depression
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Oregon is preparing to accept its first license applications for psilocybin services. That state offers valuable lessons for Colorado, as it prepares for legal psychedelics.
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To legalize or decriminalize? That would be the question facing Colorado voters if two competing psilocybin measures make the November ballot.
Colorado voters will be asked to legalize magic mushrooms in November
Colorado voters will be asked in November to decide whether or not to legalize psychedelic mushrooms and healing centers where they can be administered to the public.
Marijuana sales fund $9.2 million in school pot prevention, health care programs
New school nurses and other mental health professionals for Colorado schools are coming through a $9.2 million grant parceled out among 42 school districts and charter schools by the Colorado Department of Education.
Retired NFL players back new Denver nonprofit advocating for medical mairjuana
Denver’s 420 Games featured former NFL and other athletes supporting the non-profit Athletes for Care, which hopes to change public perception of medical marijuana.
Hybrid News: High Desert Town Goes From Prisons to Pot, Marijuana Found Innocent of Causing Anxiety or Depression
Helping to send real estate prices into the stratosphere in California’s high desert, the tiny town of Adelanto is hoping to enhance their prison-based economy with one supported by the cultivation of medical marijuana. And proving what most knew instinctively, new research published on Wednesday by JAMA established no cause-and-effect between the adult use of […]
Side Effects May Include…
For thousands of years the cannabis plant was used medicinally throughout the world. It is even mentioned in the Pen-ts’ao Ching, the world’s oldest pharmacopeia. This dates back to 2000BC and is listed as a treatment for malaria, beriberi, constipation, rheumatic pains and female disorders. It was a standard item in any physician’s black bag until the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 outlawed it. Also around this time, the chemical-based pharmaceutical industry began its reign over medicine. Men had relied on herbs and tonics, with mixed results, for a long time. The scientific method combined with modern industrial practices led to codifying medicines. In 1928, Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin and soon after, other doctors were able to reproduce it in quantity. The treatment of infections with antibiotics was a breakthrough that changed the face of medicine and disease. The pharmaceutical industry was growing in leaps and bounds; recommended dosages were effective, and people were relying less on home remedies. As is the case with any company providing a needed product, the pharmaceutical industry has grown into a multi-billion dollar global industry that supplies everything from baby aspirin to cancer treatments and antidepressants.
Despite the successes of the industry, there are a few shortcomings to modern medicines. Most medications take a targeted approach. For a bladder infection, doctors recommend one drug; for chest pains they offer another. It seems as though they shy away from holistic approaches to health, preferring to stick band-aids on all the little problems instead of treating the underlying causes of disease. For depression a physician may prescribe Prozac or Zoloft. It helps a person get through the day, maybe. But when the drug wears off, the patient is still depressed. And then of course, comes the fine print. At the end of every tv commercial for a pharmaceutical comes those four words, “Side effects may include…” And most of the time those side effects sound worse than the ailment itself. Lunesta (eszopiclone) is a sleep aid medication. Some possible side effects aren’t so bad, like dizziness, lightheadedness and loss of coordination. That is to be expected from something that will put you to sleep. How do these sound, heartburn, decreased sexual desire, painful menstrual periods, or breast enlargement in males? Is sleep really that important (yes it is) but who wants to risk hives, rashes, swelling of extremities, difficulty breathing or swallowing? A good thump on the head will put you out for the night too.
Prozac (Fluoxetine) is one of the most commonly prescribed antidepressants by physicians and psychiatrists. It is used for treating depression, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and eating disorders and others. It also has some very serious side effects, especially in younger patients up to 24 years of age. In younger people it can occasionally cause worse depression, aggressive behavior, self-harming, panic attacks, frenzied excitement and thoughts of suicide. How is that helpful to someone who is depressed? Other “regular” side effects can include nausea, dry mouth, weakness, uncontrollable shaking, hives, fever, joint pain, swelling of extremities including head and neck. Those symptoms don’t help alleviate depression.
NSAIDs (NonSteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs) are a class of drugs that have many uses and can be quite effective. Advil (ibuprofen) is probably the most common one utilized by Americans. NSAIDs are used to treat inflammation, mild to moderate pain, and fever. It’s great for headaches, arthritis, sports injuries and even menstrual cramps. Another commonly prescribed NSAID is Mobic (meloxicam) and in low doses is also good for long-term use on aggravating injuries from sports such as mild rotator cuffs or ligament sprains. But these drugs also have their drawbacks. It’s interesting that they can cause diarrhea, or constipation hitting both sides of that spectrum. Other effects may include fast heartbeat, nausea, pale or yellowing skin, tiredness, ulcers, cloudy or bloody urine. They can also cause random death due to heart attack or stroke, because of how it effects blood and clotting.
Actiq (Fentanyl Transmucosal) is a pain medication often given to cancer patients, or others suffering from long-term pain. It is used as a “breakthrough pain” reliever; that means a patient will be on some other pain medication but if the suffering spikes this is administered in conjunction to “rescue” the patient and bring the pain down to tolerable levels. A drug such as this one must be carefully administered because patients are usually on many other medications and doctors must be wary of interactions and synergy effects. Its side effects are also numerous, including (but not limited to) nausea, constipation, trouble walking, vomiting, fever, exhaustion, muscle aches, loss of appetite, hallucinations, and death from overdose.
So, those are just a few of the many thousands of drugs that modern science has given to the world. As a species are we much better off having them? It seems that we are unfortunate that so many that seem meant to give life back, on the one hand, so easily can take it away as well.
Marijuana also has its side effects. They include the munchies, which are uncontrollable appetite urges, particularly towards sweets. This can be laughable, but can have serious effects on some users. More sedentary users may find themselves with significant weight gain and at higher risk for diabetes. There is no chance for death by overdose; people have tried but they fall asleep long before they hit the L.D. 50. But it does increase the chance of accidents and injury because it effects motor control, balance, and perception of external stimuli. Anytime a person is “under the influence” of marijuana or other drug with neurological effects, they should avoid driving or operating heavy machinery. The side effects of marijuana pale in comparison to the prescription drugs on the market. The range of treatments marijuana can be used for seems to be growing everyday, without the surprise unknown side effects which can be hidden in fine print until an unfavorable statistic makes it news. But that time the damage is usually done.
When it comes to any kind of medication, know what you are taking. Be aware of possible side effects and interactions with other medications or chemicals in your body. And if a doctor gives a warning about something, you should generally listen them.
A Look at Who Uses Medical Marijuana
Any new studies on medical marijuana are interesting because we only are recently coming out of the dark ages, a decades long moratorium on marijuana research. A recent study conducted at University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC), focused on the demographics of those with medical marijuana cards. Primarily, this study was concerned with residents from the state of California.
The findings were very interesting and shed light on who is actually using medical cannabis. Of all marijuana card holders in California, 73% are male, with 62% being white. Craig Reinarman, the professor in charge of conducting this research, compared his findings with U.S. Census data. He found that cannabis users are “on average somewhat younger, report slightly more years of formal education and are more often employed than the general population.”
Some of these findings likely confirmed stereotypes while much of the data certainly defies other long held beliefs. For one, it is interesting to note that California marijuana card holders are more likely to be employed. Additionally, this study shed light on why marijuana is being used. While some believe it only to have social value, the study breaks down the ailments that card holders are treating with cannabis. The most common issue being treated with marijuana was neck/back pain. Other prominent conditions being treated were sleep disorders, anxiety/depression, muscle spasms, and arthritis. One statistic that was uncovered in the research was very telling. Of all card holders, 80% said they had tried prescription medication first. After they did not find desired results and treatment, they turned to medical marijuana.
More research is expected to be done in this area. It would be interesting to see if other states produce similar data. Marijuana research is still rubbing the crust out of its eyes after a long hibernation, but we’ll stay tuned for more up to date research.
For more information on the UCSC report, go to:
MercuryNews.com | UCSC report: Who uses medical marijuana and for what ailments?