Tag Archives: medical marijuana

Most Docs Would Prescribe Marijuana to Cancer Patient

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“The vast majority of doctors would prescribe medical marijuana to ease the pain of an older woman suffering from advanced breast cancer, according to a survey conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

In its February edition, the NEJM presented its readers with a hypothetical scenario of 68-year old patient named “Marilyn” whose breast cancer had metastasized to her lung and spine. Marilyn, who lives in a state where medical marijuana is legal, asked her primary care doctor if using marijuana would alleviate her chronic pain, nausea and fatigue.

The results of the online survey, published in the May 30 edition of the NEJM, found that 76 percent of the 1,446 doctors who responded would give Marilyn a prescription for medical marijuana.”

More: http://americannewsreport.com/nationalpainreport/most-docs-would-prescribe-marijuana-to-cancer-patient-8820152.html

Most Docs OK With Medical Marijuana: Survey – MedlinePlus

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“Majority would give a prescription to an advanced cancer patient in pain.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.

….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.”

More: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137301.html

Survey: 76 percent of doctors approve of medical marijuana use – CBS

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“A majority of doctors would approve the use of medical marijuana, according to a new survey.”

“”We were surprised by the outcome of polling and comments, with 76 percent of all votes in favor of the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes — even though marijuana use is illegal in most countries,” the survey’s authors wrote.

The results appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine on May 30. It included responses from 1,446 doctors from 72 different countries and 56 different states and provinces in North America. In addition, 118 doctors posted comments about their decision on the survey.

Doctors who said they would prescribe it talked a lot about the responsibility of caregivers to help minimize their patients suffering, their patients’ personal choice and the known dangers of prescription narcotics and painkillers. They also pointed out knowledge of personal cases where marijuana was able to help patients.”

More: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57587129/survey-76-percent-of-doctors-approve-of-medical-marijuana-use/

Medical Marijuana: 76% Of Doctors Would Prescribe It, Poll Finds – HUFFPOST

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“Three out of four doctors would prescribe marijuana to a patient who was experiencing pain from cancer, according to the results of a poll published in the New England Journal of Medicine.”

Doctors Medical Marijuana

Most Docs OK With Medical Marijuana: Survey – US News and World Report

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“Majority would give a prescription to an advanced cancer patient in pain. 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.”

“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.

“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.”

More: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2013/05/29/most-docs-ok-with-medical-marijuana-survey

Most docs OK with medical marijuana, survey says – MedicalXpress

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“Majority would give a prescription to an advanced cancer patient in pain.”

Most docs OK with medical marijuana: survey

 

 

 

 

“(HealthDay)—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.”

More: http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-docs-medical-marijuana-survey.html

Melissa Etheridge: Pot got me through – CNN

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Singer Melissa Etheridge became <a href='http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/16/ac360.etheridge/index.html'>an advocate for the use of medical marijuana</a> after her 2004 breast cancer diagnosis. She's one of several stars who have battled cancer or been affected by the disease. 
 

“(CNN) — My friends have always told me that rock stardom was wasted on me.

To them it seemed that being a rock star was a free ticket to debauchery. It was sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, and I was only taking advantage of two. Drugs were not a part of my rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. I wasn’t even much of a drinker. I have never thrown up from being over intoxicated.

What kind of rock star is that? I had certainly encountered drugs during the ’80s, mostly cocaine, but nothing about grinding my teeth and rambling on about myself appealed to me. During the ’90s, I smoked an occasional joint. Those were usually fun social occasions. My work was a drug-free zone.

Then in 2004, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The chemotherapy that was prescribed was called “dose dense”: a harsher, stronger chemo than the usual because I had the benefit of not having to work during the treatment. My close friends told me that, as an alternative, medical marijuana was a natural way to help with the excruciating side effects of chemo.

It worked. The entire experience changed my life. It opened my mind to a new way of thinking about my body, my health and the future.

This herb, this weed that is so strong it grows wild by the side of the road, has always been with us. In ancient times it was highly regarded and has even been found in tombs. It has even been put forth from some biblical scholars that Jesus may have used cannabis oil to heal.” 

Melissa Etheridge

Melissa Etheridge
 
 

Melissa Etheridge: Pot changed my life, singer advocates legalization of marijuana

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WPTV Melissa Etheridge
 

“My friends have always told me that rock stardom was wasted on me.

To them it seemed that being a rock star was a free ticket to debauchery. It was sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, and I was only taking advantage of two. Drugs were not a part of my rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. I wasn’t even much of a drinker. I have never thrown up from being over intoxicated.

What kind of rock star is that? I had certainly encountered drugs during the ’80s, mostly cocaine, but nothing about grinding my teeth and rambling on about myself appealed to me. During the ’90s, I smoked an occasional joint. Those were usually fun social occasions. My work was a drug-free zone.

Then in 2004, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The chemotherapy that was prescribed was called “dose dense”: a harsher, stronger chemo than the usual because I had the benefit of not having to work during the treatment. My close friends told me that, as an alternative, medical marijuana was a natural way to help with the excruciating side effects of chemo.

It worked. The entire experience changed my life. It opened my mind to a new way of thinking about my body, my health and the future.

This herb, this weed that is so strong it grows wild by the side of the road, has always been with us. In ancient times it was highly regarded and has even been found in tombs. It has even been put forth from some biblical scholars that Jesus may have used cannabis oil to heal.

Now, this herb, marijuana, is at center of a debate within our society….

More: http://www.wptv.com//dpp/entertainment/melissa-etheridge-pot-changed-my-life-singer-advocates-legalization-of-marijuana

A Brief History of Medical Marijuana – TIME

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“Should Professors Cheech and Chong ever receive university tenure teaching the medical history of their favorite subject, the course pack would be surprisingly thick.

As early as 2737 B.C., the mystical Emperor Shen Neng of China was prescribing marijuana tea for the treatment of gout, rheumatism, malaria and, oddly enough, poor memory. The drug’s popularity as a medicine spread throughout Asia, the Middle East and down the eastern coast of Africa, and certain Hindu sects in India used marijuana for religious purposes and stress relief. Ancient physicians prescribed marijuana for everything from pain relief to earache to childbirth…

By the late 18th century, early editions of American medical journals recommend hemp seeds and roots for the treatment of inflamed skin, incontinence and venereal disease. Irish doctor William O’Shaughnessy first popularized marijuana’s medical use in England and America. As a physician with the British East India Company, he found marijuana eased the pain of rheumatism and was helpful against discomfort and nausea in cases of rabies, cholera and tetanus.”

http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1931247,00.html

Medical marijuana ingredient prevents brain damage in mice

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“An Israeli researcher has found that tiny doses of the psychoactive chemical in marijuana helps the brain of mice combat injury.”

A medical marijuana plant grows in a dispensary in Seattle.

“The words “marijuana” and “brain damage” usually go in that order in medical literature. An Israeli researcher has flipped them around, finding that THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, may arrest some forms of brain damage in mice.

The loco weed already is favored by those who suffer from chronic diseases, not to mention fans of Cypress Hill, Bob Marley and the Grateful Dead.

But pharmacologist Josef Sarne of Tel Aviv University found that a minuscule amount of tetrahydrocannabinol may protect the brain after injuries from seizures, toxic drug exposure or a lack of oxygen.”

More: http://www.latimes.com/news/science/sciencenow/la-sci-medical-marijuana-brain-damage-20130530,0,1781822.story