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I doubt that. First of all, medical marijuana is not prescribed by physicians -- it is a written recommendation placed in the patient's file. Second, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a physician may not be arrested by anyone for making a recommendation for medical marijuana, nor will he lose his license. More than likely, it was the patient's idea to use marijuana not the doctor's.

No, he was very clear on this - he was warned not to write a recommendation for marijuana for any of his patients. He was not discussing a particular patient, but a general warning. You can doubt that he'd really be arrested, but the threat was made.

Third, marijuana is ineffective at treating symptoms of MS.

Care to back that up? It was my impression no one knows if it's a good treatment for neuropathic pain because the studies haven't been done in MS. As for the ease of doing studies, check out the issues brought up in this freep thread.

Fourth, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society does not recognize smoked marijuana as medicine.

From the National MS Society's web site: "Conflicting results of previous research, coupled with the need for additional therapies to treat symptoms of MS, make it important that more research be done on the potential of marijuana and its derivatives. The National MS Society is funding a well-controlled study on the effectiveness of different forms of marijuana to treat spasticity in MS, and has established a task force to examine the use of Cannabis in MS to review what is currently known about its potential. This task force will make specific recommendations on the research that still needs to be done to answer pressing questions about the potential effectiveness and safety of marijuana and its derivatives in treating MS.Conflicting results of previous research, coupled with the need for additional therapies to treat symptoms of MS, make it important that more research be done on the potential of marijuana and its derivatives. The National MS Society is funding a well-controlled study on the effectiveness of different forms of marijuana to treat spasticity in MS, and has established a task force to examine the use of Cannabis in MS to review what is currently known about its potential. This task force will make specific recommendations on the research that still needs to be done to answer pressing questions about the potential effectiveness and safety of marijuana and its derivatives in treating MS."

What in the hell is the urgency to get this drug approved as medicine? It cures nothing. Every single possible application for this drug is already being addressed by at least 10 other tried and true, FDA approved drugs. Glaucoma? Nausea? MS? AIDS? Cancer? What, we have nothing for these diseases?

It may cure nothing, but it relieves symptoms. Morphine doesn't cure either - want to take that away from people in pain? Ask MS sufferers if the drugs we have are sufficient for MS. I can predict the answer from the people I know with MS - a loud resounding "NO." The drugs we have work well for some people, but not for everyone. It is very rare for ANY drug to work well and be tolerated by everyone.

"No, he was very clear on this - he was warned not to write a recommendation for marijuana for any of his patients."

Perhaps that occurred prior to October, 2003. If not, it's bull$hit from the agents. Here's an article on it. The Supreme Court declined to review a unanimous Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision upholding the rights of physicians to discuss the medicinal use of marijuana with their patients.

"It was my impression no one knows if it's a good treatment for neuropathic pain because the studies haven't been done in MS."

Studies have not been done that show marijuana is effective at treating MS, that's true. But studies have been done that show it's not effective.

The Institute of Medicine published a report in 1999 that summarized the marijuana research. In it it concluded:

"In general, the abundant anecdotal reports are not well supported by the clinical data summarized in Table 4.1. The regular use of smoked marijuana, however, would be contraindicated in a chronic condition like MS."

"The National MS Society is funding a well-controlled study on the effectiveness of different forms of marijuana to treat spasticity in MS"

And here you told me the government wasn't allowing studies. You kidder you.

I think this is great. Based on research like this, GW pharmaceuticals developed “Sativex® Oromucosal Spray” which received an Approval with Conditions from Health Canada in April 2005 for use as an adjunctive treatment for the symptomatic relief of neuropathic pain in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Each spray of Sativex® delivers a fixed dose of 2.7mg THC and 2.5mg CBD.

I support this product and others like it. This is medicine.

"It may cure nothing, but it relieves symptoms."

If it cured something, anything, I could understand the urgency. It doesn't. As to relieving symptoms, well, the jury is still out on that one. The patient may say it relieves symptoms, sure. So? Case in point:

A survey of California doctors found that 99% of their medical-marijuana-seeking patients were already smoking marijuana prior to their first visit. Doctors weren't evaluating the patients and then recommending marijuana -- they were simply validating it.

It a scam, retMD. Recreational marijuana legalization advocates have all but admitted it.