Dr. Oz Calls Cannabis an Exit Drug
Dr. Mehmet Oz appeared on Tuesday morning’s episode of Fox & Friends to discuss his upcoming interview with Ivanka Trump on The Dr. Oz Show slated to air this Thursday, but the conversation revolved around his support for medical cannabis.
When asked about America’s opioid crisis, the doctor seized the opportunity to steer the conversation in a different route. “The real story is the hypocrisy around medical marijuana,” Oz said on Fox & Friends on Tuesday morning. “People think it’s a gateway drug to narcotics. It may be the exit drug to get us out of the narcotic epidemic.” Fox co-hosts Ainsley Earhardt, Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade were visibly uncomfortable, which made for great television.
Dr. Oz then stated how America loses out because of cannabis’ status under Schedule I. That’s the reason, he said, that research is making enough progress. Fox News tweeted the conversation with a video clip.
Meanwhile, a new report, The Marijuana Gateway Fallacy, was recently released by the State University of New York at New Paltz. The report debunks the gateway drug theory that we’ve all been taught in school and in the media. The report argues that studies dating back to 1894 have concluded that even moderate consumption of cannabis caused no significant physical, mental or moral damage.
Dr. Mehmet Cengiz Öz was a surgeon and professor at the prestigious Columbia University before making “Dr. Oz” a household name. His appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show and Larry King Live paved the way for The Dr. Oz Show. In 2014, Oz told Larry King that he had changed his views on cannabis. Last year on The Dr. Oz Show, he viewers asked if cannabis is the key to fighting opioid addiction. Oz’s support for cannabis is not unlike Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s support for the plant.
Dr. Oz, however, has been criticized for his open support of so-called miracle cures and alternative medicines. But the doctor said that he “personally” believes medical cannabis can help patients in need.
