Medical Marijuana Patients: Medicated or Intoxicated?

Via Salem News, written by Dr. Phil Levique

If one reads any U.S. Government hogwash, it says ALL marijuana users are INTOXICATED. I presume that this comes from the same source that says an alcoholic drunk is intoxicated. Tipsy comes in there someplace like maybe ¼ drunk.

I am a Forensic Toxicologist and in my language intoxicated means POISONED. There must be an intermediate term somewhere but it escapes me – under the influence doesn’t do it.

Patients taking morphine-like drugs especially Oxycontin are usually drunker (more intoxicated) than with alcohol and the anti-depressant drugs as a class make patients “drunker” than with alcohol. Nobody calls them intoxicated unless they are dead which occurs too often. Antihistamines in high doses act the same way and they can be lethal too especially with alcohol. Valium-type drugs may be among the worst depressing and addicting especially with alcohol. Are they intoxicated?

If you want to get “high as a kite” try one or two espressos. If you’re not intoxicated with that you sure will be vibrating at high velocity.

We’ve also got some really weird herbals et cetera. How about sacred mushrooms, L.S.D., Mescaline, Nutmeg and Morning Glory seeds. How about Qat.? Are these users intoxicated?

By comparison to alcohol they are really drunk. Are they intoxicated, probably so.

Lets get back to medical marijuana/cannabis. Medical users use only enough to reduce their pain, spasms, vomiting, et cetera to tolerable levels. Are they intoxicated as the U.S. Government bleets? NO!

Most medical users say that they MEDICATE. This is a far more genteel term. Besides that it costs too much of valuable grass to get high. When I wrote this I am fully cognizant of the euphoria produced by marijuana but I’m sure it comes in graded levels like slight, medium, high and really LOADED. Few patients can afford this.

DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR ………… LETS MEDICATE!!

See Also: Marijuana and driving: medicated is not stoned

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Marijuana could be an “exit drug”

Via New Mexico Independent An often heard assertion about marijuana is that it’s a “gateway drug,” one that leads young people into using more dangerous drugs over time. But new research and programs are now examining its potential as an exit drug.

A recent study of a medical marijuana patients group found that a significant number of them were using the drug as a substitute for alcohol and other drugs

Forty percent have used cannabis as a substitute for alcohol, 26% as a substitute for illicit drugs and 66% as a substitute for prescription drugs. The most common reasons given for substituting were: less adverse side effects (65%), better symptom management (57%), and less withdrawal potential (34%) with cannabis.