Study: Give Marijuana to Alcoholics!

[Skip]

A new study by the University of California, Berkeley recommends giving marijuana to alcoholics to prevent their craving for the booze.

In a poll of 350 cannabis users, they found that "40 percent used cannabis to control their alcohol cravings, 66 percent as a replacement for prescription drugs and 26 percent for other, more potent illegal drugs."

This means that cannabis can be very useful in harm reduction since alcoholism is a serious disorder that often defies other treatments.

They also found that "65 percent of people reported using cannabis as a substitute because it has fewer adverse side effects than alcohol, illicit or prescription drugs, 34 percent because it has less withdrawal potential and 57.4 percent because cannabis provides better symptom management."

In a side note, they singled out the UK as the place that could benefit the most from this kind of treatment for their heavy boozers.

http://psychcentral.com/news/2009/12/01/marijuana-to-control-alcohol-abuse/9863.html

Thanks to Dreadvik for finding the story!

 

[MrBomDiggitty]

I got a speeding ticket comming from NorCal to SoCal. Highway patrol was given a dime of weed by my retarded passenger. This triggered a search and seizure of a half oz each from myself and other passenger. Judge ordered us to go to 20 Alcoholics Anonymous classes. Only made it to 12. Stopped going after the 3rd time I heard an announcement in the AA meeting, "don't drink alcohol, smoke weed." If the judge gave me a hard time on not finishing my classes, I was gonna let him hear it. No need, he said 12 was cool. Off the hook with an infraction.

Unfortunately these were before my medical days. Now I flip the script.

 

[Skip]

I also know of people who use cannabis to control their aggression and anger. So there are many reasons to use it, many not listed in any laws.

 

[Haps]

In my mid forties, stress and job burn out got to me, and I needed weed, but I was an old guy, with no active connections, so I could not find any weed to buy. My kids in high school could have bought it, but my ethics would not let me ask them to do that.

So I took my first drink, never having had one before then. Over the next few years, I became an alcoholic, and every step of the way I new I could quit if I could just find some weed. I died of alcohol poisoning in 2002 with a blood alc level of .55%, luckily I was in the ER at the time, so they restarted me.

I have now grown enough weed to last me the rest of my life, fuck booze.
H

 

[RoomRaider]

Wonder how many people will start putting down alcoholism for there their med card.

Also whenever my blood boils, just thinking about a bowl calms me down.

 

[DoobieDuck]

Interesting Skip..thanks for posting..I too need "better symptom management"...DD

 

[philcollins]

I know several people that have gotten over serious narcotic and alcohol problems by using ganja...myself included.

 

[pugnacious]

Yep. Thats why I believe that Mj saved my life.

 

[sac beh]

Also whenever my blood boils, just thinking about a bowl calms me down.

Agreed! There's something about cannabis that even the thought can provide some peace until the next smoke. Its like knowing you have a good woman at your side.

Also, in my experience cannabis use is a much cheaper activity than drinking. You could spend $100 in a week to drink, and what does that get you? A couple hours a day of impaired senses and lowered inhibition, then hours of ugly come down and hangover. And during all those hours you most certainly won't be doing anything productive or spiritual/mentally edifying.

I would like to see the mentally therapeutic and addiction recovery effects of cannabis into states' MMJ laws.

 

[RagnorokYoshi]

i took several anger management classes and non of them worked. then i started smoking and voila no more anger issues.

i personally dont like drinking it always leads to bad things.

when i did drink i turned into the hulk....bad news bears all day

 

[Mr. Hugeblunts]

A friend and I are currently helping an alcoholic self-medicate with marijuana. He was drinking two cases a day and a week in, he's down to 1 a day. I can't wait until his tolerance improves enough that he can use some homegrown rather than mids ;(

 

[poina]

Alcohol is truly a genetic disaster. In my family it has destroyed,(killed) my grandfather, uncle, cousin, nephew. I was on the way until I decided to just smoke pot. I was lucky, with this disease it takes more than just willpower. Stay strong.

 

[CANNACO-OP]

I shared this article with a patient and his doctor today.

Depression and alcohol do not mix, which is another part of the battle.

Cannabis can help, even the doctor admited it, but gave us the "rules" routine...

We decided to give him something about an oath routine ...."I WILL FOLLOW that method of treatment which according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patient and abstain from whatever is harmful or mischievous."


So we just ask please doctor, abstain from testing his urine for cannabis, easy as that. That is all we want for Christmas, is that to much to ask?

 

[theJointedOne]

That was nice of you CANNA,, nice post too


Growing up with alcoholics in my family since i was a little guy, i have seen the effects of booze. Very bad part of my life and that is probably why I deal with the shit i do today and probably why I don't drink either.

Herb is the healing, alcohol get ya drunk

 

[karmasabitch]

Due to a severe spine trauma and a degenerative muscle disease my doctor gave me oxycontin for five years. All along while using the oxy the side effects fucked me up. However the "Gold Standard" oxy for pain was always needing to have the dose increased to be effective. All through the five years of legally prescribed oxy use I used Medical Marijuana. Through the use of Medical Marijuana I was able to decrease the dose of oxy to almost nothing. My doctor could'nt belive that I could lower the dose without any help. I told him the Medical Marijuana helped me do it. He abruptly cut me off the oxy. Reason was: " The DEA is cracking down and will do random testing of my patients. If your found dirty they will revoke my license and will arrest you." That's what he said. Sounded like bullshit to me. I have no way of knowing if he told me the truth or not. I live in a state where Medical Marijuana is illegal. To cut me off was okay because of the Medical Marijuana helped ease the withdrawl from oxy. For him to just cut me off was totally unprofessional and just did'nt seem right. Now I have to be a criminal in my home state to be able to live in less chronic pain, or be a junkie to the oxy legally. Sorry I have to break the law.

 

[Fuzz420]

Awesome read. I would have never thunk it.

 

[alpinestar]

ive been preaching this for years
im glad this is coming further into the light


cannabis is also an immediate hangover cure (the stomach problems, headache, and general malaise). just make sure its not a heavy indica.

 

[oregon024]

alcoholics,marijana

alcoholics,marijana

I always heard once a guy has tried mj he nolonger cares for the booze.So it's saved many of us from hitting the bottle daily.peace

 

[FreshlyShaven]

Due to a severe spine trauma and a degenerative muscle disease my doctor gave me oxycontin for five years. All along while using the oxy the side effects fucked me up. However the "Gold Standard" oxy for pain was always needing to have the dose increased to be effective. All through the five years of legally prescribed oxy use I used Medical Marijuana. Through the use of Medical Marijuana I was able to decrease the dose of oxy to almost nothing. My doctor could'nt belive that I could lower the dose without any help. I told him the Medical Marijuana helped me do it. He abruptly cut me off the oxy. Reason was: " The DEA is cracking down and will do random testing of my patients. If your found dirty they will revoke my license and will arrest you." That's what he said. Sounded like bullshit to me. I have no way of knowing if he told me the truth or not. I live in a state where Medical Marijuana is illegal. To cut me off was okay because of the Medical Marijuana helped ease the withdrawl from oxy. For him to just cut me off was totally unprofessional and just did'nt seem right. Now I have to be a criminal in my home state to be able to live in less chronic pain, or be a junkie to the oxy legally. Sorry I have to break the law.

He had good reason to be concerned. It's generally illegal to prescribe controlled substances to someone who uses illegal drugs. Chronic pain specialists in particular are frequent targets because treating someone's severe pain after 20 years of tolerance requires large dosage, something the drug warriors at the DEA refuse to understand. Doctors have been sent to prison for decades for prescribing pain pills to people in need. Here is one good article on the subject.

 

[PistilPete]

Alcohol would have killed me had I continued the path I was on. I'm sure all the narcotics weren't helping too much, either.
Liberal amounts of reefer got me through the detox and keep me from straying back to the hard stuff. I firmly believe that this plant saved my life. 5+ years without a drink and rarely a thought of having one.
Congrats to the others who have beat their demons with the help of cannabis.