Cannabis News The November Coalition
  Physician Reluctant To Prescribe Questionable Pot
Posted by FoM on August 11, 2001 at 15:06:43 PT
By Duncan Thorne, Journal Staff Writer 
Source: Edmonton Journal  

medical Pain specialist Dr. Brian Knight isn't keen to prescribe marijuana under Health Canada's new rules, which came into effect this month. The Edmonton anesthesiologist is concerned that patients will get their cannabis from illegal sources and that the drug will be of uncertain quality.

Knight prefers to wait until clinical trials show it works. That said, he acknowledges he once filled out the paperwork under the previous rules to help a patient win an exemption from possession charges.

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Comment #2 posted by dddd on August 12, 2001 at 07:03:24 PT
good one Ethan,,
..it reminds me of the first time I had to hire a lawyer.
I was not sure whether I could tell him the actual truth,
because I wasnt sure if he could be trusted to tattle to
the authorities,,and I think the same fear happens when one
visits a doctor..people hate admitting the specifics of their
health,and habits to themselves,and much more admitting things
to a doctor,who would seem likely to cast a discerning eye
toward the patient,who is all too aware of most of their own
unhealthy habits....

..It seems strange now,but in my younger years,, I used to view
doctors,and medical,dental,and even legal professionals ,
,as being somehow above normal people,,never making mistakes,
........it wasnt long before reality hit me with a baseball bat,our
family doctor got in trouble for leaving a big hunk of gauze in my
aunts abdomen,,,then,,the family dentist got in trouble for gassing
young chicks,and fiddling about while they were out cold,,,,I used
to wear glasses in elementary school,I kept complaining to my Mom
about severe headaches,as I was an avid reader,and these were
reading glasses.After numerous trips to the the old,doddering family
optomitrist,I talked my Mom into getting a second opinion....The "second
opinion" optomitrist was appalled,,,he said I didnt need glasses at all....
I'll tell you the lawyer stories another time.(and please dont think I
am somehow lumping lawyers in with doctors.Both professions have
members of varying competence,and intention,,but I think the medical
arts is a somewhat more noble occupation.)

Two of the things that make a profesional....
1.They make a minimal amount of mistakes.
2.When they do make a mistake,they are really good at fixing it,(or in the case of
politicians,covering it up).


dddd

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Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo, MD on August 12, 2001 at 04:17:23 PT:

Be Open Minded, and They Will Come
It is continually amazing to me when experienced doctors claim that, "None of my patients smoke marijuana." It is usually the same people who claim, "None of my patients use herbs." Sorry. Wrong.

Patients know when a physician is open or not to alternative practices. I constantly have the experience that a doctor refers a patient to me for consultation, and will later say, "I had no idea Mrs. Jones was taking ----. She never told me."

Ideas and communication are like seeds: They often only grow in fertile fields. If you are not open to certain conversations, they do not tend to happen. A great example of that was evident to me the other day. I had sent around copies of my cannabis in headache questionnaire to headache specialists around the world. Some of the comments were choice:

"There are many better drugs available."

"I can't take part in your study because --- [14 different excuses]"

My favorite came from a doctor from a country with repressive attitudes about drugs in general and cannabis in particular, "I have seen 6000 patients with migraine, and not one of them ever used cannabis."

Think again, dude. They do, but merely didn't trust you to mention it.

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