The Medical Letter and Pathetic Innocence about Medical Marijuana

This is pernicious misinformation that both amuses and beguiles me because of its innocence of factual information. It appears it comes from ten year old information peppered with the information from the Reefer Madness movie.

About 1,000,000 marijuana users are arrested each year. This means as least 10 to 20 million people are using it with minimal adverse effects.

The article indicates nine medical conditions for which a patient can get a permit in most states. I will address these essentially sequentially:

PAIN, severe or chronic, is the most common complaint and aspirin-like drugs or morphine-like drugs are the standards. Cannabis/marijuana (C/MJ) works better than most of these without gastric bleeding for aspirin. C/MJ is almost as effective as morphine without severe addiction liability.

SPASTIC disease of skeletal muscle, including MS, are usually treated with CNS depressants like Benzos or Soma-like drugs. C/MJ works better than either with minimal addiction liability. SMOOTH MUSCLE SPASMS such as Asthma, IBS or Crohns are usually treated with Atropine-like drugs with adrenergics for Asthma. C/MJ works faster and better than any of them.

NAUSEA and VOMITING frequently caused by other medications respond surprisingly well to C/MJ. Oral medications are frequently useless for N & V. C/MJ may be taken by inhalation and it works very rapidly.

CANCER with a wide variety of medical problems responds well to C/MJ with euphoria and appetite stimulation being outstanding pluses.

SEIZURES of any etiology are the next most common complaints. An Epileptic seizure can be aborted at onset or controlled with a few inhalations.

GLAUCOMA which acts like a smooth muscle disease responds very well to C/MJ with rapid relief.

NEUROPATHIC pain like any other type of pain responds well to C/MJ.

Many of the preceding diseases cause insomnia. Many patients if not most use C/MJ to aid or prolong sleep with excellent relaxation.

The Medical Letter includes adverse effects of C/MJ. DRY MOUTH is common from smoking like cigarettes. We recommend inhaling vapors.

They consider sedation to be adverse. Patients consider it a main benefit.

ORTHOSTATICHYPOTENSION follows C/MJ-caused vasodilation. C/MJ is used to treat hypertension.

ATAXIA is a result of hypotension but also an alcoholic-like drunkedness from more than slight doses.

ANXIETY is often seen in new patients who accidentally use too much. Even Marinol, the prescribed Cannabis drug, causes anxiety and panic attacks.

TACHYCARDIA, though slight, is a reflex response to the vasodilation and hypotension. It bothers few patients.

AGITATION along with anxiety are common results even with Marinol. Medical patients learn to avoid this.

CONFUSION accompanies anxiety, panic attacks, and agitation of the new user or accidental overdose.

One of the most humorous parts of the article was their report on sleep. Obviously the participants were regular users. They were given THC — pure Cannabis medicine and/or added cannabidiol, a built in modulator of THC stimulation. This was a free "Pot Party" and they made the most of it with memory-deficit hangover next morning. I doubt they were complaining.

Other recent articles have published C/MJ is effective for Migraines, Tourettes, OCD, ADD/ADHD, Alzheimers, and PMS.

I suggest the authors and editors get out of their ivory towers and down to earth with us plebians.

Cannabis/Marijuana was once the most prescribed drug. It is on its way back.

SIC TRANSIT GLORIA CANNABIS!!


NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Salem-News.com
Author: Dr. Phil Leveque
Contact: Salem-News.com
Copyright: 2010 Salem-News.com
Website: The Medical Letter and Pathetic Innocence about Medical Marijuana
 
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