Doctors in the United States may decline to prescribe THC primarily due to legal reasons.
Legal reasons are the primary factor why a doctor in the United States might decline to prescribe THC for patients. Although medical marijuana laws vary by state, federally, marijuana is classified as a Schedule 1 drug, which creates legal challenges for doctors.
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Answer:
Option A, of legal reasons
Explanation:
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the psychoactive ingredient found in marijuana that is sometimes recommended to patients experiencing pain and or nausea and vomiting uncontrolled with traditional medications, especially in patients living with cancer, seizures, and uncontrolled emesis.
In the United States, however, there is hesitance to prescribe it to patients for many reasons. The biggest reason is, as of writing this in August 2024, marijuana is still classified as Schedule 1 drug, a label it bears since 1970. This means the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) deems marijuana to be a controlled substance with no approved medical benefit and a high abuse potential. As mentioned above, in practice there are some medical benefits, though they cannot be formally researched. This is because a Schedule 1 classification places this drug in the same family as illicit recreational substances, such as heroin and MDMA. These drugs are federally illegal to manufacture, purchase, and possess, even despite some state legislatures passing laws that decriminalize or legalize THC products.
Because THC and marijuana are still illegal federally, doctors in the US may steer clear of prescribing them to patients. The current US president alongside the US Justice Department have proposed reclassifying marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug, the same class as the acetaminophen (Tylenol) and codeine combination medication. This would allow it to be designated for medical usage. Alas, nothing has materialized thus far other than endorsement of such a proposal.
A doctor most likely declines to prescribe THC to a patient for legal reasons, option A.