Medical Cannabis - Doctor's Opinion

[Pinch]

My Vape buddy, C Howard sent me some editorials. This is one of them I found interesting because it gave me a clearer sense of one side of the medical community. (I have met Doctors that think like this). I believe we can learn from this.

The reason I posted it here is that this "thinking" is a cannabis fact today and I believe we should be informed.

Inquiring minds!



To the Editor,

It appears that editor George Lundberg[1] continues his support of medical excuse marijuana. Despite the hue and cry of support from such advocates, the mainstream medical community has largely rejected pot as medicine.

Recent evaluations call into question the utility of marijuana in general with conclusions, such as: "These results should make us think hard about the ethics of clinical trials of cannabinoids when safe and effective alternatives are known to exist and when efficacy of cannabinoids is known to be marginal.[2,3]"

Even the legal literature has voiced concern over the medical excuse marijuana movement. Crites-Leoni[4] stated:

Presentation of marijuana as a medicine that helps people, appears to be an effort by the legalization of marijuana proponents to desensitize the American people to the drug's negative effects. This may cause society to question the illegal status of marijuana. . . . Federal courts have held time and time again that the smoking of marijuana is not a fundamental right. . . . The potential danger of legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes is clear. Legalization of the drug for medicinal purposes precipitates legalization of the drug on a higher, more reckless scale.

Several large reviews of marijuana have been undertaken. The most prominent of these reviews, which was conducted by the Institute of Medicine, concluded that if there were a future to marijuana as a medicine, it existed in the individual constituents, not in smoked marijuana.[5]

Ballot initiatives financed by wealthy advocates for marijuana legalization have added further confusion to the issue by creating an atmosphere of medicine by popular vote.[6] Such campaigns have enlisted millions of dollars to market to the public and play on well-intentioned sympathy to gain legal status for pot. The intent of such initiatives is to circumvent our usual processes for ensuring safety and efficacy. Can any right-minded physician imagine recommending tobacco as a medicine? If not, then how could marijuana smoking be supported?

Research needs to pursue individual cannabinoids and synthetic derivatives. The voices of reason rather than hysteria and emotion need to prevail against the medical excuse madness.

Eric A. Voth, MD, FACP
Chairman
The Institute on Global Drug Policy
evoth@stormontvail.org

References

1. Lundberg GD. It is time for marijuana to be reclassified as something other than a schedule I drug. MedGenMed. 2005;7(3). Available at: Log In Problems. Accessed August 24, 2005.
2. Campbell FA, Tramer MR, Carroll D, Reynolds DJ, Moore RA, McQuay HJ. Are cannabinoids an effective and safe treatment option in the management of pain? A qualitative systematic review. BMJ. 2001;323:13-16.
3. Tramer MR, Carroll D, Campbell FA. Cannabinoids for control of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting: quantitative systematic review. BMJ. 2001;323:16-21.
4. Crites-Leoni A. Medicinal use of marijuana: is the debate a smoke screen for movement toward legalization? J Leg Med. 1998;19:273-304.
5. Joy JE, Watson SJ Jr, Benson JA, eds. Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base. Washington, DC: Science Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Health, Institute of Medicine, The National Academies Press; 1999:178. Available at: The National Academies Press Home Page. Accessed October 27, 2005.
6. Voth EA. A peek into Pandora's box: the medical excuse marijuana controversy. J Addict Dis. 2003;22:27-46.

Posted 11/2005
Source: medscape.com

[User]

creating an atmosphere of medicine by popular vote

yeah, people should not be allowed to decide what goes into their bodies. better to let the doctors and politicians and drugCo decide for us. the FDA is doing such a fine job so far in protecting us from dangerous drugs.

Legalization of the drug for medicinal purposes precipitates legalization of the drug on a higher, more reckless scale

he says that like its a bad thing?

safe and effective alternatives are known to exist and when efficacy of cannabinoids is known to be marginal

unless you have liver disease like i do and nearly every legal drug out there helps the hep C to attack my liver. and how many of those safe drugs have ended up making people sicker or even killing them?

the smoking of marijuana is not a fundamental right

i'd say the pursuit of happiness might cover the rights issue. unless i'm not able to judge what makes me happy.

[Pinch]

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[Pinch]

Yes, Mr User... the Doctor was a cocky dude, wasn't he?

I don't think it unlikely that a bunch of American doctors think the same way. Sad.

Research needs to pursue individual cannabinoids and synthetic derivatives. The voices of reason rather than hysteria and emotion need to prevail against the medical excuse madness.

Sativex is about to get FDA's approved as the world's first cannabinoid-based analgesic. Alluding to the FDA and Western medicine as the "voices of reason" is an oxymoron.

[zummpeed]

the doc would not like it if thousands and thousands of xanax+prozac+hundreds of other useless and highly addictive drugs may not be needed if gro.wn people could be allowed to really be free and make our own minds up if we wanted to use or try something that should be none of the evil freaks business