Leaders of the Madison Alcohol and Drug Education coalition say they are concerned that a new law legalizing marijuana for medical purposes may be abused, and they urged the Board of Selectmen not to allow any dispensaries in town. "There is a small percentage of people using the drug for medical reasons, but there are those who are going to take advantage of it," said MADE Project Director David Melillo.Melillo believes this will send children a "complicated message". "We are trying to get kids to stay away from drugs, but they are viewing it as just medicine," said Melillo (Madison).
Many claims about about pot's benefitial effects just don't hold up (Sack). Some proponents of medical marijuana argue that pot is "natural" and therefore better, or at least no worse, than legally prescribed drugs, which may be addictive and may carry dangerous side effects. But natural is not the standard for whether a drug is safe and effective. Anyone who wants to get a medical marijuana card knows there are unscrupulous doctors who will give you a recommendation with few questions asked. Without doubt, medical marijuana hands a get-out-of-jail-free card to people who just want to get high. Those who get a card and indulge in the infrequent use of marijuana will probably experience few problems. But the situation is different with chronic marijuana use.
Marijuana acts on cannabinoid receptors in the brain. These receptors, which are the most prevalent in the nervous system,
influence just about every bodily function, including memory, attention, disposition, arousal, motivation, perception, appetite and sleep.
Many chronic marijuana users insist that marijuana is not addictive the way alcohol and other drugs are. However, neuroscience, animal studies, clinical reports of withdrawal in humans and epidemiology all show that marijuana is potentially addictive. In addition, those who use marijuana to treat mental health symptoms might be surprised to learn that studies show it not only may not help such symptoms, it may cause them. Marijuana is linked to long-term psychiatric problems such as depression,
anxiety and psychosis.
Increased funding for research may lead to a better understanding of the impact cannabis has on our bodies, but for now the claims that the drug is effective in the treatment of multiple disorders as distinct as lupus and anxiety seem far-fetched at best. It seems more likely that for some people, getting high just makes them feel better, the way a drink or two might. You would be shocked, however, if in response to a diagnosis of lupus, your doctor suggested you "take two drinks and call me in the morning."
Habitual marijuana use is helpful for very few medical conditions. It can cause insidious changes in personality and attitude that are clear to everyone but the users themselves. There are nearly 400,000 emergency room visits per year due to marijuana use. Before we advocate for medical marijuana, and before another person doses himself with it, we have to ask: Is medical marijuana making us sick? (Sack)
Many claims about about pot's benefitial effects just don't hold up (Sack). Some proponents of medical marijuana argue that pot is "natural" and therefore better, or at least no worse, than legally prescribed drugs, which may be addictive and may carry dangerous side effects. But natural is not the standard for whether a drug is safe and effective. Anyone who wants to get a medical marijuana card knows there are unscrupulous doctors who will give you a recommendation with few questions asked. Without doubt, medical marijuana hands a get-out-of-jail-free card to people who just want to get high. Those who get a card and indulge in the infrequent use of marijuana will probably experience few problems. But the situation is different with chronic marijuana use.
Marijuana acts on cannabinoid receptors in the brain. These receptors, which are the most prevalent in the nervous system,
influence just about every bodily function, including memory, attention, disposition, arousal, motivation, perception, appetite and sleep.
Many chronic marijuana users insist that marijuana is not addictive the way alcohol and other drugs are. However, neuroscience, animal studies, clinical reports of withdrawal in humans and epidemiology all show that marijuana is potentially addictive. In addition, those who use marijuana to treat mental health symptoms might be surprised to learn that studies show it not only may not help such symptoms, it may cause them. Marijuana is linked to long-term psychiatric problems such as depression,
anxiety and psychosis.
Increased funding for research may lead to a better understanding of the impact cannabis has on our bodies, but for now the claims that the drug is effective in the treatment of multiple disorders as distinct as lupus and anxiety seem far-fetched at best. It seems more likely that for some people, getting high just makes them feel better, the way a drink or two might. You would be shocked, however, if in response to a diagnosis of lupus, your doctor suggested you "take two drinks and call me in the morning."
Habitual marijuana use is helpful for very few medical conditions. It can cause insidious changes in personality and attitude that are clear to everyone but the users themselves. There are nearly 400,000 emergency room visits per year due to marijuana use. Before we advocate for medical marijuana, and before another person doses himself with it, we have to ask: Is medical marijuana making us sick? (Sack)