Tag Archives: marijuana

Why Most American’s Have a Drug Addiction Problem

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Updated 22 January 2019, Marc Woodard

Why do I say most American’s have a drug use problem?

Drug chemical addictions aren’t all connected to illicit activity with potential to incarcerate someone.

To educate our children fully on unhealthy addiction habits, it is important for parents to also learn and share how the marketplace supplies hyper-palatable addictive food and drinks with chemical stimulants that appear harmless… but have the potential to lead to an illicit gateway drug and cause increased health risk.

To begin understanding this connection, let’s review the obvious first – illicit drug use and harm to society. Then look at how legal chemicals are hidden in food products that begin an addictive lifestyle habit starting at a young age. You may than deduce the legal – plus the illicit substance use in total is causing far more harm to society than what the latest data shows us. And that most Americans are addicted to some form of chemical stimulant or drug.

Looking at the DEA Drug Seizure statistics for 2010/2014, It shows the following drug confiscation data seized and measured in kilograms: Cocaine (30,061/33,770 kgs), Heroin (713/1,020kgs), Marijuana (725,862/74,225kgs), and Methamphetamine (2,224/2946 kgs), Hallucinogens (2,605,997/48,970 dosage units).

Illicit drug use is on the rise with the exception of Marijuana [likely to do with states legalization] and Hallucinogens [May be significantly declining – partly to do with States Marijuana legalization, easier access to pharmaceuticals and other drugs; and/or the table is pending DEA table update]. NOTE CY 2014 statistics are preliminary and subject to updating.

These numbers are indeed impressive drug seizure statistics. But, it is also acknowledged by all drug enforcement agencies that they only represent a fraction of what’s being used on the streets. So really, how do you quantify actual production and use of drugs under the radar? The answer is you can’t. For every person incarcerated and kilogram seized, many don’t get caught. The data only represents a fraction of what’s out there within the illicit drug market.

In 2010, national and state statistics information pertaining to drug use, addiction and drug abuse shows: 22.6 million Americans over the age of 12 have used illicit drugs within the last month of the survey being completed. The drug most used by 17.4 million individuals other than alcohol is marijuana; and then followed by painkillers, then hallucinogens and cocaine. Drug overdoses has risen 540% since 1980. Prescription drug abuse is up 500% since 1990. The cost to employer’s employee productivity from drug abuse is 122 billion dollars per year.

“In 2014, 27.0 million people aged 12 or older used an illicit drug in the past 30 days [an increase of ~4.5 million users from the 2010 data], ‘which corresponds to about 1 in 10 Americans (10.2 percent). This percentage in 2014 was higher than those in every year from 2002 through 2013. The illicit drug use estimate for 2014 continues to be driven primarily by marijuana use and the non-medical use of prescription pain relievers, with 22.2 million current marijuana users aged 12 or older … and 4.3 million people aged 12 or older who reported current non-medical use of prescription pain relievers.” (Hedden et al., 2015)

Addictive drug use data is used as a predictive indicator to determine future sales and potential earnings for other addictive consumables. For example, in knowing Americans spend an average of $90 billion dollars every year on alcoholic beverages has a percentage based relationship to alcohol and other mind altering substances related to automobile crashes and spousal abuse for example. These statistics are also very good predictors of other social and penal services needed for policing, intervention and incarceration services, programs, equipment and facilities resources.

For many children an alcohol experience begins at a very early stage in life. At the beginning of 2000, an estimated 7 million of our youth from 12 to 20 years old admitted to being drinkers. Another 6.4 million were admitted binge drinkers. Over 6 million children claimed to live with parents that have a drug addiction problem. 56% of students in grades 5 to 12 mention that advertising alcoholic beverages encourages them to drink.

In 2001, a survey showed 25 million Americans admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol and that 23% of our 18-25 year olds self admitted to this fact. Local law enforcement statistics shows us that ~2 million arrests nationwide are made each year due to driving under the influence. Although these statistical numbers are alarming, it would be more alarming because only a portion of alcohol abuse is recorded… many driving under the influence are not caught. The same is also true of national surveys; many alcoholics do not self-proclaim their alcohol use. But one statistic is pretty clear: the latest National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA 2017) shows 10,874 people were killed in vehicular alcohol related deaths. Now compare that number to a mid-size populated town and that statistic is alarming.

What is the impact to our economy regarding alcohol abuse? Approximately 100 million in health care costs. That does not include employment productivity losses, penal system costs, personal injury, property damage and intervention treatment, etc. Unemployed adults are found to be the highest percentage (12.2%) of drinkers between the ages of 26 through 34. Industrial injuries (47%) and fatalities (40%) are directly related to alcohol abuse.

Those predisposed to be addicts are not helped by the consumer marketplace. It doesn’t help when manufacturers knowingly spike our foods and drink with unnecessary food chemical stimulants for the sake of generating a profit. For example, adding more caffeine, nicotine, artificial sweeteners, etc., in concentrated doses is addictive. The only reason to do this is to cause a consumer habit beginning at a young age to crave a chemical dependency.

Lets take a look at a relevant addiction example that places an unfair financial burden on the health care system and nonsmokers. Every year smoking kills ~440,000 people through tobacco related illnesses and disease. That’s more Americans than the Vietnam and WWII casualties combined. In total, tobacco causes more than 5 million disease related deaths per year (lung, kidney, breast, pancreas, lymph, ovaries, larynx, mouth and neck cancer, etc.). Simply consider the medical costs to treat addiction, including long term illness and disease.

For every 1 person that dies from smoking tobacco, 20 more will suffer with a long-term illness (respiratory, immune, intestinal, organ failure etc.). The tobacco industry spends approximately $34 million dollars a day in advertising (2006 data). It’s no wonder roughly 1 in 5 high school students are addicted to tobacco and other chemical stimulants.

Another way to look at this data – legal product or not, we the parents pay the $34 million a day tobacco advertising bill that gets kids hooked to continue the habit. Then pay more in health care premiums and productivity losses when they get sick.

Here’s a good question to ask our legislative policy makers within the health care industry. Why can a tobacco business deduct an advertising expense that influences youth to smoke at earlier ages, costing everyone to pay higher health insurance premiums? We the non-smoking population should receive an incentive for not smoking and not contributing to the rise in health insurance premiums – but this is not the way it works. How’s that fair? Shouldn’t these manufactures pay the cost of those insurance premium hikes as a result of related illness, disease, death and loss of national productivity.

Moving on, let’s look at another harmful consumer habit. The food industry creates more caffeine and artificial sweetened food and drink addicts than all other legal and illicit drugs combined. By first targeting youth to seemingly harmless pick me up in the morning and energy boost products throughout the day – a new generation of stimulant craving addicts is born. One only has to think of the plethora of energy drinks and processed fast foods. These drinks and foods are loaded with caffeine, sugar, salt and other hyper-palatable chemicals that make you want more.

For example a Monster Energy XXL drink contains 4 times the average content of caffeine found within a can of soda (22-46 mg of caffeine). This energy drink contains 240 mg of caffeine. The 81 grams on average sugar content in these products also contribute to weight gain and obesity. And when the metabolism slows down and weight increases to unhealthy levels – often leads to anxiety and increased blood pressure, etc. It is also noted that once a consumer stops this habit withdraw symptoms occur: depression, lethargy, nausea, headaches and vomiting. Although daily doses up to 400mg of caffeine/day for most adults is OK (University of California), it is not healthy for nursing mothers, children and teens. Another noteworthy caffeine statistic: 50% of the population, or 150 million Americans drink coffee. Also, independent coffee shops alone equate to 12 billion in annual sales.

Some would argue these unseeingly harmless consumables are gateway addictions to illegal drug use. Whereas the legal stimulants no longer provide the feel good rush… the young consumer looks for something stronger to alleviate a depressed mind, body or spirit to normalize daily living experiences.

It appears most Americans young and old have very addictive consumer habits in general with regard to tobacco, alcohol, sugar and caffeine products including prescription and illegal drug use. Behavioral therapists know any hyper-palatable and mind altering product product can lead to addictive habits capable of changing behavior. And to change an unhealthy addiction habit may require medical treatment with counselling.

Many lives are lost and families destroyed when addictive habits take complete and utter control over a persons ability to change a destructive lifestyle course.

The consumer industries, market makers and government policy wonks understand how  legal consumer habits connect to illicit drug use and unhealthy behavioral habits – that increase health risks and costs taxpayers more. Unfortunately it is those addicted within the legal marketplace that have the greatest potential to cost the rest of us – and themselves their liberties, freedoms, health and potentially life

– And the number of people addicted to chemical substances is staggering beyond any statistics listed to date… And should be considered a near health epidemic that needs greater educational resources to reverse it’s course.

Author: Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, ARNG, CPT, RET. 2019 Copyright. All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Inc., www.mirrorathlete.org, Sign up for your Free eNewsletter.

References

Drug-Rehabs.org. Alcohol Statistics. http://www.drug-rehabs.org/alcohol-statistics.php

Hedden et al. SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). Behavioral Health Trends in the United States: Results from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. 2015. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-FRR1-2014/NSDUH-FRR1-2014.pdf

Michael’s House. Drug Addiction Facts and Statistics. http://www.michaelshouse.com/drug-addiction/drug-addiction-statistics/

MyAddiction.com. Tobacco, Smoking, and Nicotine Addiction Statistics and Facts. January 14, 2012. http://www.myaddiction.com/education/articles/tobacco_statistics.html

US Drug Enforement Administration. Statistics and Facts. https://www.dea.gov/domestic-drug-data

Wilkinson, J. Monster Energy Drink Addiction. Mar 7, 2011. http://www.livestrong.com/article/398579-monster-energy-drink-addiction/

Marijuana Addiction, Government & Industrial Greed

FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailWhen you digest the information I’ve provided within “Marijuana Addiction “Lay Your Bet! Part 1,” See MAE HealthBlog, www.mirrorathlete.org.  One can only assume, the government is more concerned about retaining control and power over the people.  Let me provide you some interesting information with regard to Marinol (HMO Legal cannabis oil prescription).  A month supply costs the patient, or your HMO health provider $300-500 per month.  Also, the 13 states that allow medical marijuana scripts with a state approved medicinal marijuana card allow patients to grow a specified number of plants per year for harvest and personal use.  If you do not want to grow your own script, you can purchase the THC in food products, or purchase cannabis by the ounce for a fraction of HMO legal Marinol through state sanctioned medical marijuana distribution centers.  Currently, our federal government does not recognize “voter approved” states rights to distribute medical marijuana.  I believe this is because the federal government has not figured out how to control the revenues, which not done correctly will have a diminishing impact on their power and control base.  Or is it our government is concerned about our children’s potential addiction through access of our parents legalized medical marijuana scripts, or recreational health risks, or is it more in line to say, “It’s all about the money!”  Let’s continue the money, control and power assessment of what’s really going on here.

Marijuana consumption does not appear to be dwindling in use, per “The Street and journal reviews.”   I’ve talked with many parents about this issue, received mixed reviews, but on the whole parents accept the notion that legalization of marijuana for use by chronic pain patients should be a voter approved statewide mandate recognized by the federal government as intended by congress passing of the Compassionate Use Act, 1996 and revisions thereafter (see MAE Marijuana Use, Pain Benefits, Part 1).  Aside from state legal medical marijuana use many believe marijuana should be legalized for recreational use, much like alcohol (a social drug with NO medicinal property and HUGE health risks).   Then those that did become addicts could receive help and support much like an alcoholic and prescription addict receives state and health insurance covered rehabilitation and cessation services.

Alcohol and cigarettes have caused more damage to families and societies overall health than our government will ever admit.  To allow a drug to enter the market legally without full government control would begin “a shrinking” of the federal power base by giving too much control back to the people, such as we see in the struggle to bring medical marijuana to market.  Be patient, I will explain this concept very soon.   Please do take a little time and do your due diligence to see what’s going on in the world around you with regard to the legalization of marijuana.  Don’t take my word or insight as gospel with what you are about to read, instead use this insight to “incite” your curiosity and further educate yourself on these matters.  If marijuana was legalized as a recreational drug much like alcohol, I fear much crime, unnecessary deaths, overcrowded jails, addiction, etc., to include tax payer burden for rehabilitative support programs would still occur, “but I believe significantly less than if the drug was fully legalized!”  Yes, you heard me right.  My educated insight tells me if marijuana was legal and regulated much like alcohol many problems in our country would be significantly reduced.  And if you are wondering, as I stated in my medical marijuana MAE video, “I have not requested a medical marijuana card from my Oregon physician as part of my pain management program, although I could; I see no reason at this time to do so.

You see if an individual is bent on self destruction, or is predisposed to become addicted to a drug… This will occur regardless of whether cannabis is widely accepted and legalized as a recreational drug, or solely legalized and distributed as medical marijuana.  This is because children and adults will find a legal or illegal drug when they need to find relief from their stress realities and justify bad behavior through intoxication.  The biggest problem in self medication with recreational drugs (legal, or not), we don’t know whom among us is genetically wired to become addicted to any specific substance, “including prescription medications, tobacco or alcohol!”

Let’s not mince words here, although I’m speaking from a pain patient perspective where I see benefits based on science, the fact is cannabis medicinal properties have been known for thousands of years.  However,   have the potential for addiction, much like our prescription pain killers, alcohol, or tobacco.  Why our federal government released prohibition of alcohol in the early twentieth century as a social recreational drug as opposed to cannabis, which has medicinal properties, one can only speculate the interest in one legalized social, or prescribed drug versus the other, which I feel I know the answer to my own question.  Quite the opposite health effect is true of alcohol; it causes much illness, disease and destruction within our minds, bodies, employment, family and society at large where much statistical information proves this fact.  Marijuana use statistics on the other hand are literally unknown since this is not a general population “legal” consumption drug.  Recreational Marijuana negative impact on society and personal health can only be statistically known once legalized for the general population.

I believe alcohol like cigarettes and marijuana can be very addicting, very profitable and can be easily controlled by our state and federal agencies, “with the exception of cannabis.”  “With all the scientific evidence regarding alcohol and cigarette use health risks, addiction, societal and family harm, why are they not banned from public consumption?” “Or better yet, why not controlled like our legal pharmaceuticals if there is a health benefit-risk aspect?”  After all, when you pick up drug prescriptions at a pharmacy, why are they so concerned about how much you take, while consulting the risks and symptoms to watch out for if you experience a negative reaction?  Since you are not asked specific health questions before you purchase alcohol and cigarettes, does this mean there is no immediate health risk?

Do you get these kinds of questions when you walk into a liquor store to pick up your products… Or when you’re in a bar, does the bar tender ask you if you have a heart, diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol condition, etc., before he/she pours your drink?  Is it just me, or is this all fickle?  And why is it so easy for our children to become alcoholics, or pot heads?  I believe this is an easy question to answer. Alcohol in general is accepted as the gold standard recreational drug while marijuana is tolerated as a recreational closet drug.  Remember, there’s big potential money here for our government if they can figure out how to control recreational use marijuana, much like what’s happening with medical marijuana.  Why do you think marijuana possession and confiscation of miniscule amounts have very low conviction and mostly civil penalties?  Or do you honestly believe just because one drug is accepted by our government for sale to the general population it’s better for you? 

Many of our high school and college students are allowed by many adults to party hardy to relieve stress.  Don’t parental and societal role model actions speak louder than words?  What do most American adults and teenagers consume in one form or another as a recreational drug of choice (prescription drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana).  Since this appears to be the case, it is very important to understand marijuana will eventually receive full regulation and control by our state and federal governments as they are drooling over a potential multi-billion dollar industry to fatten their coffers, much like alcohol and tobacco has done to grow government services (jobs).  Does it not sound like a money thing to you yet?  “If it doesn’t, it soon will.”  Does it not sound like a nice budgetary balance sheet and debt reducer catering to thousands of government jobs and/or more tax revenues that are controlled by our legislators leading to bigger government?  Examples, FDA (Food & Drug Administration), DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), FTC (Federal Trade Commission), ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives) to name a few and countless other government organizations in existence that want a piece of the action.  Or better yet, new jobs yet to be created by the government.

Come on, let’s be real and smell the money trail.   If cannabis was legalized “wholly” many government jobs would disappear and new ones would appear, hence government control and power shift.  Does it appear our government cares about our children’s marijuana addiction and health probabilities?  No, unfortunately it appears our government is concerned about programs to fatten coffers, grow government jobs, control, regulate and provide penal and other tax-based industrial services while lining pockets of our politicians and special interest groups!  How else am I supposed to see our government’s activities and behaviors regarding any government sponsored, or controlled program, or service?  Think about it, if we become addicted to any drug, legal or not, we pay a price through our societal government controlled systems.  Who pays for the addiction, criminal and penal services?  We the tax payer!

Reviewing addiction studies, predictable behavioral patterns are statistically derived in part from alcohol, tobacco, prescription drug sales, DUI arrests and fatalities, AA support group attendance, incarceration, cessation programs, depression medications, battery drug related arrests, etc., we “the consumer” unknowingly provide the government annual data to forecast a budget.  Many state and federal appropriated dollars are used and paid by the tax payer for these governments owned and controlled services.  This is not so easy to accomplish with cannabis as statistics cannot forecast and justify government tax paid marijuana services to regulate and control recreational marijuana.   In part, this is true because medical marijuana users can grow their own prescription taking away the government’s ability to control and regulate the proceeds of a multi-billion dollar industry.  And if they cannot figure out how to capture and control the revenues, they will not fully legalize marijuana because some government tax payer services may become unnecessary, may be reduced in scope, political power shift wars within government, or shift a balance of power back to the people!

If voters and legislation fail to pass other tax increases to keep government growing and states out of debt, the marijuana lobbyists will continue to capture the attention of politicians, the tax payer and voter.  California is now considering the legalization of marijuana as it nears bankruptcy.  So you can’t honestly tell me you still believe our government restricts recreational marijuana because it is concerned about our children’s health and addiction possibilities!  Or medical marijuana has no medicinal benefit and pain patients should be thrown into jail.  This is ridiculous!  If you believe this, then you should believe anyone in the possession of alcohol should be incarcerated as well!  Remember, in the early 20th century both were used as recreational drugs.  The biggest reason alcohol made the recreational drug use cut is because our government figured out how to control and regulate the money while growing government (Legal history of cannabis in the United States, “Prohibition of cannabis arose in many states from 1906 and onward,” www.wikipedia.org ).

A multi-billion dollar cannabis industry will create less need for “status quo” government services (e.g., fewer incarcerated jail services, policing,  border drug trafficking-smuggling activity, reduced deaths & investigation related to drug trafficking; including less government cash cow industry sales: Alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceuticals, less DEA & ATF services etc.).  These shifts are certain to happen as our government is slowly losing power and control over states rights.  I believe the cannabis industry and Universal health care must be controlled by the federal government in order to maintain its power base due to an inevitable global power base shift.  The legalization of recreational marijuana without federal control would definitely create a downsizing of federal services; while increasing the size of state power and control back to the people!

 

I believe the governments interest to control and gain power over the cannabis industry has nothing to do with concern for any child that may become addicted, or suffer from any illness, or disease caused by marijuana, “this I’d lay a bet I’m right.”  Instead the governments concern is “how can we control and regulate a product that can be grown on the resident’s property?”  If this is the case how will the government fully legalize recreational marijuana when it understands this means reduced government taxed based dollars, fewer required federal government services, hence power control shift back to the people and state?

 

Author:  Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, USA Medical Services Officer, CPT, RET.  2009 Copyright, All rights reserved.  Mirror Athlete Enterprises Publishing @: www.mirrorathlete.org, Sign up for your free eNewsletter.

Medical Marijuana & Pain Relief, Scientific Support Data

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail    Below are citations with appropriate references to give credit to those that have provided medical marijuana research data information with unique supporting and correlated data.  It appears obvious, or apparent within these controlled studies and citations, cannabis shows a unique medicinal composition with unique pain blocking properties that could replace in part, or whole other pain management prescriptions without the additional pharmaceutical health risks.  Standard prescription medications or outpatient services that ease pain, spasms and inflammation may be accomplished through medical marijuana use at a fraction of the cost.  The Compassionate Use Act, 1996 was established to provide physicians the ability to recommend chronic pain patients medical marijuana at first for cancer patients.  Through years of research science is seeing a whole range of potential use for cannabis as an alternative treatment for many types of chronic pain disease.

“Persistent and disabling pain can have numerous and sometimes multiple causes, including cancer; AIDS; sickle cell anemia; glaucoma, cancer, shingles, multiple sclerosis; defects or injuries to the back, neck and spinal cord; arthritis and other rheumatic and degenerative hip, joint and connective tissue disorders; and severe burns.  Pain is not a primary condition or injury, but rather a severe, frequently intolerable symptom that varies in frequency, duration, and severity according to the individual (Chronic Pain and Medical Marijuana, ASA PDF Brochure# 888-929-436.  See end of article for brochure details).”

“A recent study conducted at University of California at Davis, 17 April 2008, 38 patients experiencing neuropathic pain from varying diseases; diabetes, spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic pain, HIV/AIDS-related neuropathy, etc., were given marijuana cigarettes, some patients with zero% THC, 3.5% and 7%.  Students through each session took the same number of puffs to ensure uniformity.  Thereafter, it was determined marijuana reduced pain intensity significantly over a 5 hour period/per trial.  It should also be noted, memory tests and cognitive skills appeared to decline, but not more, or less significantly than narcotic pain killers (Complete Study, Contact MPP “Marijuana Policy Project Director of communications Bruce Mirken, 202-215-4205, or visit http://MarijuanaPolicy.org).”

“The smoking of cannabis, even long term, is not harmful to health….”  So began a 1995 editorial statement of Great Britain’s leading medical journal, The Lancet.  The long history of human use of cannabis also attests to its safety—nearly 5,000 years of documented use without a single death.”

“Substances similar to or derived from marijuana could benefit more than 97 million Americans who experience some form of pain each year (U.S. Society for Neuroscience, 1997).”

“The role that cannabis can play in treating chronic pain.  After nausea and vomiting, chronic pain was the condition cited most often to the IOM (Institute of Medicine) study team as a medicinal use for marijuana.”The study found that “basic biology indicates a role for cannabinoids [a group of compounds found in cannabis] in pain and control of movement, which is consistent with a possible therapeutic role in these areas. The evidence is relatively strong for the treatment of pain and intriguingly, although less well established, for movement disorder (Commissioned Study by the White House, by the Institute of Medicine, 1999).”

“Inhaled cannabis provides almost immediate relief with significantly fewer adverse effects than orally ingested Marinol (the only legal THC hemp extract pharmaceutical, DEA Class III authorized drug schedule prescription).  Inhalation allows the active compounds in cannabis to be absorbed into the blood stream with greater speed and efficiency. It is for this reason that inhalation is an increasingly common, and often preferable, route of administration for many medications.

“One problem with cannabinoids is that they are very fat-soluble, so that makes them very difficult to formulate the drugs into pills or injections.  One way that’s being looked at by some pharmaceutical companies is using the kind of inhaler that asthma sufferers use.” Smoking is obviously a big health hazard and scientists are looking at ways of delivering the drug to the body (ASA Americans for Safe Access, www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org).”

“Cannabis may also be more effective than Marinol because it contains many more cannabinoids than just the THC that is Marinol’s active ingredient. The additional cannabinoids may well have additional and complementary antiemetic (effective against vomiting and nausea) qualities. They have been conclusively shown to have better pain-control properties when taken in combination than THC alone (U.S. Society for Neuroscience Conclusion).”

    “The Compassionate Use Act passed in 1996 expressly provides that “chronic pain” is a condition for which physicians are authorized to recommend marijuana without threat or fear of punishment for providing a full range of treatment modalities to care for patients in pain.  However, Federal policy on medical cannabis is filled with contradictions.  Cannabis is a Schedule I drug, classified as having no medicinal value and a high potential for abuse, yet its most psychoactive component, THC, is legally available as Marinol and is listed in DEA Drug Schedule III Classification for physician prescriptions.  For those that don’t know, Class III prescriptions fall under the same legal prescribed DEA classification, such as Tylenol.  To add insult to injury an average month supply of Marinol will cost you ~$500.00.  A medical marijuana script-license provides you the right to produce and self medicate without the outrageous cost to alleviate chronic pain but has a double jeopardy possibility of imprisonment at the federal government’s discretion!  Is the government trying to figure out a way to make money by controlling a multi-billion dollar industry at the expense of suffering people in pain?  How much lower could we stoop as a nation?

    Currently, laws that effectively remove state-level criminal penalties for growing and/or possessing medical cannabis are in place in Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.  Thirty-six states have symbolic medical cannabis laws (laws that support medical cannabis but do not provide patients with legal protection under state law).  Reference,  Compassionate Use Act, 1996 – Key organizations; Drug Enforcement Administration, (DEA) Federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Americans For Safe Access (ASA).

“By comparison, the side effects associated with cannabis are typically mild and are classified as “low risk.” Euphoric mood changes are among the most frequent side effects. Cannabinoids can exacerbate schizophrenic psychosis in predisposed persons. Cannabinoids impede cognitive and psychomotor performance, resulting in temporary impairment. Chronic use can lead to the development of tolerance. Tachycardia and hypotension are frequently documented as adverse events in the cardiovascular system. A few cases of myocardial ischemia have been reported in young and previously healthy patients. Inhaling the smoke of cannabis cigarettes induces side effects on the respiratory system. Cannabinoids are contraindicated for patients with a history of Cardiac ischemia.  In summary, a low risk profile is evident from the literature available. Serious complications are very rare and are not usually reported during the use of cannabinoids for medical indications (Chronic Pain and Medical Marijuana, ASA PDF Brochure# 888-929-4367).”

“Institute of Medicine, “Nausea, appetite loss, pain and anxiety… All can be mitigated by marijuana… For patients, such as those with AIDS or undergoing chemotherapy, who suffer simultaneously from severe pain, nausea, and appetite loss, cannabinoid drugs might offer broad spectrum relief not found in any other single medication (Marijuana and Medicine; Assessing the Science Base, 1999).”

“Where morphine fails, marijuana may work. That’s the major finding of British research into the pain caused by nerve injuries, a pain known to be somewhat resistant to morphine and similar drugs that are the gold standard for treating just about any other kind of serious pain.  It’s known that if you injure a nerve, the morphine receptors in the spinal cord disappear and that’s probably why morphine isn’t a very effective pain killer for such conditions as shingles, people who have had an amputation or perhaps if cancer has invaded the spinal cord (Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Report & London’s Imperial College, Andrew Rice).”

“One of marijuana’s greatest advantages as a medicine is its remarkable safety. It has little effect on major physiological functions.  There is no known case of a lethal overdose; on the basis of Animal models, the ratio of lethal to effective dose is estimated as 40,000 to 1. By comparison, the ratio is between 3 and 50 to 1 for Secobarbital and between 4 and 10 to 1 for ethanol. Marijuana is also far less addictive and far less subject to abuse than many drugs now used as muscle relaxants, hypnotics, and analgesics.

The Chief legitimate concern is the effect of smoking on the lungs. Cannabis smoke carries even more tars and other particulate matter than tobacco smoke. But the amount smoked is much less, especially in medical use.  The technology Dr. Grinspoon imagined in 1995 now exists in the form of “vaporizers,” which are widely available through stores and by mail order.   (Journal of the American Medical Association, Lancet editorial, Dr. Lester Grinspoon, 1995).”

“There is indeed great concern in the medical community about the need to find better pain relief for damaged nerves, but that progress is being made (Dr. Kenneth Mackie, an associate professor in anesthesiology and physiology at the University of Washington in Seattle).”

“The use of medical cannabis has been endorsed by numerous professional organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Public Health Association, and the American Nurses Association. Its use is supported by such leading medical publications as The New England Journal of Medicine and the Lancet.”

    Although I’ve cited main points on pain relief through cannabis use, there is much more information with regard to the legality, use, risk and benefits of such use.  I found this brochure (referenced below) very informative where I decided it and other scientific references would be best to highlight cannabis information in a citation format.  I highly recommend you read this report in its entirety if you believe cannabis use would benefit your chronic pain problem.  Below I’ve left references for you to further your research on the topic.

Most of the citations I listed above can be found in (Chronic Pain and Medical Marijuana Brochure#888-929-4367) put out by ASA (Americans for Safe Access), Free PDF report file: http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/pain_brochure.pdf.  Brochure# 888-929-4367, ASA).

You can also make inquiries by mail to: Americans for Safe Access (ASA), 1322 Webster Street, Suite 402, Oakland, California 94612.  Visit their home page for much more information on current medical marijuana use, advocacy, dispensaries, legislation, etc., at www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org, or call ASA @ 1-888-929-4367.

    Be sure to check with your state public health division laws to find out more about medical marijuana use, grow site & use rights… e.g., possible zoning grow site, use, geography restrictions, limitations, etc.   State reciprocity, card issue and federal- state law use conflicts, etc.

 Author:  Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, USA Medical Services Officer, CPT, RET.  2009 Copyright, All rights reserved.  Mirror Athlete Enterprises Publishing @: www.mirrorathlete.org, Sign up for your free eNewsletter.