Marijuana Articles

Medical Marijuana Articles

IS MEDICAL MARIJUANA RISKY BUSINESS?

There are studies that can prove just about anything you want. There’s evidence that marijuana is harmful, there’s evidence that marijuana is not. The medical community sits on both sides of the fence. The Federal Government sits on one side, and 36 States sit on another side. Most of the time one only needs to look at the study’s funding source to know the outcome. We have much the same confusion on this topic as we do on studies that tell us one week that drinking red wine in moderation is good for us and then the following week the tannin in red wine is harmful. It is recommended that each of you needs to weigh both sides before you make a personal decision.
Let’s Take a Look at the Cons as Proposed by the Federal Government:

1. Addictive
2. Short term memory loss
3. muscle weakness
4. respiratory illnesses
5. distorted thinking, trouble problem solving
6. loss of motor skills
7. increased heart rate & anxiety
8. Long term health concerns for cancer
9. Contains most of the same harmful substances as found in cigarettes
10. Increased risk of heart attack within an hour
11. Weakens the immune system
12. Increases likelihood for use of other drugs, i.e. Cocaine and heroin
13. Decreased judgment leads to accidents
14. Balance issues

Now Let’s Take a Look at the Pro Side of the Argument from Mayo Clinic Research Scientists and Physicians

1. Controls nausea (benefit for chemo patients)
2. Controls weight loss (benefit for anorexic patients, AIDS patients, & Cancer patients
3. Reduces pressure in the eyes (benefit for those with Glaucoma, present medication loses its effectiveness after a short treatment period)
4. Reduces tremors (Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, ALS)
5. Reduces muscle spasms (Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, ALS)
6. Reduces pain (Cancer patients, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, ALS, Neurological issues, Migraines,) Has an analgesic effect that seems to work as well as codeine and enhances the effect of other pain medication
7. May protect nerves from damage (MS)
8. Can control dosage, quick response to smoking
9. Only 3% addiction problem

It is important to remember that the Federal Government still have marijuana classified as a Schedule 1 drug. This means they feel it is a dangerous drug that hasn’t any recognized medical use. If you are caught by a drug official you will receive a penalty. The penalty may be a small fine but may also be a jail sentence. If you live in one of the states where it has been approved for medical use realize that the state of California has shown us that the federal government feels that a state cannot make a decision that contradicts the federal government laws. All of that continues to play out in the courts.
If you have tried medications for nausea, or pain medications that just haven’t helped, you may want to speak to your physician about using marijuana for an approved medical use. He or she can inform you about the laws, and pending legislation in your state. If it is available to you then speak with your physician about the pros and cons and make an informed decision. If you try it and experience any side effects that are unique to the components in marijuana that make you uncomfortable, stop using it immediately. Although your body stores marijuana in its fat cells for up to six days, symptoms are likely to dissipate within a few hours.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND MEDICINAL MARIJUANA

Multiple Sclerosis, commonly referred to as MS, is a neurological problem that is not only difficult to diagnose but also to treat because it’s a very ‘individual’ disease. Diagnosis is very often a prolonged procedure and may take years. Factors that neurologists look for would be lesions found through an MRI that would be on the patient’s spinal cord or brain. The location of the lesion, and more often lesions, determines how an individual is affected. Also there are tell tale signs in spinal fluid. But symptoms of individuals are as varied as the individual themselves. But there are usually SOME common denominators:

Tingling sensation
Pain that ranges from moderate to severe
Tremors-which usually happen as the disease progresses
Spasticity
Loss of strength
Loss of energy
Limb impairment that may deteriorate to use of canes, walker, or wheel chair

The type of drugs that neurologists may prescribe run a gamut from monthly injections, to daily injections, cortisone shots for pain and even chemo therapy. All of these have toxic side effects. There have been many instances of those with MS who left their employment prematurely due to the discomfort that they experienced from side effects of the drugs. On the other hand, a number of people with MS would not be able to stave off the progression of the disease without the medication. As a consequence, the drugs may allow them to continue working longer than without the medical intervention. A catch 22. But for those who suffer with side affects, either from the disease, or from medication, have their lives turned upside down. Pain may be the determining factor as to whether they are able to do grocery shopping, go out with their spouse, have friends in for dinner, or, even as basic, as dress themselves that day.

Pain management is something that has been a hit or miss, trial and error experience for physicians.

“Let’s first try this medication and see how you respond.” This is a typical attempt at pain management by a neurologist trying to treat any neurological problem. And what happens to the patient is that more often than not they are overly medicated, and remain in a stupor state, with their brain functioning at drastically reduced ability. Studies done by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences has concluded that one can control pain by the use of marijuana and can minimize the effect of the marijuana with a limited intake. It is a drug that works within a few minutes—literally within two according to several interviewees—so the patient can then stop smoking it once the pain, or tremors, have abated. This is not as easily controlled in other forms of marijuana-such as pill or suppository.

“Within two minutes of smoking a joint I’ve had a dramatic decrease in muscular pain and spasticity. It’s amazing! And I feel relaxed which is such a difficult thing to achieve when your whole body is in pain.” Claims Jim L. of Wisconsin.

He goes on to say, “Pain and tremors stopped me from doing many of the activities that I enjoyed doing. Other medications that my neurologist had given me kept me in such a fog that I found it difficult to get going in the morning and functioning during the daytime.”

Other medications presently being prescribed for pain management are known to be addictive.

The National MS Society was initially non-supportive but has admitted that up to 15% of people with MS are using marijuana for medicinal purposes. The society has recently opted to fund further studies, which will not be concluded until 2008. This is a study that has been taking place at University of California The Davis School of Medicine, but recently lost its funding. The study is specific to spasticity. Reactions from several MS users on the National MS web page were the same, “They are finally listening to us!”

MIGRAINE HEADACHES AND MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Migraine headaches cannot in anyway be compared to a ‘bad headache’. That’s what you’d wish for while under a siege. The sledgehammer like feel can attack at the back of the neck, between the eyes, the eyes, one side of the head—it has a variety of variations. The location where the Migraines attack does tend to be consistent with the patient, however. Every Friday evening for 15 years Joleen knew that she would have a migraine. It was like clockwork. Nothing could stop it. Nothing could help it.

These attacks often happen at regular intervals, without much warning and can totally impede one’s ability to even sit. Typically, any noise, light, or outside stimulation adds to the excruciating pain. Joleen could always tell the start of one when the back of her neck would start to hurt right at the base of her skull in the area called the occipital ridge. She tried aspirin, prescribed drugs, and nothing stopped it once it had started, even though it was in its early stages. She knew she had a matter of minutes before she would not be able to function and needed to get to a safe environment. Since her attacks were consistent in their timing she planned every Friday night at home, alone, in the dark.

“Nothing has ever been more debilitating to me! Once it gets you, you are trapped in this tormented state until it decides it’s done. There was more than one occasion that I thought if I could only get to that bottle of pills I’d commit suicide.” And she was dead serious. She spoke to her family about it and said she couldn’t imagine continuing to go through life with such horrific chronic pain.

Some people have an ‘aura’ before it begins---a visual disturbance, giving them a few minutes of warning. Migraines can last for hours, and they can last for days. And they can totally ruin a person’s life. Some sufferers are unable to work because of them. Some have lost their marriage because of them. What everyone agrees is they are devastating.

Physicians have prescribed such things as sedatives, such as Phenobarbital, and other tranquilizers similar to Valium. Typically these leave a patient sleepy and over sedated, with a grogginess that can extend several days. The Emergency Room distributes Demerol, and recommends up to 3 injections of ergotamine to help control the ferocity of the attack.

Those migraine sufferers who have tried medicinal marijuana have noted that if they smoked a little marijuana when their symptoms first began that within minutes the pain was controlled so that the headache did not escalate to a migraine, or abated all together!
The effects of marijuana did not cause the sedation or immobility brought on by the prescribed sedatives. Expressions of a sense of well-being were reported without any negative side effects. This has been regaled, by marijuana users, as much more promising than any of the present conventional drugs on the market. One of its greatest attributes for medicinal purposes is its safety level. It has little or no effect on any major physiological abilities. It’s important to note that never has there been any report of it being a possibility of an overdose on marijuana.

HAS MEDICAL MARIJUANA GONE TO POT?

Presently, there are eleven states who have voted to support the use of marijuana for medical purposes. They are:
Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, California, Rhode Island, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. Arizona has a similar law but without a means of distribution. Ten additional states, plus the District of Columbia have laws that support the use of medical marijuana yet do not provide legal protection to patients. Twelve states have medical marijuana RESEARCH laws.
These states passed a law allowing physicians to prescribe marijuana for a variety of medical conditions, including Multiple Sclerosis, Arthritis, Depression, Alzheimers, Parkinsons, Glaucoma, and Cancer to name just a few. This comes at the recommendation of the American Medical Association, The New England Journal of Medicine and the California MS Society. The National MS Society originally dismissed the testimony from those with MS who had been smoking marijuana for both pain management and tremor relief. They now have had a change in thought as evidence continues to mount up in favor of Marijuana versus many of the other drugs presently prescribed for pain management and spasticity.
So why then is it so difficult for the states to implement their recently enacted laws? The answer is unfortunately, both simple and complicated. Simple answer is fear; fear of prosecution. What led to this fear is the more complicated version. In 1997 a class action lawsuit, Conant v. McCaffrey, was filed on behalf of prescribing physicians and patients using medical marijuana. This lawsuit was aimed at top federal drug officials who promised to revoke physicians’ licenses or threatened to criminally prosecute those who recommended medical marijuana. The Supreme Court in 2001 overrode the state ‘Compassionate Use Act’ by upholding the ‘Federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970’. This law bans the use of marijuana for any purpose. The states that enacted a ‘compassionate use’ for marijuana for medical purposes are in direct conflict with Federal Law. And Federal Law trumps State Law. In 2002, an Appeals Court upheld the right of doctors to recommend marijuana for medicinal purposes. In 2005, the Supreme Court case, Raich v. Ashcroft, was to protect patients against federal drug raids. Ms. Raich, from California, lost the case, but state medical marijuana laws still remained in place. Undaunted, Ms. Raich is now back in court with an appeal arguing that she has protection under the Fifth and Ninth Amendments not to have to suffer from pain or death. California has continued to lead the fight as other states have watched the court cases play out wondering what would be in store for them. Three Counties in California have now banded together to eliminate the state’s Compassionate Use Act. Their argument is a lawsuit stating that Federal Laws ban the use of marijuana for any purpose and that the state of California cannot contradict federal law. The ACLU has taken up the fight on behalf of the medical patients, caregivers and doctors. And so, it has been a battle that keeps being replayed.
What has ensued over the years has been nothing short of a litigation mess. The Feds argue that allowing the states to have their own ‘compassionate use’ for medical purposes would undermine their anti-drug campaign. They feel that legalizing it for this select medical group would open the door to legalizing it for everyone. The advocates of the use of medical marijuana claim that under the proposed medical parameters that the drug would be an affordable, safe alternative to current toxic drugs that alleviate pain and nausea.
Those who were state approved growers of marijuana found themselves in District Court facing Federal Drug charges. The Drug Enforcement Agency started raiding patients in their homes who were using marijuana, arresting both the patient and their caregiver. Physicians who prescribed marijuana for medical use found themselves facing jail time, loss of their medical license or both. So despite the fact that The American Medical Association recommends its use in certain situations, and despite the fact that a number of states have ‘compassionate use’ laws, doctors are reticent to prescribe until the heated debate doesn’t put them in jeopardy. As a result, doctors who may have prescribed medical marijuana in place of the more toxic drugs —or in complement to a patient’s present regime- have been forced to prescribe the more addictive, costly, and toxic drugs instead—or risk their career.

DEPRESSION AND MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Depression can be a result of a hormonal change, or chemical imbalance, or can be situational—such as loss of spouse, job, pet, or physical/mental function. Because of the hormonal connection, depression is twice as likely to affect women then men. 18 million Americans are affected. It can range from mild to severe, temporary to chronic. It is the leading cause of disability in America costing just under 50 Billion dollars annually in health care and lost job productivity.
Symptoms of depression include:
· Prolonged sadness. Bouts of crying
· Sleeplessness or excessive sleeping
· Loss of appetite or excessive overeating
· Sexual dysfunction
· The loss of pleasure in everyday activities
· Feelings of hopelessness
· Feelings of low self esteem, or self loathing
· Thoughts of suicide
· Lack of energy unrelated to any physical illness
· Chronic pain that doesn’t improve with treatment
· Excessive Anxiety and irritability
· An inability to concentrate

Typically prescription drugs are used when a depression lasts longer than several weeks. The most common drugs used are called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors—known more commonly as SSRI’s—are the treatment of choice. Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft are the most common SSRI’s. One of the drawbacks is that these medications usually take up to four weeks and can have many side effects. These complications can include anxiety, sexual dysfunction, and sleep disorders. Older drugs, such as Elavil, are also still used although the severity of side effects is much higher than the SSRI’s. A new group of drugs have recently been introduced, such as, Serzone, that act on both the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. Symptoms from these drugs may include nausea, dry mouth and constipation.

Those patients who have used marijuana have seen a significant mood improvement without the side effects from the regularly prescribed drugs. Even those suffering with bi-polar disease were able to claim improvement when they combined the use of marijuana with therapy sessions. They found that they had fewer episodes of repeating the ‘cycle’ of manic and depression.
Many patients with anxiety disorder who use marijuana to relax, also reap benefits. It aids in insomnia which is one of the biggest complaints of those with depression and increases appetite for those who have lost their interest in food.
Studies have shown an approved level of functionality in patients who have added the use of medical marijuana to their treatment program. Their work attendance has improved, they show an interest in life, start caring for themselves, cognitive skills return along with an ability to concentrate, social interactions resume, and normal sleeping patterns replace sleepless nights.
Patients appreciate the fact that if they are not also on any of the other medications for Depression, that they have virtually no side effects. They can take a few puffs of marijuana before going to bed, have a restful nights sleep and wake up refreshed and not groggy. Other sleep medication leaves people in a ‘morning fog’ that could be dangerous to them. But probably the biggest benefit is that it works within a few minutes, rather than the conventional drugs which take up to 4 weeks. This is significant for someone who is suicidal or non-responsive.

Medical Marijuana, Alzheimer’s & Memory

For several centuries marijuana was utilized as an analgesic for pain relief. Up until the 1940’s marijuana was a legal substance and often used to alleviate a variety of ailments—much like the advocates of the use of medical marijuana are saying today. The federal government of the United States classifies marijuana as a high risk substance. Yet the proponents of medical marijuana state that it is rarely an addictive drug. In addition, there has never been a death by overdose on cannabis!
One of the medical areas that have benefited the most has been with Alzheimer’s patients. This form of dementia can leave an individual trapped in a healthy body with a memory that spans previous decades but can’t remember the most recent of events. The regression is gradual with an individual first feeling ‘forgetful’ yet it is much more than just forgetting where one left their car keys—it’s more of an inability to recognize how those keys are used. Eventually, the disease also takes the healthy body and turns it into a shell of its former self. Many times Alzheimer’s victims lose their appetite, or even forget how to feed themselves at the most severe stages.
On any given Alzheimer’s ward at a nursing home, you can see patients walking up and down the corridor hundreds of times during the course of the day. As, the disease progresses, they will get to the end of the corridor and just stand there—forgetting that they need to turn around! There is even a time of day when this activity becomes more active—it’s when the sun starts to set and is referred to clinically as ‘sun downing’. The patient is nervous, very agitated, can become aggressive or very emotional.
Individual studies have found that when a patient drinks a tea made from the marijuana leaves that their agitation dissipates and they are able to settle down for a peaceful evening. Their whole mood changes. Their appetite increases and meal time is no longer a fight to get some nourishment in to them.
As a result of studies done by scientists at Madrid’s Complutense University they were able to publish in the Journal of Neuroscience that cannabinoids, a compound found in marijuana, reduces the ‘pathological processes’ associated with Alzheimer’s disease. It appears that there may be a strong link to these cannabinoids that can help with new drug development. Apparently, the cannabinoid receptors that we all have in our brains were much lower than those with healthy brains. These cannabinoid receptors work in conjunction with microglia cells to keep the immune system healthy. When these cells perceive themselves to be under attack, they cause an inflammation in the brain. The introduction of cannabinoids prevents that inflammation from taking place.
Medical Marijuana has not been proven to improve one’s short or long term memory, many would argue it is destructive to one or both, but it clearly has a positive effect on the disease of Alzheimer’s. First, it can delay the progression of the disease by preventing the inflammation to take place within the brain. Second, it can help with weight gain since food refusal is a very big problem for those with Alzheimer’s. Third, it helps with easing the symptoms of depression, acting as a mood enhancer. And fourth, it can ease that sense of agitation and aggressive behavior that often goes hand in hand with the disease.

Medical Marijuana and Arthritis

More than one in ten Americans suffer with arthritis. The two most common forms of arthritis are Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid—they are similar in that they are both forms of an insufficient immune system which starts attacking itself causing inflammation. With Rheumatoid arthritis over activity of the B cells cause antibodies to attack tissues found in the joints. The joints swell, become increasingly painful, range of motion becomes limited and this will continue to deteriorate with time.

Osteoarthritis is the same malfunction of the immune system—thought to be brought on by a virus-but it manifests in the bones causing the bones to erode and cartilage to break down till the bone is on top of bone, with nothing to ‘cushion’ the daily activities. Many Americans have hip or knee replacements as a result of it.

Sometimes steroids are used to maintain present function and to lessen discomfort. But this comes at a high physical price. Steroids, used over a prolonged time, can cause kidney failure, heart attacks, and basically all the organs to become tissue paper thin. This can in turn add more medical maladies than not. Imagine a bowel that bursts because the wall of the intestine had become so thin that the waste broke through the wall. This is not uncommon with prolonged steroid use. There is a price to pay. Steroids can cause ulcers, depress your respiration, and cause drastic change in weight. And then it becomes a philosophical study such as ‘which came first, the chicken or the egg?’ with the new question being ‘which came first, steroids or depression?’

Studies have shown that the use of marijuana can be an effective treatment for both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. Patients using marijuana claim an increase of mobility, less inflammation—which causes pain-- and less stiffness that is usually affiliated with rising in the morning.

Research done at Hebrew University in Jerusalem showed that with the use of marijuana, patients were able to actually reduce their dosages of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs—known more commonly as NSAIDs. These are potentially harmful and can cause numerous side-effects, further complicating the problems associated with arthritis.
These researchers found an acid component within marijuana that has the anti-inflammatory equivalency to the drug ‘indomethacin,’ but without the gastrointestinal side effects.

Tetra-hydracannibinol is also a primary component of marijuana. When the body ingests this the body metabolizes it into a metabolite that aids both in pain relief and in reduction of swelling. Animal testing found a synthetic form as being effective against both acute and chronic inflammation. In addition it safeguarded joint tissue by preventing its destruction.

Bottom line is, researchers have found marijuana to be effective in both pain management and as an anti-inflammatory. . It has also demonstrated effective analgesic effects that are the equivalent of morphine. And probably most impressive is the fact that it does these things with minimal side effects, and no addiction problems that are associated with many of the current drugs.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA AND GLAUCOMA

Glaucoma is a disease of the eye that will eventually cause blindness by attacking the optic nerve. Presently there is no cure. It is the leading cause of blindness and comes unannounced, without symptoms. Everyone is at risk for this disease and the only way to know whether you have it, or to treat it, is through regular visits to the opthamologist. Once you hit age 35 you should see an opthamologist for a ‘baseline’ visit. See them again at age 40 and then, if you do not have any special eye needs besides corrective lenses, you should come back every two to four years. Once you hit age 60, this should be an annual event. Early detection is the key to proper treatment. Now if you do have any eye disease you should be seen at least on an annual basis by an opthamologist.
When the opthamologist is testing you for glaucoma what they are looking for are several things; an increase in inner eye pressure and corneas that may be too thin. The four different tests that the opthamologist may do would be tonometry. Numbing drops are put in your eyes and then a device is placed against your eye and measures the pressure within your eye. Opthalmalscopy is done in a darkened room with an opthalmalscope, a small device with a light at the end. This device is used to magnify your eye and specifically look at your optic nerve. The doctor is looking for both the shape and color of your optic nerve. Typically these are the only two tests done unless the doctor sees something unusual with your optic nerve.
When the pressure within your eye remains high, damage continues to be done to the optic nerve, leading to blindness. For many years proponents of medical marijuana have claimed that smoking marijuana lowers the blood pressure within the eye, thus protecting against the ravages of glaucoma. Researchers, and the Glaucoma Foundation, have agreed that smoking marijuana does in fact lower the eye pressure. They emphasize that in order to receive the benefits of marijuana one would have to smoke a joint every three hours in order to keep the pressure lowered.
The good news is whether you rely on the information of research programs, and foundations versus first hand information case studies, there are new options out there for you. The Researchers will tell you that the new medications now lower the intraocular pressure without any of the harmful effects of marijuana.
Always, we recommend discussing this with your physician who will probably direct you to the new medication first, and if that does not lower your eye pressure will then recommend smoking marijuana if you are in a state that has legalized it’s use for medical purposes.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA AND DIABETES

Interestingly, studies completed in early 2006 at The Medical College of Georgia, found that one of the compounds in marijuana may actually save the eyesight of those with diabetes. Cannabidiol is a substance that actually seems to protect the eye from destroying itself by growing leaky blood vessels. This is a common problem with diabetics, known as diabetic retinopathy. It is the leading cause of blindness and affects nearly 16 million diabetic Americans alone.

When diabetics are unable to manage their high glucose levels the retina becomes deprived of oxygen, also known as ischemia. Nerve endings then produce more glutamate. The cells begin to malfunction, no longer recognizing what should, and should not, be in a healthy cell. The microglial cells, whose function it is to cleanse the body by watching for intruders. These cells now are alerted that something is going wrong with the nerve cells and they begin an inflammation process. This signals the retina to grow more blood vessels. In a twist of bad luck, these leaky blood vessels destroy vision by causing the death of nerve cells.

It’s at this stage when the body then starts releasing cannabinoids, a compound found within ourselves and in marijuana. These stop the glutamate release and then produce an enzyme to kill the cannabinoids. Research has now found that Cannabidiol, which is an antioxidant, then interrupts these destructive sequences.

Dr. Gregory Liou, a molecular biologist researching this retinal phenomena at the Medical College of Georgia, has received a grant from the American Diabetes Association for $300,000. His goal is to be able to stop this process in the early stages when the retina first signals the central nervous system in the brain to start growing new blood vessels.

According to the January 2006 issue of American Journal of Pathology, Dr. Liou states, “What we believe cannabidiol does is go in here as an antioxidant to neutralize the toxic superoxides. It inhibits the self-destructive system and allows the self-produced endogenous cannabinoids to stay there longer by inhibiting the enzyme that destroys them.” Studies completed with diabetic mice and rats have shown an injection of cannabidiol to be very effective in preventing the sequence of events that lead to blindness.

It is his hope that along with daily insulin, diabetics will receive cannabidiols to stop this self-destructive behavior dead in its tracks. Those who smoke marijuana for medical purposes may find some protection from this compound.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA INTERVIEWS

The following four people have a variety of medical conditions that have not responded well to some of the more traditional medications. Three of these people have experienced benefits from marijuana, some smoking, some in pill form. The fourth person would be very eager to trade in her present pain medication for LEGAL marijuana, but she doesn’t live in a state where it’s available.

Shelly

“I have chronic pain and a rare genetic disease called Porphyria. . I am chronically ill and have been so since I was a child. When I lived in another state I did use it in Pill form. It did help my chronic pain and really helped to control nausea and vomiting...to the point that I was able to gain weight which had been a problem at that point in time.

I then moved back to Pennsylvania back in 2000 and haven't touched it since as it’s too much of a pain in the bootay to get it here and I won't do it illegally.

Now I am back on morphine for chronic pain, Zofran and/or Phenergan for nausea and so forth. If I could, I would probably go back to using the pill form of marijuana as its cheaper and the response I had to it was better then what I am taking now.”

Mark

“My personal input...

I have been on narcotics for pain control since 1989. For the past 6 years it has been morphine. On my less severe days I usually take Tylenol....then on other days I will take the morphine...some days one dose and on severe days maybe 6 doses.

I had a great 2 weeks last month where all I took was Tylenol and no narcotics! I almost had a life! I take them when I need them and only when I need them. Since my morphine is in a liquid form, I can vary my dose to very tiny to potent...according to the amount of pain I am in that day. I prefer this method compared to a pill.

I think the use of narcotics and other medications should always be last resort. I would much prefer the option of being able to smoke a little bit of marijuana and control my pain. At least it’s not addictive. This morphine does a number on me!”

Beth

“I have CREST Syndrome and Osteocronosis which has caused the bones in my legs to die. It's probably the most painful condition you can experience. At least, that's what they tell me. I have used Marijuana and, it should be legalized.

The fact is, when you take any drug, whether it is Marijuana or Methadone (which I currently take 4 times a day) if you take it for pain, it is not addictive. Cigarettes and alcohol are addictive because they are not being used for medical purposes. I can not quit smoking for the life of me, but when I have low pain days I have absolutely no problem not taking a Methadone or Oxycontin. I have been on and off narcotics for over ten years and never have I gotten addicted to them. Side effects? YES! Addicted? NO. There are studies that show this to be true as well.

Marijuana is not as harmful as heroin, or the other synthetics they put into prescription painkillers. It's the political issues surrounding the substance that is keeping it from being used, not the medical issues.

I just know that if marijuana were legal here I'd be using it right now. I've developed a tremor in my right hand that they suspect might be Parkinson's and the pain is at least an 8 most of the time with the Methadone. It takes tremendous effort to keep working through it all every day.”

AJ

“I suffer from chronic pain due to a muscle disease and multiple entrapment neuropathy due to getting hit by a drunk driver in 1993. I have never tried marijuana ever, as I do not smoke. Not only that but as a mom in the USA I don’t want a rap sheet and honestly would not know where to get the stuff.

On the subject of pain, I have been put on one of the strongest pain killers and controlled substances I know of, yet I worry what it is doing to my body. I seem to be going down hill. Even if I have a good spell for a while due to the pain med increase, it always gets bad again. I have stopped telling my family that I hurt so much because that becomes a burden to them, so I stiff upper lip it and pretend the pain will pass.

I don’t want to smoke ANYTHING but would not be opposed to taking the marijuana pill, or trying the special recipe brownies!”

All of these people have physicians who would be supportive of medical marijuana, but they are closely watching the pending court cases in California. They do not want to jeopardize their license to practice Medicine or even, subject themselves to a potential jail sentence. Until the Federal Government is in agreement with the states which have passed compassionate use laws, there will be continuing problems. But with more and more medical groups finishing studies on marijuana use, there will be less reason for the Federal Government to continue to classify marijuana as a highly addictive substance without any proven medical benefits. The cards are finally stacking in the favor of Medical Marijuana.

Why doctors won’t prescribe medical marijuana?

The large majority of doctors refuse to prescribe Medical Marijuana even if it would benefit the patient. It’s all about corruption and money. You see doctors go to school for a long time. They also deal with a lot of crap from stupid uneducated patients. Think about it for one minute, as a doctor you go to school during the prime of your youth, study 24-7, and when you have finished you’re stuck working long hours until retirement. The entire world revolves around money, and doctors think they deserve more of it. The easiest way for doctors to do this is through kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies. If a doctor prescribes a large amount of xyz brand drugs, xyz will pay for the doctor to fly to the Bahamas, for fully paid all-inclusive vacation “drug related seminar”. The seminar has to exist to prevent any frauds charges (usually one hour) over a period of 1-2 weeks. Other ways doctors make money is using stupid people as guinea pigs. The next time your doctor asks you to try a new drug, be wary. The doctor is getting paid huge kickbacks for taking notes on your reactions to the new drug. I have seen this a million times. My ex girlfriend was given new birth control pills. The doctor said it was supposed to be the Holy Grail with no side effects. Sure enough it was a disaster. He wanted to follow up with her ever week, and encouraged her to continue taking the new drug even though it had horrible side effects. Why would he endanger her life? For $50 per weekly check-up. The drug companies are allowed to pay “kickback” doctors for their time to fill out forms. The doctor’s can sometime get as many as 3 daily visits from guinea pigs. This is an extra $150 in their back pockets every single working day. This money adds up over time. And the peer pressure from other doctors is over whelming. They are all involved in the kickback scandals as well, and they don’t want to lose any money by prescribing anyone medical marijuana. Doctors want it to be illegal and not available medically to anyone who needs it.

The thing with medical marijuana is that it involves a lot of paper work. And the government does not pay the doctor to fill out all these forms. The doctor will then be plagued with more forms since marijuana is so carefully scrutinized. The doctor would just be creating more work for himself with no financial gain. Of course he is going to deny you medical marijuana. Then he’ll tell you made up specifications that marijuana is bad because you cannot measure its dosage like pharmaceuticals. He said there is too large of an error getting the same amount of drug into your system each dose. This is completely wrong. It’s a simply lie. Almost all pharmaceutical drugs are manufactured with plants and they can control the amount of drug perfectly right? What’s the difference? There is no difference. Marijuana is grown with different genetics that are all controlled in laboratories for THC content. No different than any other medication. As for consumption, you can bake with it to attain an exact dosage every time. And you can inhale a marijuana cigarette that is controlled by weight. There are no dangers overdosing with marijuana, yet for pain management doctors want to prescribe strong opiates. I am currently using the Duragesic Patch otherwise known as fentanyl transdermal system. This stuff is stronger than Methadone, the drug they give to heroine users to wean them off the junk. Methadone is stronger than morphine. This patch is one step down from heroin. The patch contains enough drugs to last 72 hours (3 days) and if the patch leaks (which does happen) you can soak up enough drugs through your skin and possibly die. This fentanyl patch was used to commit murder in a CSI episode (television series). The problem with this patch is that it takes a good 5-9 hours for your body to absorb enough drugs when applying a new patch. So your waiting in pain for what seems an eternity. Marijuana is instant pain relief when inhaled. The patch also runs out early after about 60 hours depending on the outdoor temperatures and you activity levels. When the temperatures rise outside, the patch will transmit more opiates into your bloodstream. You can easily overdose. You cannot go into saunas or hot tubs and shower quickly. It also hurts my kidneys making it difficult to urinate, dry mouth, and seriously horrible headaches. You also can just stop taking this drug cold turkey, you’ll go through horrible withdrawal symptoms similar to those quitting heroin. Marijuana on the other hand is more controllable. If you have something important to do like drive a car, you can lower your dose. The patch doesn’t allow for this. Also, the patch transmits all night while you are sleeping, so when you wake up in the morning you have a lot of opiates in your systems, and it’s very hard to get moving. Marijuana can be used to help kill the pain before sleep. Once asleep the marijuana leaves your system after 2 hours and you can wake up refreshed in the morning ready to go to work and be productive. I just want to enlighten you about how evil doctors can be, and to help you get the medical marijuana you need. Since doctors are financially motivated rather than motivated to help those in pain, offer your doctor $200 dollars to fill out the initial medical marihuana forms, and $50 dollars for each subsequent form. A random gift would also help speed along the process like gift certificates to a fine restaurant for “Christmas” or a “birthday”. You have to lower yourself to the level of the pharmaceuticals companies.

But they is hope, Moses Znaimer is quitting is career in television to start up a Medical Marijuana company - Cannsat Pharmaceuticals Inc.. If anyone can get this done right, it’s Moses.

Medical Marijuana Information

Marijuana is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known. No one has ever died from an overdose unlike Opiates and it has a wide variety of medical applications:

Relief from nausea and increase of appetite;

Reduction of intarlobular eye pressure;

Reduction of muscle spasms;

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Marijuana is frequently beneficial in the treatment of the following conditions:

Tenosynovitis - the tender swelling of the rope or cord like structures (tendons) which connect muscles to the bones

AIDS. Marijuana can reduce the nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite caused by the ailment itself and by various AIDS medications.

Glaucoma. Marijuana can reduce interlobular pressure, thereby alleviating the pain and slowing -- and sometimes stopping -- the progress of the condition. (Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the United States. It damages vision by increasing eye pressure over time.)

Cancer. Marijuana can stimulate the appetite and alleviate nausea and vomiting, which are common side effects of chemotherapy treatment.

Multiple Sclerosis. Marijuana can limit the muscle pain and spasticity caused by the disease, as well as relieving tremor and unsteadiness of gait. (Multiple sclerosis is the leading cause of neurological disability among young and middle-aged adults in the United States.)
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Epilepsy. Marijuana can prevent epileptic seizures in some patients.

Chronic Pain. Marijuana can alleviate the chronic, often debilitating pain caused by myriad disorders and injuries.

Many patients also report that marijuana is useful for treating arthritis, migraine, menstrual cramps, alcohol and opiate addiction, and depression and other debilitating mood disorders.

Marijuana could be helpful for millions of patients around the world.

People currently suffering from any of the conditions mentioned above, for whom the legal medical options have proven unsafe or ineffective, have two options:

Continue to suffer from the ailment itself; or

Illegally obtain marijuana -- and risk suffering consequences such as:

an insufficient supply due to the prohibition-inflated price or scarcity;

impure, contaminated, or chemically grown marijuana;

arrests, fines, court costs, property forfeiture, incarceration, probation, and criminal records.
Background

Prior to 1937, at least 27 medicines containing marijuana were legally available in the United States. Many were made by well-known pharmaceutical firms that still exist today, such as Squibb (now Bristol-Myers Squibb) and Eli Lilly. The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 federally prohibited marijuana. Dr. William C. Woodward of the American Medical Association opposed the Act, testifying that prohibition would ultimately prevent the medicinal uses of marijuana.

The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 placed all illicit and prescription drugs into five "schedules" (categories). Marijuana was placed in Schedule I, defining it as having a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medicinal use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision.

This definition simply does not apply to marijuana. Of course, at the time of the Controlled Substances Act, marijuana had been prohibited for more than three decades. Its medicinal uses forgotten, marijuana was considered a dangerous and addictive narcotic.

A substantial increase in the number of recreational users in the 1970s contributed to the rediscovery of marijuana's medicinal uses:

Many scientists studied the health effects of marijuana and inadvertently discovered marijuana's astonishing medicinal history in the process.

Many who used marijuana recreationally also suffered from diseases for which marijuana is beneficial. By fluke, they discovered its therapeutic usefulness.
As the word spread, more and more patients started self-medicating with marijuana. However, marijuana's Schedule I status bars doctors from prescribing it and severely curtails research.

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