cannabisnews.com: Physician's Talk By Harvey W. Caplan, M.D.





Physician's Talk By Harvey W. Caplan, M.D.
Posted by FoM on June 13, 1999 at 07:55:30 PT
Source: C.H.A.M.P. S.F.
To those of us who have been first-hand witnesses to the many positive medicinal effects of cannabis, the anti-cannabis bias of government and certain professional associations is simply incredible.
Here is a naturally-occurring substance which has been shown repeatedly to suppress pain and nausea, while stimulating the appetite, especially in people with "wasting" diseases, allowing for better control and maintenance of weight. Compared to the physically destructive and addictive potential of "legal" intoxicants, such as nicotine or ethanol, marijuana is a relatively benign substance when consumed by humans. It has been used extensively for eons in various world cultures for medicinal, spiritual, or recreational purposes. But, based on ignorance and xenophobia, the US Congress chose to ban marijuana in 1936, giving it the reputation of being addictive, leading to harder drugs, and causing a peculiar malady: "reefer madness". Today, the DEA classifies cannabis as a Schedule I narcotic. Societal biases are difficult to root out and change. In spite of volumes of evidence suggesting marijuana's relative safety and effectiveness in treating a variety of medical conditions, establishment groups persist in perpetrating marijuana's undeserved and undocumented negative reputation. When an enlightened California citizenry voted to allow the prescription of medicinal marijuana, the authorities did everything they could to discourage putting the law into effect, sometimes with good reason, and sometimes out of the residual anti-marijuana bias and fear. Medicinal marijuana is a good thing. It often works better than established remedies and has fewer negative effects. It has added time and quality of life to the lives of people with AIDS, cancer, and those undergoing chemotherapy. It reduces eye pressure in glaucoma. And it has proved useful in a variety of less destructive conditions. On the other hand, marijuana is a body and mind-altering substance, and must be used with all the proper caution and care that goes with the use of any medication, alcohol, or nicotine----for appropriate reasons, selectively, and responsibly. That's why it is so important that cannabis clubs serve their clientele under a physician's referral and supervision. Harvey W. Caplan, M.D.http://www.microwaves.net/viagra/
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Comment #1 posted by bean77 on January 21, 2001 at 12:15:08 PT:
Legalize It!!!!!!
The way I feel is I've never heard of anybody dying over smoking to much Marijuana, but if you drink to much alcohol you could die and that's legal. The government would make more money selling the drugs in liquor stores to people over 21 then trying to get rid of it, even when they know it's proven to help on cancer patients. LEGALIZE IT AND CRIME WILL GO DOWN!!!!!
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