Some Skeptical Views On “Medical Marijuana”

Weekend Libertarian ^ | May 10, 2011 | B.P. Terpstra

[AustralianConservative]

http://weekendlibertarian.blogspot.com/2011/05/world-some-skeptical-medical-marijuana.html

[mkmensinger]

Hey,dude! I need my “medicine”!

[wita]

“I think anything that makes it easier for young people to get their hands on drugs is not helpful.”

It couldn’t be any easier now, so how about a little reality and some real solutions.

[wolfcreek]

“Are addictive medicines cures or problems?”

As opposed to all the addictive medicines that YOUR doctor prescribes??

Or the one’s you CAN’T live without?

Who’s BSing who?

[dawn53]

But take MS – another “good” reason to promote medical marijuana, cheerleaders insist. “It’s miraculous!” But are their positions based on facts, or feelings? Almost no peer-reviewed research has explored how the “natural drug” affects the patient’s mind. Or as Doctor Anthony Feinstein, a psychiatrist at the University of Toronto acknowledges, “There are just no data on the topic.” And, are medical marijuana activists planting false hopes? The Canadian’s study suggests the vulnerable should think twice. “In multiple sclerosis, you already have a group of patients who are cognitively impaired,” explains Feinstein. “When you add marijuana to the mix, you might worsen those problems.”

This is laughable because they're worried about cognitive problems from marijuana, but the mainstays of spasticity meds for MS are Baclofen and/or Zanaflex. Both put the patient in a stupor, and you can literally sleep your day away if you take a therapeutic dose high enough to help with the spasticity.

And my question would be: Why haven't studies been done? Because there's no money in it for the pharmaceuticals.

[umgud]

I sure hope they don’t legalize MJ. I really don’t want to become a pothead.

[Puppage]

My wife, a 2 time breast cancer survivor, toked on a few during treatment. It was the only thing that stopped the nausea/vomiting. And, she scarfed many a Yodell as well. :-).

[varyouga]

How to make sure only sick people get the plant is up for debate. But the fact that it is a medical plant worthy of research should not be.

Pure THC is prescribed under the brand name Marinol and truly helps people every year. However, it has structural differences from the THC found in Cannabis and also lacks the modulating compounds (see paper on Synthetic THC by Dr Alex Shulgin). Only mother nature can create many of the compounds found in cannabis but real research is essentially prohibited.

In 1936, the year before the ban, there were over 40 registered medications produced by companies like Bayer and Merck directly derived from Cannabis. The cannabis boom happened the year before prohibition due to the invention of a processing machine (hemp's equivalent to the cotton gin). It was predicted to decimate the opium and cotton industries (follow the money). Before that, the US government made films touting the huge benefits of hemp over nearly all old crops. The importance of hemp has been wiped from all history books written after 1960 or so.

Our body has natural cannabinoids that participate in nearly every body function. Similar to opiods but far more extensive and diverse. Prohibiting research of a plant that produces such compounds so close to our own chemistry was a crime committed by a self-serving, corporate-owned government against all people.

[stuartcr]

You will too, and you’ll grow dreads and put up Peter Tosh posters...it’s that insidious.

[blueunicorn6]

The use of marijuana in the US has never hurt anyone. It is a victimless crime. Let’s not lose our heads over this like thousands of Mexicans have.

[Ken H]

OK Mr. "Conservative", answer me this:

Medical marijuana has been approved by voters nearly every time it's been put to a vote. According to your understanding of the US Constitution, do you think states have legitimate authority under the Tenth Amendment to enact such policies, or do you think fedgov has legitimate authority under the Commerce Clause to shut them down?

[GSWarrior]

I have been poking smot for 30+ years and to my knowledge have suffered no ill effects.

[DonkeyBonker]

I prefer Medical Hashish. Black Afghani or Red Lebanese.

[AustralianConservative]

Here’s your “medicine” dude. If you have troubles feeling energized – the taxpayer will help fund your lifestyle. Also, feel free to crowd up our hospitals more if you have a psychotic fit.

[AustralianConservative]

Well, you live in America with soft drug laws, thanks for proving my point!

[AustralianConservative]

So your Orwellian argument is: Two wrongs always make a right! Great comeback.

[mkmensinger]

I should have put an ‘s’ after that post. I’ve never used that stuff and never would.

[AustralianConservative]

So two wrongs make a right? More crazy drug use is the answer? Right. I don’t agree with your false comparisons, or the “principle” behind this argument.

But if the “Medical Marijuana” lobby is so ethical then they should lead by ethical example. Just admit it: they’ve lied and been caught out.

[AustralianConservative]

“I have been poking smot for 30+ years and to my knowledge have suffered no ill effects.”

LOL: Good one.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Well, you live in America with soft drug laws, thanks for proving my point!

Compared to Australia?