Pubdate: Sun, 02 Aug 2015 Source: Denver Post (CO) Copyright: 2015 The Denver Post Corp Contact: http://www.denverpost.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122 Author: Jonathan Sheldon Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n420/a07.html Re: "Pot for PTSD isn't anecdotal," July 26 My Turn. Denver SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE NEEDED BEFORE PRESCRIBING POT Todd Mitchem says the evidence that medical marijuana helps with post-traumatic stress disorder isn't anecdotal, but he inadvertently makes the case that it is precisely that. The dictionary definition of anecdotal is "not necessarily true or reliable, because based on personal accounts rather than fact or research." The opposite approach is the scientific method, in which a hypothesis is tested on many people in a way that attempts to eliminate bias in both the subject and researcher. It's expensive, time-consuming, exacting and largely devoid of the wonderful energetic certainty that Mitchem brings to this issue. But it helps those of us with the responsibility of prescribing medication adhere to the first principle of medical practice. In Latin that's primum non nocere ;in English it means "first, do no harm"; and in plain English it means don't go experimenting on folks until you have a darn clear idea of the risks and benefits, side effects and drug interactions involved. When the federal government finally eases its restrictions on research, we'll begin to understand more about marijuana. In the meantime, it is, in fact, all anecdotal. Jonathan Sheldon, M.D., - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom