http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=170185 Most Docs OK With Medical Marijuana: Survey WEDNESDAY, May 29 (HealthDay News) -- Three-quarters of doctors who responded to a survey about medical marijuana said they would approve the use of the drug to help ease pain in an older woman with advanced breast cancer. In a February issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, doctors were presented with a case vignette, as well as arguments both for and against the use of medical marijuana. Doctors were then asked to decide whether or not they would approve such a prescription for this patient. The results now appear in the May 30 edition of the journal. Seventy-six percent of the 1,446 doctors who responded said they would give the woman a prescription for medical marijuana. Many cited the possibility of alleviating the woman's symptoms as a reason for approving the prescription. "The point of the vignette was to illustrate the kinds of patients that show up on our doorstep who need help. This issue is not one you can ignore, and some states have already taken matters into their own hands," said Dr. J. Michael Bostwick, a professor of psychiatry at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Bostwick wrote the "pro" side for the survey, but said he could've written the "con" side as well, because there are valid arguments on both sides of the issue. "There are no 100 percents in medicine. There's a lot of anecdotal evidence that this is something we should study more. Forgive the pun, but there's probably some fire where there's smoke, and we should investigate the medicinal use of marijuana or its components," Bostwick said. Marijuana comes from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. It's a dry, shredded mix of the plant's leaves, flowers, stems and seeds. It can be smoked as a cigarette or in a pipe, or it can be added to certain foods, such as brownies. The case presented to the doctors was Marilyn, a 68-year-old woman with breast cancer that had spread to her lungs, chest cavity and spine. She was undergoing chemotherapy, and said she had no energy, little appetite and a great deal of pain. She had tried various medications to relieve her pain, including the narcotic medication oxycodone. She lives in a state where the use of medical marijuana is legal, and asks her physician for a prescription. Dr. Bradley Flansbaum, a hospitalist at Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York City, said he sided with the majority for this particular case. "I think there's some context that needs to be considered," Flansbaum said. "This was a woman with stage 4 cancer who wasn't responding to [anti-nausea medications]. I'm not saying let's legalize marijuana, but this is a woman at the end of her life, so what's the downside, given that there might be a benefit. In a different situation, medical marijuana might not be so well embraced." For his part, Bostwick said that while he approved the use of medical marijuana in this case, he feels it's important that the prescription of marijuana as medicine only be done within the confines of an already-established doctor-patient relationship. "My concern is doctors who see someone once and give them a prescription for medical marijuana. That's bad medicine," Bostwick said. While many physicians felt as if there was no harm in allowing the breast cancer patient to try marijuana to see if it helped, Dr. Gary Reisfield, who co-wrote the "against" side for survey, expressed concern about a patient with lung disease smoking marijuana. "Marijuana smoke irritates the airways," he said. The smoke can also cause airway inflammation and symptoms of bronchitis, and decreases the ability of the lungs to fight off fungal and bacterial infections, said Reisfield, chief of pain management services at the University of Florida's department of psychiatry. What's more, marijuana isn't as safe a drug as many believe it to be. "Heavy marijuana use is associated with numerous adverse health and societal outcomes including psychomotor, memory and executive function impairments; marijuana use disorders; other psychiatric conditions such as psychosis; poor school and work performance and impaired driving performance," he said. Many of the physicians who responded pointed out that drugs already approved and in use also have the potential for addiction, such as narcotics. "Similar arguments could be made against alcohol, opiates and stimulants," Bostwick said. For his part, Reisfield pointed out that there are two FDA-approved prescription cannabinoid pills -- dronabinol (Marinol) and nabilone (Cesamet) -- that don't begin working as quickly as smoked marijuana, but provide longer symptom relief without the high of marijuana. They also don't appear to have any addictive properties, he said. What many doctors would like to see, according to the survey, is more evidence on the use of marijuana as medicine, so they could make a better-informed decision one way or the other. There are a few points in this article I could argue against- Like the "without the high of marijuana" for Marinol. Marinol can get you high, but without the CBD to balance the synthetic THC, the high is not always that pleasant! But the fact that more doctors are supporting the use of cannabis, is a good thing! Activism reminder- Maybe it is time for YOU to print up a few "interesting" abstracts from "Granny Storm Crow's List" and send them (anonymously?) to your doctor with a note saying "More in "Granny Storm Crow's List" online!" Here are some good ones to use- A molecular link between the active component of marijuana and Alzheimer's disease pathology. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17140265 Cannabidiol as a novel inhibitor of Id-1 gene expression in aggressive breast cancer cells. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18025276 Delta9-Tetrahydrocannabinol inhibits epithelial growth factor-induced lung cancer cell migration in vitro as well as its growth and metastasis in vivo. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17621270?dopt=Abstract CANNABIDIOL INHIBITS ANGIOGENESIS BY MULTIPLE MECHANISMS http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22624859 Cannabidiol Attenuates Cardiac Dysfunction, Oxidative Stress, Fibrosis, and Inflammatory and Cell Death Signaling Pathways in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21144973 \nAn ultra-low dose of tetrahydrocannabinol provides cardioprotection. (abst – 2013) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23537701 Nonpsychoactive Cannabidiol Prevents Prion Accumulation and Protects Neurons against Prion Toxicity http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17804615 Antibacterial cannabinoids from Cannabis sativa: a structure-activity study. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18681481 Mortality Within the First 2 Years in Infants Exposed to Cocaine, Opiate, or Cannabinoid During Gestation http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9200364 Natural Cannabinoids Improve Dopamine Neurotransmission and Tau and Amyloid Pathology in a Mouse Model of Tauopathy. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23478312 [SIZE=12pt]I have given you just the links to the 1 page PubMed abstracts, but in most cases if your doc goes to PubMed, there is a link to the full study. A first-class stamp will usually send 5 pages of paper, print both sides of the paper, slap then into an envelope, address it, put a stamp on, and send it off! You are now an activist! [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt] Wasn't that easy? [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE] Granny [SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE]
Thanks Granny. They need to step up their game a bit though. "Marijuana comes from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. It's a dry, shredded mix of the plant's leaves, flowers, stems and seeds. It can be smoked as a cigarette or in a pipe, or it can be added to certain foods, such as brownies." Somebody give them some dank, preferably with a high CBD.
Like I said, I wasn't too happy with the accuracy of some of their points, but the main point, the acceptance by doctors is GREAT! Unfortunately, the reporter, Serena Gordon, does not have one of those links to email her, or she would be getting a copy of my List! And a bit of education, "Granny-style"! lol Granny
Sorry Granny but I don't share your enthusiasm for the doctors change of heart. My read is that they are willing to give medical cannabis to a woman with one foot in the grave after they have exhausted all the "care" they can give. And only to ease her pain, not to cure. Even worse, 24% weren't even willing to ease that pain. How sick is that?
Yeah some of these doctor's supposed "analysis" about Cannabis seems like bullshit, the same bullshit that has been repeated over from anti-drug websites. Erowid is far more informative and detest against falsity myths, it's great that it's getting accepted in the medical community but apart from that, it's still propaganda being spread out.
Look at it from another point of view. Ten or fifteen years ago those number would have been reversed. This article would have read only 24% would be willing to prescribe cannabis to ease their patients' pain.
Thanks for the info bro!! Makes me feel more at ease cause I'm going to get a renewal on my medical marijuana certification Saturday!! No big deal but kewl to read.... thanks!! THTstonedGUY
I do realize that the numbers are encouraging but my soul seering rage at the oncology profession and my front row seat to watch Mom die doesn't go away that easily. They have much to atone for.
Certainly soon it will be to 80% then 85% then 90% and so on... We are heading to a new age where cannabis is accepted and legalized cross your fingers folks we are heading back to the 70's!!!