[tanja]

This is going to open a whole new can of worms but... What illnesses DO qualify to make one a MMJ patient? Is there a spec sheet I can see to evaluate my illness when compared to others? I'm not being a smart aleck but Ive always wondered what the exact definitions were.
Thanks
One Love Tanja

[mooniegoogoo]

I think its a pretty valid question. It seems that most of these co-ops are gonna get shut down, very unfortionate. But it does bring up the question of what illnesses or ailments you have that require medical cannabis. The guy on the news even said they wont go after people who DO need this as a medication. I mean no offense at all, I'll apologize beforehand if I offend anyone. I understand the need of Cannabis for cancer patients, chrons patients, hepititus, AIDS, MS, and the like, these are definitly serious conditions, but where does that leave some of us like myself who have a 15 year history of chronic migraines and semi-severe anxiety issues and a long running history of severe depression. Will those condintions and other similar conditions still qualify us as medical cannabis users? Obviously there will be a debate on what qualifies as a condition that cannabis will help treat.

[SpirituallyEnlightened]

its ultimately up to your doctor.

[mooniegoogoo]

Well it sound like, at least the news cast I saw this morning, it will apply to the severly sick. And please please please understand that I know that there are much more serious conditions out there besides mine, but that also shouldnt mean that my medical conditions should be ignored.

[weedtracker]

the anwser to your question is:

"cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, spasticity, glaucoma, arthritis, migraine, or any other illness for which marijuana provides relief"

[mooniegoogoo]

Originally Posted by weedtracker

the anwser to your question is:

"cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, spasticity, glaucoma, arthritis, migraine, or any other illness for which marijuana provides relief"

I'm glad to see migraine in there, the only relief from migraines for me IS cannabis. I hope everyone finds relief.

[VooDoo Chile]

Originally Posted by mooniegoogoo

I'm glad to see migraine in there, the only relief from migraines for me IS cannabis. I hope everyone finds relief.

I sincerely doubt my condition (IBS) is gonna make the cut. But ya know what? I can live with that as along as I know that others will still have access.

Don't get me wrong, I don't wanna give up my meds. At the same time, I do recognize that there are tons of others whose access is more important than mine. I hope other patients with less serious conditions feel the same way.

[SpirituallyEnlightened]

mmj is really REALLY REALLY good for IBS.....

[VooDoo Chile]

Originally Posted by SpirituallyEnlightened

mmj is really REALLY REALLY good for IBS.....

LOL yeah, you and I know that. But IBS isn't considered a serious medical condition. C'est la.

[SmokerToker420]

I can survive without MMJ, if I go back on the same painkillers/muscle relaxants that caused a family friend to die at the age of 32. (All legally prescribed, didn't overdose but the heart couldn't take anymore of the combo of pills that his doctor had prescribed). After his death I stopped taking all of those pills and have just used MMJ since.

[mooniegoogoo]

Originally Posted by VooDoo Chile

I sincerely doubt my condition (IBS) is gonna make the cut. But ya know what? I can live with that as along as I know that others will still have access.

Don't get me wrong, I don't wanna give up my meds. At the same time, I do recognize that there are tons of others whose access is more important than mine. I hope other patients with less serious conditions feel the same way.

I would thing IBS would quailfy, its a pianfull condition in the gut, and what helps stomachs more than most things I know of is medical cannabis

[ScrewyLewy]

Originally Posted by VooDoo Chile

LOL yeah, you and I know that. But IBS isn't considered a serious medical condition. C'est la.

I have to disagree IBS is considered a major one due to it accounts for a majority of the absenteeism in the US. And just now relaxing after 3 hours of abdominal pain is subsiding in part because I smoked some Cindy99. Some coincider it not life threatening but it is a serious condition as it is debilitating. It is covered as chronic pain and spasms. No pill works as well or as fast as MMJ.

[VooDoo Chile]

Originally Posted by ScrewyLewy

I have to disagree IBS is considered a major one due to it accounts for a majority of the absenteeism in the US. And just now relaxing after 3 hours of abdominal pain is subsiding in part because I smoked some Cindy99. Some coincider it not life threatening but it is a serious condition as it is debilitating. It is covered as chronic pain and spasms. No pill works as well or as fast as MMJ.

Sorry you're not feeling well Lewy. Cindy99 works well for me, too!

I hope y'all are right- MMJ definitely helps my symptoms and you're right- it is becoming more accepted by the medical community. Remember the days when it was all in our heads?

[referee4]

If your PRIMARY Doctor says that MMJ will help your condition. Thats good enough for me..


Notice the use of PRIMARY,

[weedtracker]

ask your self this, does smoking pot make my condition feel better? if the answer is yes, then you qualify under the ' or any other illness for which marijuana provides relief.'

[ShiningSkull]

Originally Posted by referee4

If your PRIMARY Doctor says that MMJ will help your condition. Thats good enough for me..


Notice the use of PRIMARY,

What if your primary physician is a person with no mj experience at all? It's not like they're educated about it.

Plus, with electronic records, it could follow you through your life, if you mention it. Then Social Security can factor it in when deciding against your disability case.

I think I would never tell my doctor about it. Let him/her bring it up. Let her/him ACTUALLY recommend it. See how fast that happens.

[VooDoo Chile]

Originally Posted by referee4

If your PRIMARY Doctor says that MMJ will help your condition. Thats good enough for me..


Notice the use of PRIMARY,

Silly you thinkin' I have a primary doctor!

[ShiningSkull]

Originally Posted by weedtracker

ask your self this, does smoking pot make my condition feel better? if the answer is yes, then you qualify under the ' or any other illness for which marijuana provides relief.'

Truth. That's what it says.

[ShiningSkull]

Originally Posted by voodoo chile

silly you thinkin' i have a primary doctor!

lol!

[tanja]

Originally Posted by ShiningSkull

What if your primary physician is a person with no mj experience at all? It's not like they're educated about it.

Plus, with electronic records, it could follow you through your life, if you mention it. Then Social Security can factor it in when deciding against your disability case.

I think I would never tell my doctor about it. Let him/her bring it up. Let her/him ACTUALLY recommend it. See how fast that happens.

I do have a primary DR> So straight laced hes probably got a piece of coal up his a$$ trying for a diamond.I could never tell him about it. Ten to one frist thing would be to cut off my other meds, and as much as I hate em I still need them at times.
Especially when I"M out of my MMJ. I laughed pretty hard at Mr. Linter (sp) when he said he hadnt been out of weed since 1967! I was born that yr.And been out of weed more time than i can count.
I guess what I need is a doc that specializes in RA and Disk degeneration. AND MMJ!!!! How many of those are there around do you think? Not many would be my bet. My last rec DR. ( whom will remain nameless) was just the worst, pushing people thruogh with no concern for their conditions. Made me feel like a criminal tho I was'nt doing anything wrong.My first Doc. talked to me about all sorts of things and spent a good 30 mins with me. Now thats what I want when spending my hubbys hard earned money! Can anyone recommend such a Dr.? Because I'm thinking about renewing with a more reputable Dr. before the 'fit hits the shan.'
one love Tanja

[THC_TLC]

Originally Posted by referee4

If your PRIMARY Doctor says that MMJ will help your condition. Thats good enough for me..


Notice the use of PRIMARY,

Although I have a great deal of respect for my primary doctor, who I have been seeing for more than 25 years, he does not support the use of MMJ.

I'll never forget the first time I told him that I used cannabis to relieve my migraines. Note that this was years before MMJ was legalized in California. It felt like a lecture from your mom and dad! This guy isn't an older grampa type, either. He is around my age! Anyway, he went through every conceivable health risk, as well as other "risks" such as moving on to harder illicit drugs, losing all motivation, depression, etc. He wound things up with stating how, in addition to everything else I was risking, I was supporting gangbangers and street crime because "pot is illegal."

Over the years, while trying to deal with my migraine troubles, he prescribed many different meds (including marinol as a "legal" alternative to the one drug that consistently helped me). Each one had it's own special side effects to add to the miserable migraine experience, and few helped with the pain.

I have always been honest with my doctor. Even now, years after MMJ was legalized in California, he clearly does not support smoked cannabis as medicine.

I do agree with Referee4. Our recommendations should come from our primary docs. But until the medical community at large is educated and understands the usage and benefits of MMJ, we're stuck with the imperfect system we currently have.

The other obvious aspect is that "regular" doctors are not set up for the patient verification process. Can you imagine your primary doc getting dozens of calls from co-ops on April 20?

I think a good solution might be to fully implement and use the State cards as verification. Any doctor could fill out a State qualification form that would allow a patient to get the card. After you have your card, no further verification should be necessary. Show your valid card at a co-op or to a police officer, and that should be that!

[clinton]

Originally Posted by VooDoo Chile

LOL yeah, you and I know that. But IBS isn't considered a serious medical condition. C'est la.

IBS causes chronic pain - chronic pain is a qualifier.

clinton

[stanley]

Originally Posted by referee4

If your PRIMARY Doctor says that MMJ will help your condition. Thats good enough for me..

Notice the use of PRIMARY,

In many circumstances, this might indeed be an adequate "test".

I have stage IV cancer. I have disabling PTSD (the VA pays me for both). The Veterans Administration provides me will all my health care, since they rated my conditions 100% service connected.

So, my PRIMARY Doctor works for the Federal Govt.

Quietly, under his breath, when no one but me could hear him, he said MMJ might help... But, for him to say it out loud, for the record, would cost him his job.

So, I have an outside oncologist... I used him as a second opinion on most of the cancer decisions...and he will recommend MMJ if you ask.

So, my PRIMARY wont/cant recommend... but I think I still meet the intent of Prop 215/sb420----

[CarlSagan]

Originally Posted by referee4

If your PRIMARY Doctor says that MMJ will help your condition. Thats good enough for me..


Notice the use of PRIMARY,

The problem with getting a rec from your "primary doctor" is that this doc.'s office probably is not equipped to verify recs 24/7. So you'd could be SOL if LEO or a co-op wants to verify you after the office has closed.

Not to mention I think (unfortunately) the idea of a Primary doctor is becoming obsolete. A lot a folks with health insurance like mine (a crappy HMO from my employer) do not provide me with a single "primary" dr for my visits. When I need a dr.'s appointment with a Primary Care Physician (PCP) I have no control over which dr I will see...

I suffer from insomnia and a PCP diagnosed me with insomnia. I went to MMEC for my rec because 1) the have 24/7 verification and 2) I never know what PCP I will see when I use my HMO...One day I could meet with a dr who supports mmj...and the next day I could meet with a dr who hates it...(this is the BS of my HMO that I prevents me, and others, from having a relationship with any doctor).

Now...for those who think anyone can just walk into MMEC, or another MMJ doc's office, and walk out with a recommendation...there is one crucial (or not?) mechanism in place. My dr at MMEC would not give me a recommendation for MMJ unless I also had medical records from a PCP with my diagnosis...So, at least with this dr...you can't just walk in complaining of a headache and walk out with a rec without having proof that you've been seen by a PCP who recognizes that you have a long-term illness.

To restrict MMJ to patients who only have terminal illness would 1) not prevent people from lying to get mmj and 2) hurt everyone else who has a serious but non-fatal illness that can benefit from mmj.

Whether is prescription pills or mmj, people who want to abuse the system will be able to find the "right" drs to give them anything they want.

Anyone who thinks that insomnia (or chronic migraines, or IBS or even ADHD) is not a serious illness worthy of medical treatment, has a pathological inability to empathize with the ill.

I have a career and a family and a lot of people who rely on me both professionally and personally. How can I consistently support the people who need me if I'm sleeping 2 or 3 hours a night? I need my medicine to be a productive member of society...and this alone should qualify me (or anyone else whose illness impedes on their ability to function in society or at home) as seriously ill and worthy of compassion (i.e. access to mmj).

I've tried ambien, and other sleeping pills. They make me groggy...(I wake up with a head ache like ive not slept but been drugged), they are also highly addictive and cause me to sleep talk (ask my wife!!!).

I need medicine for my condition, and the available pharmaceuticals do more harm than good. NOTHING HELPS ME FALL ASLEEP AND STAY ASLEEP LIKE A SMALL EDIBLE...if I'm still having trouble sleeping, a few drags of Platinum OG, or some other indica, will put me out!

If the state ever denies MMJ to patients with chronic sleep disorders, then I will have to choice but to go "underground" and I'll probably end up buying some of that nasty MEXICAN CARTEL weed, grown inside a national park and sprayed with pesticides...that the DA wants to scare us will. With the current co-op system, I can find the strains that I need, make sure they are high quality, and not have to worry about getting robbed or arrested (as much!!!).

...on another note...I can't help but to applaud the irony here...parents who think their kids are too hyper give their kids ritalin from a dr...when the kid turns 18, he (its usually a he) can go to a dr with the ritalin prescription and get a mmj rec...Why not just give your kids mmj cookies when they're getting too hyper?...We know it'll calm them down...and you don't have to worry about them crushing it up, snorting it, and then "graduating" to cocaine...as a few of my high-school buddies did with their dr. & parent recommended ritalin pills.

[LOLODALIGHTSKINNEDDYME]

Originally Posted by mooniegoogoo

Well it sound like, at least the news cast I saw this morning, it will apply to the severly sick. And please please please understand that I know that there are much more serious conditions out there besides mine, but that also shouldnt mean that my medical conditions should be ignored.

yOU ARE CORRECT. I have pill bottles of norco for pack pains, migranes, cramps, I have anxiety medication, I have ambien, tylenol pm, AND benedryl for insomia. Let me tell you nothing works better than cannabis. I wish I could throw those bottles out of the window, but I cannot, I need them as proof of my illnesses. Mooniegoogoo you and I both know that we NEED this in replacement of the many meds. That situation you had where you woke up with pill bottles on the floor is exactly why I dont like medications. I have seen them ruin people, my mother, my friends, I dont want to be like that.