Replies

You're a Ritalin pusher!
"You may want to research Dr. Claudia Jensen, clinical instructor at the University of Southern California before calling someone an outrageous liar.

First of all, I do not push Ritalin. Just the opposite. I look for other means of dealing with this issue, and try to disuade parents from using Ritalin as a first step. Second, there are NO STUDIES USING MARIJUANA TO TREAT MINORS FOR ADD/ADHD ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD - NONE. If this person you are so raptured by is doing any reseach she is using adults, not children. No University is going to sign off on using a controlled substance in reseach for any purpose on children. Your claim was that is was proven effective on children, and this is not true.

"Dr. Claudia Jensen is a clinical instructor at the University of Southern California and a practicing pediatrician who advocates the use of medicinal marijuana for the treatment of ADD and ADHD."

Advocating is not providing evidence of it's effectiveness. Think about how marijuana works, and the fact that the effects wear off after a period of time (just like prescribed medications for ADD/ADHD). Are you saying these kids are smoking marijuana at school? Where is this happening? In order to conduct research into how something affects the behaviors of ADD/ADHD kids you'd need to employ the "drug" in the school setting. Otherwise, you are not testing the effects on school performance, which is where ADD/ADHD provides the biggest negative impact on children. You also need control groups. Just because some person makes a claim on MSNBC does not make the claim factual. You shouldn't believe everything you see on T.V., especially MSNBC.

"It was even on TV in april of 2004. Many doctors in California are now using medical marijuana to treat ADD and Oregon is now adding marijuana to the ADD treatment list. There have been many Ritalin deaths. Marijuana has never killed anyone."

No where in California is there any children using marijuana for the treatment of ADHD/ADD. This is just not happening. Ritalin has never directly killed anyone. Ritalin does not posses enough amphetamine to produce death. All the deaths that have been attributed to Ritalin were by suicide, and Ritalin was only one drug those students were taking. You should do a better job of researching your facts. Don't take on an issue with someone who works in that field unless you bring ammunition to the arguement. Don't believe every stupid thing you see/hear on MSNBC, especially from OLBERMANN.

First of all, I do not push Ritalin. Just the opposite. I look for other means of dealing with this issue
Well I'm certainly happy to hear that. My respect for your opinion has increased.

NO STUDIES USING MARIJUANA TO TREAT MINORS FOR ADD/ADHD ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD - NONE...No University is going to sign off on using a controlled substance in reseach for any purpose on children
Lol!
You shout about the lack of university study, yet you acknowledge the reason that there are no university studies?
We do have studies. We have the "studies" in the form of reports by doctors who are using marijuana to treat ADD/ADHD.

Your claim was that is was proven effective on children, and this is not true
You should follow your own advise about doing research before you post. You didn't bother to check out Dr. Jensen and read about her patients...like the one diagnosed as suffering from ADHD at age thirteen and had been prescribed every drug available up to age 15 with no improvement. He couldn't even attend school. She treated him with cannabis in food and candy form and he improved to the point where he now regularly attends school.

Are you saying these kids are smoking marijuana at school?
Of course not and that shows that you didn't bother to read the transcript I posted or to check out the reference I cited for yourself. The cannabis is usually in peanut butter spread on a slice of toast before the child leaves for school.

No where in California is there any children using marijuana for the treatment of ADHD/ADD.
I just cited the example of one of her patients above. She is only one doctor of many in California. I find it interesting that you claim to work in this field, yet you are unaware of the Cannabis MD Reports in California. How can that be?

Ritalin has never directly killed anyone. Ritalin does not posses enough amphetamine to produce death. All the deaths that have been attributed to Ritalin were by suicide
Again, your knowledge for someone who claims to work in this field is sorely lacking.
There have been at least 19 cases of sudden death in children taking Methylphenidate (Ritalin) in 2005...They did not commit suicide. They died from heart attacks caused by Methylphenidate (Ritalin). Between 1990 and 2000 there were 186 deaths from Methylphenidate (Ritalin) reported to the FDA MedWatch program...They did not commit suicide. They died of heart attacks caused by Methylphenidate (Ritalin).

Don't take on an issue with someone who works in that field unless you bring ammunition to the arguement
I believe my ammo is doing just fine. So far all you've done is shoot blanks.

I'll finish with with a quote from a guy who really does work in that field you claim...Jay R. Cavanaugh, Ph.D.
"Cannabis can provide unique help with some childhood disorders including cancer but also attention deficit disorder and autism. These latter disorders are currently treated with powerful stimulants such as amphetamine in the first case and with brain numbing toxic preparations such as Haldol in the case of autism. Parents of autistic children and children with severe ADHD often are desperate for help with seemingly insurmountable problems. Behavioral therapies while very helpful often fail to relieve the aggressive, indeed violent, behavior and lack of impulse control sometimes associated with these disorders.

Out of sheer desperation, a number of parents have begun trying adjunctive therapy with cannabis for their children. Most activists within the medical cannabis community are frightened by this development for the very real reason that they believe the use of cannabis with children will only increase the efforts of law enforcement to crush the movement. Nothing could be further from the truth. Some childhood behavioral brain disorders are so resistant to traditional treatment and that treatment is often so toxic that virtually any new method that provides real relief is going to result in a groundswell of support for medical cannabis. This is already happening in the autism community.

Imagine a child being given half a dozen psychotropic drugs from Prozac to Haldol to Valium and who continues to break down doors and assault others seemingly without provocation who now responds to therapy with medical cannabis. Imagine the parents of such children contemplating a lock up for their beloved child who now sees that child calm and functional. Loving parents will demand that cannabis be provided to the arsenal their pediatricians and pediatric neurologists already have".
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