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photography by theo stroomer (keber); illustration by luke wilson (portraits) Dana applied for a medical mari- juana license and discovered the drug significantly decreased her pain. Now a Nevada resident, it's become difficult for Dana to obtain marijuana for medicinal use, thus her father's quest to fight for her rights and open a dispensary. "Medical marijuana has been legal here for a number of years, but there was no way to access it," he says. "I am very aware of the legislation, and we immediately looked into getting a dispensary here." Bernstein hopes to open a boutique that features quality medical marijuana, a shop "that has a welcoming environment, that can offer the very best strains scientifically possible. You want to be able to have strains of the high- est CBD and a variety of those strains that works well with differ- ent medical conditions. We are going to focus on doing research with the strains, with universities, with hospitals. My partners all have the same interests in helping people who suffer." Both Bernstein and Gupta are quick to point out the harmful side effects of conventional painkillers (in Dana's case, the opioid Dilaudid). Gupta adds, "The abuse of pain medications is the most tragic thing in our country. Someone dies every 19 minutes from an accidental prescription drug overdose. It's now the number-one preventable cause of death in the United States." Gupta also notes that epilepsy, pain, and multiple sclerosis are particularly responsive to cannabis-based medicines. Another hot topic in both medical and political circles is the effect of medical marijuana on post-traumatic stress disor- der (PTSD). "We are following the trial of marijuana for PTSD among veterans," says Gupta. "I think the initial research will be promising. Survivors of the Holocaust are being treated for PTSD with cannabis, right now. It's the ini- tial drumbeat, and very positive." Use & AbUse: The NexT GeNerATioN As the medical benefits of CBD strains are further researched, there's still considerable apprehension among medical experts (Gupta included), law enforce- ment, and politicians surrounding marijuana and young users. Now that teens may gain easier access to the drug, potential for abuse and the effects on the young brain are a particular concern. A groundbreaking study published by The Journal of Neuroscience in April is the first to show that frequent use of mari- juana is related to major brain changes. Researchers—including experts from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital—conducted MRIs on 40 people: 20 recre- ational users who smoke an average of 11 joints per week and 20 nonusers. The scientists found that the shapes and sizes of two neural regions essential to motivation and emotion were signifi- cantly altered in users. Concerns about marijuana's negative impact on the growing brain has spurred leaders to create forums, such as the Aspen Pitkin County Sheriff Joe DiSalvo's Valley Marijuana Council, to discuss the impact and warn young users of the dangers. Though supportive of the legalization of both medical and recreational pot, during an address to the annual NORML Legal Seminar in Aspen, Sheriff DiSalvo stated, "Marijuana is not a prod- uct for brains under construction. The message we are giving students is delay, delay, delay. The longer you delay, the better your chances of not compromising a brain under construction. We want to increase awareness and lower adolescent drug use." Governor Hickenlooper is in agreement. "We have a moral responsibility to regulate it properly," he says. "That means making sure kids under 21 don't get it. There are neuroscientists who believe people who have brains grow- ing, if they smoke high-THC-content pot, it can hurt their memories. But kids think because it's legal, it's less danger- ous. We are arguing caution." Keith Stroup Founder of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws smokers' rights: "As long as it was a crime, there wasn't a lot you could argue for consumer rights. If it's a contraband, nobody is going to require it to be pure. Now we're beginning to focus on the real consumer issues. A private employee can drug test, and if you test positive for THC, even though there is no indication you were impaired on the job, they can fre you. What they need is an impairment test, not a test that says, 'Have you smoked in the last six weeks?'" the DUi Debate: "We all agree that we don't want people driving while impaired. But THC adheres to your fatty tissues and can be detected even weeks after smoking. We've got to convince legislators to use science so we test impairment." Dr. Sanjay Gupta Neurosurgeon; CNN chief medical correspondent how Cannabis ConneCts: "There are cannabis receptors in the body. So it's more natural than a lot of drugs, which simply inhibit the transmission of neurons from one cell to another cell. This binds to something that already exists." Farming For the FUtUre: "You are going to have the CBD strains become more in demand as a medicine. It's harder than people realize to breed these plants up to specifc strands of CBD versus THC. But there is going to be higher demand, and it will continue to be very necessary." on reCreational Use: "This is legitimate medicine, and I wouldn't take it away from people because of the concerns of recreational use." Tripp Keber at Dixie Elixirs and Edibles. 136 michiganavemag.com