she makes me want to vomit... or wait, will that be good enough to get me some mary jane?

No doctor should be that stupid.

oh dear abhi, you'd be surprised what idiots are in the system.

she's going to get reprimanded by the california medical licensing board, i can bet 100 cans of beans on that one...

i guess the next call to her will be from hugh hefner... another career...another opportunity...she can rake it in using her um..rack?

Yes, watching the 'expose' was like the exact reverse experience of going to the theater and watching Harold & Kumar. The local laws are already incredibly permissive, it boggles the mind that a doctor who does specialize in providing this service (and there are way, way more than her doing so) feels the need to resort to lad-mag promotional material like the sassy pose she strikes in the screen grab.

She is not the only desi listed as a cannabis specialist, there is also a Dr. Rita Thakur (who does not seem to need the 'hot doc 420' advertising)

I think she's cool.

I think she's cool.

please explain. I thought the ad to be merely a crass presentation of natural assets, predicated on the underlying assumption that physical appearance has anything to do with competency as a medical professional. It's much the like the happy attractive people frolicking through various outdoor locations in commercials for herpes medication.

420 works out as a double pun.

pardon my intrusion, does the posting of the above story mean that sepia is going to ignore the most important story of the day, which is not only south asian in its affect, but global.
i am alluding to the declaration of martial law in pakistan.

pardon my intrusion, does the posting of the above story mean that sepia is going to ignore the most important story of the day, which is not only south asian in its affect, but global.

Maybe that's what it means. And if you don't like it you can shove it. We write about what we want to write about and when we want to write about it. If you put money in my pocket then I will re-consider this. Got it?

damn Abhi! Stress isn't good for you man... maybe you should go see the doc and get something to help mellow you out :)

damn Abhi! Stress isn't good for you man... maybe you should go see the doc and get something to help mellow you out :)

I was actually thinking she'd make this poor blogger a great sugar momma.

we shouldn't need a prescription for mary jane anyways. legalize it.

I for one think that marijuana has legitamate medical uses (my friend's Dad uses it--illegally--to help pain from his worsening MS--and he's doctor!) but this desi doc is nuts. How stupid can you be? I mean really...she even seems ilike she's high in the interview....stupid stupid

i am alluding to the declaration of martial law in pakistan.

On last report, BB fled and is returning now. If you want to see streaming news, open this in Windows Media Player

mms://a150.l2584248272.c25842.g.lm.akamaistream.net/D/150/25842/v0001/reflector:48272

Anyways, interesting post. If only Mary Jane became legal...

I'm outraged! How dare that not her in the ad.

hmmm. between harold & kumar, anna nicole smith's doc, and this chick...i see an emergence of a new stereotype

I'm outraged! How dare that not her in the ad.

it is her in the ad.

Here's another Desi certified doctor in Jersey who uses himself as example to sell whatever weight loss program he's advocating. Oh yeah, btw, in addition to being a family doctor he's a comedian too.

I think she's cool.

Yo Nina, I heard that.

Damme! I'd happily get on the ganja hubbly-bubbly style with Dr. Patel. Sign me up.

merely a crass presentation of natural assets, predicated on the underlying assumption

Indeed

it is her in the ad.

oh. so, what's the problem again?

I support her cause, though not her modus operandi. Surely a little tact might go a long way. Certainly wouldn't hurt.

In either case, it is good see "our" people assimilating to such a degree as to shamelessly stripping themselves of the stereotypical norms.

I think Sepia Mutiny, or at least the story poster, has gotten a little too stiff as of late. Theres been shyster desi doctors selling whack meds for years - - - I know plenty of folks in Atlanta back when Phen-Fen and those other heart attack inducing weight loss pills were still legal - - who were selling 'prescriptions' to anyone who would pay them at their clinics. That was/is wrong, and downright greedy. I think with Doc 420, she might be ahead of her time. Marijuana has a artificial stigma and like someone mentioned above, it'll probably be legal at some point in the future. Whats the difference between Sanjay Gupta and Anderson Cooper having their photos plastered all over busses, billboards, websites and coffee mugs to sell their stories and Doc 420 showing a little leg? Both are selling sex in some form, and both are involved in shady bending of the medical profession for self interest and proft.

I say go'head Doc 420!

Wait this is real? Thought I was reading the Onion.

Airbrushed much?

Anyhow I'm not anti-marijuana, but this and medicine do not mix. I don't deny its pain alleviating effects, but it is just baby steps away from integrating naturopathic remedies into allopathic medicine. Which is just quackery at its greatest form. This lady is never going to be taken seriously as a physician because of her irresponsible diagnoses and playmate-esque ads.

Guess there are far too many Indians in medicine for these types to go unnoticed.

another sellout like bobby jindal. if she were true to her indian roots, she'd be pushing bhang instead.

I'd hit it.

Then spark up right after.

Then spark up right after.

Before dude. Try before. Trust me.

I am a libertarian. I believe drugs should be legal, especially pot. But guess what, I don't even smoke or drink(sometimes I will taste something for the hell of it). I would rather go out with a lady who takes pot recreationally than a smoker. I have not seen a pothead beat his wife, but i have seen alchoholics do so.(not that there aren't potheads who wouldn't, but you get the idea of the relative numbers). Government can't control what a woman can do with her body with respect to abortion. So why should they control what people put into their own bodies like pot? Pot is not a public nuisance.
Every argument people tend to bring aobut the reason for making pot illegal, I can use the same rationale for alocholic drinks. And as far as the addictive quality, I know poeple who were able to quit pot much easier than cigarettes.

At the same time, I am not fond of the culture glorifying pot as those taken by the progressive minded or the people who want to have fun(I tend to hang around such people, but I just grin since it is of no big consequence in my life, either way).

Few other points
1) The chick is hot.
2) She may have ulterior motives. But I like her chuzpah.
3) For my money, she is morally preferable to the plastic surgeons who do not dissuade their patients from getting totally unncessary breast implants, especially to teenagers. And definitely better than those plastic surgeons who actually suggest breast implants when a patient comes in for some other condition and may ask casually about implants. I feel women butchering their bodies for implants is a bigger deal than some harmless toking.

I had a long conversation w/ my roommate about whether 'Doc 420' cheapens the medical profession by dressing provocatively in her own ad. All doctors believe in a bottom line anyways, she just represents an extreme example. I wouldn't want my own sister doing something like this, but, in a free market, is it really so wrong to wear booty shorts and take advantage of a legal loophole?

She is probably not half as bad as some pyschiatrists I know who milk the system to get rich.

The strength of modern, laboratory produced cannabis, which is genetically modified, commonly known as 'skunk', can lead to psychosis and other mental health problems. People shouldn't downplay the potential health issues of smoking weed.

The strength of modern, laboratory produced cannabis, which is genetically modified, commonly known as 'skunk', can lead to psychosis and other mental health problems. People shouldn't downplay the potential health issues of smoking weed.

Well then i guess I should be suing the state of British Columbia as well as the backwoods growers of Kentucky and Virginia as well. I'm quite mad, you see, so much so that this very morning I put on my pants on, one leg at a time.

Nicky,

the point of standardizing potency is so that prospective patients know exactly how much will achieve the desired effect and the point of raising potency is to minimize the amount of smoke (still the most popular method of ingestion)entering the patent's lungs. The only people I've ever heard connected with cannabis psychosis are the odd aspiring rapper on a council estate in the UK--one of the few places where anti-cannabis raps are still found with some regularity.

The strength of modern, laboratory produced cannabis, which is genetically modified, commonly known as 'skunk', can lead to psychosis and other mental health problems. People shouldn't downplay the potential health issues of smoking weed.

We have alchocholic content regulations on beer. I can't see why content labeling can't be done for pot. The thing is people are allowed to do many dangerous things in society. Driving while drunk is illegal. But drinking yourself silly is not. Drunken husbands being abusive to wives is a lot more common than some deranged pothead.

Drunken husbands being abusive to wives is a lot more common than some deranged pothead.

That's not a reason for not being cautious about cannabis use. Prolonged use of modern strains of skunk are contributing to mental health and other health issues. There's almost a taboo about discussing this, because you're seen as being square and not cool, everyone wants to be like the big Lebowski or Harold and Kumar. But it's a fact. And the potency of lab weed contributes to this.

another sellout like bobby jindal. if she were true to her indian roots, she'd be pushing bhang instead.

Oh yeah, not just mental health problems, psychosis and so on, but respiratory and lung and cancer issues. People should be less blase about weed and the ill things it can cause.

i agree with nicky. pot is powerful. makes you stupid. i still have no idea what crocodile dundee was about.

That's not a reason for not being cautious about cannabis use. Prolonged use of modern strains of skunk are contributing to mental health and other health issues. There's almost a taboo about discussing this, because you're seen as being square and not cool, everyone wants to be like the big Lebowski or Harold and Kumar. But it's a fact. And the potency of lab weed contributes to this.

it's neither 'unhip' or boldly contrarian to assert that a product made and consumed almost exclusively by club members in CA has any sort of effect on the total cannabis-consuming population. I'd also like to see the study you're citing to come up with this 'cannabis psychosis' fact.

I am unsure of her intentions, but if she really wants to help people and alleviate pain for those who are suffering, there must be more options out than medical marijuana for that purpose.

One hit off a bong is the equivalent of smoking over a hundred cigarettes.

I went to uni in BC, and I was in Liberal Arts, so everyone was alluz stokin' bout' tokin', and lemme tell you, I have seen people enter the mental health system because of too much weed. One of my guy friends was on a camping trip with a group of us way out in the rainforests. So we're all in the bush and its night and one of the other guys had my friend toke up because my friend acts so funny on dope. My friend, a reasonable, fairly centred electrical engineering student, took off while I was washing dishes, leave no trace style, and left me in the pitch dark without a light. I could hear him going crashing through the brush. Where did he go? He had briefly asked me if I had heard a bear, but this was a bizarre way to be acting if there were wild animals in the vicinity. Eventually the drug pusher happened upon me with another light, and I told me what had happened. So he traipsed off to investigate. When he came back, he was laughing himself sick. My friend was in his tent, with the tent flap pulled tight and the zipper drawn to the rim, cowering in a corner with his sleeping bag over his head. Drug pusher asked him: what's the story? My friend's response: I can't come out.. there are BEARS out there! Drug pusher thought the funniest part of the whole fandago was the fact that my friend completely abandoned me to stand ALONE in the woods regardless of the fact that he felt the marauding death beasts of BC were making a deadly orbit around our area.

Dude, when something gets you that wacked it ain't good stuff. This chica don't touch Miss Mary Weird, and that's one of many reasons why.

the fact that my friend completely abandoned me to stand ALONE in the woods regardless of the fact that he felt the marauding death beasts of BC were making a deadly orbit around our area.

Dude, when something gets you that wacked it ain't good stuff. This chica don't touch Miss Mary Weird, and that's one of many reasons why.

That's nothing to fear. In more enlightened cultures they would make your friend a shaman and give him the best yurt in town.

Dude, when something gets you that wacked it ain't good stuff. This chica don't touch Miss Mary Weird, and that's one of many reasons why.

so because some individuals (usually of low bodymass) feel tipsy after a shot or two of 80-proof liquor, we should ban Jose Cuervo?

Pleeease, stop the reefer madness shit. I know quite a few people who took pot. Stating the worse examples is not how you frame public policy. We all know about so many alcoholics who ruined not only their lives but other peoples lives because of their LEGAL abuse of alcohol. Should we ban alcoholic drinks because some people can't handle it? And if there are some dangerous strains out there, that is what happens when you make everything illegal. How about making it legal so you can weed out, pun intended, the more dangerous varieties for mainstream consumption.

When alcoholic prohibition went on in the US and Andhra Pradesh, there were some pretty harmful alcoholic concoctions made available for people who wanted to drink because of the unreglated illegal nature of the market. ''

I dont think pot is cool. I think it is stupid to take any drug. But then I think it is stupid to get drunk. BUt I do not want to force my opinion on other people. I see no evidence that pot is a PUBLIC nuisance any more than drinking.

Making pot legal has many advantages
1) Takes the government out of one facet of our lives. What we do with our bodies with natural substances. People can find a way to get high some way if they really want to.
2) More tax revenue. Imagine the tourism revenue also.
3) You can concentrate more on going after more dangerous drugs. Every second the government wastes on pot enforcement is a second away from a more focused drug policy.
4) You can use the tax revenue to fund rehab centers. Making it legal, drives the prices down, and reduces theft.

I actually sometimes feel like we should legalize every drug, drive the prices down removingt the crime element of drugs, and then let losers OD themselves to death if they do not want to go to a rehab system funded by drug taxes. But I waver on that. However, Pot should be legal not because it is good for you, but people have a right to do whatever they want to enjoy themselves as long as it does not affect the community. Pot does not affect me.

So what if she is using her legs in her ad. It is her prerogative, and really just a product of our image obsessed environment anyway. She also seems to be doing very well as a result (3 clinics at age 31?). As far as her selling "weed", if there wasn't a market, she wouldn't have customers. The i-team "bust" is hardly legitimate. It is just the media, once again sensationalizing facts. Why don't we save our judgment for when she has truly broken the law or hurt someone.

so because some individuals (usually of low bodymass) feel tipsy after a shot or two of 80-proof liquor, we should ban Jose Cuervo?

its a slippery slope

I love the part where they ask her if handing someone a piece of paper with side effects was the same as discussing the side effects with them and she had this look on her face like

"how the fu@# am I going to splain this one?"

my tweed blazer still smells of skunk from the police concert last night. a 50 yr old lady made me dance with her. damn hippies.

just curious. i know that in some countries, the medical council has a say in how doctors can advertise themselves and sets guidelines. i guess this is not true of the u.s.?

a 50 yr old lady made me dance with her. damn hippies.

You should have sang to her:
Don't stand so
Don't stand so
Close to me

so because some individuals (usually of low bodymass) feel tipsy after a shot or two of 80-proof liquor, we should ban Jose Cuervo?

of course, yes. haven't you been listening to lou dobbs? damn mexicans are taking away the jobs that good americans like jack daniels could do.

of course, yes. haven't you been listening to lou dobbs? damn mexicans are taking away the jobs that good americans like jack daniels could do.

and let's not forget the jobs that those darn mexicans are taking away from the Japanese--four years ago i was downing sake bombs, and now I find myself assailed by tequila bombs wherever I drink.

That's not a reason for not being cautious about cannabis use. Prolonged use of modern strains of skunk are contributing to mental health and other health issues. There's almost a taboo about discussing this, because you're seen as being square and not cool, everyone wants to be like the big Lebowski or Harold and Kumar. But it's a fact. And the potency of lab weed contributes to this.

Moderate doses of ALCOHOL, nicotine, or caffeine can induce psychotic symptoms in a person with (or predisposed to) schizophrenia, and small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, or other drugs can precipitate prolonged psychotic relapses.
Nicky is a square. I only say this because I am sure this person drinks alcohol which happens to be legal.

I'd also like to see the study you're citing to come up with this 'cannabis psychosis' fact

Cannabis and schizophrenia.

Nicky is a square. I only say this because I am sure this person drinks alcohol which happens to be legal.

Why the need to be personal?

You should have sang to her: Don't stand so Don't stand so Close to me

well, she was whispering "massage in a brothel"

nicky,

that's not a study. that's an essay summarizing 'sources' and conversations on the subject. I'm talking about large-population, long-term studies proving that those without a genetic propensity to develop any sort of mental disorder are suddenly made into loonies by smoking a joint.

I would prefer marijuana to all the adderall, anti-anxiety, and depression meds I take. At least I think I would. I've never smoked up.

She didn't have to tart herself up but I can imagine a bunch of stupid whitey marketing nitwits convincing her it was ok. I work with all of them and they think sex is the only thing that sells.

Honestly, I think her asking leading questions is probably not true. It's mostly how someone responds that matters.

I do want to add that despite my previous comments, I do think she is nothing more than a glorified drug dealer. She just found a legal way to do it. The fact is I do support the legalization of it so you do not have a doctor be in a position of pushing drugs which she is clearly doing since she obviously does not give a shit what the reason is. Legalize pot.

can imagine a bunch of stupid whitey marketing nitwits convincing her it was ok.

Nina stikes again.

Dear Nicky-I apologize for getting personal. It's just that I am tired of the strong stance against cannabis from those that do not have an equal stance against alcohol...All I meant in my comment was :Just as cannabis as been shown to exacerbate mental health problems, so has ethanol. That's all.

If anyone is interested in finding out more, there's an excellent documentary called Grass. I'm not a libertarian and nor do I advocate using drugs, but I do think that it's silly to criminalize marijuana and it should be decriminalized, and the penalties are just way too stiff for selling and using it. We can partly thank Clinton administration for the stringent drug laws for marijuana possession. From what I've read, the tobacco companies have a plan ready to roll out marijuana cigs the day it is legalized.

That's nothing to fear. In more enlightened cultures they would make your friend a shaman and give him the best yurt in town.

Or stone him as a witch, kill him as a phoot, and possibly vanquish him as having a djinn. I have an anthropology degree; I've seen it all.

so because some individuals (usually of low bodymass) feel tipsy after a shot or two of 80-proof liquor, we should ban Jose Cuervo?

I don't know; do you want to be complicit in a policy that screws an individual over for life, crams him full of anti-psychotics from Big Pharma, and detains him in a system that strips him of any constitutional right indefinitely? 'Cause Mary is the way, yaar. I've seen it happen more than once. Getting soused may have its casualities, but it can't quite compare.

She could be a guest star on Weeds .

James Cayne doobs up. This is your Bank. This is your Bank on drugs. Any Qustions?

I don't know; do you want to be complicit in a policy that screws an individual over for life, crams him full of anti-psychotics from Big Pharma, and detains him in a system that strips him of any constitutional right indefinitely? 'Cause Mary is the way, yaar. I've seen it happen more than once. Getting soused may have its casualities, but it can't quite compare.

do i have to google the casualty numbers for drink-driving accidents? Care to stack that up against your alleged epidemic of cannabis-related psychosis? But wait, you have an anthropology degree, we should just trust ya! Hell, you might even be from the government.

please note, i do not accept anecdotal references as proof of an epidemic.

That's nothing to fear. In more enlightened cultures they would make your friend a shaman and give him the best yurt in town. Or stone him as a witch, kill him as a phoot, and possibly vanquish him as having a djinn. I have an anthropology degree; I've seen it all.

There's a downside to the enchanted world view too I guess. Did you go to U of BC ? Awesome totem pole collection at the school museum. Only downside of Vancouver is the blocks of junkies milling about. But decriminalized marijuana will only lead to an increased demand for cheesy snacks and the occassional bear mauling

am i the only one who thinks pot is more mind altering than some of the so called harder drugs?

ALL drugs should be legalized and regulated. Alcohol and cigarettes are the worse drugs for the body and for society. To paraphrase Dr. Gonzo, I'm not advocating drugs, but they certainly work for me. The Canadian Senate a few years ago spent a few million dollars conducting an extensive study on marijuana, and the conclusion was "legalize it." But the fascists in DC said "dont even think about it." In Canada/ The Great White North I can freely walk down the street with a joint between my lips and not get arrested. I think people on this discussion who are anti-pot or anti-legalization really need to... well, get high and mellow out. OR get educated abut this sacred plant. excuse me while I pack my bong

Manju

pot is NOT a mind altering drug. Please check out this site for more info on pot and other drugs. you'd be surprised how many there are...

muralimannered

Seriously, do you not know how to use google?

do i have to google the casualty numbers for drink-driving accidents?

This is a nonsensical, illogical and ridiculous argument. Just because the overall health effects of alcohol are worse, nobody should even mention the potentially harmful effects of cannabis? That's not an argument, it's a knee jerk.

No one is saying you shouldn't mention the harmful effects of cannabis. However, it is valid to ask why should someone use the bad cases to justify making pot illegal when there are many peope who are free to destroy their health by drinking alcohol and cause harm to others.

Nicky - as the person arguing about a linkage between psychosis and marijuana, the onus is on YOU to back it up with hard core facts from a reliable source - e.g., controlled studies. Otherwise it seems like you're just making sweeping broad statements based on anecdotes or personal observation - which won't convince , bro. Just trying to help... if you want to crank it up a notch, for every study supporting your point maybe bring up the ones that don't and address why your studies are better nuanced and more conclusive

Sorry - "the personal arguing" should be "a person arguing" - I know Nicky isn't the only one arguing about that particular link

I think this is what Murali is talking about:

researchers led by Terrie Moffitt at King's College London, UK, analysed comprehensive data on over 1000 people born in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1972 and 1973. They found that people who used cannabis by age 15 were four times as likely to have a diagnosis of schizophreniform disorder (a milder version of schizophrenia) at age 26 than non-users. But when the number of psychotic symptoms at age 11 was controlled for, this increased risk dropped to become non-significant. This suggests that people already at greater risk of later developing mental health problems are also more likely to smoke cannabis. The total number of high quality studies on cannabis use and mental health disorders remains small, stress Rey and Tennant. And it is still not clear whether cannabis can cause these conditions in people not predisposed by genetic factors, for example, to develop them. [Link]

However, it's not clear that predisposition to mental illness is really relevant. The question is, what's the effect of cannabis on a random sample of people, given that some of that random group may have a predisposition to a serious mental illness. I think that this is useful for answering that question:

In separate research, a team led by Stanley Zammit at the University of Cardiff, UK, evaluated data on over 50,000 men who had been Swedish military conscripts in 1969 and1970. This group represents 97 per cent of men aged 18 to 20 in the population at that time. The new analysis revealed a dose-dependant relationship between the frequency of cannabis use and schizophrenia. This held true in men with no psychotic symptoms before they started using cannabis, suggesting they were not self-medicating.[Link]

pot is NOT a mind altering drug.

oh. then crocodile dungee must be a fellini flick

I am still reeling under the positive influence of American Gangster that I saw last night, so i give full marks to Dr. Sonal Patel :)

However, it's not clear that predisposition to mental illness is really relevant. The question is, what's the effect of cannabis on a random sample of people, given that some of that random group may have a predisposition to a serious mental illness. I think that this is useful for answering that question:

what the blurb did not describe was whether the test subjects were using cannabis prior to the test period, as it's been shown several times now that use of cannabis in the mid-teens does track with an elevated risk of developing schizophrenia. It also did not address frequency of use among test subjects or the potency of the cannabis involved.

jasmine's story #39 is great. we live in a sad world when the straight people are more colouful than the druggies.

bob:

pot is NOT a mind altering drug anything we put into our bodies alters the mind Anyways, what so wrong with altering your mind?

you're all over the place. you need to sober up, man.

wooo. time got warped in 81 to 82. i told you pot is dangerous

o i see. anything i write will apppear b/f bobs comment until 1:59. this is trippy.

I think this lady is a lamer of the biggest proportions. First let me say, I know some people who are addicted to marijuana, and over the time that they have been using, one went from being able to speak intelligently to not being able to finish a sentence without erupting into that 'gnarly' pothead laugh, one has trouble enjoying life without the use of marijuana, and another got expelled from college for being found with marijuana. So I get tired of all these moral platitudes about how marijuana addicts are somehow superior to other types of addicts. I don't have a particular opinion about the legalization of marijuana other than a) I think people who belong to a party whose entire platform is basically the legalization of marijuana are lame, and b) no matter what you think of the substance itself, the fact remains that it *is* an illegal substance (unless used for medicinal purposes in California) under U.S. law. And under that law, I think Dr. Sona Patel is lame because she is basically just a drug dealer with an M.D. I think her actions are unethical, and they're obviously also unlawful. Also, her lack of awareness about how she is presented (hellooo airbrushing!) gets on my nerves. For a less lame brown drug dealer, see Maulik Pancholy on Weeds.

one went from being able to speak intelligently to not being able to finish a sentence without erupting into that 'gnarly' pothead laugh

this is so true in my heh, heh, heh.

Manju,

have you ever smoked pot, drank a bhang lassi, or done any other "drugs"?

anything we put into our bodies alters the mind and/or body in some way. one must make the distinction between such things as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, psilocybin (magic mushrooms), and even caffeine..which is also a drug and makes people a little edgy when they've drank too many cups of it. Drug groups include stimulants (eg. cocaine), cannibanoids (ganja), psychedelics (LSD, mushrooms), depressants (alcohol), and entheogens (DMT,peyote, ayahuasca). different drug different "altered state."

Magic mushroom were used in ancient India. the Soma plant in the Vedas was a magic mushrooms called the Fly Agaric.

PLEASE read the info on the Erowid website and educate yourself on these wonderful substances.

Anyways, what so wrong with altering your mind? One always comes back to this reality after a trip...at least in my experience.

you need to chill out man

Manju,

you never answered my question: have you ever done any drugs? Did you bother to look at the Erowid website? please educate yourself before you talk about drugs or any other subject that you lack knowledge in. seriously, there are massive differences between pot and say cocaine or speed or magic mushrooms. their effect on the body and mind vary greatly...trust me I know from personal experience. In fact I can say that psychedelics and ganja have very positive effects on the mind. I'm from Vancouver Canada and we dont put half a million people in jail because they like to get a little high, we dont live in a police state either. I've lived in NYC and would never smoke outside of my home. Here I can freely. We have a pot culture that does not demonize the plant or the THC that comes from it. Do you know that in the Smithsonian's section on the history of clothing/paper fibers they do not mention hemp!! Hemp is the oldest fiber known to man and has been used by us for 1000s of years! censorship? Plus I think people who suffer from schizophrenia because they smoked too much pot are usually people who started at a young age (early teens). I started at 21. At least pot wont kill you like cigs and alcohol.

your immaturity shows in you lack of knowledge and assumptions on something that you (I assume) have no experience with. you're a victim of your own government's "refer madness" propaganda.

I've lived in NYC and would never smoke outside of my home. Here I can freely.

You've never been to Central Park? :)

What the hell is wrong with people here. Why are taking about if pot is wrong or not.

The main issue is that Ms.Patel is a major hottie. And even if she is breaking the law, she should got a break cause of the way she looks.

no matter what you think of the substance itself, the fact remains that it *is* an illegal substance (unless used for medicinal purposes in California) under U.S. law. And under that law, I think Dr. Sona Patel is lame because she is basically just a drug dealer with an M.D. I think her actions are unethical, and they're obviously also unlawful.

regarding illegality, the main reason why cannabis does not enjoy the same status as alcohol is the historically continuous sanctioning by society of alcohol. You must also distinguish between state and federal law. Under state law in CA, dispensing medical marijuana is not illegal. Under federal law, such a dispensation is a federal offense. You can see the beauty of this system every time a paraplegic or MS patient cannabis-grower is held at gun-point by burly federal agents in yet another vain attempt to separate terminally ill patients and those suffering from chronic pain from a substance that does not make them physically ill or physically dependent while alleviating pain. (substances that do cause physical addiction are generally well-known at this time, including the chemical pathways in the brain that lead to such an addiction.)

The "but it's illegal" argument is puerile and devoid of any analytical value. Stem-Cell research, as it stands now, is not legal in the US-does this mean that enterprising scientists should accept that because a large room of middle-aged vote-whores in DC couldn't find enough people to override a veto, there's no point in looking for potentially life-saving cures?

I'm not in favor of the way this doctor is operating, nor do I think it's allowable under the current guidelines governing dispensation.

I do not, however, automatically assume that because something is not available to me because the government has designated it as a controlled substance, that it must therefore be deadly poison from the festering, fetid scrotum of Beelzebub.

btw, the article nicky referenced did have links to 30 different studies regarding psychosis/schizophrenia and marijuana. bbc's reference to a dutch study seems to state that there are higher risks of psychotic symptoms in both those who are and are not predisposed to it, though it is higher in the former case.

not that i'm convinced that smoking pot is any worse, or better, than other substances, but i do agree that there is a tendency by some to downplay or deny the risks. even with alcohol and cigarettes, the range of long-term effects is still being discovered. the difference is that the comparative research on marijuana is prob. far less and the results not as widely disseminated to the public. and i am sure a big reason for that is the fact that it is illegal, which creates the knee-jerk reaction that, despite all the studies to prove otherwise, smoking and alcohol can be far less injurious to health than a prohibited substance like pot. at least one plausibly good thing about its legalization is that it becomes a proper industry with a stronger infrastructure - leading to more studies of its exact effects, the results of which will be made as known as those re alcohol and cogarettes.

muralimannered

Seriously, do you not know how to use google?

and yes, i am taking the high road and not indulging in a session of name-calling with Nicky. (but it is so tempting)

I do not, however, automatically assume that because something is not available to me because the government has designated it as a controlled substance, that it must therefore be deadly poison from the festering, fetid scrotum of Beelzebub

Yer killing me here.
I knew I saw you at the National Folk Festival a coupla weeks ago! That was you working that NORML table wasn't it? :)

Yer killing me here. I knew I saw you at the National Folk Festival a coupla weeks ago! That was you working that NORML table wasn't it? :)

I was actually morphing into a lacto-ovo vegetarian in a remote corner of WV with a bunch of friends that weekend, swilling cinnamon moonshine and fishing friends out of the river.

I honestly couldn't care about the legalization of an already widely traded commodity. With respect to the market, cannabis has already made a place for itself and it doesn't appear to be going anywhere. I've been to super permissive lib-dems countries like Holland and while it's certainly not a paradise (hello, taxes!) they also didn't have armies of zombiefied deadheads moping about and generally being useless.

i guess my skepticism was articulated in too crunchy a tone but how can I help it when i grew up here?

Oh, I was just playin bout the festival. I didn't even go to it. You don't read as crunchy at all. You can't help being a buckingham kid. It's not your fault.:)
Where'd you go in WV? Have you been to Shepardstown?

Where'd you go in WV? Have you been to Shepardstown?

berkeley springs

have not been there. my travel has been limited to the more touristy destinations like the springs.

Damn, that looks nice, Mr. Fancypants. You're definitely not crunchy. :)

regarding illegality, the main reason why cannabis does not enjoy the same status as alcohol is the historically continuous sanctioning by society of alcohol. You must also distinguish between state and federal law. Under state law in CA, dispensing medical marijuana is not illegal. Under federal law, such a dispensation is a federal offense. You can see the beauty of this system every time a paraplegic or MS patient cannabis-grower is held at gun-point by burly federal agents in yet another vain attempt to separate terminally ill patients and those suffering from chronic pain from a substance that does not make them physically ill or physically dependent while alleviating pain. (substances that do cause physical addiction are generally well-known at this time, including the chemical pathways in the brain that lead to such an addiction.)

The "but it's illegal" argument is puerile and devoid of any analytical value. Stem-Cell research, as it stands now, is not legal in the US-does this mean that enterprising scientists should accept that because a large room of middle-aged vote-whores in DC couldn't find enough people to override a veto, there's no point in looking for potentially life-saving cures?

I'm not in favor of the way this doctor is operating, nor do I think it's allowable under the current guidelines governing dispensation.

I do not, however, automatically assume that because something is not available to me because the government has designated it as a controlled substance, that it must therefore be deadly poison from the festering, fetid scrotum of Beelzebub.

please. i don't assume that because something is illegal it must be the worst thing ever, omg! though the analogy to stem cell research did make me laugh. which is what gets me about people defending marijuana use- like it some sort of noble thing. my point about Doc 420 dealing marijuana illegally is that she is allowed to distribute it for medical reasons (I'm all for that), not made-up symptoms to anyone who walks in with money (which you did say you oppose as well).

The main issue is that Ms.Patel is a major hottie. And even if she is breaking the law, she should got a break cause of the way she looks.

I'm glad you're Canadian.

Nala,

I was in NYC in the winter.

The discussion here seems to swing between legalisation and whether or not Dr. Patel is using her hotness to sell pot. Since when was it wrong to use your looks to sell something in America?
regardng the legality of pot, one should consider that America is the biggest police state in the world. check out this documentary on the cruelty, hypocrisy, extra-territoriality of the so-called "war on drugs" and that beacon of yankee justice, the DEA. Criminalizing pot is just wrong on so many levels. How many millions languish in jail because they smoke pot. It's sad to see that some people (on this site) who come from a culture that has used bhang and ganja for 1000s of years are so easily influenced by their government's propaganda. THAT'S YOU Manju...I'm still waiting for a reply.
I just wish Dr Patel lived in Vancouver

Nice doctor....I pick alot of my "service providers" based on more than just qualifications....for instance, my hairdresser is very attractive...I could have gone somewhere cheaper (and maybe uglier) but I'd prefer to have my scalp massaged by a hottie for my $65 bucks.

On the issue of Marijuana decriminalization....it's a MAJOR problem for the US.

At this point in time, we are RELEASING MURDERERS and RAPISTS and PEDOPHILES due to "overcrowding in prisons" which is a direct result of the "manditory minimums" set up by the REgan administration.....laws that keep simple drug users and distributors in prison for LIFE, when many have never hurt a sole. On top of that...when is the last time you ever heard of someone dying form Marijuana overdose? NEVER? It simply does not happen....meanwhile, everyday people drink themselves to death and society scarcely trembles. Perhaps we are just to used to drinking themselves to death that we think is is natural.....but there are PLENTY of better suited intoxicants out there (marijuana included) that could serve the same purposed of alcohol and not leave death in their wake.

But, this is america.....and the alcohol families got in bed with the government WAY before we understood how much better an alternative Marijuana is.

Please do research, if you disagree......and you can see the blatant hypocrisy america's "drug policies" have been. One such gem from the turn of the last century has a Politician rallying in the late 20's against Marijuana on the grounds that it makes users Murderers and rapists (see: Reefer Madness) and then, 15 years later...the SAME politician goes before congress to warn against soldier in Europe using Marijuana on the grounds that it will make them "too passive" to fight the fight!

Any 5 year old could see through this lack of logic.

you lack of knowledge and assumptions on something that you (I assume) have no experience with.

I'm assuming? i haven't seen this many pots and kettles since the time schroomed in my kitchen.

you never answered my question: have you ever done any drugs?

been to sugerland and shook the suger down.

Did you bother to look at the Erowid website?

yeah, i know all about erowid. knew about it 10yrs ago.

my point is, in my experience, pot is more mind alternating than coke, though i'm sure in the long run the latter is more debilitaing. people on marijana can be really out of their mind in ways that trump other durgs, with the exception of hallucinogens. the irony is that the two drugs people think are the softest are in some ways the most powerful. in the case of alcohal, it has progessive addictive qualities that say lsd doesn't. pot, as i mentioned, really makes one stupid and i've seen the sorry long-term effects in people that nala refers to (no pun intended).

governments aren't the only propganda tool(s)

Manju,

"been to sugerland and shook the suger down." – what sweetener are you reefering to?

if you think that pot makes people crazy then you or these people must be smoking some badass weed. fortunately I've never smoked any that was laced with something more heavy. smoking while drinking too much will turn anyone into a fool.
"pot is more mind altering than coke"– some people cant handle the effects of pot but can function perfectly fine on other drugs...I know a few. some people just shouldnt do drugs, just as some should not drink.
Dont you think that pot can benefit the mind? certainly has in my case. besides we shouldnt be comparing pot with lsd with coke. different drugs different effects.

just because some drugs put people "out of their minds" doesnt mean they should be illegal. Pot was demonized in amerikkka because the Mexicans that were employed by the yanks at slave-labour wages wanted something to relax their tired bodies after working all day. Do you really think that pot makes people "out of their mind" more than alcohol? just look at the research and the numbers!

When I ate pot in some chocolate-chip banana bread at age 20, the "trip" lasted well over a day, and was nightmarish. Time slowed to a crawl and I genuinely thought my eyeballs were going to explode. Every few years I'll try a puff off a friend's joint, and the only high I get is the relief when, after 30 minutes of coughing, my throat no longer feels like there's a burning tire in it. I personally hate the stuff.

But it obviously doesn't affect everyone that way. Most people I know love it, and use it in moderation. Most people I know enjoy alcohol too, which I also dislike. Some of use just aren't cut out for recreational drugs.

I think Doc 420 is cool because she's exercising liberty in the face of some very stupid laws. She has a hard fall coming her way, but she's heroic for trying. And her sexy image in the ad makes a mockery of the medical establishment, which is surely offensive to many people here, but I like it. The medical establishment does much good, but it could use some mocking.

if you think that pot makes people crazy then you or these people must be smoking some badass weed.

bob, weed can make people killers. c'mon, man, haven't you heard the phrase going potal?

Just wondering, what do ABDs like to eat when they're on a trip? I know many sweet-sellers near my (DBD) college who just couldn't understand how some guys could down half a kilo of Jalebis and a dozen Ladoos for dinner.

Anyways, I'm high on G&Ts right now; a very refined and acceptable high.

you think that pot makes people crazy

i said stupid, never mentioned crazy.

just because some drugs put people "out of their minds" doesnt mean they should be illegal.

Did i say it should?

Dont you think that pot can benefit the mind? certainly has in my case.

its causing you to see things not there

Pot was demonized in amerikkka because the Mexicans that were employed by the yanks at slave-labour wages wanted something to relax their tired bodies after working all day

ever see that scene in the godfather?

Do you really think that pot makes people "out of their mind" more than alcohol?

alcohal is evil too. ask the mexicans

Nina P

eating ganja is like walking on a tightrope – eat too little and you dont feel a thing; eat too much and..well you know what happens. this is a mystery I'm still trying to solve. friends who ate cookies or hashbrownies for their first pot experience said they had a similar experience, although not as long.

dravidian lurker

"going potal"? – I dont get it?

Manju

I give up on you. you're hopeless

bob, is the marijuana in canada better? i only ask because i have heard it said that the green is grassier on the other side.

dravidian lurker

yes, it's better and a hell of a lot cheaper!

Manju

I give up on you. you're hopeless

Manju, you apologize to Mary Jane right now or go right to bed without dessert !

82 · nala said:

I think Dr. Sona Patel is lame because she is basically just a drug dealer with an M.D.

What, are you from the Department of Redundancy Department?

On a different note, Bob, try reading the thread before you comment on it. You're hurting your own cause with your inability to recognize that Manju is on the same side as you (except Manju is funnier and less condescending.)

"Take two and pass so the blunt will last."

Harbeer - give a girl a break, will you? I'm a young woman, I shouldn't be held up to any standards! (Besides, the line has more of an effect with the "drug dealer with an M.D." part).

And I still think she's lame. Oooh she's so bad by rebelling against dumb drug laws! I think they're dumb too, but please, let's not kid ourselves and think that she is some sort of hero. Most people who do this shit are guided by one thing: $$$. I'm saving my respect for someone who deserves it.

Hey, Abhi,

I appreciate the point you are trying to make, but you are far too casual in confusing the issue of "medical marijuana' with "drug abuse". Dr. Gupta fights abuse. Good. Dr. Patel says that she is the poster child for "medical marijuana". How on earth is that the polar opposite of Gupta? Because she chooses to make use of her good looks?

I have suffered chronic pain for 7 years now. I am a neuroscientist, and have published papers in great journals, including Nature: I say that just to emphasize that I am a reasonably productive member of society in the US, and a reasonably productive member of the desi community. However, I am alive today only because of prescription painkillers. Is taking opiate painkillers for 7+ years drug abuse? If not, then why is the prescription of marijuana something 'bad'?

My primary painkiller is something called Fentanyl, which is so potent that taking four times the dose I am on may cause a coma in some cases. Which also means that if some child 1/4th my body weight gets hold of it, he/she would be in mortal danger. In other words, opiate painkillers, the most frequently prescribed drugs to people like myself, are DANGEROUS. Depending on the drug, 4 to 50 times the usual dose may cause serious harm.

Do you know how many times the usual dose of prescribed marijuana is dangerous? Too large to measure. In other words, there is no way to get dangerous doses of marijuana in your body by smoking it, even if you were to do so 24/7/365. You can't die from it. It is a safer drug than hydrocodone, oxycodone (oxycontin), methadone, and fentanyl, ALL of which I have been prescribed in the past. It is safer than alcohol. My physician says that if he dared to, he WOULD prescribe it for me. But he can't, even though in Oregon, it is legal to do so. Why? Because the feds would be down on him, AND me, like a ton of bricks. Because being caught with even a small amount of PRESCRIBED marijuana would risk my permanent resident status.

The 'abuse' bogeyman has been flung around way too much, and too many people whose lives might be made livable have been hurt by delibrate conflation of prescription use of marijuana with abuse of the drug. In this scenario, perhaps you should be careful not to make the situation worse by your casual inferences. I mean, do you have any evidence that Dr. Patel contributes to marijuana misuse? Has she been arrested? Has the state board investigated her for such misuse? If not, then why on earth are you so negative about her, based on an ad, for God's sake?

Just in case you and your readers think all the stuff I take is 'fun', let me tell you what my life is like WITH all these drugs. I sleep 2 to 7 hours a night, with many disruptions, since pain makes it hard to be comfortable. I wake at 7:30, drop my kid off at school, and reach the lab at 0900. By 3pm most days, (6 hours of work later), I am exhausted, and my pain levels are beginning to spike. I barely manage to drive home (many days, I can't, and my wife or a friend has to drive me home). I sleep till 8 pm. Wake for 40 minutes to have dinner, and read a bedtime story to my child. Then, I lie down, and hope that tomorrow will be equally GOOD.

Without my meds, or even with lower doses, I am confined to bed. I can't straighten up, and the max I can walk is 10 steps to reach the loo. The pain is so overwhelming that I cannot concentrate on my work. Ever tried to analysing your data with wavelet analysis while feeling that someone has your testicles in a vise? Because that is where it hurts, and that is how much. All the 'fun' drugs I take allow me to spend a few hours a day while reasonably alive, continuing to work as much as I can, and spending some time every day with an 11 year old who is wondering aloud these days why she bothers to pray to god if he never listens to her prayers.