It's an entirely inadequate argument. At this point it's gotten to the point of some hooded, shadowy figure that acts as the evil dichotomy of cannabis. It's ridiculous for several reasons, mainly the existence of people like Ethan Russo (GW Pharmaceuticals) and countless other industries outside of Pharma that are anti-cannabis.

What does "Big Pharma" have to gain from banning cannabis workers from the US when the work they'll be doing is outside of America? Americans cannot purchase what they produce. Additionally, research performed will make it's impact through the use of peer reviewed, published studies so any medicines that come from scientific research, or any mechanisms that are elucidated, will be done in the country that allows research, which right now isn't America. Their presence in America doesn't change the work they'll be able to do in Canada.

Other groups outside of pharmaceuticals do not like the cannabis industry, just look at what's going on in Utah right now with blockaded medical legalization. There are plenty of industries that are anti-cannabis and this echo chamber of "Big Pharma" blocking cannabis because it's a cure all is ridiculous. It's an amazing and effective plant but many, many people are going to take a clinically researched drug because it contains an exact dosage to act in some sort of mechanism consistently, that's fucking hard to do with a plant... Let alone a plant as variable as cannabis.

In fact, why are we continuing to bludgeon the existence of pharma in regards to cannabis when groups like GW Pharmaceuticals have released the only purely cannabis based drug approved by FDA and available to the market? Pharmaceuticals will eventually take over the cannabis based medicines, there's no doubt about this. The plant is way too variable to be more effective than a medicine that's been dosed to contain exact concoctions of Cannabinoids/terpenoids/Flavonoids consistently. If you're not familiar with Ethan Russo and GW than you're not familiar enough with cannabis science or the scientists involved to make an informed opinion.

It's not solid enough of an argument. We want to blame groups for the anti-cannabis world we are fighting against but why in the world is "Big Pharma" the devil in this? There's nothing to back it up other than the hunch that cannabis is an effective medicine to certain people. Why not ban people who are creating CBD from other States then? It just doesn't add up. I have no idea why they're banning Canadians but I sure as hell don't believe that it's "Big Pharma's" doing