Medical Marijuana: Oregon's Flaming Success

Phillip Leveque has spent his life as a Combat Infantryman, Physician, Toxicologist and Pharmacologist.

Most doctors are trained in medical school to believe that marijuana is harmful, when in fact it has a positive affect as a natural medicine. Increasing numbers are beginning to work in the area of medical marijuana, while medical boards like the one in Oregon still seem to almost constantly try to terminate physician's careers for working with this legal voter passed medical herb. Ironically, Oregon DHS oversees the medical board, and the state medical marijuana program. Courtesy: the BBC

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - It's difficult for me not to be a bit flamboyant about this but as Oregon's number one leading marijuana doctor with more than 4,000 patients, I do feel exuberant about it.

The Oregon Department of Human Services estimated that only about 500 patients would be eligible for the marijuana permits. (they are not prescriptions) If I remember correctly in the first year we registered one thousand marijuana patients and about 500 were mine. This was my only practice as I have a spinal cord injury which prevents me from running around a regular office.

The DHS State Medical Board, the powers that be (idiots!) couldn't figure out where all these patients were coming from but subsequent investigations by the U.S. government estimated that Oregon had about 300 thousand regular users. Most are self-treating for a variety of medical conditions.

It has been nine years since medical marijuana was legalized and as of January 1st 2008 we have NOW 16,000 medical permit holders with 7,700 caregiver and growers and 1,700 more pending issuance permit cards.

Many physicians were totally paranoid about signing applications for this "devil weed" which the U.S. government said was "highly addicting and dangerous." (they watched their own movie, "Reefer Madness" which is so absurd even high school kids laugh at it).

Marijuana is less dangerous and less addicting than Starbucks lattes. The worst adverse side effect from a high dose of the pure medicinal agent hashish is maybe sleeping for 24 hours although the pure synthetic THC as prescription Marinol causes severe panic attacks in many people and they avoid it and often use the natural plant instead.

There are many disbelievers that marijuana is truly a good medicine through its been used beneficially for at least 5,000 years and never killed anyone. Frequent writers to the Oregonian decry the legalization of medical marijuana and cite disproved U.S. government propaganda.

The procedure to get an Oregon permit is very strict and now 2,782 doctors have signed applications. If anyone thinks patients are faking symptoms and duping doctors and the system they are deluded by using too much narcotics or anti-depressants. Both are far more dangerous than marijuana.

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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

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Lori October 20, 2009 11:36 am (Pacific time)

I have a son who has HIV this plant allowes hen to Eat he has an appitite now.also My brother Joe has cronic pain everyday for having blood transfusions in the late 80s and having surgery form an accident he developped Hep C from this I watched hem go from this beautiful great looking man to a small skeleton he started out weighing 170 to 106.Because of this plant marijuana. He is not taking the pain pills which were wrecking his body he has been in kidney failure several times.From all the legal drugs.His weight now is 116 and gaining.Thank god for this wonderful medical miricle.

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Jesús March 13, 2009 7:46 am (Pacific time)

People ought to investigate how the drug first became vilified by the US. One huge reason was the rope industry did not want to compete with hemp. Other reasons include the fact the blacks and mexicans used it a lot. There is no sensible reason this plant came to be a Schedule 1 drug. The laws mean little to me in that regard anyway. But it's terrible how a natural healing plant is so scary to big Pharma and the USGOV. Terrible how people have to suffer because of stigma like this, puritan, nonsensical stigma. In the Land of Liberty HA.

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Sharon December 13, 2008 3:56 pm (Pacific time)

How do I reseive a list of Dr.'s that issue prescription for THC. Medically I am fighting to stay out of wheel chair

Editor: Sharon, please visit the THC Clinic, their advertisement is on the front page, thanks!

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ruth September 13, 2008 4:50 am (Pacific time)

I would like to also say that being a cardholder and legal grower people should be informed of the constant harassment we obtain from: Black unmarked helicopters that fly and hover over grows with people dressed in black making life threatening gestures. Oh yeah let us not forget about the ultralights that constantly circle over grows as well. We constantly have to worry about our grows being ripped off by our own cops and others.

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ruth September 13, 2008 4:45 am (Pacific time)

I was one of those first 500 people and at the meetings when their were only a few of us! Dr. Leveque was the only Dr. who understood what patients have to go through. We are constantly discriminated against in all aspects of life, housing, social events, family. My own family disowned me due to my medical usage of cannabis. It is not easy being sick and if it was not for cannabis I would be in bed all day. With this wondrous medicine I am able to laugh, eat, sleep and keep my pain level to a manageable level. To be seen as a "loser" due to disabilities and using cannabis is just sheer ignorance. Wake up!!

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Hilton March 12, 2008 12:23 am (Pacific time)

It is about time people stopped being afraid of the boogie man. Funny how the satanical government readily admits that God made a mistake by creating this plant. It is a shame.

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