# Ask The Doper Who Works At A Medical Marijuana Clinic **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 13, 2011, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292 "2011-04-13T22:16:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/41 "2011-04-14T19:31:51Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > ETA: In your opinion, how many of the restrictions on dispensary operation are due to the federal ban on marijuana? (I’m still confused by that part–how can it be legal in a state but illegal federally? What, exactly, can the federal government ban?) I’m wondering this too. I really really dislike smoking, and wonder whether medical marijuana would be as effective if eaten. My mother died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and it was not pretty; as far as I know, she never used medical MJ because it was not legal in Canada then. She might have smoked it, but then again maybe not. I believe there are dispensaries here out west that sell loaded cookies, brownies, and other “edibles”. It’s the perfect marriage of yuppie love of weed and hatred of smoking! Medical marijuana is at least as effective eaten as smoked, but there is a trade-off. On the one hand, you don’t have to deal with the smoking, the smell, and the smoking paraphernalia, but you also don’t get the fast results. When smoking, the high (and thereby the pain suppression) is almost instant-- you’ve got your results in just a couple of minutes. When eaten, marijuana can take anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour to have an effect\*. This means that it can be harder to control the amount of THC you’re taking in, so it’s very easy to try to take a small dose to control pain and accidentally spending the whole day staring at a wall. \*Varying wildly based on what you’ve eaten lately, your tolerance, and a bunch of other factors. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/42 "2011-04-14T19:40:40Z")
> [@appleciders](#): > > Medical marijuana is at least as effective eaten as smoked, but there is a trade-off. Sounds like a vapourizer would be the ideal compromise, then. I wonder whether such is available legally under the Canadian medial marijuana regs. ---
**Author:** ![JFLuvly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac91a4/32.png) [@JFLuvly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JFLuvly)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/43 "2011-04-14T20:17:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Sounds like a vapourizer would be the ideal compromise, then. I wonder whether such is available legally under the Canadian medial marijuana regs. Yes, you can use a vapourizer legally in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/44 "2011-04-14T20:24:55Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Sounds like a vapourizer would be the ideal compromise, then. I wonder whether such is available legally under the Canadian medial marijuana regs. It would be. I know people who have them and love them. None of these people have a Medical card, though. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/45 "2011-04-14T20:45:31Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > You can’t grow more than 12 plants, and you have to not live within 25 miles of a dispensary. There are no dispensaries here open yet, so that’s everyone right now. You can buy an enormous amount- 2.5 ounces a week, which is a _fat_ sack. 2.5 ounces a week? That translates to 10 grams a day, with maybe 4 joints a gram - so 40 joints a day. Is it even humanly possible to smoke that much? 😃 I’m sure someone somewhere has … ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/46 "2011-04-14T22:47:57Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > If someone brings you a license from another state or country, will you or the dispensaries honour it? > > ETA: In your opinion, how many of the restrictions on dispensary operation are due to the federal ban on marijuana? (I’m still confused by that part–how can it be legal in a state but illegal federally? What, exactly, can the federal government ban?) I’m wondering this too. I really really dislike smoking, and wonder whether medical marijuana would be as effective if eaten. My mother died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and it was not pretty; as far as I know, she never used medical MJ because it was not legal in Canada then. She might have smoked it, but then again maybe not. We will not honor certs from another state or country, and I don’t think the dispensaries will, either, but I have not researched their rules that much yet. I do plan on visiting one and learning all about them once they start opening here, but as of yet there aren’t any. I do know that you don’t have to smoke it- you can vaporize it, in which case you suck out the vapor from a plastic bag, or you can eat it in food products. It’s just as effective if eaten, and lasts a lot longer, up to 8 hours. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/47 "2011-04-14T23:18:34Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > …40 joints a day. Is it even humanly possible to smoke that much? Only one way to find out. Anyone wanna take care of my rent, bills, and son while I work to discover the answer this crucial question? Also, I may need Tommy Chong’s cell phone number. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/48 "2011-04-15T01:46:28Z")
Oops, my bad. It’s 2.5 ounces every two weeks. Still, it’s a lot. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/49 "2011-04-15T03:06:39Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > Oops, my bad. It’s 2.5 ounces every two weeks. Still, it’s a lot. Seriously. An eighth of an ounce of good weed smoked in a day would be one hell of a high. 2.5 ounces every two weeks would represent one sixth of an ounce per day. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/50 "2011-04-15T03:50:15Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > 2.5 ounces a week? That translates to 10 grams a day, with maybe 4 joints a gram - so 40 joints a day. Is it even humanly possible to smoke that much? 😃 > > I’m sure someone somewhere has … Four joints from a gram might be a bit of an exaggeration, unless you mean a [New York joint](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=New%20York%20Joint). 2.5 ounces a week does sound like a lot, but I’m sure there are people who use that much medicinally. Traditionally, a feature of cannabis culture was that you toked as deeply as possible, all in one go–because with an illegal recreational drug that was how you maximized the effect. By allowing medical users to purchase that much, they don’t need to do that. As long as they’re not selling it to others illegally, I don’t think there’s a problem with it. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/51 "2011-04-15T13:59:43Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Four joints from a gram might be a bit of an exaggeration, unless you mean a [New York joint](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=New%20York%20Joint). > > 2.5 ounces a week does sound like a lot, but I’m sure there are people who use that much medicinally. Traditionally, a feature of cannabis culture was that you toked as deeply as possible, all in one go–because with an illegal recreational drug that was how you maximized the effect. By allowing medical users to purchase that much, they don’t need to do that. As long as they’re not selling it to others illegally, I don’t think there’s a problem with it. Sure, 4 joints to a gram would be skinny for a party joint. But by definition, these are not supposed to be joints that you share. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/52 "2011-04-15T16:39:19Z")
2 ounces a week is a lot, and I share my best joints, i take pride in my work :0~ ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/53 "2011-04-15T16:55:47Z")
Say each joint is a gram, a pretty fat joint better off rolling a blunt. There are 28.35 grams to the ounce. Two ounces is call it 57. 57 joints over 1 week is 8 a day, 6 hours sleeping makes 1 and joints every 2 hours. If my math is wrong it is because I am researching these numbers with anecdotal evidence ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/54 "2011-04-15T17:39:08Z")
> [@ChrisBooth12](#): > > 2 ounces a week is a lot, and I share my best joints, i take pride in my work :0~ But of course, recreational joints are for sharing. But unless your friends share your medical condition, I presume you are not supposed to be sharing your prescription with them. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/55 "2011-04-15T19:32:24Z")
Can you describe some of your typical clients? We don’t live in a medical marijuana state, which is too bad because my mother-in-law is undergoing chemo for a tumor that has penetrated the lining of her brain and some of her side effects are pretty brutal. My husband has thought of trying to convince her to acquire some anyhow, but the thought of my lovely, 77-year-old MIL scoring some weed brings up no mental image at all, it’s so unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![Hennessy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hennessy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hennessy)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/56 "2011-04-15T20:12:32Z")
How can I convince Bill White to let medical marijuana be heard in Missouri? I’m thinking about figuring out a way to fill his bedroom with weed smoke so he wakes up high as hell… I rather have someone else do it though… [His house](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=2122+E+47th+St,+Joplin,+Newton,+Missouri+64804&layer=c&sll=37.036783,-94.493155&cbp=13,143.64,,0,2.15&cbll=37.036799,-94.493191&hl=en&sspn=0.006295,0.006295&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=2122+E+47th+St,+Joplin,+Missouri+64804&ll=37.036799,-94.493191&spn=0.003845,0.010568&z=17&panoid=fN568kC5cHEVTDaYO5aizA) Get her done Recreational whatever, I am mentally dependent on it ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/57 "2011-04-15T20:34:08Z")
> [@Hennessy](#): > > How can I convince Bill White to let medical marijuana be heard in Missouri? Not by forcing it on him, that’s for sure. > [@Hennessy](#): > > I’m thinking about figuring out a way to fill his bedroom with weed smoke so he wakes up high as hell… > I rather have someone else do it though… [His house](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=2122+E+47th+St,+Joplin,+Newton,+Missouri+64804&layer=c&sll=37.036783,-94.493155&cbp=13,143.64,,0,2.15&cbll=37.036799,-94.493191&hl=en&sspn=0.006295,0.006295&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=2122+E+47th+St,+Joplin,+Missouri+64804&ll=37.036799,-94.493191&spn=0.003845,0.010568&z=17&panoid=fN568kC5cHEVTDaYO5aizA) I thought the number-one rule of recreational use was “do not alter someone else’s consciousness without their permission”? Or have I been reading too many Spider Robinson stories? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/58 "2011-04-15T22:43:21Z")
I work in ophthalmology, and at least one of the physicians I work with has had to counsel a patient to please not rely on (illegal) marijuana usage to attempt to control glaucoma, as glaucoma’s effects are irreversible and usually subtle in progress. (Apparently marijuana is a lot more enjoyable than taking eyedrops; go figure.) He’s said the amount of marijuana you’d have to use to produce a decent medical effect (alone) against glaucoma would pretty much rule out any other activity. Do you know if it’s intended as a complementary therapy in this diagnosis, or is intended to be used alone? ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/59 "2011-04-16T00:50:51Z")
Its not a prescription! sorry that kinda gets me like the people who get upset when you use clip for the word magazine. Well I do not share my medication with anyone but if i happen to just take a break from smoking and someone takes it out of my hand an I dont notice oh well. nothing i can do about that. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292/60 "2011-04-17T21:23:09Z")
How good is marijuana for chronic pain relief? My personal recollection (now a good quarter century old) is that if something was hurting me before I consumed it, I would start to focus on it, as if it intensified physical sensations of all kinds good and bad. Is it not like this? Or are there particular kinds of pain for which it is good? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-doper-who-works-at-a-medical-marijuana-clinic/578292.md?page=4)