From Cannabis Opponent to Cannabis Advocate.

In 2009, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon and chief medical correspondent for CNN, wrote an article for Time magazine titled "Health: Why I Would Vote No On Pot." It is evident that he has since conducted more thorough and significant research on the subject. It is noteworthy that this in-depth exploration should have been done before the world's most widely circulated weekly magazine published his opinion. In August 2013, Gupta issued a public apology for his contribution to the misinformation that harmed the cause of medicinal cannabis.

With the intention of re-educating those who were misinformed, Dr. Sanjay Gupta produced a documentary about cannabis titled "Weed." It premiered in three parts in 2013. In the documentary series, he addresses public perception of cannabis and explains the medical reasons supporting its legalization. Despite his previous stance against legalization, Gupta has become one of the most prominent advocates for cannabis in the world.

An inspiration for medical professionals to speak out in favor of cannabis

This first documentary seems to be a subtle call for doctors, who until now have shown distrust or isolated themselves in their knowledge, to take the risk of advocating for medical cannabis. Gupta wrote in an article for CNN that, when "Weed" began to circulate, many doctors and scientists, fearing stigmatization, even for discussing the potential of marijuana, confidentially contacted him to share their experiences and the therapeutic benefits they had observed in their patients.

Dr. Gupta also expressed deep concern over the alarming statistic that every 19 minutes a person dies in the United States due to an overdose of doctor-prescribed medications, most of which are accidental. In little more than the time it takes to read this article, two more people have died. You don't need to be a neurosurgeon to connect the dots.

Hopefully, the documentary will continue to drive the advancements Dr. Gupta is promoting. He is an influential public figure who has not only publicly changed his stance on cannabis but has also had the courage and integrity to admit it to the world.

Dr. Gupta has brought the discussion to the topic of patents that the U.S. government has held related to cannabinoids since 1942. Unlike others, Gupta has openly mentioned these patents on CNN, even criticizing the FDA for its lack of response on the matter.

Gupta backs scientific evidence, not political maneuvers

In his 2013 apology article, Gupta refers to a forgotten part of U.S. history. In 1970, Assistant Secretary of Health, Dr. Roger O. Egeberg, wrote: "Because of the considerable gap in our knowledge about the plant and the effects of the active drug it contains, we recommend that marijuana remain on Schedule 1, at least until certain studies currently underway to address the question are completed."

As Dr. Gupta points out, the classification of cannabis as a drug with "high potential for addiction" and "no medical applications," both legal requirements for inclusion in Schedule 1, was based on a lack of scientific evidence.

Almost half a century later, all attempts to reclassify cannabis in the United States have been rejected, despite the abundance of conclusive evidence of its benefits, which is alarming.

Some quotes from Dr. Sanjay Gupta

«We have been terribly and systematically misled for nearly 70 years in the United States [regarding cannabis], and I apologize for the role I myself have played in it.