Are doctors doing their due diligence when it comes to medical cannabis?
As a medicinal user of cannabis, I had to drive 5 ½ hours to get a doctor to prescribe it because my doctor and the out of town pain specialist refused. Now that it is legal, people are still being ignored and denied by their doctors, especially older clients who want to learn more about the benefits of the herb in hopes of decreasing their toxic medications that are making them dizzy and sick.
It’s infuriating when I walk in to my doctor’s office and say that I’m depressed, the first thing out his mouth is….”you need to go on an anti-depressant.” No history, no blood pressure, no blood work, no assessment. No, I don’t “need” an anti-depressant.
I just needed someone to let me talk for 5 minutes and maybe just give me that shoulder to cry on, which would have been beneficial in my time of need rather than another pharma drug. I can have any narcotic I want but have always resisted as I never felt the benefits would outweigh the risk of addiction and overdose, especially with my pain issues. When I ask him about medical cannabis, he will have nothing to do with it.
I met several seniors recently who had many questions regarding the benefits of cannabis, especially in dealing with their pain issues. Their doctors are also ignoring their questions especially those that are tied to long term care/senior facilities. The benefits of using cannabis have been documented for years despite the propaganda from the health unit that says otherwise. If only other drugs were scrutinized as much.
The seniors I spoke with are concerned and worried that their doctor will abandon them as their doctors are very clear on medical cannabis which is a big “NO.”
Doctors refusing to get educated on how a simple plant benefits many ailments without causing the list of side effects known by pharma drugs is an absolute shame. Their arrogance truly does shine! But have a representative from a pharma company come and promote a toxic drug…it is prescribed the next day without question. Nurses use the term “drug of the day” to describe the ongoing new drugs that are blindly promoted by doctors but when asked about cannabis…propagated regurgitated brainwashing is what comes from them. I personally don’t trust doctors that won’t evolve!
What are seniors to do when the house doctor won’t support their need? I suggested that companies that will link them with doctors who will assist them. There’s one here in Cornwall, but tragically they boycott this newspaper which actually has a column that focuses on Marijuana via this column.
Seniors be aware that you do have rights:
The right to be advised of available options
The right to be involved in treatment decisions
The freedom of choice
The right to make complaints, raise concerns, and recommend changes without fear of interference, coercion, discrimination or reprisal.
I also suggest getting your family involved to advocate on your behalf. If you do not agree with what the doctor prescribes, challenge them! If you are not happy with them, go to a clinic. Doctors need to be more understanding to the needs of their patients as “#doctorsaredickheads” have clearly shown.
Are doctors doing their due diligence when it comes to medical cannabis? By doctors avoiding it, I say no!
If you want Wendy to review or sample your products or devices email info@cornwallfreenews.
Wendy the Weed Witch is a hot rocking chick with over 25 years of work in the medical field. After struggling with debilitating chronic pain she started to explore medicinal marijuana and the benefits in dealing with her issues.
Her hobbies include music and travel. She’s started this column to share and exchange ideas with other people looking for more from Marijuana than cool waves and a warm buzz.
Excellent article and suggestions. But what can happen if a patient goes to a clinic AFTER seeing their doctor is that the patient can be dropped for doing so. It happens. Not all doctors accept the medicinal use of cannabis. The trick is finding one that does. And a lot of LTC facilities employ older doctors who are the ones who don’t see the benefits. Rock and a hard place.
Marijuana is mighty dangerous to the brain and the body and only a doctor under his or her supervision might be a bit safe. I don’t believe in any of this garbage unless someone is dying. I live with pain of arthritis and I don’t take anything. I have arthritis now typing this out and I exercise my fingers quilting. I have seen tragic deaths here in Ottawa among a few people that we knew.
Jules Marijuana has been shown to really help those with arthritis, especially edibles. A few gummy bears might have you right as rain….
Jamie I would hate to see my reaction to medical marijuana. When hubby was in the hospital last year my adult kids thought that I had alzheimers disease one morning. I woke up and my kids were not around and I wandered around the apartment looking for hubby and my kids. We spoke about that yesterday and I cried thinking about that. Marijuana can do detrimental harm as well. I am crazy enough.
I have read somewhere some years ago about the gummy bears (marijuana) and I am wacky as is and hate what marijuana would do to me. Honest Jamie I was out of it when hubby was sick in the hospital and he is so skinny like a skeleton. A size 30 waist not counting the rest of him. He used to be a size 36 waist. He has lost so much weight and unrecognizable. I was lost and out of my mind.
Jamie some of the people on a site that I go to got in touch with me through my e-mail and people are speaking about the danger of the vaccines like polio, etc. I knew that the flu shot was dangerous but now the polio vaccine. Folks be mighty careful because things are not being looked into by the scientists as well as what they should. Health care professionals will have to be mighty careful.
Diseases have been wiped out due to vaccines. But now, thanks to anti-vaxxers some of these are creeping back.
Yes Hugger measles and other diseases are coming back even with the vaccines. I was talking to some people on line yesterday in the US and they told me about it. There are two different kinds of measles vaccines and someone was telling me about them. I won’t go near any of them and I warned my family here about them. I remember running around Dr. Gourley’s desk to avoid the vaccines as a child
And there lies a major part of the problem. If people would do research instead of listening to hearsay we wouldn’t have diseases once almost wiped out making a disastrous comeback.
Hugger what is happening today is that people are hopping the borders and coming in unvetted and without vaccines. We are getting all kinds of criminals and people with incurable diseases like TB, etc. There are TB’s that cannot be cured at all and many from Mexico and other Latino countries have that including scabies, etc.
And having Canadians, like yourself, avoiding vaccines has nothing to do with it? Sorry, but it has everything to do with it.
Duck and cover at its best!!
There is one vaccine that I will not take nor will my family and that is the flu shot. I just listened to a nurse in the US against this shot and many people today are autistic because of flu shots and some others as well. When hubby was in ICU and we had to wear a mask because they didn’t know what he had at first it choked me. I feel for the nurses, etc. who work in hospitals.
Research, not hearsay!!
Jamie my children were vaccinated when they were kids and my daughter contracted measles from a classmate Jerimy who is Japanese. My daughter gave me the measles and chicken pox and we went to see our doctor afterwards and he had a good laugh about me getting it for the second time and as an adult. My children had the disease even inoculated. There are two different measles vaccinations.
Even with Shoppers Drug Mart dispensing marijuana based products, it’s still an ordeal of paperwork and doctor visits to get a prescription filled.
And isn’t it ironic that the only reliable and accessible source for weed, is in areas that are legally excluded from having pot shops… our local high schools.