The Medical Letter and Pathetic Innocence about Medical Marijuana

This is a prestigious Medical Letter.

Salem-News.com

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - This is pernicious misinformation that both amuses and beguiles me because of its innocence of factual information. It appears it comes from ten year old information peppered with the information from the Reefer Madness movie.

About 1,000,000 marijuana users are arrested each year. This means as least 10 to 20 million people are using it with minimal adverse effects.

The article indicates nine medical conditions for which a patient can get a permit in most states. I will address these essentially sequentially:

PAIN, severe or chronic, is the most common complaint and aspirin-like drugs or morphine-like drugs are the standards. Cannabis/marijuana (C/MJ) works better than most of these without gastric bleeding for aspirin. C/MJ is almost as effective as morphine without severe addiction liability.

SPASTIC disease of skeletal muscle, including MS, are usually treated with CNS depressants like Benzos or Soma-like drugs. C/MJ works better than either with minimal addiction liability. SMOOTH MUSCLE SPASMS such as Asthma, IBS or Crohns are usually treated with Atropine-like drugs with adrenergics for Asthma. C/MJ works faster and better than any of them.

NAUSEA and VOMITING frequently caused by other medications respond surprisingly well to C/MJ. Oral medications are frequently useless for N & V. C/MJ may be taken by inhalation and it works very rapidly.

CANCER with a wide variety of medical problems responds well to C/MJ with euphoria and appetite stimulation being outstanding pluses.

SEIZURES of any etiology are the next most common complaints. An Epileptic seizure can be aborted at onset or controlled with a few inhalations.

GLAUCOMA which acts like a smooth muscle disease responds very well to C/MJ with rapid relief.

NEUROPATHIC pain like any other type of pain responds well to C/MJ.

Many of the preceding diseases cause insomnia. Many patients if not most use C/MJ to aid or prolong sleep with excellent relaxation.

The Medical Letter includes adverse effects of C/MJ. DRY MOUTH is common from smoking like cigarettes. We recommend inhaling vapors.

They consider sedation to be adverse. Patients consider it a main benefit.

ORTHOSTATICHYPOTENSION follows C/MJ-caused vasodilation. C/MJ is used to treat hypertension.

ATAXIA is a result of hypotension but also an alcoholic-like drunkedness from more than slight doses.

ANXIETY is often seen in new patients who accidentally use too much. Even Marinol, the prescribed Cannabis drug, causes anxiety and panic attacks.

TACHYCARDIA, though slight, is a reflex response to the vasodilation and hypotension. It bothers few patients.

AGITATION along with anxiety are common results even with Marinol. Medical patients learn to avoid this.

CONFUSION accompanies anxiety, panic attacks, and agitation of the new user or accidental overdose.

One of the most humorous parts of the article was their report on sleep. Obviously the participants were regular users. They were given THC – pure Cannabis medicine and/or added cannabidiol, a built in modulator of THC stimulation. This was a free “Pot Party” and they made the most of it with memory-deficit hangover next morning. I doubt they were complaining.

Other recent articles have published C/MJ is effective for Migraines, Tourettes, OCD, ADD/ADHD, Alzheimers, and PMS.

I suggest the authors and editors get out of their ivory towers and down to earth with us plebians.

Cannabis/Marijuana was once the most prescribed drug. It is on its way back.

SIC TRANSIT GLORIA CANNABIS!!

Got a question or comment for Dr. Leveque?
Email him: Newsroom@Salem-News.com

More information on the history of Leveque can be found in his book, General Patton's Dogface Soldier of Phil Leveque about his experiences in WWII.
Order the book by mail by following this link: Dogface Soldier.
If you are a World War II history buff, you don't want to miss it.

Watch for more streaming video question and answer segments about medical marijuana with Bonnie King Dr. Phil Leveque.

Click on this link for other articles and video segments about PTSD and medical marijuana on Salem-News.com: Dr. Leveque INTERVIEWS & ARTICLES

Salem-News.com Marijuana Coverage

Where and How to Smoke Legal Marijuana without Fear of Arrest in the U.S.

Eulogy of a Great Warrior: Hoss Plourde

The Ripple Effect How Marijuana Laws Are Impacting Society

Audit the Audit

Welcome Home, Tom

Comments Leave a comment on this story.

Name:

All comments and messages are approved by people and self promotional links or unacceptable comments are denied.

---

joe July 21, 2010 3:35 pm (Pacific time)

Marijanna is the 4th largest cash crop in the U.S. based on conservative estimates. How could you tell that 35.8 billion dollars is being spent illegally. Also corn isn't sold at three hundred dollars an ounce. Making it legal would drop the price and raise production drastically. Don't get too excited.

---

Ralph E. Stone July 20, 2010 12:43 pm (Pacific time)

In 2006, marijuana was the largest cash crop in the United States, more valuable than corn and wheat combined. Using conservative price estimates, domestic marijuana production has a value of $35.8 billion. Based on production estimates derived from marijuana eradication efforts from 2003 to 2005, marijuana was the top cash crop in 12 states, one of the top 3 cash crops in 30 states, and one of the top 5 cash crops in 39 states. In California, for example, the domestic marijuana crop was larger than grapes, vegetables and hay combined and worth over $1 billion. The World Health Organization found that 42.4 percent of Americans had tried marijuana. As long as there is a demand for illicit drugs, there will be a supply. By legalizing marijuana, we satisfy the demand for marijuana locally, control it, tax it, and by doing so take away the "king crop" from the Mexican drug cartels.

[Return to Top]

---

©2025 Salem-News.com. All opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Salem-News.com.