How do you feel about medicinal marijuana?

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   andrew savageposted 10 years ago

   Thousands of people parish each year to mistakenly overdosing on opiate based pain killers and other legal narcotics? Would marijuana be the optimal alternative to this national epidemic?

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      Silverspeederposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I suppose we should pursue all avenues in the pursuit of pain relief, but it shouldn't be an open door for people who just want to get high.

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         psycheskinnerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Marijuana is not primarily an analgesic.  It is used more in an anti-nausea application.

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         Disappearingheadposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Any problem with people wanting to get high from marijuana?

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            andrew savageposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            I don't see any problem with it. It is not like it can kill anyone.

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               Patty Inglish, MSposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               It can kill me. I'm allergic to it.
               
               I'd like to see warning labels on it to alert the public to possible allergic reactions.

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               psycheskinnerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               It impairs driving, impairs good judgement, affects educational performance and influences the sperm in a way that may affect offspring.
               
               Every drug has negative effects and side effects.  I am not anti-marijuana but it would be wrong to say it is completely safe.
               
               It should be weighed by the doctor and patient alongside any other options and be given with does instructions.  And IMHO medical use is a separate issue from recreational use.

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            Silverspeederposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            I always have a problem with illegal drug use, i would rather see it legalized and the laws and rules of usage and strengths be regulated.

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               mbwalzposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               We have a law passed in my state for medical use of Marijuana. The biggest problem is to find a doctor who will prescribe it and not charge an arm and 2 kidneys. Not to mention the follow up visits, which are a good idea, unless it's expensive, not covered by insurance, and far away.
               
               I have chronic pain and take a boat load of medicines that are slowly destroying my liver. So I'm trying to figure out how that is better than marijuana!
               
               Many people with my condition, Elhers - Danlos Syndrome, have used it - one way or another - and find it's highly effective for the pain and the insomnia that often goes along with our condition.
               
               I would more seriously pursue it for myself except that I have kids in the house and for developing brains, there is no drug - legal or illegal - that do not interfere with the process. Of course, I talk in circles because I have my other pain meds in the house which wouldn't be any better!
               
               In general, we need to move beyond vilification of treating pain and treat addiction instead. While controlling "pill mills" is a good thing, the laws have restricted access to those who need it, in some cases so they can not get anyone to prescribe it.
               
               Imagine if we vilified insulin this way. A diabetic is dependent on insulin, but we do not call them addicts. But someone with chronic pain using medicine - including marijuana - is instantly looked at with suspicion. With chronic pain, we ARE dependent on the medication too. Untreated pain leads to changes in brain chemistry, loss of quality of life, as well as depression.

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                  Silverspeederposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  If you take insulin away from a diabetic they will die, if you take Marijuana away from addict they will not.
                  I have empathy with you over your condition but medical Marijuana is not the miracle cure for pain, it may help and therefor be available (which you have intimated in your post) but my point was that it should be for medical use and not for just getting high.

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                     mbwalzposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                     I agree, just like opiates or barbiturates that are highly effective but vilified for pain. Just because you take something away from someone who is dependent on it and they don't die, doesn't mean the concept is not the same. Perhaps another analogy is if we take meds away from the mentally ill, they would not die either, yet it would be highly immoral. So, to let someone with chronic pain suffer because they are dependent on pain meds for quality of life is equally immoral.
                     
                     My analogy is merely to address the double standard we have for medication - of which marijuana should be considered.
                     
                     Alcohol and tobacco are highly addictive, legal drugs. We've become a society that encourages and supports people to get help when they need it but otherwise, we leave them alone to consume these drugs in peace (less so tobacco.) But look for a doctor who can help you manage your pain (hopefully using a combination of natural and pharmaceutical methods) and you become a drug seeker and shunned. I know a fellow EDSer who became shunned by her community for having to take these medications to treat her chronic pain.
                     
                     There just is no consistency in the whole way we look at this. Rather than encourage addicts to seek treatment, we just take away the substance that helps more people than become addicted to it. Kind of like throwing the bathwater out despite the baby!

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         mbwalzposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         According to the FDA (statistics are not available for recent years yet):
         - From 1998 to 2003, acetaminophen was the leading cause of acute liver failure in the United States, with 48% of acetaminophen-related cases (131 of 275) associated with accidental overdose.1
         - A 2007 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) population-based report estimates that, nationally, there are 1600 cases of acute liver failure (ALF) each year (all causes). Acetaminophen-related ALF was the most common etiology.2
         - Summarizing data from three different surveillance systems, there were an estimated 56,000 emergency room visits, 26,000 hospitalizations, and 458 deaths related to acetaminophen-associated overdoses per year during the 1990-1998 period.
         
         Several sources cite 0 deaths per year due to cannabis overdoses. That is not to say that driving while high will not kill, just like with the legal drug alcohol, but you can die from drinking too much in your living room.
         
         Again, my point is that we, as a society, are not consistent in our thinking of what is harmful and should be illegal and what is not.

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            Silverspeederposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            There are no figures related to deaths from the use of the drug because they haven't done any and when they do research it's called rubbish by the drug using fraternity.
            As I have said I have no opposition to it used for medical purposes but until it is legalised for general use with laws and regulations surrounding that use then I am against it.
            Accidental overdose isn't a drug problem it's a people problem.
            
            Again I am not even against the legalisation of certain drugs I am however against the use of illegal unrestricted unmonitored supply of substandard crime promoting drugs that kill people, families and society.

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            Paul Kempposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            I didn't see this before I answered your reply to my comment, mbwalz. I agree 100%. Most of the drugs in America that are legal and openly advertised are known killers: alcohol, tobacco, pharmaceutical drugs, aspartame, and much of our food brings about an early death. But smoking an herb (that might cause one to think about how absurd our political/economic system is) can land you in jail.
            Did you see the AP article that appeared in the news on July 3rd about the enormous increase in deaths of women by accidental overdoses due to opioid painkillers? OxyContin is legal; marijuana is not -- That tells the whole story. They want us stupified.
            As long as Big Pharma can patent it and own the revenue stream, preventing competition, anything goes. Speed for toddlers? -- get an ADHD diagnosis. Obese and want to lose weight fast -- get some Desoxyn(methadrine).  It's all legal if you have a prescription. And it's all quite toxic to the body.
            I'm not advocating any of these things. I could just do with a lot less hypocrisy on the part of lawmakers and MDs.

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      Brenda Durhamposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Medicinal marijuana, yes, IF there was a way to control whether a person operates a motor vehicle while on it, and behaves in a responsible manner,  because no matter how good the effects of marijuana are,  the fact is that it makes a person high,  causes decreased inhibitions, and slows down their reflexes.   It is a mind-altering, mood-altering drug.   Plus,  I heard years ago that the effects on a person's lungs of one marijuana joint is equal to 100 or so cigarettes.   Dunno if that's true or not, but it's a consideration.  I know that the side effects of most meds are also a consideration, believe me!  And this is a relevant and timely subject; I wish there were a good solution!  I just don't know if medical marijuana is a good solution.

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         andrew savageposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         You really should not share information that is not proven nor true- it makes you look like a liar.

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   Paul Kempposted 10 years ago

   Medical marijuana is one option for pain. Another that may be more effective and less addictive than the opioids and barbituates is an herb called kratom. Read the Wikipedia on it to learn about centuries of use as a replacement for opium and as a way to break the addiction that comes with opiates. The botanical name of the tree kratom comes from is Mitragyna speciosa. It is an herb of many uses that has never caused an overdose death. Unfortunately, its abuse by thrill-seekers has brought DEA attention to it and it could become, like marijuana, a controlled substance.

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      mbwalzposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Interesting Paul, I was just reading about it, specifically from Forbes and a follow-up on The Daily Brain. I have take opiates for pain as well as what I take now (which are better for the headaches and not so good for the overall pain). I take lots of supplements - some help and others are not effective for me. But I will keep this Kratom in mind and maybe try it after I talk to my doctors. Thanks Paul!

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         Paul Kempposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks for your comment, mbwalz. The only thing I find negative about kratom are the facts that it constipates one slightly, it is not conducive to my best physical performance climbing steep hills, and it makes me less sharp when writing. But, if you're in severe pain or even moderate pain or anxiety, I would reach for it  quickly. But opioids, opiates like Tylenol w/ Codeine and even aspirin do those things to me.
         From reading the medical research, I find no longterm toxicity. Tylenol and aspirin can be fatal, on the other hand.
         I'd be very interested to hear what your doctor has to say about it.

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            mbwalzposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            For people with Ehlers - Danlos Syndrome, constipation is a constant battle. For me, magnesium takes care of that and is good for the muscles that stiffen up around the dislocations. So, I'm not sure I'd notice the change any way. Do you know of a source which is premeasured?

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               Paul Kempposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               Yes, the one I take is sold encapsulated. I learned about them from a Chiropractor who has found a quality source. He recommends them to his patients who prefer not to go the Rx pain management route.

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