Medical Marijuana Therapy and Doctorous Ignoramous Profundus

Some California doctors say "all marijuana use is medical". It certainly seems very effective for coping and the euphoria from a medical dose is extremely beneficial for patients in extreme pain, or suffering from cancer or AIDS.

Courtesy: NORML

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - Excuse my lousy Latin, but I hope you get the idea.

I'm writing this in response to a recent article by a Professor of Psychiatry in a prominent East Coast medical school but my remarks are directed at about 75 percent of physicians in the U.S. The article had more incorrect information that I thought possible from a Professor Psychiatry.

The big problem seems to be the impact of "Reefer Madness" and obviously many physicians still believe it and attest to the validity of the U.S. gov't propaganda.

I am going to go through the several inaccuracies of his article.

First of all he says "marijuana is not benign". Medically it is one of the most benign but effective medicine, ever found.

Then he outlines potential risks. There are none, or very few.

He said Napoleon's troops brought it to Europe. Actually the Persians brought it to Scythia, part of European Russia maybe a thousand years before.

While THC is the main chemical possibly 95 percent, CBD and CBN seem to be the next most present. It appears few people know the activities of the rest because they are in such small amounts.

Marijuana doctor/specialists will disagree with this statement that 9 percent become addicted.

Just because someone uses it constantly is because IT WORKS, not that they are addicted. Medical users who run out have minimal withdrawal symptoms. Marijuana doctors have seen little or no withdrawal syndromes!

The U.S. Government says about 70 million people here have used it, and possibly 10 million use it daily. There has been no epidemic of harm.

Many people, however, might confess they are "addicted" and seek abuse treatment to avoid jail or risk losing their job.

The article uses "intoxication" which means POISONING which it isn't. This "intoxication" doesn't even compare with alcohol or two espresso coffees.

It is nothing like nicotine withdrawal, which is harder to beat than heroin. Beating the big "H" involves excruciating pain and sickness, but when its over, its over. Cigarette smokers that quit will tell you a year after the fact that they still have cravings.

He implies it causes cancer and damages the immune system. It does the opposite. He also implies it may lead to opiate addiction. Actually, marijuana/cannabis has been used to get addicts off alcohol, opiates and nicotine.

He says it triggers psychoses. Actually California doctors are using it to treat psychoses including PTSD, probably the most common one now.

Any medical/scientific articles more than 5 years old are sadly out of date. Marijuana is used successfully for maybe one hundred or more medical conditions and these conditions can be found easily by sitting at a computer for just a few minutes.

Dronabinol/Marinol is NO SUBSTITUTE for marijuana used with a vaporizer, not as a cigarette. For nausea and vomiting Marinol is useless. People throw it up. It takes too long to act, from one to two hours, and patients frequently get dreadful anxiety and panic attacks which are typical signs of overdose.

If this doctor or any other doctor would see a few marijuana patients, most of whom had used for 10 to 50 years, he would see some very sick near medically destitute patients who are getting good relief from marijuana.

Some California doctors say "all marijuana use is medical". It certainly seems very effective for coping and the euphoria from a medical dose is extremely beneficial for patients in extreme pain, or suffering from cancer or AIDS.

We marijuana doctors advise the use of vaporizers which decreases almost to zero any bronchial irritation common with burning/smoking.

We welcome FDA testing and approval but remember they approved Thalidamide, Latrite, Vioxx and several more real nasy poisons.

If marijuana is good for terminal cancer why shouldn't it be available for persons in severe chronic pain, spasms and nausea? Cannabis has been used for 5000 years without one death.

I am embarrassed to be writing this about a fellow physician and medical professor. I hope he joins the club.

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Winder August 16, 2009 5:15 am (Pacific time)

Finally a REAL "Dr. Phil"! This wonderful man should have his own show, helping millions of Americans on prime time. Thanks for all you do for all of us suffering, Dr. Leveque, and we all wish you many more years of helping us survive...keep the truth alive!

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Richard Steeb July 8, 2009 6:52 pm (Pacific time)

Thank you for telling it like it is. To keep Cannabis illegal while tobacco and alcohol are dispensed freely is murderously stupid. http://tinyurl.com/Henningfield-Benowitz http://www.google.com/search?andq=tashkin "Neither the composition of cannabis nor human physiology has changed since cannabis was illegitimately removed from the U.S.Pharmacopoeia." --Tod Mikuriya, MD September 20, 1933 – May 20, 2007

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MaryJane Cannabian July 8, 2009 8:28 am (Pacific time)

Thank You for writing this, Dr. Leveque, as a Medical Cannabis patient I appreciate you taking the time to debunk the evil propaganda that is spewed against this miracle plant. I'm glad there are Dr.'s like you who fight for patients and our desire to live as pain free as possible. www.maryjanecannabian.blogspot.com

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