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.