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Let me begin by stating that I believe ALL currently illegal drugs should be legal. This includes heroin, meth, cocaine, pot, etc. Why? Because addicts and users will always be here, so society should profit off of them, instead of our current policy of ignoring or imprisoning them, at great expense. By criminalizing drugs, it ultimately benefits a few (the dealers) at great cost to everyone else.

Now, having said that, I am a medical provider in family medicine, and I can personally attest that "medical marijuana" is, overall, a joke. It is easily and freely abused by people whose medical need is questionable at best. I could give dozens of examples, but won't for expediency. (And I will acknowledge that there are SOME legitimate cases where pot may be the only drug that can alleviate malignant pain - but these are not the usual "medical marijuana" card holders.) My problem with the "medical marijuana" card is that it asks medical professionals to get involved in a situation where they don't belong. You want to get high all day legally? Great - go for it. But don't ask me to give my medical imprimatur to your lifestyle choice.

The fact that there are "smoking clubs" for medical pot users, in my opinion, is one more item of proof that most users are using it for less than medically appropriate reasons. For example, do you see any other group of patients who need to chronically use a medication wanting to get together to take their pills/injections/etc? No, you only see this among addicts - heroin/meth/coke users all sitting around, wanting to get high together. Is that who "medical marijuana" users want to compare themselves to?

Again, before you start writing your pro-pot letters, and telling me what a backward fascist I am - remember, I am fully behind legalizing all drugs. Users will always be users. But don't cloak it behind a stamp of medical approval.

posted 3 years, 7 months ago
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