# Medical Marijuana **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 1, 2017, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana/787882 "2017-06-01T21:36:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana/787882/1 "2017-06-01T21:36:00Z")
So lets say you live in the state of Colorado and your doctor prescribed Marijuana as treatment for whatever condition you may have. Would you take it? Would you ask for a different prescription? ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana/787882/2 "2017-06-01T21:41:26Z")
If it was in a pill or edible form I would take it, but I don’t smoke and don’t want to start. If it worked great, and if it didn’t I’d ask for something else. It’s just one of (usually) many options. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana/787882/3 "2017-06-01T21:41:40Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > So lets say you live in the state of Colorado and your doctor prescribed Marijuana as treatment for whatever condition you may have. Would you take it? Would you ask for a different prescription? Yup. Do it now anyway. CBD works pretty well for pain and there are a ton of low-THC, high-CBD strains, not to mention things like 60-1 CBD oil with very minimal THC. Which in some respects is counter-productive as THC (and all the other stuff) aids the effects of CBD. Haven’t touched an opioid based pain pill since my last emergency room visit, and outside of that, probably not for close to a year. Frankly, I don’t like them anyway. I’ve regularly turned down Norco and Vicodin for my pain issues. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana/787882/4 "2017-06-01T21:45:55Z")
It’s just pot. I’d be more reticent to use benzos or Adderall. I’ve had a few instances where negative thoughts intensified while on pot. If I realized that I was getting that effect most of the time, I might decide not to take pot or to take strands with less THC and more CBD. Or I could use a vaporizer with good temperature control, let one of my neighbors extract the THC and then use the resulting THC-poor and CBD-rich pot. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana/787882/5 "2017-06-01T21:51:56Z")
If I lived in Colorado, I’d buy it and smoke it just because I enjoy it. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana/787882/6 "2017-06-01T22:04:57Z")
I’ve never had pot etc., and would prefer not to; and I rarely smoke tobacco now; but if prescribed I would _only_ take it by smoking. Most pharmaceutical drugs seem more dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana/787882/7 "2017-06-01T22:22:12Z")
My Doc. a Stanford MD, offered to write me a prescription for it for back pain. I just took Tylenol, but I have no problem with it. ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana/787882/8 "2017-06-01T22:54:51Z")
I live in SoCal and haven’t tried it in +20 years. If I NEEDED it for a medical reason I wouldn’t hesitate, any more than I would for any other prescribed drug. In fact I’d be less hesitant, as I’m already well aware of the side-effects. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana/787882/9 "2017-06-02T00:51:58Z")
Without hesitation. However, I live in Washington and would compare cost and efficacy with my local weed store. I’ve heard from more than one source that prescription marijuana isn’t very good. ---
**Author:** ![Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backwater_Under_Duck)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana/787882/10 "2017-06-02T01:09:20Z")
I really don’t think it works that way. I’m in SoCal and I’ve had my certificate for a few years. Your normal Primary Care Physician will not prescribe medical marijuana because it’s still outside of the system. No FDA approval to know what your really getting. The insurance companies won’t touch it. Not on their formulary, don’t you know. I’ve heard my doctor joking about it with his nurses. But unless you’ve been recommended to a particularly groovy specialist, it won’t come up. You have to actively seek a medical marijuana doctor which means you have already decided you want it. ---
**Author:** ![Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backwater_Under_Duck)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana/787882/11 "2017-06-02T01:11:01Z")
> [@Helena330](#): > > Without hesitation. However, I live in Washington and would compare cost and efficacy with my local weed store. I’ve heard from more than one source that prescription marijuana isn’t very good. The medical weed around here is incredibly awesome. Oh yeah! ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana/787882/12 "2017-06-02T01:37:48Z")
> [@Helena330](#): > > Without hesitation. However, I live in Washington and would compare cost and efficacy with my local weed store. I’ve heard from more than one source that prescription marijuana isn’t very good. Pretty much everywhere, “medical” marijuana is exactly the same stuff as the recreational, it just comes cheaper and with fewer taxes. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana/787882/13 "2017-06-02T03:10:50Z")
Do doctors even offer marijuana prescriptions unless asked? ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana/787882/14 "2017-06-02T03:13:25Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Do doctors even offer marijuana prescriptions unless asked? Yes, in Colorado at least ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana/787882/15 "2017-06-02T03:18:08Z")
What’s their criteria? For what conditions would smoked marijuana be the first thing they’d prescribe? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana/787882/16 "2017-06-02T04:27:32Z")
Medical and recreational marijuana is legal here, though there is no mechanism to obtain it recreationally until later this summer. I believe after that the only real difference is that medial allows you to buy more, though both quanitites are A LOT. If I had both choices, I would only do it recreational (for medical purposes) as I would want to avoid the paperwork and being on the list. This is one of these issues that make me realize many people on the SDMB are very culturally conservative, even if they are politically not on the right. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana/787882/17 "2017-06-02T11:35:03Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > What’s their criteria? For what conditions would smoked marijuana be the first thing they’d prescribe? Concertitis. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana/787882/18 "2017-06-02T13:18:33Z")
Anecdotal, but from what I’ve seen and experienced in the medical marijuana field (I don’t have prescription but I was a caretaker for someone who did), a doctor most likely would not prescribe marijuana for you unless you requested it. Even then, some doctors refuse to prescribe it. ---
**Author:** ![Plumpudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Plumpudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plumpudding)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana/787882/19 "2017-06-02T13:28:10Z")
I would definitely ask for something else, as my (former) psychiatrist told me I should never touch the stuff again. It’s legal here, but you don’t need a prescription. I don’t think doctors here would recommend it either. The Netherlands, btw. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana/787882/20 "2017-06-02T15:16:56Z")
My wife’s doctor suggested some analgesic creams with marijuana for her foot issues but she won’t use it, she works as a teacher in a public school and is subject to random drug testing. No one can positively state she won’t show a positive if she uses the creams. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-marijuana/787882.md?page=2)