This article was originally published on the Marijuana Patients Organization site on April 24, 2011.
The headlines last week were about the front page story that the Detroit Free Press wrote, Medical Pot Prescribed Mostly For Aches and Pains. The article showed data released by the Michigan Department of Community Health that indicated about 90% of patients had received their pot cards for chronic pain, muscle spasms and nausea and that only a handful of doctors prescribed it. Clearly an attempt to smear the validity of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act.
The realities of this number are far different than the author attempts to suggest and will not likely grace the cover of the Free Press any time soon. Let me, an industry insider that works with several doctors, patients, dispensaries and the like on a daily basis explain what I take from this state reported data (which was leaked to a media outlet?).
Let me tell you about my friend, we will call him Mike. Mike is suffering from a deadly disorder that is covered under the marijuana law and Mike has a great doctor who talks with him about marijuana and how it is helping. They discuss the medication no longer being prescribed and even have a few good moments discussing and laughing a little how well the marijuana is working. The funny thing is Mike’s doctor is unable, due to hospital policy to “reccomend” or prescribe the medical marijuana to Mike.
Mike had found one of the brave 55 doctors that the Free Press publicized. To complicate the matter further Mike felt very uncomfortable telling this temporary physician his real issue and instead used a warranted back problem from his days in the military. Mike could morally justify the back problems in his head for getting the card but cannot believe the irony in the situation.
Mike and his doctor will certianly get a good laugh about the article.
The article also failed to report the far exceeding population of cancer patients that suffer from nausea than medical marijuana users in Michigan, in addition a million more “black and blue” collar residents of Michigan that are beat up from labor jobs and also suffer from years of readily prescribed liver–destroying–opiates. There are only 60,000 patients in Michigan qualified for the use of marijuana, a far cry from the number of those who would be able to use medical marijuana.
A soon to be released white paper by the Medical Marijuana Dispensary Association, a group of Michigan dispensaries and caregiving operations, will use real data to educate legislators and community officials about the realities of this law. Unfortunately this data as well as the Free Press article proves that doctors are uncomfortable talking with their patients about medical marijuana and patients are forced to seek treatment elsewhere.
How many narcotic or opiate prescriptions are written a day by doctors? I assume more than the 2 per day by these 55 so called witch doctors who prescribe the devils lettuce. Lighten up and put this article where it belongs on the back pages.
by Mike.