Pubdate: Fri, 29 Apr 2016
Source: Kelowna Capital News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016, West Partners Publishing Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.kelownacapnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1294
Author: Kevin Parnell

NATUROPATH OFFERS INSIGHT INTO CANNABIS AS MEDICAL TREATMENT OPTION

As part of the Kelowna Capital News' ongoing series looking into
various aspects of medicinal marijuana, reporter Kevin Parnell
interviewed naturopathic doctor Chris Spooner, who operates a
naturopathic clinic in Vernon and is now working alongside Lift
Resource Centre, which provides information to patients about
medicinal marijuana.

Spooner has been in practice for 16 years. He acquired a bachelor of
science in biology from the University of Victoria before attending
the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and the Southwest
College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences.

Naturopaths are trained much the same as doctors but attend a
naturopathic college as opposed to traditional medical school and
focus on holistic approaches to medicine such as nutritional medicine
or acupuncture.

Capital News: When does a naturopathic doctor normally see a patient?

Dr. Spooner: "For a lot of patients they've exhausted the options 
available in the conventional system so they seek us out and that's 
where cannabis comes into the equation. Many people have tried many 
pharmaceutical options and they've exhausted all of their options so are 
looking to what else is out there."

CN: What's been your experience seeing patients who have taken some
form of medicinal marijuana?

Spooner: "I've seen some really interesting stuff that has happened, 
some remarkable success stories but I've also seen some spectacular 
failures. I have to say it's not the panacea, not the silver bullet for 
every disease that is out there. It requires some understanding of the 
patients symptoms and the nature of their disease and the history of the 
patient to see if it will be something helpful and appropriate for them."

CN: As a drug controlled under the federal government's Controlled
Drugs and Substances Act, how does marijuana compare to a substance
like alcohol?

Spooner: "I've seen patients that really like cannabis and use it a lot. 
Are they addicted to it? I haven't seen it in a way that someone is 
addicted to pain killers or even alcohol. It's an interesting dichotomy 
we have where we see such tolerance for alcohol but not cannabis. From 
an addictive standpoint I don't see it (with cannabis). I see people 
able to start or stop taking cannabis at anytime."

CN: What's your history with marijuana?

Spooner: "I was really naive about cannabis. Three or four years ago I 
knew nothing about the plant. I had some patients who had some really 
intriguing results. As a physician it's my responsibility to know 
everything you are taking. If you're hoping to take cannabis that's your 
right but I need to understand it, the rationale and the therapeutics, 
to find out if there are things interfering or other issues."

CN: How do you feel marijuana compares to other drugs regularly used
in traditional medicine?

Spooner: "If we take a look at morphine: Morphine is heroine that is 
used for therapy. We're using plant-based medicines and we've moved down 
the road in understanding how to use them. They've become some of the 
most relied upon medicines now. Do cannabinoids (the chemical compounds 
in marijuana) have that potential? I suspect they might once we learn 
some of the more interesting aspects and we allow the research to 
unfold, we will find a number of interesting applications for the plant."

CN: How do you decide what treatment option is best for
patients?

Spooner: "I think whenever you are looking at options for patients you 
have to consider the risk versus the benefit. I've seen a lot of 
patients that have been put on very heavy narcotics medications. We know 
that narcotic abuse in general is a problem with regard to opiates and 
fentanyl and this kind of thing. Are there other options? Cannabis does 
have to be looked at. If a patient has tried cannabis in the past and it 
seems to be working I think that needs to be looked at. The risk isn't 
nearly as extreme as the benefit."

CN: Why hasn't more been done to research marijuana?

Spooner: "The big thing with the medications we use and the therapies we 
provide is 'follow the dollars,' and I don't want this to sound like a 
conspiracy thing. But if you take a look at why hasn't cannabis been 
studied? Because there is no money in it. No one is going to spend $20 
million to study it because there is no product that can be patented. 
Turmeric is a wonderful anti-inflammatory but it doesn't get studied. No 
one is going to patent a natural substance."

CN: What's the bottom line on medicinal marijuana at this
point?

Spooner: "I think patients are being left in the lurch: They may have 
tried cannabis and it seemed to have helped so they go to a medical 
doctor and they will be given prescriptions for Tylenol 3 or all these 
heavy duty drugs that do have addictive potential to them. This is 
crazy. Cannabis is helping them without the pharmaceutical 
side-effects?why would we not entertain that option? Work with the 
patients and see how that works. They should be able to go to their 
doctor and talk openly and freely about what they are using without 
being judged."
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MAP posted-by: Matt