In Michigan - 55 Doctors certified 45,000 or 71% of all authorized medical pot users

[웃 910]

Smart docs. Just a handful of them (well, 55 doctors) did 71% of the "paper-signing"...45,000 patients....Minimum for the signature is probably $200...Patient says he has back pain, patient gives doctor $250, doctor puts his signature on the form and in 1 hour repeats this 10 times! That is seriously how it works, don't ask me how I know....

Medical pot prescribed mostly for aches, pains

It's not cancer or Alzheimer's or glaucoma

that had droves of Michiganders going to

doctors over the past two years to get

certified to use medical marijuana.

The vast majority of about 64,000 people authorized to use marijuana as medicine have unspecified ailments that cause severe and chronic pain, muscle spasms and nausea, state data obtained by the Free Press show.

And just 55 doctors certified about 45,000 patients -- 71% of all the authorized medical pot users.

In all, 2,197 doctors wrote at least one certification for a patient asking for marijuana approval.

The Michigan Department of Community Health data, obtained by the Free Press, is the first peek at what has happened under the state's new medical marijuana law.

The top nonspecific ailments cited by medical marijuana patients were severe and chronic pain, muscle spasms and nausea.

Of specific diseases, cancer was the most cited. It was given as a reason for certification by 1,407 patients (2.2%).

The numbers come from a broader report the department compiled on the medical marijuana law that is expected to be released within days.

Opponents: Pot law being exploited

Advocates and opponents of medical marijuana had very different views of the first snapshot showing how patients and doctors are responding to Michigan's 2-year-old law permitting pot's use as a painkiller.

Attorney General Bill Schuette, who led the opposition to the voter-passed ballot proposal in 2008, said: "This is just what we predicted. It is totally out of control."

He responded when a reporter informed him that most certifications under the law were for chronic pain, not specific illnesses and that 55 doctors were writing most of the prescriptions in Michigan.

"We were told (medical marijuana) was designed to treat a very narrow set of ... chronic and severe illnesses," Schuette said, "and what's going on is that this poorly drafted law is being exploited by those who want to legalize marijuana or make money ... or by unscrupulous doctors."

Karen O'Keefe of the Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project, which helped draft the legislation that was overwhelmingly approved by voters, strongly disagreed.

Chronic and severe pain is a serious medical condition, one that results in millions of Americans seeking medical treatment and receiving prescription painkillers, O'Keefe said.

"It is absolutely unfair to suggest that severe pain is not a serious condition," she said.

O'Keefe said the campaign for Proposal 1 in 2008 also was transparent about the range of conditions, both specific and general, that could justify medical marijuana use.

"We never said it was just cancer," she said.

Rob Mullen, a Farmington Hills attorney involved in multiple medical marijuana-related prosecutions, said he is convinced there are a lot of recreational pot smokers who have obtained Michigan medical marijuana certificates, and there are certainly physicians who see a huge volume of medical marijuana patients.

But that doesn't necessarily signify abuse of the law, Mullen said. Some doctors are turning to marijuana as a relatively less risky treatment for patients who might otherwise become addicted to or overdose on prescription painkillers, he said.

Mullen said he is concerned the interests of legitimate medical marijuana patients are in danger of being obscured or overwhelmed by the confusion and conflict created by overly zealous law enforcement authorities on one side, and the pro-legalization and commercial factions on the other.

Kelly Niebel, spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Community Health, declined to comment on what, if any, conclusions the department has drawn from the data. In fact, the MDCH will no longer be the regulatory agency after this weekend, Niebel said.

Under a reorganization ordered by Gov. Rick Snyder, processing of medical marijuana certification will move to the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.

"They are aware there are some outstanding issues, and they will be looking into them," Niebel said. "We're all committed to administering the law within the scope that was intended by those who voted for it."

Russ Westbury, a partner in the Ann Arbor Medical Clinic, which deals exclusively in marijuana referrals, said he wasn't surprised that some doctors specialize in medical marijuana referrals.

"Some have made it their primary focus," Westbury said. "The doctors that we have, they believe in it" as a less-addictive alternative to pain relief than some prescription medicines.

He said he uses marijuana for back pain and he's not unusual -- something the state data confirms.

"Of course, chronic pain is the most frequent, because there are so many people affected by that," he said.

He estimates he spends about $25 a month for marijuana, and uses it mostly at night when he's trying to get to sleep. He has known others who consume hundreds of dollars of pot weekly.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Good for the doctors. It shouldn't be illegal to begin with. It's legal here in Alaska and it's not like it's a big thing.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

I'd trust pot to relax someone and make them feel better than some of the ####### put out by Big Phrma with side effects that are 50x worse than anything a little pot could ever do to you.

[웃 910]

I'd trust pot to relax someone and make them feel better than some of the ####### put out by Big Phrma with side effects that are 50x worse than anything a little pot could ever do to you.

Very true. Take a couple xanax, a couple percoset, a couple vicodin, and drink a few beers and you are dead.

You cannot die from being too high on weed....Although mixing weed and alcohol is a terrible combination if you are too drunk because you will get the spins, feel sick, and probably throw up.

Edited April 21, 2011 by Lord Infamous

[Ban Hammer 13,408]

Good for the doctors. It shouldn't be illegal to begin with. It's legal here in Alaska and it's not like it's a big thing.

it probably makes life just a bit more bearable, with having to dodge grizzlies and enraged moose every day.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Very true. Take a couple xanax, a couple percoset, a couple vicodin, and drink a few beers and you are dead.

You cannot die from being too high on weed....Although mixing weed and alcohol is a terrible combination if you are too drunk because you will get the spins, feel sick, and probably throw up.

LOL...you just gave yourself away. I smoke that stuff maybe once every few years, and only when I'm drunk off my ####### and someone hands me the pipe and says give it a go. And every time I get the spins,puke and then pass out right afterwards.

it probably makes life just a bit more bearable, with having to dodge grizzlies and enraged moose every day.

It might for some, but for me it makes me lazy. If I smoke that stuff I don't get anything done. It's rocky road and a ball game on TV...day over !

[peejay 327]

You gotta really ask yourself if this "medical marijuana" movement would hold water if the beneficial components that supposedly relieve all these medical maladies could be done without the intoxicating effects. I'll bet 9 out of 10 are people that just get their jollies by getting stoned. Not to mention that I'm sure inhaling smoke and holding it in your lungs to get the drug into your bloodstream can't be good for one's health. I'd say it is detrimental.

I could really care less if people get drunk or stoned in their own house and don't drive while they are intoxicated. But this medical marijuana movement is just a convenient loophole for dopers to get high and circumvent the law. Let's be honest here and cut with the bullshit. Maybe there is a small number of people that really need this medically, but I'd bet most are just dope users that are out to get high. How is that good? How do we know who is or is not driving under the influence?

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

You gotta really ask yourself if this "medical marijuana" movement would hold water if the beneficial components that supposedly relieve all these medical maladies could be done without the intoxicating effects. I'll bet 9 out of 10 are people that just get their jollies by getting stoned. Not to mention that I'm sure inhaling smoke and holding it in your lungs to get the drug into your bloodstream can't be good for one's health. I'd say it is detrimental.

I could really care less if people get drunk or stoned in their own house and don't drive while they are intoxicated. But this medical marijuana movement is just a convenient loophole for dopers to get high and circumvent the law. Let's be honest here and cut with the bullshit. Maybe there is a small number of people that really need this medically, but I'd bet most are just dope users that are out to get high. How is that good? How do we know who is or is not driving under the influence?

It's nobody's business who's smoking and who's not. If the government wants to crack down on something, they can start with booze or better yet..illegal aliens. If I only had a nickel for every time someone up here got drunk and then beat their wife, or killed someone driving, or shot someone who p*ssed them off. Cigarette's, booze, driving to fast, playing football without a helmut...all has it's hazards but there comes a time when the government needs to back off and worry about the real hazards like illegal immigration, over spending, two bs wars costing us billions, etc...

With pot being legal up here some peeps think it's a big deal, but for us we don't even think about it. Worst thing that can happen with smoking weed other than lung cancer is over eating. Weed, pot whatever will make most people get the munchies...chocolate comes to mind, and then next thing you know peeps are getting fat and lazy and facing diabetes.

[JohnSmith2007 353]

I think all doctors should approve 100% of all applications. It is silly to have pot illegal and booze legal.

I wonder something though. My job does random drug tests. If I had a doctors presciption and tested positive could my employer still fire me?

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

I think all doctors should approve 100% of all applications. It is silly to have pot illegal and booze legal.

I wonder something though. My job does random drug tests. If I had a doctors presciption and tested positive could my employer still fire me?

They can up here for certain jobs like operator (trucks, heavy equipment), pilot, etc.... at least that's how it's set up here. Other states probably have their own laws in that regards...not sure.

[JohnSmith2007 353]

They can up here for certain jobs like operator (trucks, heavy equipment), pilot, etc.... at least that's how it's set up here. Other states probably have their own laws in that regards...not sure.

I have a script for vicodent. If taken while I am at work I am just as dangerous as someone smoking a joint. However, I have come up positive for vicodent on my tests and all I have to do is show them my prescription and they let it go. Why should medical MJ be different?

[웃 910]

I have a script for vicodent. If taken while I am at work I am just as dangerous as someone smoking a joint. However, I have come up positive for vicodent on my tests and all I have to do is show them my prescription and they let it go. Why should medical MJ be different?

Vicodin is far more addicting and dangerous than weed. Well, it is really nothing but a mild pain reliever but if taken irresponsibly the tylenol will wreck your liver way worse than alcohol. But that would be like 4,000 or more mg of tylenol (8 of the 5/500 pills....or 5 and 1/3rd of the 7.5/750s.....the good ones are the norcos which only have 325 mg of tylenol but pack 10mg of hydrocodone so you could actually take 10 of those in a day and be fine).....

[웃 910]

You gotta really ask yourself if this "medical marijuana" movement would hold water if the beneficial components that supposedly relieve all these medical maladies could be done without the intoxicating effects. I'll bet 9 out of 10 are people that just get their jollies by getting stoned. Not to mention that I'm sure inhaling smoke and holding it in your lungs to get the drug into your bloodstream can't be good for one's health. I'd say it is detrimental.

I could really care less if people get drunk or stoned in their own house and don't drive while they are intoxicated. But this medical marijuana movement is just a convenient loophole for dopers to get high and circumvent the law. Let's be honest here and cut with the bullshit. Maybe there is a small number of people that really need this medically, but I'd bet most are just dope users that are out to get high. How is that good? How do we know who is or is not driving under the influence?

So how do you feel about what I call hardcore drugs (prescription medication) compared to the green fluffy stuff that grows naturally out of dirt? That hardcore ###### has killed a lot of people....Take a couple pills of percoset (I personally never have) and I hear you feel fvcking amazing....Pop about 4 or 5 Vicodin with a six-pack of beer and you feel fantastic....A couple xanax and you will be knocked out asleep in less than 20 minutes....These are all way hardcore compared to the green fluffy stuff and I am far more concerned about kids or adults popping pills than smoking some mary jane

Edited April 21, 2011 by Lord Infamous

[peejay 327]

So how do you feel about what I call hardcore drugs (prescription medication) compared to the green fluffy stuff that grows naturally out of dirt? That hardcore ###### has killed a lot of people....Take a couple pills of percoset (I personally never have) and I hear you feel fvcking amazing....Pop about 4 or 5 Vicodin with a six-pack of beer and you feel fantastic....A couple xanax and you will be knocked out asleep in less than 20 minutes....These are all way hardcore compared to the green fluffy stuff and I am far more concerned about kids or adults popping pills than smoking some mary jane

People shouldn't be driving while high at all...period. For some stupid reason that all gets thrown out the window when it comes to pot. How many times do cops end up busting people on TV shows like COPS for driving around getting stoned and partying?

Like I said earlier...I could care less what anyone does in the privacy of their own homes. Sniff paint for all I care to cop a cheap buzz. Just leave it at home.

Getting high as "medicine"? Total bullshit. Who is kidding who?

The medical marijuana movement is total bullshit. The liberal control freaks bust a gut whining about cigarettes, but give weed a pass as "medicinal". More total bullshit.

Let's be honest here instead of playing bullshit games. I hate corruption and dishonesty and the medical marijuana movement is both.

[luckytxn 2,264]

Just legalize it already and stop trying to control the populace.