One step forward and two steps back.
It’s with great frustration that I am even writing this but I feel it needs to be out there. I ran into someone this week who is in the medical profession and is planning a ‘Marijuana Day’ conference for doctors.
I was initially impressed and asked for more information, only to find out that it really should just be called “Anti-Marijuana Day”. It was explained to me that no one on the panel was for it, and they would be spouting old data about potential risks of psychosis for adolescents ages 25 and younger- even though Doctors are prescribing Ativan and the like, abuse of which has been linked to SUICIDE. The correlation between suicide and Ativan even made headlines with the death of Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell a month ago.
Also, we are still in a health emergency over Fentanyl. When I explained how marijuana was a choice that I made to ensure I didn’t go down the opiate path, and it being natural was a better choice for me, I was countered with, “Opium is also natural.”
He further went on to explain that data has shown only 5% of Canadians smoke marijuana and it’s no more than once a week. Skeptical about this, I pushed for the source of said data.
“It’s from a phone survey.”
You’re joking, a phone survey? I asked if he’s checked out any resources such as Weedmaps or Leafly. There are many great videos and documents online explaining to doctors and patients the difference between CBD/ THC/terpenes, etc. Most doctors don’t even know that CBD has no psychoactive effects.
He had never heard of Weedmaps or Leafly and didn’t care to check them out. Banter was had back and forth about the usefulness of a phone survey and it seemed my counterpart just wanted to argue. He then went on to explain that 48 billion dollars is generated in black market drugs and $2 billion is in regulated government marijuana. At this stage I didn’t bother asking for a source but I explained if only $2 billion is being taxed, that’s a big pocket of data you don’t have. His come back was that the phone survey said otherwise. I saw myself out that this point.
My doctor put his license and neck on the line to make sure patients had access to something other than opiates and he dealt with the bullshit and bullying of the industry back then. Now, years later, we have an opiate crisis and doctors are still not even being objective about the use of Marijuana.
The point is this. These ‘experts’ on the medical side, who have gone to school for 8+ years are relying on shoddy data and misinformation without even the desire to know the real information.
When I left the office, I was annoyed because I thought of the ridiculousness of spouting a phone survey as sufficient data- so I went online and looked for the evidence he was talking about. Here is what I found: Forum did a telephone poll with a random sampling of 1,256 Canadians between Nov. 4-7 citing almost two out of every 10 Canadians reported having consumed marijuana in the past year, but more than 30% of poll respondents said they would do so in the next year if it were legal. As you can imagine, my jaw dropped when I saw the number. 1256 people get to decide the stats for the country.
My frustration is that on the ground level we know the truth but the gatekeepers to this are inept and putting people in danger due to their egos.
How many more people need to die on horrible chemical cocktails until their own pride is put aside? Isn’t the entire point of being a doctor so you can help people?
Marijuana is not the cure-all for everyone. Just like any other medication that has a DIN number you have to do a thorough exam of the patient’s history. But the misconceptions are ruling out logic and sense which is not only sad- it’s also dangerous.