AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2020 - 108

NEWS & NOTES

MEMBER PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Altered states

Don't fly when you're high
THERE IS A GROWING SOCIAL, moral, and

medicolegal debate about the therapeutic
benefits of cannabis and cannabis byproducts now in the marketplace. Cannabis has
been used medically since ancient times.
It was introduced to the western world as
cannabis indica in 1839 and promoted as
an analgesic and muscle relaxant. It gained
favor in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
In 1930, the federal government determined that marijuana was a menace to
society, associated with psychosis, addiction, and violent crime. The Marijuana
Tax Act in 1937 criminalized possession
or sale of cannabis. When the Controlled
Substance Act was enacted in 1970, cannabis became and remains a Schedule 1 drug,

GARY CRUMP

Pilot Protection
Services

defined as having "high potential for abuse,
no currently accepted medical use in the
U.S., and has a lack of accepted safety for
use of the drug under medical supervision."
The FDA has approved three cannabinoids for medicinal purposes. Dronabinol
(Marinol) and Nabilone (Cesamet) treat
nausea and vomiting that are common
side effects of chemotherapy. Epidiolex is
the only FDA-approved purified cannabisderived cannabidiol (CBD) for some forms
of seizure disorders.
CBD was removed from the list of controlled substances under the Farm Bill

legislation in 2018. There is currently no
quality control or dosage standardization
for CBD, so purity and active ingredients,
such as the levels of tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC-the psychoactive "high"-inducing
chemical in cannabis) cannot be assured.
Use of any cannabis products, including CBD products or medical marijuana,
is prohibited for all classes of FAA medical
certification. Despite the actions of many
states to decriminalize or legalize recreational and medical marijuana, the use is
illegal under federal statutes. So, the moral
of the story is "don't fly when you're high!"
aopa.org/pps
GARY CRUMP is senior director of the AOPA

medical certification division of the AOPA
Pilot Information Center.

CELLPHONE PROTECTION

ADAM ANSWERS

AOPA World Mastercard benefit

B Y A D A M M E R E D I T H , A O PA AV I AT I O N F I N A N C E
Q: Hi Adam, I'm the owner of a 1977 Beechcraft Baron B55. My local flight school
is interested in purchasing it but is unable to finance. Any ideas on how to structure a sale?
A: If the flight school is unable to secure financing through a Small Business
Association loan or other means, seller financing might be an option. With AOPA's
Pilot Protection Services added to your membership you will have access to consultation with one of our panel attorneys. They would be able to help set up the
appropriate contracts to facilitate the sale.

aopafinance.com 800-62-PLANE (75263)

If your cellphone is stolen or needs repair,
the AOPA World Mastercard can help.
* Covers cosmetic screen scratches
longer than 2 inches.
* Price: $0.
* Deductible: $50 per claim.
* Maximum value of $600 (World) or
$800 (World Elite) per claim, up to
$1,000 per rolling 12 months.
* Covers primary line and two supplementary lines.
Simply pay your cellphone bill with your
AOPA World Mastercard to activate
coverage.
aopa.org/creditcard

CONTACT AOPA
ADDRESS CHANGE?

Send your new address and AOPA
membership number to AOPA:
421 Aviation Way
Frederick, Maryland 21701-4798
Fax: 301-695-2375
aopa.org
TOLL-FREE PILOT
INFORMATION CENTER

800-USA-AOPA (872-2672)
pilotassist@aopa.org

AOPA FOUNDATION

AOPA AIRCRAFT FINANCING

AOPA AIR SAFETY INSTITUTE

AOPA PERSONAL INSURANCE

AOPA CREDIT CARD PROGRAM

AOPA PILOT PROTECTION SERVICES

800-955-9115
aopafoundation.org
800-638-3101
airsafetyinstitute.org

Top off your airplane and wallet
with the best card for pilots.
877-787-3171
aopa.org/creditcard

800-627-5263
aopafinance.com

800-USA-AOPA (872-2672)
aopa.org/membership/personal
800-USA-AOPA (872-2672)
aopa.org/pps
AOPA TRAVEL DISCOUNTS

aopa.org/cars | aopa.org/hotels

AOPA PILOT INFORMATION CENTER HOURS

Do you have questions or need information about an aviation topic? Access the team of aviation experts in our Pilot Information Center
during our convenient weekday hours. Call 800-USA-AOPA (872-2672) Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. Eastern time, with
your questions and our staff will be happy to assist you.
Visit the website (aopa.org/membership) to learn about upgrading to our higher levels of membership with Pilot Protection Services
coverage included.
108 | AOPA PILOT January 2020

http://www.aopa.org/pps http://www.aopafinance.com http://www.aopa.org/creditcard http://www.aopafoundation.org http://www.aopafinance.com http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org http://www.aopa.org/membership/personal http://www.aopa.org http://www.aopa.org/pps http://www.aopa.org/creditcard http://www.aopa.org/cars http://www.aopa.org/hotels http://www.aopa.org/membership

AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2020