorance the pharmaceutical, judicial, and political system keep promoting in the place of sound, documented medical science.

Dear TBT Editorial Board;

Judges are disregarding the needs of patients and the expertise of medical professionals in favor of ignorant, and outdated beliefs regarding the dangers of therapeutic cannabis. This is not only a gross violation of patients’ rights, but it is also a dangerous precedent for the future of medical treatments and should be called out for what it is: Corrupt and unethical.

Therapeutic cannabis has been shown in multiple US studies to be a safe and effective treatment option for a variety of medical conditions, including chronic pain, insomnia, seizures, and as an alternative and supplemental option to current traditional treatments of Generalized Anxiety Disorder; A legal treatment option in many states, including Florida. This is promising to many of those with this diagnosis who experience negative side effects from, or risk addiction to, current FDA approved pharmaceuticals. Additionally, from a harm reduction paradigm, patients report using therapeutic cannabis to replace more detrimental coping behaviors correlated with GAD. Many of the symptoms associated with GAD (such as insomnia, distressing thoughts, or panic) are likewise associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is currently included on the list of debilitating conditions that benefit from the use of medicinal cannabis throughout the United (legal) States. Patients must not be denied access to this important medicine simply because of the questionable personal beliefs of the presiding judge.

The CCC’s medical board’s experience reflects the findings of a 2019 meta-analysis in which 52%of medical cannabis patients reported using cannabis for anxiety. Cannabis dosing is highly patient-specific and dependent on a number of factors including the patient’s own endocannabinoid system and tolerance level. These patients deserve support and medication options beyond (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) SSRIs, with their myriad side effects, and benzodiazepines, which carry an additional risk of addiction and serious withdrawal symptoms that can require hospitalization. 

It is NOT in Judge Dorothy Vaccaro’s purview to dispense medical advice from the bench, and the danger to the public multiplies when judges take it upon themselves to make dangerous and in this case, potentially deadly decisions that imply Xanax is a suitable substitute for therapeutic cannabis. So what experience does Judge Vaccaro have that qualifies her to defend such an order?  Does Judge Vaccaro feel confident to advise the cancer patient on post chemo care? Does the Judge have a medical definition for what constitutes getting “all wiggy” on Xanax? Should she advise parents on what a reasonable number of seizures their child should have throughout the day? Or perhaps Judge Vaccaro could be available to help the millions of therapeutic cannabis patients in the US find non-opioid alternatives for chronic skeletal and nerve pain, insomnia, and yes, even anxiety. Judge Vaccaro and her brethren should stick to the law and leave the medical advice to those that actually care about patient outcomes – not to adhere to the wildly out-of-step, unethical, and medically dangerous pronouncements from the bench.

Patients have the right to choose the best course of treatment for their individual needs, in consultation with their doctors and other medical professionals – not because a judge with no medical expertise thinks they have a better idea.

Therapeutic cannabis is here, it’s legal in 40 states and earning billions in revenue for entrepreneurs and state taxes – and we’re not going anywhere. It is well past time for us to demand the rights of medical cannabis patients be respected at every level of the criminal justice system and fight judicial overreach. We demand that judges respect the expertise of medical professionals and the individual autonomy of patients when it comes to personal healthcare decisions and if they want the most unbiased up-to-date information on adult-use therapeutic cannabis they should call the CCC.

Sincerely,

The Consumer Cannabis Council