[Vision2020] Cannabis: Debbie & Kai Misunderstand, It Seems

[Debbie Gray]

Ted,

Whew. Thanks for providing me such mind numbingly precise responses to
what you thought were my concerns. I am quite certain if you were talking
to me in person you. would. beeeeeeee. taaaaaaalking. verrrrrrry.
slowwwwwly. to make sure I understoooooood. your poinnnnt.

Though you have missed mine entirely.

So after running through my special DVD version of 'REEFER MADNESS' a few
times just to fuel my apparent ignorance, I will briefly spell out my
concerns (Canada notwithstanding)

1. there needs to be precise, controlled and UNBIASED trials on the
efficacy of marijuana (this just has not happened due to obvious
political/legal issues).

2. there needs to be precise, controlled and UNBIASED comparisons of
medicinal marijuana VS Marinol

3. I am NOT against the use of medicinal marijuana. You seem to be missing
that completely. I just think there should be more concrete research
available. Yes, we prescribe morphine and demarol and dilaudid and a
multitude of narcotic analgesics. But they HAVE been studied. Let me
repeat: I am NOT against the use of medicinal marijuana

4. I am against people using the umbrella of 'medicinal marijuana' to just
score their weekend jag. That's a whole different issue. Would you agree
on that? There is the 'medicinal marijuana prescribed by doctors' issue
and there is the 'legalize all marijuana' issue.

5. One argument is the high variability of marijuana's dosage levels of
THC and how can therapeutic levels be achieved? Plants are extremely
variable. 'Quality' of marijuana/THC levels is extremely variable. Only in
Marinol (or some future drug that hasn't been invented) are you able to
monitor closely the levels you want/need to be therapeutic. I see that
argument as very valuable. Who wants grandma with multiple sclerosis to
have to experiment with that? Let's see, yesterday I needed 2 joints to
achieve comfort or whatever. Today I seem to need 12. If I were a patient
who had been prescribed something so variable, that would definitely worry
me. It would be like going to a pharmacy and it being a crap shoot whether
your 'hydrocodone' prescription for root canal is effective or if it was a
particularly weak crop of hydrocodone soo.... take more!

6. It is not my position that medical professionals are debating the
legitimacy of the use of cannabinoids (though it seems they are, it's not
like they are all of one accord about this), it is my position that there
needs to be more solid research to guide the whole process (see #1 and #2
and #3 and #4 and #5). Also, you confused me because you said this:


>
> It seems that both Debbie Gray and Kai have misunderstood the current
> scientific status in the medical profession for the medical benefit and legal use of
> cannabinoids (found in cannabis) in medicine.  Correct me if I am wrong, both
> Debbie and Kai, but you both seem to be arguing that the medical profession is
> still debating the legitimacy of the use of cannabinoids for valid medical
> treatment in terms of whether the public should have prescribed access to
> cannabinoids under a doctors care?  Is this your position?

which seems to indicate that we have misunderstood that and the medical
profession is no longer debating this but then immediately after you say:

> While of course there is still debate about the use of cannabinoids, and
> further studies are called for, just as there is with many currently available


Ok, that confused me.

And again I will state that I am not against the use of medicinal
marijuana. Or did I forget to mention that already?

Also, this was interesting to me:

> Where does Health Canada's supply of marihuana come from?
>
> In December 2000, Health Canada contracted Prairie Plant Systems Inc. (PPS)
> to cultivate and produce a safe, standardized, homogenous supply of marihuana.

I am curious how Prairie Plant Systems is able to do that (and don't
bother, I've already looked at their homepage). Plants are living things,
that means they will vary. That means THC and other cannabinoid levels
will vary. And by setting up a system like that, isn't that going to
ensure that there will be a company or two that will 'corner the market'?
That seems like trouble ahead. Now maybe if marijuana were legal, that
could be avoided. but that is not the issue.  Also I ran across an article
that mentioned the possibility that medicinal marijuana might further
inhibit the immune system, thus HIV/AIDS patients might suffer unwanted
consequences.  I don't know the answers to these questions but it doesn't
seem like anyone has the definitive answers.

Well anyway, I have run out of steam because I have a giant headache and
have no access to some BC bud and need to go wrap birthday presents for my
little dude's birthday tomorrow.

BUT LET ME REITERATE just in case you missed it, Ted Moffett, I am not
against the use of medicinal marijuana. I am not questioning whether there
MIGHT be a medical benefit to using it. I just think there needs to be
more open and precise research other than some research and lots of
anecdotal evidence.

Debbie of the Throbbing Frontal Lobe

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  Debbie Gray      dgray at uidaho.edu
  We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned,
  so as to have the life that is waiting for us." --Joseph Campbell
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