Medical marijuana debate – Dr Oz Show, March 29 2011

From the Dr Oz Show

Questions can be directed to Dr Oz by going here

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Is marijuana a powerful medical tool or a public health hazard? Since being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, Montel Williams has launched a personal campaign to find a cure for MS and legalize medical marijuana. From the time he began taking medical marijuana, no additional plaque has formed in his brain.

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Doctors prescribe medical marijuana to treat cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, glaucoma and migraines. But is it addictive? Dr. Oz shares his research and the audience weighs in.

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Dr. Oz asks all the tough questions about this hot button topic. Can we control the use of medical marijuana? Is it safe to inhale drugs? Can it actually lower cancer risk? Experts on both sides weigh on in the safety of medical marijuana. Hear the debate.

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Meet a woman who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis and lives in New Jersey, where medical marijuana is legal. However, she has had incredible difficulty accessing it, sometimes sending loved ones out into the street to get it for her. Hear her story and learn more about the laws surrounding medical marijuana.

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Are some states bailing out their budgets by taxing marijuana? Hear what Dr. Oz has to say about legalizing marijuana and the conditions it should not be used to treat.

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Comments posted to the Dr Oz website:

I am a 44 year old wife & mother, who suffers from multiple nedical conditions, such as Degenerative Disk disease, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, and more, including a rare condition called Intracranial Hypertension, which causes spinal fluid to build up on my brain, and is EXTREMELY painful! I have had migraines all my life, and the pain associated with my IH is far worse than any migraine. I am unable to get shunts because of my poor overall health, and LP’s (spinal taps) to reduce the CSF (cerebral spinal fluid) are EXTREMELY painful due to my degenerative disk disease. I have used medical marijuana occasionally now for well over 10 years. I only use it maybe once a month, when the pain is unbearable. It has given me back some semblance of a life. I am on morphine, but it does very little compared to the marijuana. I have never become addicted. I also have two sons, 22 and 16. Both of my boys know about my treatment and are for it, however neither of them use any drugs, have no desire to. They are well informed. They also see the benefits of it in a drug therepy use, but know that it is like any other medication…only used as a last resort, & prescribed by a physician. It’s about time people open their eyes. I feel most of the people objecting, have no medical issues, and would change their minds if they were suffering. I also have a friend who was suffering with cancer, who was only able to eat and tolerate Chemo because of medical marijuana. Please give this a chance for the people suffering.

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I don’t understand why it is illegal and especially the category it is in; worse than cocaine, really?

Meanwhile, people like my dad who suffers from Parkinsons and is on kidney dialysis are taking pills to increase their appetite when medical marijuana could change so much for him.  I’ve heard they have an “herbal butter” or lollipops that can increase his appetite and this should be afforded to those who are suffering not pills.  Basically, it’s big pharma screwing the little patient.

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Im a pharmacy technician for a major retail chain. I cannot understand how marijuana is a class I drug and cocaine and morphine is a class II saying that it is less addictive, but in the same breath they claim marijuana is a “gateway drug”. Because it leads to cocaine use and cocaine is less addictive or less harmful than marijuana? Doesn’t make any sense. Working in a pharmacy i see people constantly addicted to oxycotin and percocet. In my personal opinion the FDA is a joke. There are SOOO many drugs out there that they pass, yet 10 years later they recall and discontinue making these drugs. If they can control the use and place limits on it, then why would it such a huge problem? Make it legal and the government can get its own profit and maybe help lower the national debt.

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I am a 56 yr old woman with fibromyalgia and arthritis and I use addictive drugs prescribed by my doctor (oxycontin, vicondin and muscle relaxers) I also have been able to cut down on the medications by smoking marijuana. It is not legal in florida to get this from my doctor so I have to get it “off the street” If this was legal to use as a treatment for my fibromyalgia I would not have to take the drugs that I am on now. I am not in favor of making marijuana legal but decriminalizing it for those that need it medically. As I am watching your show on this I have to say that I am not addicted to marijuana as I have gone months without smoking but I have seen the difference in my pain levels with and without the marijuana. I do not believe that marijuana is a “stepping stool” to harder drugs like heroin or cocaine.

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I am sorry, but the anti-legalization woman doesn’t realize what this drug can do to help people with serious problems.  Personally, I have severe arthritis and would rather smoke a joint every couple of days than take oxycodone multiple times daily. Addiction?  Ha-ha…. cigarettes, alcohol, oxycodone, caffeine, chocolate, etc, these are much harder to give up and they are LEGAL!Why do I have to go to the back alleys to buy what I need (no quality control), when alcohol, tobacco addicts can go to the local store to buy quality controlled substances?  When I can, I buy legally from California, but I live in a backward state (Georgia) where we can’t even buy alcohol on Sundays.  Buying from a legal state gives me quality control.

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My son was diagnosed with spinal cancer when he was 12. He was on multiple medication from Ms contin, vicodin valium and the other drugs to counter the side effects of those. He started smoking when he was 15 and he is 27 now and hasnt even taken a tylenol. He can function better than most people.I had to get this medication off the street in very dangerous places and from dangerous people. Now that there is the program my son and i can go to a safe place and get medication. My son and his cancer was the first kid to be prescribed medical marijuana in the state of colo. and has been written in the new england journial of medicine. It does work and ive seen it first hand. I have been a nurse for 30 years and we need to look at it more. More people die from alcohol and cigarettes. Those should be classified as drugs

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Yes, it should be legalized in every state for medical purposes.  I have suffered with severe nerve and muscle pain every day and every hour, 24 hous a day, for the past 20 years from Multiple Sclerosis,and I have been put through the realm of pain meds and muscle relaxants; all of which had adverse effects on me or didn’t even help.  If it wasn’t for marijuana, God as my witness, I would have committed suicide years ago, because it is the only thing that gives me temporary relief of the constant severe pain that no one should ever have to endure.  And no, it DOES NOT lead me or anyone else to illegal street drugs, nor is it additive.  Those of us trying to get through each second of every minute of every hour of every day, year after year, from this excruciating pain; that is not a “10”, but “1000+” on a scale, and smoking a small amount of marijuana to just survive when needed, should not be illegal for anyone suffering like me.

A written summary:

On today’s episode of The Doctor Oz Show, Dr. Oz and Montel Williams covered whether or not medical marijuana should be legalized and was the most controversial episode yet.

I have covered many different segments of The Doctor Oz Show, but this was the first time I witnessed real anger, frustration and tears among guests and audience members. It was also the first time I’ve seen audience members jumping to their feet, shouting out loud and interrupting the show. Dr. Oz had to repeatedly ask the audience to refrain from shouting out so the discussion could continue.

Medical marijuana is already legal in 15 states in the United States, although some people say it is dangerous to your body. Dr. Oz said it is shockingly simple to get a card making it legal to obtain medical marijuana, especially in California.

Dr. Oz said that the use of marijuana dates back 200 years in the United States and was sold in pharmacies until the late 1930s to treat pain, inflammation and muscle spasms. In 1970 the federal government created the Controlled Substance Act which classified marijuana as a Schedule I narcotic, deeming that marijuana was a harmful substance with no accepted medical purpose. This means that it is not only illegal for recreational use, it also makes it nearly impossible for doctors and scientists to study its possible medical benefits.

Over the last 2 decades, doctors and patients have passionately challenged marijuana’s classification. Dr. Oz said that many in the medical community believe that marijuana can be a powerful tool, alleviating the symptoms of cancer, aids, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, glaucoma and migraines.

Editor’s note: Dr. Oz showed an obvious bias for marijuana as medicine for physical pain, but insisted he does not support it’s use for ANY kind of mental pain. During the show it was mentioned that the US military recently OK-ed medical marijuana for PTSD (for vets living in states where medical marijuana is legal) – a mental condition characterized by anxiety, yet Dr. Oz purported that marijuana does not help ease stress or anxiety.  Dr. Donald Abrams tried to correct Dr. Oz, but was hushed.

Dr. Oz said those that oppose regulating marijuana say that there are FDA approved drugs that can get the same results, and fear that medical marijuana dispensaries could suddenly pop up near schools and other sensitive locations.

Dr. Oz questioned who had it right, and whether or not marijuana was a miracle drug or a health hazard… Read the rest at NewsFusion

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30 thoughts on “Medical marijuana debate – Dr Oz Show, March 29 2011”

  1. Tabitha says:

    I loved the show, My DAD died of cancer he was only given 6 months to live and he lasted over a year! He was pain fee, PAIN FREE because he smoked marijana every day. He was able to be with us and do things with us kids because he was not in any pain. We went fishin it was great. He wouldn’t of been able to go anywhere with out the use of marijuana. It is better than any pain med out there. I truly believe. Thank You. Tabitha

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  2. Karan Rudolph says:

    I have been suffering with MS for a little over a year, finally diagnosed in June 2010. My daughter called me today to tell me she wished I had watched this show, so I have reviewed online and really wish I had recorded. Right now I am in pain, spasms in my legs and feet and the constant feeling of needles pressing into my back.

    I have always been against marijuana and preached to my kids to stay away from drugs. I currently take so many pills every day and that is not even the pain killers. I am constantly suffering from inflammation and that pain that comes along with it. A year ago I barely took an advil, now I’m taking pain pills because my arms hurt so bad.

    I have learned, you should NEVER say someone does not need something or should not be taking that unless you have walked in their shoes and felt their pain.

    My guess would be if the audiance guy on your show, that was so against marijuana, had felt half the pain, dealt with doctor and after doctor and the constant pain we suffer with, he would be waving a different flag.

    I am against marijuana, never been a “pot head” as they say, but if it would take away the pain I have right now…I would smoke it everyday. I do wonder what the amount is that Montel smokes to control his pain, how often and how long the pain is eased after smoking?

    I am just so sick of taking pills and shots. I am perscribed steriods for the inflammation, have gained weight and experienced additional pain from the steriods.

    Prescription drungs seem to be a visious cycle to me. side effects from one drug causes you to have to take another drug.

    Thank you Montel for the knowledge you are putting out there about MS and hopefully future relief for many that suffer.

    Thank you,

    Karan

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  3. Mandy "Moo$e" Magbanua says:

    Dear Dr.Oz,I’ve been on dilantin and lamotrigine for quite some time now.In My teen years,I used to smoke cannabis almost everyday.Then one day,I was told that the cannabis that I smoked was “laced”.And I was also told that I got a “scar” in My brain.Eversince then,I was told that I’ve been having seizures here and there.I watched Your show today,and I heard a girl in the audience talking about smoking marijuana because she was having seizures.And she said eversince She started smoking marijuana she has’nt had one seizure.I’m so confused this is mind boggling for Me.Please help Me

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  4. Patricia says:

    I thought this was one of the best shows on Dr. Oz yet. It was an informative, well controlled, (by Dr. Oz) discussion of the pros and cons regarding the whole issue of medical marijuana. I know I learned a few things regarding this heated issue and I’m sure many others watching did as well.

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  5. Mary Fennell says:

    When I went to watch this on Rockford TV 5 and had no sound I just thought that was interesting anyway that’s why I came to the website. I think it should be legalized. I could see what is stopping this is probably the drug company’s lobby look at all the drugs it replaces. And if you’ve ever watched the show intervention most of the people are drunks and heavy pharmacy drug users also has anyone notice how many drug stores we have a CVS and a Walgreens
    across from each other ad every mile someone is using a lot of drugs

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  6. Bobby Hedrick says:

    I watched your debate for the use of marijuana for medical use. On the other side of the coin I have served in a jail ministry for 25 years and I met a man who smoked marijuana only and he said he used no hard drugs. He was charged with killing a small child with his bare hands beating her to the floor. He was found guilty and later executed in NC prison. So sad.

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    • editors says:

      He probably drank alcohol and had severe psychological issues as well. There is no way to connect his violent act to the use of marijuana. If there were such a connection to be made, we would see many more violent acts from the millions of other marijuana users on the planet, but it seems alcohol and meth are really what we should be concerned with.

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  7. charlie rodrigues says:

    Everyday I see ads about bad drugs and serious side effects. As far as young people getting hooked,I watched many young people stealing and robbing just to get pain killers and are either dead or in jail. I think that is more of a problem than pot
    Great show today

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  9. Anonymous says:

    Montel for President… this man has empathy for any and all people who suffer from chronic pain, disease and life altering ailments. I have had my share – I have been perscribed deadly drugs – took them as doctors suggested – oxycontin – methadone – norco – xanax to name a few. I now am drug free from perscription drugs – when the pain is unbearable yes I do inhale. I applaud Dr. Oz for his show – the cause and effects that perscription drugs has on our state (FL) puts 7 people in the grave every single day.

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  10. Hazel says:

    Dr. Oz, This was a very good show. I commend you on having the guts to attack such a contested topic. I am alot like Montel. I was hit by a sixteen year old crack and drug dealer in Louisiana in 1992. There was an 18-wheeler with offshore equipment in front of me. Somehow I got out of the top portion of my seatbelt and was doing a tuck and roll because I thought I was going underneath of the 18-wheeler. In the process of doing this, the steering wheel caught the top of my humeral head and knocked it out about 3 1/2 inches. My right arm was reconstructed several times until the final decision was to fuse it. At this time there wasn’t alot of technology in the field of shoulder replacements. My right shoulder was fused with a hip plate. When the shoulder was fused, it did relieve alot of the pain. I worked very hard on physical therapy. Of coarse, the range of motion was severely impacted, but I continued strengthening it and I eventually returned to work in retail management. Needless to say, I am a very hands on Manager, and very little stopped me. I took very little pain medication after it was fused and was totally off the pain meds for a total of two years. I am not saying by any means that there was no pain, I just grinned and beared it. On March 5, 2006 while still doing retail management at a convenience store, I was in stripping and waxing my floors for a upcoming inspection. Eight people came in 4 guys and 4 girls, one of the girls was on Meth and she was very drunk, she said that she just got out of prison. I was attacked by the two girls which resulted in my left shoulder being severely damaged and two surgeries later on my left shoulder, I am waiting to see if I am a candidate for a shoulder replacement. In the meantime I am left with severe Chronic Pain. Presently I am taking 6 prescribed medications (Gabapentin 800mg 1 tab. every 8 hours, Avinza 120 mg. on capsule a day, Meloxicam 7.5 mg. 1 to 2 tabs a day, Zolpidem 12.5 mg 1 tab a day, hydrocodone 5-325 mg 1 to 2 a day, Amittiza 24 MCG capsules 2 a day,and 3 over the counters- Senna Laxative 8.6 mg. 2 a day, Colace 100 mg tablets 3 a day, and Dulcolax suppositories up to 1 a day) this is too many pills and now I have a hell of a time with my intestines and constipation to where I am seeing my workers compensation doctor two to three to four times a month. My husband and I have spoken to him about the use of medical marijuana and it is a really grey area and adds even more of a problems with this being a workers comp case. I think he does believe in the use of it because he said some of his patients are using it. I had to sign a pain management agreement with him. I am in a state where it is legal with a med card, but he said I could try it; of course the insurance would not pay for it, and if it didn’t work for me then it would be pretty hard to get the insurance co. to restart my pain management meds that I am currently on. I feel like I am on a fast downhill roller coaster ride. I absolutely do not like taking any of the medication that I am currently on, but if I don’t then the pain itself wears so much on my body that I can not function nor sleep. I only sleep for about 2 hours at a time right now, so the pain meds do not take all of the PAIN away. I have never been a drug or alcohol abuser. I am not going to lie, I tried pot twice in my early 20’s, and I did not like it because it made me sleepy. Maybe this is what I need. It can’t be any worse for me than all of the medications I am currently on. I am thinking that I should be given an opportunity to try marijuana with no ramifications. I want off all of the medications, I do not want to die from taking them and I don’t want to die from the pain wearing on my body. I am in my 50s I am not a criminal now, never have been, and probably never will be, but I don’t want to feel like one if marijuana is one of my options in the future! Also, with seizures, my husband has suffered a shattered hip, shattered knee, has had a craniectomy, and through a commercial diving hydroblasting accident suffered a partially amputated left foot. Our bodies are battered! Another of my questions like most people is if you are on Social Security Disability, can they take your benefits away because you use medical marijuana for pain. Also, I hear that there is an medical marijuana oil. Do any of the other marijunana products, Oils, Pill, ect. work? I feel that I would be willing to be a tester for the Dr’s and research side of medicine. Until we have enough documentation I feel this debate will continue.

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  11. Willie says:

    I have had fibromyalgia since 1995, been a cancer survivor since 2008. I have been prescribed more drugs to treat these conditions than I can remember. The side effects of these meds were worse than the problems they were prescribed for. I have found more relief from marijuana than all of the meds combined. Until the medical community can come up with something that works as well or better, I will continue to smoke for relief of my pain. I don’t care what anyone says about it. It is my life, my pain, and I have every right to live pain free. Until all these people that are against marijuana have had to deal with what I and many others do daily, shut the hell up! You don’t know what you’re talking about. Marijuana works without side effects or causing me any other problems. If and when something better comes along, I’ll try that, but I have every right to live my life without pain!! If all those against it would put all of the energy and time they spend fighting it into finding an alternative, maybe we could find a cure for some of these diseases.

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    • Anonymous says:

      go dude. your are absolutely correct. If the average joe would have to deal with amount of pain we do, they would cry like a little baby!

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  12. Randy says:

    OZ …first you need to realize most of our drugs are synthed ORGANIC compounds …just made in a 1000 Gal Phaudler somwhere …
    How are they different than weed …

    you DRs are the biggest “pushers” on the planet …all you have to do is watch a commercial on depression and listen to the 47 seconds of side effects ,in a 60 second spot ….any pharma commercial …there all the same ……..

    I like the ones where they say ” if you feel suicidal ….call your DR. ” …which hand should i dial with ?? ..the one with the 9MM or the free hand …give me a break …
    And DRsusually push these on folk who just need a kik in the pants …weve all got problems …snap out of it would be a better cure …;)
    Murinal is widely accepted .
    .weed has even been proven by Johns Hopkins to help folks think out of the box as it were …and no memory loss with chronic users …remember some folk started out stupid ..;) it wasnt the weed.
    good god how much do we need to spend fighting this …most would not smoke if it was legal …
    i think ya better pay more attn to the pharma …they are the dangerous folk ……i used to work for them …

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  13. Jean Mekolites says:

    Thank you Dr.Oz for airing this very timely show! It’s time we stop ignoring the HUGE Elephant in the corner and admit as a country that we have been so wrong about this innocent plant that has been demonized for decades! A plant that is as native as the citizens that we claim to be! I pray we as a nation do the right thing and stop denying our fellow citizens their rights to this God given,all natural healing substance.We do still live in the land of the free right? Just saying.

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  15. Jeff Sullivan says:

    There is a drug called Marinol that is a pill used for nausea, weight management, Neuropathy, etc. This pill was never mentioned during the show. In case no one is familiar with it, Marinol is THC in concentrated form that is prescribed in Florida, which is not a medical marijuana state, and I would imagine it is prescribed in others. My brother has bladder cancer and was prescribed it for nause and I got it for periferal neuropathy. Isn’t this the same as medically smoked pot; I think so. I am a 62 year old proponent of marajuana and a member of NORMAL.

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  16. Hazel says:

    I am a 50 year old female, and I have been through rough childhood with a lot of bad memories, have been addicted to nerve pills many years ago. i just about died, till i begin smoking pot,I have never had any side affects such as wanting to hurt myself or anyone else, but i do know that when i smoke pot i dont hurt as bad,and it helps me mentally more aware of everything and everyone and yes sometimes paraoniod, but you know what is so important to me about it ?It helps me love and myself, as well as others. Im for making it legal!

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  17. Harold says:

    I’m a person that has used marijuana for different reasons from a teenager to a post traumatic stress from my military service. When i was young around 16 I used it for the 1st time.. I also was drinking and doing LSD and speed.. Never did cocaine.. Did not like the whole drug war activity around that.. I did it because life was stressful and as a confused youth when your parents don’t understand you kind of use it to escape for a while..But was not good is using it combined.. I later stopped when I joined the UA Army..I did not get addicted I just felt I could get off it and it was to mellow for me as I joined plus drug test.. I became addicted thou in the military to alcohol and ephedrine which was considered a form of speed.. Th military will test you for drugs, mainly marijuana and cocaine but LSD is hard to detect and other things like tobacco, alcohol or even epherdrine were considered ok.. Since in the army we have long hrs of work epherdrine was a choice additive you could by at any 7/11 to help stay up long hrs.. I became an alcoholic by 20..It was actually encourged to drink everynite by my buddies etc..to a point fights would break out and even some occasions people would get killed. Alcohol is very unstable for the mind when it comes to violent proned trained individuals such as in the military.. very bad substance to take if your in a negative headspace..a party or positive headspace thats different… Anyways.. I had a few friends that they did not want to drink, they preferred to smoke, since the army was stressful an they were good soldiers , very intelligent soldiers.. but once in a while they get caught on test and either get penalized or kicked out.. that did not make sense to me. The military can be very stressful and especially under grunt conditions some things I feel can be more hinderence then beneficial..smoking tobacco is one..all those times I smoked and ran 5 miles..I was like this sucks.I can’t breathe.. so I stopped, but there were people that still smoked and needed it all the time.. I drank to much..I offically twice was drank my liver down into the hospital.. I was told my last time to stop.. or else i would create a condition that would kill my liver.. I left the military and I stepped into the college world.. I was very different then others in college, older and more experienced in life..It took me time to adjust.. I started to smoke marijuana again to relax and adjust and it helped me , but I couldn’t do it all the time becaise sometimes it would just mellow me out to much.. Now get me, I mad ethese decisions on a clear mind.. i never felt addictive to it.. Compared to alcohol or speed.. i could decide and move on.. But i did speed alot because i needed the extra push to get things done.. I soon got sick with my liver again and I stopped that.. Life became stressful ..I was dealing being a civilian and I had lots of anger from my military days.. I was a ground soldier and was always taught to fight and I did things and sometimes saw things that were not pleasant.. I tried channelling thru music, art, dancing but I found myself getting depressed..never suicidal..i was more suicidal in the military on alcohol then on marijuana.. I had economic shifts and I had to leave school and I wanted to explore myself and had some side effects from vaccinations the army gave me during the gulf war.. yes gulf war syndrome, that the govt doesn’t like to admit about.. well i got some shots in that time that effected my health.. I dropped out, I wanted to travel and heal my consciousness.. I became a hippie.. But i needed to because I ha post traumatic stress disorder.. I didn’t know it at the time..but I did.. I started to smoke marijuana and it helped me to relax and think clearly.. Now i did it religiously at one point because I felt I had the right to pray with it as native americans di with tobacco..So I used it in a way that helped me be more focused towards god and I saw more beautifully that helped me become more of a christian..Thats weird..smoking marijuana to see christ.. theres nothing wrong with that.. I became a more social and balanced person..I started to be more spiritual and I noticed that I was happier..yes at times a stoner and at times just able to function.. I’d stop at times, because it was not available and I never felt addictive. The only time I felt i needed it was after some situations that I was stressed out, or my anxiety attacks came on after negative situations and I felt i was loosing balance I used it to calm me down.. I started doing yoga, I became a vegetarian, I meditated.. I started to use only herbs and alternative medicines instead of aspirin and medications prescribed.. I found that there is relevent use and historical fact on ancient medicines and marijuana is one of them.. meanwhile, I’m seeing the drug war and the science and the politics create ll kinds of fear hypes and misguided judgements on amrijuana when alcohol is still rampant and misused.. Now understand me..I have use marijuana for 27 years off and on and I never have felt addicted.. I always had a clear mind to stopp, other drugs I sometime had to fight..I never got addicted to things like opium, heroin or cocaine..only opium I tried a few times and I can see that people use that. I feel people get addicted because they are missing something or they need some form of escape or sometimes they do it for artistic endeavors.. I knew more people that died on heroin for 1st use then anything else..why..i asked why.. good people.. I learn something from a group called MAPS in Canada.. Education.. they used education fliers to educate the kids and participants of parties about the different drugs and effects , because that was the best place to reach them since drugs are available everywhere..in the underground.. no body can stop drugs..but there is no education.. I became a medical marijuana patient about 7 years ago because I got a ticket. And I qualified from my chronic pain symtoms from my broken bones I rceived in the military and my stress and anxiety issues i have when I get to worked up and stress out..My father had high anxiety issues that created health problems.. I realized a while ago that have a stress less life can lead to a healthy life.. I tried meditation and yoga and that helped a lot but sometimes I needed to smoke because that helped me get grounded.. but I always stop when I don’t need it.. Now back to education.. I believe strongly that if the US society can stop fighting about drug use and addiction and not helping with education, medication and even splitting the productive uses of a plant from the political uses..like Hemp..We can create an atmosphere of a positive and proactive health awareness and preventative medicine society.. What i’m trying to say is,, Children need to be taught at an early age in school that there are good things and bad things and the best thing to do is educate them about all medicines.. Like tobacco was a spiritual medicine heavily respected by the indians that it was only used appropiately. The western world turned a spiritual smoke into a chemical highten addictive ailment that people have problems to get off of.. same with alcohol.. same with all drugs, and herbs.. natural things tend to be less addictive and less toxic in small amounts then drugs that are in refined forms in pills.. sometimes to harmful then helpful..We live in a society of do the max of everything and your body needs max overdrive help to heal..Nature is not like that, nature is constant moderation, body gets what it needs and the immune system is strong and healthy. If we had a more productive preventative and nutritonal based society we would have less ailments. people do drugs and get addicted no matter what.. and marijuana is not always involved..addicts smoke it because it helps them from the effects on certain drugs they are addicted to when they are with drawing.. There is lots of money behind drug addictions rehabs etc.. Pharmaceutical companies have a stake in controlling the health market and govts want to control regulate because most times they are lobbied by private interest.. These interest do not interest me when i’m sold an ad on tv or in a magazine about what it helps but then it gives live 10 side effects afterwards.. that stuff in my opinion sucks when you can take other measures more naturally.. One thing I can say about marijuana..it helps me think more clearly. It always has.. It’s help me on my ailments but its always helped me think and have more insight on life and all good things.. My mother a stress case, has vaporized at times when her stress effects her thyroid and man does it feel good to see her more relaxed.. So some things the show talked about stress and anxiety etc.. I don’t believe that..Its been the opposite for me..Its help me become very productive under stressful conditions and I feel at harmony and I’m not a stoner.. So all the facts theses people keep on throwing out, one some of these people have never used it.. so they have no idea.. And yes some people don’t need it, just as some people do or don’t need other drugs.. Educate and keep marijuana off a schedule 1 prohibition, allow productive use of hemp for farmers and national resource and release people from jail…end the hyprocrisy..america and allow other countries to make their own decisions..

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  18. Kristen says:

    I’m an 18 year old female from Canada and I really do think it should be legalized for medicinal purposes. (It currently is in Canada but its almost impossible to find a doctor to prescribe it unless you live in BC) I suffer from major depressive disorder caused by generalized anxiety. (not very common, it’s usually the other way around.) So anxiety is my main problem and I’ve had t since I was about three years old. This also causes me to only get about 3 hours of sleep a night. I have been tried on the following medication: Ativan (perscribed when i was 14) Lectopam, Valium, Prozac, Celexa, Cipralex, Pristiq, Zoplicone, Trazadone, Seroquel and Zyprexa. The only medication that workjed out of all of those were the benzodiazipines (Ativan, Valium, Lectopam) all the rest made my anxity SO much worse. I actually had to call an ambulance TWICE when I was on Prozac because I was having such a horrible panic attack I was convinced I was having a heart attack and dying. 6 hours in the hospital and 40$ later they informed me I was having a panic attack and just gave me more ativan. Now the problem wth benzodiazipines is they are HIGLY addictive, dependance increases rapidly and they are harder to come off than heroin. Of course I diodnt know this when they were perscribed and took them exactly as my doctor told me “as neede” I had informed him that i need something nightly as I wasn’t sleeping more than 3 hours and i occasuionally needed something for my panic attacks during the day. So I was given ativan at night, and lectopam for the day. I had informed him of my needs and since he didn’t give me any warnings so I took them as often as I needed them which was everyday. At first they were great,m they were like my miracle, I was sleeping all night, I was able to get through school without freaking out and I could finally go to the movies and the mall. But very soon i started realizing the 0.5 mg dose (ativan) wasnt working as well
    my sleep started getting worse and i was havingmore and more panic attacks, I told my doctor and he said it would be ok to increase to 1mg so I did. Well after a few weeks the same thing started happening so I increased my does yet again. So by this past december (4 years later) I had risen from .5 mg of ativan a day to 8mg of ativan a day. I’d increased by 16 times and not for abuse purposes, I’d feel ‘normal’ I’d take 6 1mg pills , go hang outwith friends and no one would notice any differance except my meory was alot worse. If someone who had never used benzos before took 8 mg of ativan at once like I was doing to get to sleep, youd probably fell more drunk than you ever had in your life and then go into a coma for a while. I was addicted. Obviously I wasnt being perscribed 8mg a day so my supply would run out quite fast and then, the withdrawls would set in… Hearing voices, muscule spasms, seeing flashes of light, horrible panic attacks, insomnia, paranoia, delusions, lethargy, depression and suicidal idealization are only SOME of the many withdrawls symtomps I had. Benzodiazipine withdrawl syndrome can last up to 6 months or a year. I was done, my life was gone, my whole life revolved around sitting in bed taking benzo every few hours to ward off the horrible withdrawls. I was apethetic, I had no emotion anymore when I would take these things. Complete emotional indifference. I knew it had to end, I couldn’t live like this. Doctor after doctor told me itd hav e to go to a detox center and quit cold turkey. Yeah uhmm I was NOT about to do that. I tried to explain how i could not go through those withdrawls, id kill myself but none of the doctors seemed to realize how bad it was. You can DIE from quitting benzos cold turkey, and having that thought in the back of my brain would spiral my anxiety out of control if I just stopped taking them. They all seemed to thik i was just another druggie looking for my fix when i asked for a perscription to ween myself off. When I fonally found a doctor who was willing, thats exactly what I did. I still had withdrawls because i had to immediately cut down to 2 mg a day but not nearly as bad as cold turkey. My last benodiazipine was February 25th. Since then I’ve been smoking weed to contol my anxiety and get to sleep (I would use it before during my benzo use to aid in getting to sleep ect.) and it is probably the best thing I ever did. While on benzos I was too out of it to go to school (miss 3 straight months) Now im going everyday and have an 85% average I actually have emotions instead of feeling nothing, I havnt had a panic attacks in abut a month, and everynight I smoke weed I consitantly get along restful undisturbed sleep (benzo made me sleep but the sleep was anything BUT restful) So to the girl who says “weed causes anxiety” no, weed CAN cause anxiety, just like evryother medication out there for anxiety. In fact weed is l;ess likely to cause anxiety than most of the meications approved for use of it. Also it is not addictive. at all. Yeah if I don’t have some one day I’ll have my baseline anxiety but I wont be calling 911. I compare the withdrawls symptoms of cannabis to coffee, yeah it sucks if you don’t have it one day, but your not freaking out about it.

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  19. Sam Hancock says:

    I loved this till the end.. i completely disagree that marijuana sould not be used for anxiety. I have severe anxiety and through my years of illegal use of marijuana it has PROVEN to give me my life back! It is not ‘dangerous’ in any way! the only thing tha makes it dangerous is legislation! the KNOWN relaxing traits of marijuana help anxiety and depression for me tremendously! marijuana has taken away suicidal thoughts and made me able to function in society! I DON’T WANT TO BE A CRIMINAL ANYMORE!!!

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  20. Anonymous says:

    I loved it till the end also! .. i completely disagree marijuana sould not be used for anxiety& depression, PDSD too!!!!! I 100% AGREE about the addiction Hell addicton to crack,pain pills, and crystal meth are far more serious and deadly!PROVEN! ANd about my children so be it, I would simply tell them the same as the professionals on Dr.Oz Show, that it is a form of medication for some people and it is alright by me!!!!!!!! I beleive that drinking is far more dangerous.

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