Harvard Mental Health Letter cites problems with MMJ use

[Payaso]

The Billings Gazette reports that 53 medical-marijuana businesses have obtained city licenses there, creating a firestorm of controversy over Montana's medical-marijuana law. Opponents are touting a recently released study from Harvard School of Medicine which shows the pros and cons of MMJ use.

Marijuana has been shown to improve some medical problems in patients who weren’t helped by prescription drugs. But research also indicates that marijuana use may cause or aggravate other health problems. This balanced assessment of medical marijuana comes from the April Harvard Mental Health Letter, a publication of Harvard Medical School.

Marijuana has been in Montana news a lot lately, mostly because of the growing use of the state’s medical-marijuana law, which was enacted by voters approving an initiative. Several Montana cities are considering restricting the businesses that are springing up to serve as “caregivers” for some of the 10,000 Montanans who have obtained permission under the law to possess an ounce of marijuana (or six plants) for treating specific medical problems.

In Billings, 53 medical-marijuana businesses have obtained city licenses. The City Council created a medical-marijuana committee to make recommendations on possible zoning restrictions or other regulation of these businesses. The committee held its first meeting last week.

The Harvard Mental Health Letter focused on use of marijuana in treating psychiatric disorders. Montana law doesn’t include any psychiatric disorders in its list of ailments for which an individual may obtain a medical-marijuana card. However, the Harvard report sheds some light on overall risks and benefits of marijuana used medicinally — or recreationally.

In 1999, the Institute of Medicine conducted a comprehensive review of medical marijuana and concluded that the drug may be helpful in nerve pain relief, appetite stimulation for people with AIDS, and control of nausea and vomiting in chemotherapy patients. However, the IOM recommended that marijuana be considered only for patients who weren’t helped by other drugs.

“There’s no question that recreational use of marijuana produces short-term problems with thinking, working memory and executive function (the ability to focus and integrate different types of information).” the Harvard report said. “Long-term use of marijuana may cause subtle, but lasting impairments in executive function.”

Read the full story at the Billings Gazette:
http://billingsgazette.com/news/opi...cle_c8b39060-45c6-11df-99e6-001cc4c002e0.html

 

[highonmt]

Wow the old Billy-ville republicans must be reeling and red faced. 53 MMJ shops good work...maybe the magic city is not such a bad moniker after all. And I "can" take all the meds I've been prescribed for pain but I just eat some plants instead of the synthetic crap. God is the best chemist yet again...HM

 

[2Lazy]

I love the definitive language of the study...

"Long-term use of marijuana may cause..."

Just like how having a cat may help you live a longer life.
Or how being married may lead to a high risk for heart disease.
Or how driving a car may result in death.
Or how aliens may be working with the government.

Facts, facts, facts. Maybe just doesn't cut it.

 

[treewizard]

I feel like not enough is made of the subtleties in chemistry between different strains. I mean we are dealing with coctails of chemicals that produce some pretty widely varied results.

 

[4 Dragons]

That report is 11 years old.

“Long-term use of marijuana MAY cause subtle, but lasting impairments in executive function.”

 

[Danks2005]

I been smoking daily almost 15 years, the only time I've noticed these effects, and it is very slight, is when I am actually stoned. Well, no shit, all drugs have side effects, and IMO the side effects from cannabis are FAR less than that of most prescription pills(we've all heard the end of the pharma commercials, scary shit). If you lose your ambition, drive, and your ability to think, well, it is not the fault of cannabis. It is up to you the user to judge how YOUR body reacts, and if the side effects are to much for you change medications, as everybody reacts differently to all meds. Some people can take opiate pain killer and be fine, I cannot due the same reasons they just stated for cannabis, only it is MUCH more debilitating to ME. Jesus, not every drug is a magic cure all, you use them on a trial basis, report to your doctor as to how well or not so well it worked, and go from there, it took me 3 tries to find a muscle relaxer that worked for ME. It works this way for any ailment, when multiple drugs are offered for the same condition.

 

[Barn Owl]

"The Harvard Mental Health Letter focused on use of marijuana in treating psychiatric disorders. Montana law doesn’t include any psychiatric disorders in its list of ailments for which an individual may obtain a medical-marijuana card. However, the Harvard report sheds some light on overall risks and benefits of marijuana used medicinally — or recreationally"

That reminds me of Nevada. I used to live there and their medical cannabis laws are pretty useless. You can not get it for bi-polar. They have no dispensaries and you can have three flowering plants, but you can not have more than an ounce. If you grow more than an ounce, you are expoected to get rid of the extra. They should just get rid of the whole program.

As far as pot not helping mental problems. That is a very personal medicine issue. It will not help everybody, but it helps my bi-polar very well. I am sick of doctors telling me what they think is better. What BS...

 

[NHMI]

I smoke 10-20 joints of $450oz weed and other than short term memory issues I have no problem, however there are certain word problems I have issues with, like I can't do them in my head...but neither can most people sober so I guess it doesn't matter. I did lose my keys a lot but I had anxiety really bad and pot was the only thing that helped. I was on Abilify and it gave me Parkinsons like side effects, so I wont take pills anymore other than one painkiller....fuck anti-depressants and anti-psychotics....

I can honestly say that I actually look forward to getting up the next day and enjoy life now. Part of it is God and now that I know how things work to some degree I can use it to my benefit and I do and am prosperous for my obedience....but when I get angry I get furious and then when I smoke, 5 min later I forget and relax....so it has reduced stress in my life a lot and I feel a lot better. Plus I have Hep C and COPD and as long as I don't smoke shitty bud, my lungs are free from bloackages and it is like I don't even have COPD anymore....course if I smoke roaches a few days in a row I will have issues but I still smoke cigarettes so I think it is the extra tar that is the issue so as long as I keep fresh danks I am all set....so what of others like me? They don't deserve treatment because of idiots and their study/geographical location? That is fair, but that argument can go for people who live in states without med cards too...needs to be legalized on a fed level IMO

 

[!!!]

People still see Cannabis as a single "chemical" that has one specific effect. They find it hard to buy that there are different strains of Cannabis, even though they believe 2 facts that you would THINK would make this obvious: 1) Cannabis is a plant and 2) There are thousands of varieties of every other plant, such as potato, rose, strawberry etc.

High THC content with low CBD/CBN content will cause major paranoia, terror, and dread in some people if smoked in excess. This is something every smoker knows, but a side effect which gets labeled on all weed by those that don't.

Doctors should recommend specific types of weed for different ailments. Not necessarily strains, but for example, if a person cannot sleep, and is prone to psychological distress, it wouldn't make sense for them to smoke a 100% sativa rather than an indica dominant strain.

 

[Stoner Chick]

“There’s no question that recreational use of marijuana produces short-term problems with thinking, working memory and executive function (the ability to focus and integrate different types of information).” the Harvard report said. “Long-term use of marijuana may cause subtle, but lasting impairments in executive function.”

This is such a crock. I have seen people smoke pot daily and turn to total burn outs because they never did anything else. I smoke pot every hour. I stay high. When i went through college, i smoked right before leaving my car and going into class, even on mid-terms and finals i would get high just for the test and i still graduated Magna Cum Laude, #2 in my class.

I hate how they make these studies and then universalize the findings when every person is different. Some peoples brains turn to jelly, others turn on. When i get high, i turn on, and focus when i want, and vegetate if i want.

If you have problems with short term memory loss, then start using your memory every day because if you don't use it, you will lose it, for sure. I read often and never use bookmarks, it helps, but this deal about marijuana "definitely produces problems with short-term executive functioning etc.." is just crap.

 

[!!!]

This is such a crock. I have seen people smoke pot daily and turn to total burn outs because they never did anything else. I smoke pot every hour. I stay high. When i went through college, i smoked right before leaving my car and going into class, even on mid-terms and finals i would get high just for the test and i still graduated Magna Cum Laude, #2 in my class.

I hate how they make these studies and then universalize the findings when every person is different. Some peoples brains turn to jelly, others turn on. When i get high, i turn on, and focus when i want, and vegetate if i want.

If you have problems with short term memory loss, then start using your memory every day because if you don't use it, you will lose it, for sure. I read often and never use bookmarks, it helps, but this deal about marijuana "definitely produces problems with short-term executive functioning etc.." is just crap.

I agree that using your memory will help you strengthen it. One thing I mentioned above that the study doesn't take into account are the levels of THC/CBD/CBN in the bud being tested. Is it CBN, THC, or CBD, or a combination, that causes the memory issues? That's what I'd like to know.

In my experience, some strains give me major ADD and short term memory loss (actually it's not a problem with memory, but feels more like very bad ADD, or maybe very bad short term memory coincides with ADD.) While other strains and JWH-018 (synthetic cannabinoid) actually help me focus and "integrate different types of information."

 

[n0te]

Obliged followup..

 

[Phedrosbenny]

They should have gave Opiat (oxycotins and so forth) equal billing and showed all the mental problems associated with it.Ofcourse that wouldnt have been popular due to the fact that it and most of the other shit they prescribe causes more problems than MJ does.

At this point who really gives a fuck what doctors think anyway.All the states that passed medical MJ so far has had it so you had to get a "recomendation" from a doctor and all of the doctors acted like they had hit the fucking lottery or something..I dont know of 1 doctor that gave a fuck enough about peoples health to have signed the recomendations without a huge price.Sleazy.