Beto's Marijuana Moment

[TexasTowelie]

During a discussion about solutions to the opioid crisis during last night’s Democratic primary debate, Beto O’Rourke suggested that when pharmaceutical companies go low, we should get high.

The former congressman from El Paso said a veteran he once met wouldn’t have gotten addicted to heroin if the veteran had been prescribed marijuana instead of opioids for his health condition. “Now imagine that veteran, instead of being prescribed an opioid, had been prescribed marijuana, because we made that legal in America [and] ensured the VA could prescribe it,” O’Rourke said.

This was a savvy answer. It clearly won O’Rourke some fans: At the mention of weed, the entrepreneur Andrew Yang, another Democratic presidential candidate, yelled across the stage, “PREACH, Beto.” (And thereby perhaps underscored O’Rourke’s famed youth-pastor energy.) O’Rourke was also in line with the majority of American voters—two-thirds of whom also support legalizing marijuana—as well as the majority of Democratic candidates for president. Joe Biden, the former vice president, whose stance on marijuana is the most conservative of the bunch, has called merely for decriminalizing the substance.

Putting forth marijuana as a solution for chronic pain stands to differentiate O’Rourke, whose campaign has been flagging in recent months. The other candidates mostly focused on putting pharmaceutical executives who have peddled opioids in jail. That’s all well and just, Beto seemed to say, but marijuana could help replace those awful opioids we’re trying to get rid of.

Read more: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/10/beto-legalized-marijuana/600106/

[emmaverybo]

1. For severe and chronic pain management, marijuana is not going to be as reliable and effective as

opiates. I would hope too that end of life care does not consist of here is your doobie. Some people’s pain responds well to marijuana, but not all. Lots of research needed still. People whose cancers have metastasized to,their bones, who are unable to breathe in enough air so are suffering the feeling of being water boarded—marijuana won’t do it. Morphine and Ativan work well together if tolerated. Morphine tricks the brain into thinking it is getting enough oxygen when even
supplemental won’t work.

It is a terrible consequence of the opioid crisis that people with chronic, intractable pain are being punished and lumped in with recreational addicts. Some have committed suicide, being suddenly cut off and having no effective relief, If marijuana could so easily help these folks they would be trying it.

For those who get on opiates for the high, the relief of psychological pain, for temporary oblivion,
marijuana will prove no substitute. Many already use it.

We do need safe alternatives. Marijuana is sure safer, but not always an alternative.

[Turin_C3PO]

2. I can attest to the effectiveness of opioids

on chronic breathing problems. I have end-stage cystic fibrosis and my prescribed oxycodone and morphine make me feel like I’m breathing normal, when in reality I’m in pretty bad shape. Marijuana doesn’t help me in that way. I’m not saying marijuana’s not effective for a lot of pain but it’s not the be-all, end-all of pain management.

[emmaverybo]

3. No, not as you say, the end-all or be-all. I thank God when my loved one could not breathe

normally and had no chance of recovering, we had the opiate and benzo option.

Glad you, Turin_C3PO, can get enough relief to help us all out here!

[Turin_C3PO]

4. My goal

is to live to see Trump out of office and a Democrat in charge. We can do it!

[emmaverybo]

5. Oh, yes. We can! Here's hoping you and this old gal, me, here to see it. And more.