Dr. Keith Humphreys

So, it is just a really different drug than what was back there.

And this is very hard to get across to parents,

because their view is like, I smoked weed, who cares if my 15-year-old is using it.

That's kind of saying you drank low alcohol beer and you're not concerned that your 15-year-old is guzzling vodka.

That's kind of the difference.

And it's just a bigger deal than it used to be.

Even when you take away the fact that you have an industry really pushing it, just the drug is stronger, more addictive.

Does it have any medical applications?

Almost surely, you know, the cannabinoid receptor system evolutionarily is one of the oldest in the history of Homo sapiens, it is both in the brain but it's also in the body, there are clearly going to be some applications for pain, you know,

Many people would say they spontaneously get relief.

It's hard to tell always what that means because sometimes that's just relief from withdrawal.

But, you know, probably some type of medical applications for pain will come out of this plant.

We do have some out of the CBD, which is the non-intoxicating part.

It's a medication that is used in seizure disorders in kids, you know.

So there'll be some other things like that for sure.

And, you know, the...

It's easier to study this than it has ever been before.

About 2020, Congress changed the way research works, so it's a lot simpler to do it.

So we'll figure those things out.

But it is just a more dangerous drug than it was when I was a young person.