COPD, Asthma, Bronchitis and Marijuana Therapy

It's amazing how often the corporate medical world's version of truth is the exact opposite of what it actually is.

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - Most states with legal marijuana include spasm diseases such as asthma as acceptable for a legal permit. I had at least one hundred of my 4000 who had diagnosed asthma.

I was perplexed about this because many patients complained that inhaling marijuana smoke caused irritation and coughing.

If MJ causes those two effects how could it give relief for asthma patients who are highly sensitive to irritating fumes and dust and even cold weather? However it does!

After interviewing 4 thousand or maybe 5 thousand patients I came to the conclusion that if a patient told me MJ gave relief for a certain disease it must be so.

After all they were paying about $300 for the PRIVELEGE of using a medication which gave relief. This marijuana therapeutics business has been a real mind blowing experience.

I had been led to believe that MJ was very addictive, very harmful and it even caused all sorts of harmful and even illegal actions by users including rape, murder and God knows what else. Well I found out that this was all federally funded B.S. propaganda.

Between asthma patients, I felt that it might be effective for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, known simply as COPD, and its usual accompanying chronic bronchitis. I went to my computer and also to my Merck manual, sure enough these three conditions are not only inter-related but COPD, asthma and chronic bronchitis can occur together or in any combination.

I knew from my Army experience where cigarettes were 5 cents a pack and all the 18 to 20 year old soldiers had to assert and prove their manhood by smoking as many of these cheap “coffin nails” and that there was a future relationship with lung cancer and COPD.

None of my Veteran patients ever came in with a diagnosis of COPD but in retrospect that is most likely what it was and I probably had no less than 1000 COPD Veterans in my patient list. Many were carrying oxygen tanks with tubing and masks, etc.

COPD by definition is chronic obstruction/constriction of the respiratory passages. There must be some smooth muscle there which responds to the smooth muscle antispasmodic action of marijuana.

At any rate marijuana gives relief for asthma and probably most cases of COPD and bronchitis.

With about 16 million cases of COPD per year and about 100 thousand deaths it seems reasonable that MJ should be considered as medication at least it should get them OFF legal but lethal tobacco cigarettes.

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Anonymous July 1, 2013 8:29 am (Pacific time)

Intersting article--my experience is both as the wife of a vaporizer (former moderate cigarette smoker) user AND a professional respiratory therapist (never used tobacco myself; my last toke was in 1979). I could tell that hubs was having all kinds of upper-airway irritation after using the vape even the next morning (audible stridor); hard to tell if it was aggravating his (very faithful CPAP user) sleep apnea. Hard to tell about COPD causes/aggravation seeing as most pot smokers also smoke cigs so how do you tell the difference??

sam November 27, 2012 4:36 pm (Pacific time)

i am 58 and have copd and oxygen 12 hrs a night . i may not use them but theyre there for cheap weed . ya know , the kind that has you coughing ALL THE TIME ! the better the smoke , the less coughing , i can smoke middy and take small tokes {u dont want to hit good weed hard lol } but i smoke mexican dirt weed and i cough like hell during and the next day...a vaporizer would help alot though . i DID REPLACE MY SMOKING WITH SMOKING WEED FOR A COUPLE WEEKS , I WAS SMOKING DIRT THEN THOUGH ....

peach July 7, 2011 10:06 am (Pacific time)

I have severe COPD.n I smoke MJ with a vaporizer, and always breathe better after I smoke.

kate UK September 27, 2010 8:24 am (Pacific time)

I am 64years have had copd for 5years i take maijuana in cake form since diagnose it has been the best medication i have found it helps all the symtoms it should be on prescription.

Howard August 29, 2010 7:35 pm (Pacific time)

I have asthma/copd and i stopped smoking weed about months ago, bad mistake, I have been having bad breathing events every since then..had been smoking pot for over years with no problems with my asthma had to start back smoking so I could breathe normal again.

Rob September 13, 2009 2:14 am (Pacific time)

i have never heard about marijuana being a possibe treatment option for my asthma but i have noticed that ever since i quit (not due to choice i made some bad descions and ended up and still currently am on probation) my asthma has caused me more problems than it has ever before i have been to the emergency room multiple times in the past few months the most recent was because i was mowing the lawn which never used to flare up my asthma so i do believe that it does make a difference and to add to that i was recently told that i have ADD and am taking concerta and shure it helps me focus but i cant eat and my sleep schedule is all out of wack and to put on top of that they say i have anxiety which they have me playing the lab rat role for trying all these strange pills that make me feel way up then way down so you tell me why i had no problems with these issues before but then i stop smoking weed and they all of a sudden pop up i would very much like to be a card holder but i dont believe i can due to the guidelines of my probation if anybody knows of a loophole please contact me i can be reached most easily on myspace i have an e-mail but i rarely check it so plz if you have any information my name is Robert Cornell and i live in molalla OR you should be able to search and find me on myspace i really would like to know if there is any way possible for me to be able to apply Thank you for your time Robert Cornell Jr

Anonymous August 18, 2009 7:41 pm (Pacific time)

hi all.. im a doc from india.. im 29yrs old.. and have been having asthma for the past 15 yrs. i ve tried marijuana couple of times and every time i keep my inhaler next to me coz i immediately get severe signs of asthma. but i intermitantly use my inhaler and tak a puff of d weed and its ok.. vwilben@yahoo.comDr Viju Wilben

Nick (michigan med patient) May 24, 2009 9:42 am (Pacific time)

I have asthma, and have had it since I was a child, I was in and out of the emergency rooms... I went to an asthma doctor and got on some medication.. which helped.. but still occassionally I would get a bad one and off to the emergcy room I would go. I started smoking pot a few years ago and I havn't had a severe asthma attack since... NOT ONE... however, their are some strains that can irritate my allergies (perhaps grown outdoors or indoors makes a difference?), but certain strains can illiminate my asthma, even in the middle of an asthma attack! I do of coarse Vaporize, smoking can work but it isn't as effective as vaporizing and eating... I actually find eating is the most effective for asthma prevention. By the way, it's been over 20 days now and I still havn't gotten my card.. according to the law, my copy of the application filled out and sent is now a MEDICAL MARIJUANA CARD... By law, i just wonder how many police would know that?

amr May 1, 2009 12:08 am (Pacific time)

info on COPD here - COPD

emailer April 25, 2009 6:56 am (Pacific time)

Marijuana is not good for COPD
or asthma. Its components are
NOT water-soluble, and constricts the airways maybe
even worse than tobacco. Not
a choice for treatment or any
kind of therapy. I have asthma
and know from experience.

Editor: I almost always never approve medical opinion from someone without a name. Dr. Leveque is one of the most educated and studied human beings alive when it comes to this subject, and his credentials are published clear as day for all to see. It does concern me that someone has this opinion, it is a reminder that the federal government's refusal to study cannabis therapy benefits in a sane and legal way keeps the confusion level unnessarily high. The comment section here complicates things becuase it allows a comment poster to contradict out point, but again I think including it can stimulate good conversation. Still, it is important to remember that the pharmaceutical industry is dead set on showing the propaganda and fabricated "scare tactics" that surround marijuana education. Here is Doctor Leveque's original article that specifically discusses asthma treatment with cannabis: Medical Marijuana: Asthma Treatment - Dr. Phillip Leveque Salem-News.com

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