Medical Marijuana And The Psychiatric Patient / My Story
Medical marijuana and the psychiatric patient. That is the topic I would like to bring up today. I, Janie Sativa, could sit here and tell you all about my typical day, how often I smoke and how there’s nothing more satisfying than a big ice cream sundae after I’m stoned. Instead I’d like to use this opportunity to address an issue that is considered progressive, even amongst the most progressive of supporters for the legalization of medicinal marijuana, and marijuana in general.
I would like to call to attention to the raging debate over medical cannabis and psychiatric illness. Most say it is something negative of which may exacerbate the symptoms of mental illness. Some even say it causes mental illness. Most health professionals discourage its use on the mind altogether, and sadly, most psychiatrists will refuse to treat patients who use cannabis therapy. Some even go as far as requiring patients to attend Narcotics Anonymous meetings or admit their pot-smoking patients to the psychiatric ward on 72 hour holds.
I myself, am a psychiatric patient. I have bipolar disorder in form II. I also have ADHD. For the majority of my life, I’ve played rigmarole with different medications. I have nothing to say about medications being bad or hokey in any sort of way. Medication has saved many lives, improved many lives and continues to do so. It is a gift of science that demonstrates the progress of the medical field and science in general. However, many people report that cannabis therapies have helped them with their mental illness, and this most often times gets completely ignored or prompts the physician to take some sort of action against their patient, whilst citing in their notes, “possible drug addiction” or “patient says he/she’s been self medicating,” or even, “drug seeking behavior.”
I have had my own experience with this that I would like to share. At sixteen years old, my illness was at its worst. Coping with adolescence and bipolar disorder paired together is never a cake walk. I had just received electro-convulsive therapy as a last resort for treating debilitating symptoms of depression. ECT is a highly stylized and modern procedure –I won’t go into the details, but it is nothing like what is shown in Hollywood, for example in “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.” You can research ECT if it interests you as there is a plethora of information available on the internet.
After my ECT treatments, I was placed with one of the best and renowned psychiatrists in California. It was at this time that I began to use marijuana as a medicine. Initially, I began smoking on a day to day basis to alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety. The positive effects were so noticeable and pronounced that even my conservative parents couldn’t deny the positive effects. One day, we went to the psychiatrist as normal and told him about the amazing effects that marijuana was having on my symptoms.
Dr. B., we’ll call him, however, didn’t take quite as kindly to the idea of medicinal marijuana for psychiatric patients. At that time, I was doing well and was functional and on track with my school work. I felt that I couldn’t have the kind of open relationship and functional therapy with Dr. B unless I told him I was using marijuana. I felt like I was being dishonest. Generally this is the proper way to go about therapy –with honesty as a stabilizing ground for improvement between you and your therapist. Dr. B immediately recommended a boot camp for me and then residential treatment in a facility states away from my home as a solution. He pleaded with my parents, telling them I was defiant and had a drug problem. In reality, I was a good girl, trying to do the best I could in school and with other obligations. I was not defiant or a criminal. I was not rebellious. My parents refused to send me away, especially when I was doing better than ever before. They told Dr. B that and he gave us an ultimatum –either stop using marijuana or anything THC-based or I won’t be able to treat you anymore. We were left high and dry without a psychiatrist for many months after that.
Unfortunately, my story isn’t all that uncommon. The psychiatric field is not yet open to the idea of cannabis therapy for patients who are suffering. They claim a multitude of reasons why, and for some reason, seem to reject most of the newer control studies showing the benefits of the substance. In order to be treated effectively and serendipitously with going away to college, I had to move. My dad had to help me get a new place in an area with more progressive doctors, and one in specific "Dr. A" I had exhausted all of the doctors in my hometown. I shortly left home to be out on my own and by that time I was about eighteen. I relocated to an incredibly liberal town, in an area of California that is known for producing most of the country’s “dank” or “chronic” bud. The attitude in this new town was that of tolerance, especially to cannabis therapy residents.
I met my current psychiatrist and low and behold, he didn’t care at all that I was using marijuana for relief from my symptoms. Instead of clinging to a strong anti-marijuana bias, he was more concerned with me finding relief from my symptoms. He was a good doctor in that the most important thing to him was that I felt better, rather than ascribing to old beliefs in the name of his Ph.D. After treating me for a year, he said that he’d seen the prominently good effects in such an overwhelming and undeniable certainty. With all this in mind, and as I recount the tale of how I became a stoner and a marijuana patient, I realize how close-minded the medical field actually is about this issue. My family had the resources of money and insurance and two parents who cared more than anything about my well being. But what about the people out there who need to see a psychiatrist and have limited means? They must accept whatever physician the county/state grants them, and if that means being seen by a doctor who adamantly opposes marijuana usage, what is the patient to do? Lie to the doctor? This is a possibility, however in my experience there is little to gain from therapy with a doctor who you cannot be fully honest with. Some doctors require mandatory drug testing, and others will send patients to drug rehabilitation programs at the drop of a hat.
I spend a lot of time on our site, 420Magazine.com in the forums, particularly the medical marijuana sections. The most common question I see is whether one can get a medical license for a psychiatric illness. This is the crux of my commentary. I’ve told you my personal story and I’ve told you about the appalling denial of cannabis treatments in the psychiatric industry. But what takes the cake is the issue of whether or not people can receive medical licenses for psychiatric illnesses.
I live in California, a state with some of the most relaxed laws concerning medical licenses. You know those numbers, 4, 2, and 0? Forget what you’ve heard in the past about what they represent, in actuality “420” is the code number in the legal books for, “The Compassionate Act” which was the legalization of medical marijuana here in California. Here is what it states as legal illnesses eligible for cannabis therapy,
“"(h) "Serious medical condition" means all of the following medical conditions:
(1) Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
(2) Anorexia.
(3) Arthritis.
(4) Cachexia.
(5) Cancer.
(6) Chronic pain.
(7) Glaucoma.
(8) Migraine.
(9) Persistent muscle spasms, including, but not limited to, spasms associated with multiple sclerosis.
(10) Seizures, including, but not limited to, seizures associated with epilepsy.
(11) Severe nausea.
(12) Any other chronic or persistent medical symptom that either:
(A) Substantially limits the ability of the person to conduct one or more major life activities as defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-336).
(B) If not alleviated, may cause serious harm to the patient's safety or physical health.”
As you can see, psychiatric illnesses are not considered at all in “The Compassionate Act.” The only possible way to receive a medical license is if you meet the criteria of a chronic and persistent medical symptom that leaves you unable to conduct one or more major life activities, and that you are disabled according to the definition of disabled stated in the Americans with Disabilities Act.
In my case, I was able to meet those definitions but had to present a great amount of paperwork and prove that I receive disability settlements from the state. But what about the others? All the other mentally ill patients who would like a medical license or need one? Sure, anyone can smoke illegally, but that’s not the issue at hand here. This is about the recognition of psychiatric illness being alleviated in many patients by the use of medical cannabis. This is about ending the denial in the medical industry of the positive effects of cannabis on the mind. And this is also about the government acknowledging the suffering of psychiatric patients and providing more available programs for the treatment of these disorders. Most of all, this is about ending the censorship of marijuana as a saleable commodity.
But what of disorders like Attention Deficit Disorder? Those who suffer from ADD seem to report in higher numbers than any other psychiatric illness of the alleviation of symptoms from cannabis. The option prescribed by mental health professionals usually involves drugs like Adderall (dextroAMPHETAMINE), Ritalin and other dangerous and addictive drugs. Has nobody considered the idea that it may be better to treat these patients with THC as opposed to amphetamines? We are bombarded on TV, in movies and on the radio with unfounded “facts” about THC. We’re also told, and this fact is true, that our children and teenagers are growing up in the midst of an amphetamine addiction epidemic! Yet our doctors, those who are supposed to protect and care for our health, are handing out amphetamine-based medications like candy! And sadly, most ADD patients are not considered eligible for licensing. This is only one of many ironies concerning the lack of usage of marijuana based on, “dangers.”
Perhaps the worst is the fact that marijuana remains illegal today, right now, this minute! This is because the tobacco and alcohol industries monopolize their markets in such a way as to keep marijuana illegal due to concern about losing money and sales if marijuana were legal. It is my own personal decision not to drink alcohol or buy cigarettes until marijuana has been legalized. I encourage others to take the same stand if they feel entitled to do such. Giving up your dinner wine or after hours beer may seem unpleasant, but it makes a difference. Imagine all those beer cans piled up from years of your own partying, sipping or whatever. I bet there would be a lot of beer cans. And that’s a damned lot of money you’ve given toward keeping marijuana illegal. As for cigarette smoking, I will not address giving up the habit in the same way I speak about beer. Tobacco addiction is very real and very serious and generally requires a program and a plan to quit. Don’t start, but if you are already a smoker and want to quit, for any reason, try calling a number like 1-800-NO-BUTTS to get started.
There are numerous other illnesses and classes of disorders that are not in the above legal list. Not all of them leave the patient with the ability to claim “12 A” of the SB 420 code. I ask, “Where is the compassion?! Why is this called ‘The Compassionate Act?’” All I see here is discrimination in licensing eligibility.
Here is where I wrap this up. Being a 420 Girl and a member of 420 Magazine isn’t just about hot beauties and sensational forums to post in, …We have a mission here: “The 420 Girls help us draw attention to the Legalization of Cannabis. Sex sells, so we use it as our chariot to deliver our message to the world.” Please support our organization by buying our book, Naked Girls Smoking Weed: The Best Of 420 Girls by Rob Griffin, donating to 420Magazine.com, subscribing to 420Girls.com and by registering to vote this November for the most marijuana-friendly candidate. For us members of 420Girls.com and 420Magazine.com, we must always remember our mission: To draw attention to the legalization of cannabis, to support and to fight for the legalization, and to teach, show, and be examples of peace, freedom and activism. It's time to change the world.