cannabisnews.com: Sanjay Gupta Apologizes for Anti-Marijuana Stance
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Sanjay Gupta Apologizes for Anti-Marijuana Stance
Posted by CN Staff on August 08, 2013 at 19:49:03 PT
By Amina Khan
Source: Los Angeles Times
USA -- CNN’s chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta says he regrets his past stance on weed. Gupta, who previously opposed legalizing marijuana, says he’s woken up and smelled the proverbial plant life."I apologize because I didn't look hard enough, until now. I didn't look far enough," he wrote in a CNN article. "I didn't review papers from smaller labs in other countries doing some remarkable research, and I was too dismissive of the loud chorus of legitimate patients whose symptoms improved on cannabis."
Marijuana was made illegal after assistant Health Secretary Roger Egeberg wrote a letter in 1970, pointing to a "considerable void in our knowledge" about marijuana and that the U.S. should wait to legalize it until there was enough research to "resolve the issue."So marijuana was made illegal because of the lack of sound science — but, as Gupta points out, it’s hard to do research in the United States on cannabis when it’s already illegal. And though a fair amount of work is done — more than 20,000 papers just recently, Gupta noted — just 6% of the studies Gupta counted up look at the potential benefits. The rest investigate potential harm, an inherent bias that leads to a profoundly distorted view.In any case, research outside the U.S. reveals that marijuana has been shown to be effective for medical problems from seizures to neuropathic pain, said Gupta, who is using his research in a documentary called "Weed," which airs Sunday at 5 p.m. PDT on CNN.And yet, doctors instead prescribe drugs such as morphine and oxycodone for issues like neuropathic pain, many of which have been shown to to be less than effective and — as a Times series on prescription drug deaths points out — addictive and deadly. "It is irresponsible not to provide the best care we can as a medical community," Gupta wrote, "care that could involve marijuana."Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)Author:  Amina KhanPublished: August 8, 2013Copyright: 2013 Los Angeles TimesContact: letters latimes.comWebsite: http://www.latimes.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/Rpd31B5nCannabisNews  Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml 
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on August 10, 2013 at 17:37:32 PT
ekim
Thank you too. You are such a good person.
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Comment #7 posted by ekim on August 10, 2013 at 14:42:02 PT
MI closer to ok-ing PTSD
Thank you again FoM for all you have done to help bring understanding to so many.http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2013/08/michigan_to_allow_medical_marijuana_for_ptsd.php those interested in hearing about alcohol as a gas http://permaculture.com/calendar over at Pete's site on the meteor showerhttp://www.drugwarrant.com/2013/08/oh-to-be-drug-czar/comment-page-1/#comment-199359
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on August 10, 2013 at 13:44:46 PT
Hope
I appreciate the apology too. Specialists are a different type. They are so into what they do they don't give a lot of thought to other important issues. I am glad he did.
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Comment #5 posted by Hope on August 10, 2013 at 10:53:33 PT
I'm grateful for his admitting his mistake.
I appreciate the apology. Finally. The first apology of what should be many to come.
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Comment #4 posted by runruff on August 10, 2013 at 09:14:45 PT
Michelle Leonhart
Dr. Gupta. Who do you trust?
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Comment #3 posted by mexweed on August 09, 2013 at 13:40:50 PT:
Not-care (NotC) is irresponsible
"It is irresponsible not to provide the best care we can as a medical community," Gupta wrote, "care that could involve marijuana."Since a leader in the medical field is discoursing on it let's examine what is contained in the term "CARE". Does CARE mean waiting until the patient is sick and then caring for them effectively so they don't die or get worse, or so that they even get better? Good, this pays off well in sale of drugs, hospital time, doctor time, keeps a high-earnings profession going.But what about PREVENTION? Does Dr. Gupta get it? In another article he is quoted saying his sons won't be allowed to use cannabis till they are 18. With such a father I think his sons will do well, but millions of other children are exposed to pressures to bingedrink or get hooked on nicotine (800,000 a year in USA) which could be PREVENTED if children are VAPE-LITERATE, i.e. know how to vaporize rather than "smoke", how to use a 25-mg-per-serving single-toke utensil ("long-stemmed one-hitter") instead of a H-ot B-urning O-verdose M-onoxide joint.One stop-smoking drive reminds us on a sign that "80% of smokers started before they were 18." In order to PREVENT a future continuation of the present "bizness as usual" rate of new $igarette addictions, Dr. Gupta should include in his concept of CARE: (a) moderate VAPING for minors, as in using a 25-mg device instead of a joint, (b) cannabis--and alfalfa, basil, camomile, damiana, euclayptus and other educative herbs-- instead of addictive tobacco.
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Comment #2 posted by ekim on August 09, 2013 at 11:05:23 PT
well said H W 
and what about all those professionals in such fields like Agriculture and Anthropology where 
are their myopia's for the outlawing of one of worlds most prized Plants.
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Comment #1 posted by HempWorld on August 08, 2013 at 20:07:07 PT
Dear Sanjay,
"It is irresponsible not to provide the best care we can as a medical community," Gupta wrote, "care that could involve marijuana."Thank you! Dr. Gupta! You finally found out, you finally did some research on this!Kudos to you!I hope this cleans your soul, as you redeem yourself towards your real Dharma...Bless you Doctor...
Cannabis Cures Most Types of Cancer!
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