Questions for Physicians
Before you consider recommending marijuana to your patients
Those working to prevent the use of illicit drugs do not support the smoking of marijuana or any other substance for medicinal purposes. Marijuana is a drug of abuse and its increased potency over the past 15 years of made it the leading cause of drug-related emergency room episodes.
The recent IOM report concluded that there is no scientific evidence that smoked marijuana provides any advantage over currently available medicine including oral THC (dronabinol). Recent ballot initiatives allow for the medicinal use of marijuana for a wide range of undocumented medical ailments. For physicians who live in states that intend to implement medicinal marijuana laws in defiance of federal and international drug statutes and treaties, we would ask that they consider the following questions:
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Is the potential recipient of smoked marijuana already addicted to marijuana or other psychoactive and addictive drugs and has a substance abuse evaluation been made? If so, would it be ethical to suggest that the patient use/continue to use addictive substances?
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Is there documentation that the patient has had no success using conventional medications to treat his or her ailment?
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The potency of marijuana varies significantly, depending on the hybrid and how it was grown. What is the potency of the marijuana that the patient wants to use and will it be free of microbial contaminants?
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Before suggesting that a patient smoke marijuana for any condition, have you considered pulmonary function testing, periodic random drug testing for illegal drugs, evaluation of immune status, presence of any super infection?
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Considering that marijuana contains more carcinogens than tobacco, and has side effects which include impaired perception, increased heart rate, and anxiety, has the patient been advised of the many adverse consequences associated with the use of marijuana and warned not to operate a vehicle or any dangerous machinery for at least 24 hours after smoking one joint of 3.5% THC?
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Unlike FDA approved therapeutic drugs, scientific findings on marijuana, its side effects, and its interaction with other drugs are not listed in the Physicians Desk Reference. Have you examined the more than 12,500 scientific studies on marijuana to determine whether any of these studies address the interaction of marijuana with other medications the patient might be taking? What potency marijuana was used in these tests? What potency marijuana is the patient planning on using?
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Will you advise your patients that marijuana is more carcinogenic than tobacco and should not be used around children or in public places to avoid problems associated with second hand smoke?
- Will you advise your patients that marijuana is a potent drug and should be kept out of the reach of children, in a childproof container?
Source: North West Center for Health and Safety, PORTLAND
QUESTIONS GOVERNING THE USE OF SMOKED MARIJUANA AS A MEDICINE
Drug Watch International and the International Drug Strategy Institute do not support the smoking of marijuana or any other substance for medicinal purposes. Marijuana is a dangerous drug, and its increased potency over the past 15 years has made it a leading cause of drug-related emergency room episodes. The recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) report in the United States concluded there is no scientific evidence that smoked marijuana provides any advantage over currently available medicine, including synthetic oral THC (tetrahydrocannabinol- dronabinol). The report only discussed trial use of marijuana for short-term use, less than six months, and did not support use for glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, or other chronic medical conditions.
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Dick Cowan of NORML is on record as saying:
"..the key to it is medical access ..once you have hundreds of thousands of people using marijuana medically the whole scam is going to be bought .. we'll get medical use then we'll get full legalisation. Medical marijuana is our strongest suit. It is our point of leverage which will move us towards full legalisation of marijuana for personal use."
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