when i was in med school we did THC studies on chemo patients... for nausea:
1) we couldn't use smoked marijuana because these patients are immunocompromised and would often inhale spores that would cause all kinds of weird fungal pneumonias...
2) over 60% of the patients developed worsening nausea and opted out of the study
3) after 2 months, only about 10% still were interested on staying on THC...
the study never got published because, at the time, the company supporting the research was not happy with the outcomes - and the PI chose not to publish because he had another grant for a different drug from the same company and didn't want to piss them off...
the legitimate user is the one who
1) gets actual analgesia (not anxiolysis)
2) is reliable
3) follows medical recommendations and is compliant
4) has been tried on a variety of medications and has failed
5) isn't also on other controlled substances...
therefore, very few patients....
ALSO --- this kills me, since my state passed the medical marijuana law, i have had quite a few patients with a variety of injuries who come requesting marijuana for their pain...
i had a lady with shoulder pain - exam consistent with RTC tear... she refused MRI (because she wasn't interested in surgery), she refused PT (because that will only make it hurt mort), she refuses NSAIDS (because she heard they can injur the liver/kidney), she refuses all other modalities, she states narcotics don't work (but couldn't explain who prescribed them for her).... all she wanted was MJ for her pain... argh...
