I work for a small clinic in Northern CA. There are three RN's on staff at all time. Recently our Office Manager decided to start drug testing of all staff including Doctors. Well, one of the Nurses I work with came back positive for marijuana use. My thought was "Well she should not be doing it anyways" I was actually glad to see her get in trouble.
After discusing it with the Doctors they came up with a new unwritten policy. They will overlook marijuana. Basiclly, you can smoke all the pot you want but just on the weekends not during "on call" days. I questioned one of the Doctors about it and his response was to "chill"
Does this seem wrong to anybody else? Do Nurses really smoke pot on there days off?
Yeah. And a reason someone shows up positive after NOT smoking for a while, if they change their diet, gain/lose weight. Watching the potheads detox was like watching paint dry. These were generally frequent/regular users. But they came in for pot-only rehab. There were more poly-drug addicts, but there were pot-only.
I've had many patients in the DT's and many opiate OD's, but never a withdrawing pothead. How exactly do you treat pot withdrawals? I thought it's been long since decided that such a thing doesn't exist. I know at one point it was thought that pot withdrawal consisted of being irritable, but it turns out that's just what happens when you take away someone's pot and put them in jail, rather than being a symptom of physical dependence.
I've had many patients in the DT's and many opiate OD's, but never a withdrawing pothead. How exactly do you treat pot withdrawals? I thought it's been long since decided that such a thing doesn't exist. I know at one point it was thought that pot withdrawal consisted of being irritable, but it turns out that's just what happens when you take away someone's pot and put them in jail, rather than being a symptom of physical dependence.
This was in the mid-late 90s... Mostly they looked like the plants they admired so much, but more glazed over :sstrs:. Air amused them :dzed:. Speech? Not so much. There isn't the "detox" in terms of a protocol to avoid potentially dangerous symptoms- but more getting the fog lifted, and the wattage reconnected to the bulb . Then, a few days in, (and these were not "social" smokers- these folks had clouds following them), it's like the lights go back on, and they look around- vaguely remembering why they were there, and slowly get more "normal". I don't remember them being all that irritable- maybe a bit sensitive to stim, but no big behavioral issues like cocaine/meth. But they also had it pretty good- it was an old hunting lodge turned treatment center, so open, no locked units, keys to their rooms, a pool, chef, etc. :)
When they could get themselves to meals w/a 'buddy' (open campus & dining hall) without falling over, we were close :) I don't know that it was physical dependence- doubt that, as I also never heard of physical dependence w/potheads. More psychological along with being VERY loaded and having been so for a long time. The patients with less pot usage were basically "duly noted", and move on. :) They still had the 'negative consequences' associated with addiction, but not the mayhem the others went through physically.
For the poly-users, the focus was never on the pot- but the stuff that could cause actual physical trouble. Opiate and alcohol detox would shake the cobwebs loose a bit faster than the potheads that ONLY did pot, and made it their life's work. And methadone detox? The worst of any of them... those folks suffered a LOT....and we tried to manage symptoms as best we could. That was just plain sad.
(nearly all had the final fling before admission- either at home, on the plane, or while still in the airport/bathroom, and our drivers were instructed to hit up the convenience stores for 12-packs between the airport and the facility- 90minute ride gets pretty long with the tremors starting- and most of I-10 at that time was a wasteland for someplace to stop and get booze)
Then there were the kids who would smoke pot laced with embalming fluid. Never did get a clear explanation as to what that was supposed to do .... help the mortician? Those were almost exclusively teenagers . They weren't admitted to the detox beds- just sent up to the Young Adult program ("adult" being used VERY loosely).
But a bunch of them did go through some 'hot' drug tests after a few weeks of not smoking d/t the fat stores, and they hadn't had access. They'd be devastated. Fortunately, the docs were ASAM members- and had made CD their life work, and knew about the late positive testing. I was lucky to work at LaHacienda in TX (before Dr. Phil sent folks there). I loved it. :) I'd get so mad when I worked med-surg and we got someone from one of the rehab places... I'd remind my coworkers and the docs that the ones who don't get help are the risky ones. At least give them credit for trying
And it ended up helping me a lot with LTC, believe it or not. There was always some doc who would cut off the benzos Gertrude had taken since the Nixon administration, and wonder why she got twitchy and unresponsive a couple of days in. "well it was a small dose"- yeah, in someone with decreased clearance, and physical tolerance.
on it. gonna wear my big hoop earrings and my bandana the way Rhoda did on the Mary Tyler Moore show. You wanna tie dye some tee-shirts while we listen to pink floyd?
on it. gonna wear my big hoop earrings and my bandana the way Rhoda did on the Mary Tyler Moore show. You wanna tie dye some tee-shirts while we listen to pink floyd?
Sounds good :) Bell-bottoms are mandatory. And I'll get some shades- gotta be sure the strobe light doesn't get to freaky. We gotta do the "Hustle", too :)
Sounds good :) Bell-bottoms are mandatory. And I'll get some shades- gotta be sure the strobe light doesn't get to freaky. We gotta do the "Hustle", too :)
Bwahahaha! I give up! I have to go to sleep or I could keep this up all night. Wouldn't it be great to have a 70's party for all nurses members?
"But A glass of wine with dinner doesn't impair someone"
... wow. Just, wow.
Key words...... "A" glass (not the bottle ) and "impair"... Unless someone is a total lightweight (and probably female), the person won't be impaired. Reflexes, memory, reaction times, etc will not be effected. Otherwise, legal impairment would be anything other than 0.000 on a breathalyzer.
Someone can also take a prescription-appropriate dose of MANY medications and not be impaired; up the dose past the therapeutic level, and impairment is a good possibility.
" I completely disagree, despite what the research says."
It's quotes like these that make me a very sad panda. Critical thinking, people! Multiple anecdotes are not data.
But people's personal experience with someone who engages in the behavior in question is going to be influenced in their beliefs....
A different type of example. Most fathers don't murder their children. I know of one who killed all 6 of his. (if you want a name, let me know). Most mothers don't drown their kids. Andrea Yates. The kids who knew the ones who were killed are going to have a different frame of reference for the rest of their lives about what "could" happen.
Someone who has had an alcoholic or addict in their family (or even worked with them) has a different frame of reference; and the articles about what pot does that is negative are plentiful. The "pro-pot" sites are generally pot stores....a bit biased?
. Then, a few days in, (and these were not "social" smokers- these folks had clouds following them), it's like the lights go back on, and they look around- vaguely remembering why they were there, and slowly get more "normal". I don't remember them being all that irritable- maybe a bit sensitive to stim, but no big behavioral issues like cocaine/meth. But they also had it pretty good- it was an old hunting lodge turned treatment center, so open, no locked units, keys to their rooms, a pool, chef, etc. :)
Those were almost exclusively teenagers 
. They weren't admitted to the detox beds- just sent up to the Young Adult program ("adult" being used VERY loosely). 
nola1202
587 Posts
COOOOl, can you bring a lava lamp and a black light for my peter max poster?