Medical Marijuana for RN's

Nurses Professionalism

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LolaVenice

28 Posts

"And we all need to remember that the adverse effects of smoking marijauna is nothing compared to the effects of drinking alcohol. And there is a difference between recreational use and habitual use. I don't think smoking a joint ever now and then is going to make you lose your memory. Heaven knows I am losing mine and I don't do anything"

Google Dr. Tashkin's study from UCLA, 2006. 30-year study showed NO CONNECTION between heavy joint smoking and lung cancer.

Don't look at me! It's Dr. Tashkin's study!

I attended a medical conference (a CME credit approved by UCSF) back in April and he revealed the results of the study....

More bronchitis and lung infections, but no connection to cancer or permanent damage, including no COPD.

Alcohol is FAR worse for your liver than cannabis is for your lungs.

Plus, there are other, safer delivery systems nowadays (tinctures, sprays, capsules, or cooking it in foods, or something called "vaporization" where it's inhaled, but not smoked).

nurseby07

338 Posts

Specializes in oncology, trauma, home health.

I grew up, and am now raising teenagers in Oregon. Marijuana is all over the place. I also lived in Holland for ten years, where it is legal, and only found in certain places. Hardly anyone smoked it when I lived there, and I felt dumb for even brooching the subject because only people who had pain or were tourists smoked pot.

I think we should legalize it (and prositution too for that matter) It's a plant for God's sake.

StreetRN

20 Posts

I used to work for a boss who always said "you can do anything once". Guess it's up to you to decide if you are willing to risk your job and credentials in order to partake.:twocents:

OC85

263 Posts

here are some links that provide the scientific research on marijuana and memory...

[color=#ff4400]http://www.livescience.com/health/060313_pot_brain.html

http://www.livescience.com/health/061119_pot_memory.html

"we found that the longer people used marijuana, the more deterioration they had in these cognitive abilities, especially in the ability to learn and remember new information," said study author lambros messinis, phd, of the department of neurology of the university hospital of patras in patras, greece. "in several areas, their abilities were significant enough to be considered impaired, with more impairment in the longer-term users than the shorter-term users."

yes, but the study only involved 64 people that were selected from a larger study group. 64 total [this includes light, medium, and heavy smoker] subjects does not make this statistically significant. and the fact that these people were actually selected from a larger study group means you're throwing out a lot of data, which means that the scientific validity of this study is questionable, at best. really, people should realize that you can prove almost anything you want if you set the study up right....

jza70

7 Posts

Memory capacity is different from one person to another, so it is pretty hard to tell if mj has much of an effect from person to person. I know some people that have smoked marijuana for many years that have excellent short term memory and people that dont smoke at all who are soo forgetful. Maybe the long term mj users in the study are just lazy to take the tests which is why I believe they scored low. I dont believe its from short term memory loss. When you're high, you want to chill! not take tests. I myself dont smoke because of my nursing license, but if it is legalized then..:D

LolaVenice

28 Posts

If anyone wants some real information on the healing properties of cannabis and research on the endocannabinoid system in our own bodies, and its importance to our health, check out a CME/CEU credit conference from Patients out of Time, which was founded by a Nurse, Mary Lynn Mathre, some 10 years ago:

2010 - Upcoming Conference | Clinical Conferences

I attended the last one and it was incredible.

Also, there is a new organization that offers board certification in cannabinoid medicine for medical professionals:

AACM > HOME

Also, they announced at this conference that there is another organization forming for nurses called the American Association of Cannabinoid Nurses.

I think it's really important for us as nurses (or future nurses) to know the difference between the facts about cannabis and the politics and propaganda surrounding it.

Some 40 years ago, a doctor named Lester Grinspoon set out to write a book on the dangers of marijuana, only to find there wasn't any research that backed up that marijuana was "dangerous" or "toxic". The more research he did, the more benign he found cannabis to be. His book is also amazing and it's called "Marihuana, Reconsidered".

It's also important to check out research done by Dr. Raphael Mechoulam. He was the first to synthesize THC back in 1964 and he discovered the cannabinoid receptors in our bodies. He has been doing research on endocannabinoids and our cannabinoid receptors for many years.

It's sad that the DEA has scheduled cannabis as a schedule I drug. Calling cannabis dangerous and addictive with no medicinal value, has no scientific basis.

My old employer (not in healthcare) smoked down everyday. He is one of the smartest people I've ever met...Also, people should remember that diet has a direct effect on memory. If you eat a lot of sugar it has an effect on certain parts of the brain...so nutrition and lack of exercise could be the reason for poor short term memory. I read about this in the You Staying Young book by a couple of Doctors. They have a whole series meant for lay person's to understand and take control of their health. Check it out http://www.amazon.com/You-Staying-Owners-Extending-Warranty/dp/0743569385

Specializes in FMF CORPSMAN USN, TRUAMA, CCRN.

This is a very interesting string from 2008 and could be very timely now, considering the manufactured marijuana that is on the streets today and is actually killing people and worse yet, suspected of causing the users to kill other people. Through out this string there was strong support for the legalization of marijuana for various reasons such as tax purposes, recovery from the national debt and even just because it feels good. Now there is another reason to legalize pot, to stomp out the use the manufactured brands. If the real stuff is available, why would anyone need to buy the artificial garbage? Between the K-9 and Bath-Saltz creating Zombies, Carnivores and Cannibals, and God only knows what other kind of flesh eating monsters, I would think that should be reason enough to legalize the stuff.

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