Phillip Leveque has spent his life as a Combat Infantryman, Physician, Toxicologist and Pharmacologist.
(MOLALLA, Ore.) - My articles on medical marijuana have piqued the interest of many cannabis user-street pharmacologists with many very astute remarks and emails to us.
One of the recent ones was berating me for stating that a person on long-term oxycontin was an “addict”. She preferred the term “dependent”. I guess I must be an oldtime-pharcomologist. Call me a geezer or old fogey. I’ve been at this for 60 years now.
I have witnessed the switch from Laudanum to morphine, wrote about the sulfa drugs in 1940 before they were released, I remember penicillin production and first use. I saw barbiturates, amphetamines and valium come out of nowhere to become three of the most addicting and lethal drugs ever produced.
Yes, I’ve been there and seen a lot. Things are still more complicated and worse.
The most addicting drugs (I prefer that term) are:
1) opiate and opioid analgesics;
2) general CNS depressants (solvents and barbiturates);
3) amphetamines;
4) nicotine (it acts like a drug);
5) Cannabis (it really doesn’t belong here);
6) Psychedelics/hallucinogens
Many people believe narcotic means pain killer. They may have heard of narcolepsy. These patients, if they sit down, fall asleep. Narcosis is a Greek word meaning “stupor” or sleep. Narcotics cause sleep. Most are pain killers also.
I have used the words physical dependence above. Skid Row bums use opiates, valium and speed (methyl amphetamine) and they are said to be addicted. If they are nice, gentile, demure upper class ladies and use them and Dexedrine (amphetamine) to control weight, they are called “dependent”.
To me, the criterion for addiction or dependence is if they cause withdrawal symptoms when they stop using the drug, not that they cause a “high”; some do, many don’t.
For those six classes of drugs I mentioned, all of them cause severe withdrawal- except cannabis. In fact, cannabis was for a time used to lessen withdrawal symptoms for most of the above drugs.
Please remember, I’ve been a pharmacologist for 60 years.
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Got a question or comment for Dr. Leveque?Email him: Newsroom@Salem-News.com
More information on the history of Leveque can be found in his book, General Patton's Dogface Soldier of Phil Leveque about his experiences in WWII.Order the book by mail by following this link: Dogface Soldier.
If you are a World War II history buff, you don't want to miss it.
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
Addiction vs. Physical DependenceSalem-News.com