I just read this article at Fox New’s website (see link) discussing the dangers or using medical cannabis. Please read it. http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/06/22/going-to-pot-the-science-behind-marijuana/#

In this article Dr. Mark Siegel, a practicing internist in New York’s NYU Medical Center, is quoted as saying “The idea that it(cannabis) needs to be commonly used, there’s no medical indication for that whatsoever. Not only that, it has a risk for lung cancer associated with it, a risk of psychiatric problems, anxiety, depression, dissociation and suicide.”

As physicians we take an oath that states: “First do no harm.” Unfortunately as doctors we have to many times rely on data that has been produced and evaluated by drug companies that stand to make HUGE profits from the sale of these drugs. A 32 billion dollar per year company, named Pfizer, is just one of many that knowingly distributed a pill that was harmful to patients. It is for this reason that so many patients DO NOT WANT TO TAKE PILLS and rely on a more natural remedy like cannabis.

Proposition 215 allowed medical doctors to recommend the use of cannabis to their patients to relieve their symptoms. 14 years later this poor proposition has been raped and beaten worse then Hedda Nussbaum (see wikipedia for you non New Yorkers). It’s integrity has been stripped to its core. Greed and crime has taken over. It has been so abused by the professionals who intended to use it in their scope of practice that it has almost become a joke in California.

As medical director for medical cannabis of southern california I am well aware that many recreational users are taking advantage of Proposition 215 to use and cultivate. Unfortunately, recreational uses can walk into a physicians office and show them evidence that they one fractured their ankle or once spoke to their doctor about indigestion and walked out with a prescription for prilosec. They then produce this medical documentation to receive a recommendation to use cannabis for medicinal purposes.

As medical director for Medical Cannabis of Southern California I often discuss with patients how they should share the information about their cannabis use with them. Many patients are apprehensive about it in fear that their primary care physician or specialist will not want to continue taking care of them.