Doctor’s Diary September 24, 2017: Marijuana

(Snippets from the frontline)

Marijuana

I don’t smoke marijuana but have no problem with those who use it judiciously and responsibly.  For some pain management patients, I prescribe marijuana derivatives.

Last year, California voted to legalize marijuana.  It passed.  I voted against it for two reasons:  1) It can be a “gateway” drug for susceptible teens, with our community working expeditiously to counsel and educate these youths;  2) There is no reliable method for law enforcement to accurately determine if someone is “under the influence.”

Drivers who drink alcohol can be evaluated immediately with a breathalyzer.  Not so with marijuana.

So instead of seeking wealth through a lotto ticket, invent a marijuana breathalyzer which would save countless lives on the road.

Hopefully someone will have a revelation, whether you take a drag or not.

Gene Uzawa Dorio, M.D.

4 Comments

  • Anonymous says:

    Cannabixtechnologies.com
    Is in the final testing stages of development for a roadside marijuana breathalyzer to be used by Law enforcement.

  • I have four problems with marijuana: 1) It is not standardized as are all other drugs, 2) In its present state it is not a pure product, the mentation altering effects can be separated from the anti-pain effects, but not so with the present products, 3) In most cases it is being used as a mood-altering drug that reinforces our drug seeking society and 4) we do NOT know the long-term effects on the frontal lobes with the present non-standardized drugs now on the market.
    I believe it should be sold as a pharmaceutical drug purified and standardized to produce the salutary medical effects, but NOT the mind-altering effects.

  • Anonymous says:

    Medical marijuana is such an excellent solution for some patients dealing with mental or physical ailments. I personally cannot use marijuana once it achieves the opposite effect and makes me sick. But I wholeheartedly support the legalization of marijuana for medical use.

  • Pavla Hoyer says:

    Excellent!! Right to the point! Dr. Dorio’s point of view regarding the use of marijuana, I am sure, is shared by many others outside the medical field.

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