vol2 - Page 179
Page 179
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to that produced by standard anti=emetic drugs like Compazine
or synthetic THC_
36. Following the completion of my Georgetown Fellowship
in 1977, i returned to private practices
,I
37. By this time, there was a growing professional and
public recognition that marijuana had therapeutic value in
reducing the adverse effects of some chemotherapy treatments.
With this increasing public awareness came an increasing
pressure from patients for information on marijuana and on its
therapeutic uses.
38. As a physicians this create4 many awkward situations
for meo Patients would ask about marijuana_s use. ! would
provide.them with some basic ihformation_. If the patient
pursued the issue furthers I would acknowledge that a number of
studies showed marijuana was effective in reducing nausea and
vomiting. If the patient continued to ask questions, ! would
provide more detailed information_
39. However, because marijuana is classified as a
Schedule I drugs X cannot legally prescribe this beneficial
substance to my patlents_ Unable to meet these patients _
legitimate medical need for help, I became acutely aware that
many patients, once they knew some basic facts, were moving
into forms of self-treatment. I knew of parents who asked
their children to purchase marijuana for them. If the patient
was a child, parents would seek out ways to obtain marijuana.
40. While this form of self-treatment often proved very
effective, it also has many associated hazards_ ranging from
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