Despite the fact that cannabis was a widely distributed medicine with MDs writing more than 3,000,000 prescriptions per year in the 1930s, it became prohibited at the federal level in the United States in 1937. That prohibition was continued via the Controlled Substances Act in 1970 with cannabis placed firmly in the Schedule I category, which is where it has remained since. The decision to place cannabis in the Schedule I category was not based on science.

But medical marijuana comes in many forms. “You can take it as a pill or edible form,” Kaskie said. “You could rub in on your skin lesions. That's what I saw one person with cancer doing, and it provided relief for him. And that just was what really struck me. It's like, wow, there's a whole population of older persons out there who actually see this as a medical benefit.”

Marijuana smoking is a recreational activity for many local Arab and Muslim Americans. But those who consume it continue to conceal the habit out of fears of social scrutiny, challenges with the law and uncertainty of where it stands in the religion. Michigan's marijuana laws continue to remain unclear. In the last few years, the laws have shifted drastically to decriminalize personal pot smoking in many cities and to allow medical marijuana patients an easier path for consumption.