Standing before an auditorium filled with advocates for medical marijuana, doctors, and lobbyists, Dr.Alan Ehrlich said that he’d “like to start helping people get their mind wrapped around what are we talking about today with a case.”
The audience in which Dr. Ehrlich was speaking to assembled for the Massachusetts Medical Society’s primary ongoing education course on the use of marijuana to treat medical disorders.
“Marilyn is a 68-year-old woman with breast cancer,” Dr. Ehrlich explained to the addressees.
Marilyn, the patient in which Dr. Ehrlich is making reference to, was undergoing chemotherapy due to the spreading of cancer in her body. Her energy levels were non-existent, she didn’t have an appetite and she was enduring a lot of discomfort and pain in her back.
“So she comes in to a visit with you as a primary care physician and wants to talk about the possibility of using marijuana to alleviate the symptoms of nausea, pain and fatigue,” Dr. Ehrlich inquired. “How many people think this is a good woman to certify for the use of marijuana?”
After hearing the brief explanation of Marilyn’s medical situation, approximately 75 percent of those in attendance raised their hand in agreement.
For the educational course, Dr. Ehrlich collected studies regarding the benefits and risks of marijuana as a form of medical treatment.
Due to the fact that our beloved federal government controls the use of medical marijuana for medical research, there is actually more datum available concerning the risks of marijuana use as opposed to the benefits.
Dr. Ehrlich was quick to point out that the potential benefits of marijuana are not a doctor’s only concern.
“Anytime you are certifying [a patient], you have to assess risks and benefits,” Dr. Ehrlich affirmed. “It’s not just, do you qualify? [It's also] what are the risks?”
In addition to the beneficial attributes that marijuana plausibly has to offer certain individuals, the course also covered the possible negative effects of marijuana including dizziness, vomiting and psychosis.
According to Dr. Kevin Hill, director of the substance abuse consultation service at McLean Hospital, nine percent of adults that try marijuana become addicted, long-term use could lower a patient’s IQ and some patients may experience withdrawal when they stop using marijuana.
“The problem,” Dr. Hill said, “is that the majority of people out there believe marijuana is harmless. Unfortunately that’s not the case.”
It may not be entirely harmless, but for some, it is a miracle drug.
Medical Marijuana School's In For Doctors & Lobbyists in Massachusetts
No comments:
Post a Comment