Pubdate: Thu, 28 Jun 2012
Source: Tucson Weekly (AZ)
Copyright: 2012 Tucson Weekly
Contact:  http://www.tucsonweekly.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/462
Author: J. M. Smith

CALMING INFLUENCE

The State Should Make MMJ an Option for Sufferers of Generalized 
Anxiety Disorder

Everyone feels anxious from time to time. We get tense when we have 
important meetings or hot dates or when we're in traffic and some 
asshole cuts us off.

But clinical anxiety is a different animal. People who suffer from 
generalized anxiety disorder don't get a break when they see the date 
is going well or that the meeting was a success. Their anxiety is a 
constant, physically gripping presence, often for no good reason. It 
makes people fearful and sweaty in situations most of us glide 
through with ease.

But there is a growing body of evidence, some of which can be found 
at www.azdhs.gov/medicalmarijuana/debilitating/index.htm, that a few 
tokes from a joint or a nibble on a pot brownie brings relief-real, 
clinical relief-to people with generalized anxiety disorder. On May 
25, the state Department of Health Services held a hearing in Phoenix 
to take public comments on adding generalized anxiety disorder-along 
with depression, migraines and post-traumatic stress disorder, as 
discussed in this space over the last few weeks-as a qualifying 
condition for medical-marijuana patients.

Jacob Jones urged the state to put the cannabis option on the table 
for anxiety-sufferers like him. Jacob tried low-grade marijuana in 
his home state of Kentucky and found that it helped his anxiety. When 
he came to Arizona, he started using the sticky, and guess what? It 
worked even better. Cannabis helps Jacob avoid a host of symptoms, 
including nightmares, insomnia and repeated flashbacks of traumatic events.

"And THC does this without bringing the damaging side effects and 
addiction (of) other anti-anxiety drugs, such as Valium," he told DHS 
officials, adding a plea for compassion.

Yes, Jacob. Well said.

A woman who gave her name only as Corey disputed what one doctor at 
the hearing said about people using MMJ possibly self-medicating and 
falling under the radar of the medical system. She thinks it might 
bring people who suffer from what she called "subclinical" problems 
into the light.

"Adding these conditions to the qualifying-conditions list will help 
these people come out of the woodwork and stop hiding these serious 
mental conditions, and actually get treatment for them," Corey said.

At the close of the hearing, DHS Director Will Humble-who personally 
opposes medical marijuana but has enthusiastically carried out the 
will of voters by implementing the state program-thanked the people 
who came to speak.

"This is an important part of the process," Humble said. "What we'll 
be doing from here is taking the information that we received today; 
we'll also be looking at all the information that we get 
electronically through our website, and we'll evaluate that information."

After a review by DHS physicians and others from academia, the state 
will decide by August whether to add the four conditions. In the 
meantime, more conditions might be considered. For two weeks next 
month-and each January and July from now on-DHS will take petitions 
for more additions.

"Over time, as the medical-marijuana program matures, we'll be able 
to capture continuing data to evaluate what kinds of medical 
conditions moving forward might be beneficial for the use of medical 
marijuana," Humble said, adding that he was grateful for the 
professionalism and grace of the folks who spoke.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I have to say that the 
question of whether to treat these illnesses with cannabis will not 
and should not be made by DHS physicians. They will decide only 
whether cannabis becomes a legal option under state law. The decision 
to treat the illnesses with cannabis will be made by the patients and 
their doctors.

So let's give them that option.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom