Go Elizabeth! She asks CDC to consider MJ as alternative to pain meds

[jillan]

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/feb/12/elizabeth-warren-medical-marijuana-painkiller-opioid-abuse

The Massachusetts senator called for more research to be done on medical marijuana and prescription opioid addiction amid abuse and overdose epidemic.

I love this woman!

[mucifer]

1. It should be considered for adjunct therapy in many cases

people can decrease the amount of narcotics they take. It's not always an either or.

[MH1]

4. Yes. Also it should be fully available in hospice care.

Not that hospice is where opiate abuse is a particular issue. But not every patient can tolerate opiates. Point being, it would be a no-brainer to make it available in hospice, and with the patients' agreement, use that experience as part of the research into expanding availability in non-hospice situations. (That's assuming a "cautious" mindset. Personally I'd make it more widely available right now.)

[mucifer]

6. Here in Illinois it pretty much can't be used for hospice unless the hospice patient

can frequently go to a doctor's office who is approved for ordering medical marijuana. Hospice doctors don't do frequent home visits. Nurses do visits at least weekly and on rare occasions every other week. We consult with the doctors for symptom management then they order the medications.

[dreamnightwind]

2. Yes!

They're hyping a supposed heroin epidemic in white America while ignoring the fact that most of it comes from people getting addicted to prescription opiates when many of them could have avoided the opiates in the first place, with safer alternatives sucn as MMJ. MMJ won't stop severe pain to the degree of opiates, but not everyone who is given the opiates needs that degree of pain control. MMJ can definitely help reduce this, and it is the right thing to do for many other reasons as well.

Thrilled to see Warren supporting this.

[cali]

3. That's good BUT

Opiates are much more effective for me than weed (though weed helps me sleep) and the demonization of opiates worries me.

[MH1]

5. The demonization of opiates is at least partially driven by the real problem of abuse.

If alternative therapies can reduce the opiate abuse problem, it seems that might ease up on some of the demonization.

It's not an either/or. It's about recognizing that different therapies are most appropriate for different people and situations.