Weed has limits

Our Spokane medical marijuana drug war continues unabated and seemingly escalating. A major cause of this war is the state’s poorly written and naive medical marijuana law and its conflict with federal law.

Like most drugs, marijuana can be therapeutic. But it can be toxic, addictive and even lethal if its dosage, frequency and duration are not controlled. Pharmaceutical manuals clearly state that marijuana should be used only in supervised patients. Dosing considerations are crucial for geriatric, liver, kidney and congestive heart disease and failure patients. Marijuana has many central nervous system effects. It has an additive effect when used along with alcohol, antihistamines, sedatives and hypnotics.

Knowledgeable and compassionate medical professionals understand all this and thus prescribe marinol or dronabinol, which come in capsule form. Marijuana in weed form is not standardized, not controllable as to its content and dosage, and this is inherently not safe, and more easily toxifying.

And so I ask, why are medical marijuana patients not medically screened and clinically evaluated by licensed medical professionals before a prescription is written? Is its usage being monitored? Dealing with the neighborhood pharmacist would be easier and safer than dealing with the shadowy MJ merchants or street dealers.

James J. Flynn

Spokane