Marijuana Orgasms and the Oregonian Newspaper

When I chose this title I thought I was being a smart aleck. I checked Google I found over 50 articles on the same subject.

This is not what you may think but it could be because marijuana acts like a comforting tranquilizer. But that is not exactly what I am writing about.

The Oregonian seems to be getting some perverse superpleasure writing about how bad it is with the pejorative words "abuse", "workplace hazard" and "out of control medical marijuana program" and that the Oregon Marijuana law is a "bad law".

They decry that Oregon has the highest rate of marijuana use and the highest rate of marijuana abuse. Both of these allegations are perversely false and they should know it. It reminds me of the "Reefer Madness" movie. Perhaps they saw it and believed it.

Oregon has possibly the toughest marijuana law. They do not mention that about 2,700 doctors have signed the applications for patients they certify are eligible for the about 20,000 patients who have permits. If the Oregonian thinks these patients are bamboozling the doctors they are totally mistaken.

The U.S. government estimated that there are 300 thousand Oregon marijuana users. It is a cheap, safe, quick-acting tranquilizer. These patients are getting to doctors as soon and fast as possibly and the number of permit card holders is increasing by about 100 per week.

The Oregonian's allegation that medical users use it to "get high" is ridiculous. It costs too much to be used so frivolously. I must admit some high schoolers do get high. How would they like to be in high school these days?

For the Oregonian to infer and publish that it was for "terminal cancer patients" shows their ignorance. However if it is good for a dying patient in pain, why should it not be good for a chronic pain patient with many years ahead? There is some strange perverse sophistry going on here.

The Oregonian fails to address the "on the job hazards" of Oxycontin use, alcoholic hangovers, heavy anti-depressant or tranquilizer use, all of which are far more dangerous than marijuana use which even with heavy use ceases its brain effects in about four hours.

The DEA's administrative judge, Francis J. Young, after hearing two weeks of testimony, wrote: "nearly all medicines have toxins, potentially lethal affects, but marijuana is not such a substance...Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. By any measure of rational analysis marijuana can be safely used within a supervised routine of medical care" (DEA Docket No. 86-22, 57)

By the way, marinol, the pure substance in marijuana, is an FDA approved prescription drug. If one is bad and dangerous, both are! In fact, marinol is worse than marijuana.

I hope the Oregonian writers can get over this obsessive-compulsive activity and get themselves educated. At one time cannabis medications were the most prescribed in the U.S. Furthermore, cannabis has been used as medicine for about 4,000 years and NEVER caused a death. Even aspirin is far more dangerous.

Watch for more streaming video question and answer segments about medical marijuana with Bonnie King and Dr. Phil Leveque.

Click on this link for other articles and video segments about PTSD and medical marijuana on Salem-News.com: Dr. Leveque INTERVIEWS & ARTICLES

Salem-News.com Marijuana Coverage

Where and How to Smoke Legal Marijuana without Fear of Arrest in the U.S.

Eulogy of a Great Warrior: Hoss Plourde

The Ripple Effect How Marijuana Laws Are Impacting Society

Audit the Audit

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Comments Leave a comment on this story.

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David Williams June 6, 2008 12:05 pm (Pacific time)

RE: The comment by Tim King, Salem-News.com Editor... ...Amen! Finally, someone in the media is thinking. Keep up the good work. I will have to make you guys my homepage.

Pragmatic June 3, 2008 6:27 pm (Pacific time)

I am service-connected with a wide variety of conditions including PTSD. In fact I have been dealing with PTSD symptoms for well over 40 years, long before the DSM acknowledged it. My initial method of treatment, like many others, was abusing alcohol. I lost my wife and family because of this alcohol abuse, even though I managed to make a very good living. In around 1982 I hooked up with some other combat veterans and got involved in group counseling , and then became a facilitator for other veterans and their families. Strictly as a volunteer (but I do have a graduate background in the behavioral sciences which was helpful). Many lives and family relationships have been saved, even restored using fellow combat veterans as trained counselors and facilitators (we need more). I was very fortunate in that I had an ex-wife who never gave up on me and we re-established our relationship, and eventually re-married. I have been around the block with PTSD and am very familiar with the incredible adversary nature of the Veterans Administration. But it is the civilian stereotyping of combat veterans that is the most damaging. I realize there are those who advocate weed as a treatment option, I, from decades of experience see group and/or "one on one" counseling as the best course of treatment. I will never judge those who find relief from PTSD by using weed, it just does not allow one to develop a positive methodology for coping, and for the lucky few out there, to assume power over their symptoms. Weed is a temporary fix, as is alcohol or any other kind of drug.

Pragmatic June 3, 2008 12:02 pm (Pacific time)

I know Vietnam veterans who have been diagnosed with PTSD ever since the VA added it to their disability rating format back in the early 80's. I have yet to hear one of these individuals provide a factual historical demonstration that the weed actually helped them deal rationally with PTSD symptoms. Either group or "one on one" counseling have been the primary treatment methods that have shown the best results. I have talked to many vets who claim that weed helps them cope, but again, no factual demonstrations has been made. The Veterans Administration is powerless to allow the weed to be used lawfully by their patients, so if you are serious about wanting this as a legally recognized treatment, then get congress to pass the legislative bill. You have a snowball chance in Gores fantasy world to get that accomplished. Note: There are plenty of veterans who claim the weed has helped, but 99 times out of 100, they actually are not PTSD service-connected, they have dependency issues, have a personality disorder (usually criminal backgrounds and or behavior problems that preceeded their military service), addictive character traits, and a host of other mental health issues. I suggest that all those who have PTSD, go get professional counseling from combat veterans that also share your symptoms. You will find these people are drug free and see that this is the best way to learn how to cope with your symptoms.

Pragmatic: You are entitled to your opinion but it is obvious that you do not read the dozens of stories published here alone about veterans who are using pot to deal with post war issues and who never touched it or any other drug before Vietnam, Afghanistan or Iraq. I personally think it is a slam on veterans for you to even interject these thoughts, as you are basically calling all of these veterans liars and suggesting they don't need the one single thing that helps them.

It sounds like I need to go ahead and keep publishing stories from one vet after another who says that marijuana absolutely and without a doubt, is helpful to them. But you as a non vet must believe you know more, it isn't the first time and it won't be the last.

You basically admit here that you have no experience with war and perhaps you have clinical background; I am not sure. But Dr. Phil Leveque served in WWII, killed Nazi's, suffered PTSD, and then spent decades as a doctor treating Vietnam vets for PTSD before he ever signed a medical marijuana permit. I think he is right and you are wrong and I think that is how about 95% of the rest of the world sees it also if they read any of the facts that are so widely published. That is all, thanks.

Tim King Salem-News.com Editor

mark heinrich Australia June 2, 2008 4:04 pm (Pacific time)

Hello mate, I am a moderator at 420 Magazine and have been reading your words of wisdom for some time, and reposting News articles by you. I am not a Vet, but I do suffer from PTSD. In my youth I had the misfortune to be locked up in Sagmalicar Prison in Istanbul, after being caught smuggling cars from Germany to Iran. I was beaten and tortured for a week, the I was placed in a 5'x5'x5' cell with no light, for 4 months. I was shattered when I was eventually released. I am an Australian, and missed out on the draft to go to Vietnam by 6 months Phew!. I have a lot of contact with the Vietnam Veteran' Counselling Service here in Canberra where I live, and consult with counsellors and Vets on the use of mmj to treat the horrors of PTSD. I am also having contact with Vets returning from Iraq, Afghanistan, Timor, and the Solomon Islands. I just wanted to tell you that I think you are a wondeful man! Your words of compassion are being heard around the world, and I wanted to tell you how grateful I am that you do what you do. Cheers mark heinrich Australia

Princeofchaos June 1, 2008 1:48 pm (Pacific time)

Newhouse took over years ago and Oregon lost one of the best papers on the planet then.

Ken May 31, 2008 12:46 pm (Pacific time)

I looked at the Oragonian's website, trying to find out who owned them, it didn't say... I get the feeling it is a Rupert Murdoch thing, just from their approach...

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Marijuana Orgasms and the Oregonian Newspaper

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