Autism Ritalin and Cannabis

[User]

I wrote a recent article: Autism, ADD, ADHD and Marijuana Therapy, in which I reported that California Medical Marijuana doctors had reported successful treatment of such children with marijuana cookies and even by smoking marijuana cigarettes.

I received by email a mixed bag of responses from both extreme ends of the spectrum. One irate response even suggests I was a quack for recommending it.

I would like to reassure my readers that under Oregon law, to which I had to adhere, I neither recommended, approved nor prescribed marijuana despite what the New York Times printed.

The patients (99%) were using and wished to become legal. Oregon law requires a specific diagnosis of certain medical conditions, most of which such as epilepsy, require a specialist's diagnosis.

If that physician does not wish to sign the patient's application form for religious, moral, ignorance, fear of DEA or other reasons, the patient must find a physician willing to sign the application based explicitly on the specialist's diagnosis. I was one of those 2,699 physicians and I signed for about 5,000 patients.

All my applications were approved. I don't think any of us 2,600 doctors consider ourselves "quacks", progressives probably. At any rate, we have signed for 20 thousand patients.

Now getting to Ritalin which has been prescribed for these children since about 1970. I remember it and I said, "why would a brain stimulant be prescribed for a hyperactive child- well it worked! Amphetamine (Dexedrine) had been used before but that was grabbing a "tiger by the tail."

Ritalin was considered a junior grade stimulant compound to amphetamine and worked adequately for these children.

Medicine takers discovered and still consider that if one pill is good, two should be better and three or more better yet. Then there comes the tiger. RITALIN HAS CAUSED ABOUT 300 DEATHS FROM OVERDOSE.

The use of cannabis/marijuana, medical or for kicks, has never killed anyone and if anyone knows different I will gladly pay you $5.

Many parents have written in that marijuana cookies work great for Autism, ADD and ADHD and I am only the messenger By and large, the prescription drugs are minimally effective, have BAD side effects or may be deadly. Marijuana/cannabis will be the new drug for these children. Wanna bet?


Phillip Leveque has spent his life as a Combat Infantryman, Physician, Toxicologist and Pharmacologist. He is an expert in medical marijuana treatment.
Got a question or comment for Dr. Leveque?
Email him: Newsroom@Salem-News.com