The stigma around cannabis in the U.S. continues to fuel the various myths surrounding its use and its users. As such, proponents of cannabis continue to highlight the potential health benefits, while educating on legalization efforts and debunking historical myths.

In part 1 of our interview with cannabis advocate Dr. Rachel Knox, she described her outlook on the effect the incoming administration may have on cannabis, particularly medical marijuana. Currently, the FDA still has not recognized or approved the marijuana plant as medicine. This is slowly changing, as more and more studies prove the medical benefits of the plant. The scientific study of the chemicals in marijuana called cannabinoids has led to two FDA-approved medications in pill form. Scientific research has shown cannabis to treat symptoms, related but not limited to, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, cancer, AIDS, spinal cord injuries, anxiety, and insomnia.

Here, Knox provides some more thoughts on how cannabis legalization can potentially affect the industry.

Cannabis legalization, regulation, and access boils down to misunderstanding, greed, and fear.

I believe that legislators are attempting to heavily regulate a plant they do not understand, and as a result, are misregulating it. I believe that states’ collective focus on the projected tax revenues of their recreational markets is short-sighted as medical markets are actually much larger and growing. I also believe that cannabis and natural medicine as a whole threaten Big Pharma’s bottom line.

I anticipate that government will continue to participate in local overregulation and in Big Pharma’s acquisition and control over medical cannabis product manufacturing and distribution. The FDA is already selling Big Pharma patents they hold on cannabinoid profiles for therapeutic use. People believe that the federal government is not involved in legalization efforts, but they certainly are—just in a very different way than anticipated or desired.

Patients, cultivators, and manufacturers participating in the recreational market have to maintain their own standards.

I recommend these participants to demand, cultivate, and manufacture organic and pure products so that medicinal grade products remain on dispensary shelves. I recommend that medical advocates work with legislators to develop favorable regulations that lift strict and sub-therapeutic caps on cannabinoid content of those products.

I also recommend that people learn how to grow their own plants if they live in a state that allows them to, and to fight for the maintenance of that right should revocation ever become a legitimate threat.

Despite the impact the 2016 election will have on access to cannabis medicine, I continue to stress that it is paramount to understand that cannabis is inherently medicine and can remain so even in a domineering recreational market.

My question to the masses is no longer “how can we access cannabis,” but “how do we want to access it?” The answer—be it from a personal backyard grow, the local dispensary, or the local pharmacy via a doctor’s prescription—will determine what standards need to define the recreational markets and what further legislative actions need to take place to preserve medical programs.

My answer would be that people should get to choose for themselves how they access their cannabis medicine from a diversified marketplace. But if we let the government decide, there will likely no longer be a choice.

I am hopeful that more states will adopt cannabis legalization, but my express wish is that they mindfully legalize in ways that benefit their people and not just their bottom lines.

Do you agree with Dr. Knox? Sound off and let me know on Twitter @kwild.

This article was originally published on BlackEnterprise.com.

Dr. Rachel Knox is passionate about cannabis. As an M.D. with formal training in family and integrative medicine, in addition to having an MBA,  she is also a cannabis specialist and the co-founder of the Canna MDs, with her sister Dr. Jessica Knox. Dr. Rachel Knox counsels over 500 patients per month in medical cannabis care and has witnessed cannabis play a significant role in helping patients gain control of, not only their health, but also obtain an overall sense of wellness in their lives.

As such, she is on a mission to destigmatize cannabis use as a safe, effective, and powerful way to heal. I recently chatted with Dr. Rachel to get her thoughts on what the rising federal administration’s views on cannabis mean for the industry. While she believes it’s too early to tell, there are a few concerns.

“It’s evident that medical cannabis and access remain on legislators minds as more states are adopting medical laws. But, in some states where adult (recreational) use has been legalized, we are seeing medical programs [getting] phased out,” she claims.

As “big pharma” positions itself to enter the industry as a major player, one that the federal government has a history of working with, stakeholders—such as patients, cultivators, manufacturers, dispensaries, and legislators—must take a step back and think about what this means for the industry and their respective interests.

Here’s more from our interview with Dr. Rachel Knox:

What are a few factors we should consider in 2017 on the medicinal front?

Dr. Knox: I wish I had a crystal ball to show me what will happen, but while I don’t, I do anticipate that big pharma will attempt to stake a claim in ownership over cannabis as medicine, as state-sanctioned recreational markets devalue the medicinal essence of cannabis. We are already seeing this happen in states like Washington, where the state has enacted allowable limits of common chemicals found in fertilizers, pesticides, and other cultivation products, and has, additionally, prohibited the use “medical cannabis” on all product labels.

So, what does that mean?

Dr. Knox: This means that cannabis and the products made from it are allowed to contain toxic chemicals—to an allowable degree—that, quite honestly, render them non-medicinal. As such, I advise my patients to use only organic, pure, whole plant cannabis and cannabis products that are 100% free of toxic chemicals. You cannot expect to heal from a product that has even trace amounts of toxic elements; this is counterproductive.

Yet, I also believe that the big industry players know this, as well. As recreational products become less medicinal, I do believe we will see big pharma stepping in, as the gatekeeper to cannabis “medicines.”

Is big pharma’s entrance into the market a bad thing?

Dr. Knox: I don’t know for certain, but what I do know for sure is that it’s an incredibly nuanced thing, with plenty of negative implications to match any good ones. However, if I had to choose just one area of concern with big pharma, it would be their lack of care in understanding and respecting natural, whole plant medicine, and the common person’s autonomy in using it.

I do not like how big pharma, the FDA, and big medicine distort, down-play, and discredit natural medicine. Cannabis has been rigorously tested and is considered significantly safer than tobacco and alcohol, and even less addictive than candy and caffeine! What is notable is that these products are all considered toxic, yet are free for public purchase and consumption. To the contrary, because cannabis heals, there has been a monumental struggle to make it mainstream, but not also without restrictive regulation. Where is the logic [in that]?

As a doctor, how do you balance being a proponent of medical cannabis and an opponent of big pharma?

Dr. Knox: I am absolutely a proponent of whole plant cannabis medicine and an opponent of big pharma’s control of it. This does not mean that I don’t advocate for standardization of processing and responsible oversight—I absolutely do, as should we all, because this is integral for mass adoption by patients and healthcare providers alike. I simply believe that people have a right to freely access and use—intentionally and safely—cultivated natural elements as medicine, and this includes cannabis.

This article originally appeared on BlackEnterprise.com.