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.

So when you take a cheap and ill-thought shot like this, think who might be affected, whose treatments might be interrupted because your sanctimonious post might put this doctor in legal jeopardy with the equally sanctimonious federal officials of this administration.

Hope this means something to you out there: MEDICAL marijuana is not a bunch of bums or dudes sitting around puffing away for fun: it is possibly the only thing saving many people with chronic pain from taking their own life. And if you think that THAT never happens, then you are truly fortunate: you have probably never known pain the way so many of us are forced to.

Avi

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

is that true? i heard you used to get 30% lesser in the past. how can you evaluate if the reduction in cost is because of increasing trade deficits and a low rate of savings causing a negative balance of trade and a weakening dollar, or legalization allowing a more highly liquid market with increasing supply and a consequent drop in prices?

avi- Please don't think that I am trying to minimize how helpful medicinal marijuana can be to those who are in pain. I'm also aware that it isn't as harmful a substance as others (like, say, PCP), but it can still be addictive. But the criticism of Dr. Patel comes from the fact that apparently she is prescribing it to people who are healthy and don't need it as long as they have money and are willing to say they have certain symptoms which they may or may not have. I don't feel bad believing that the latter group probably is just a bunch of dudes sitting around getting high. I don't have a problem with that, but please, let's not pretend that it's some sort of noble cause, or that what Doc 420 is doing in this case *is* unlawful and unethical. She's actually undermining the medicinal marijuana cause, which she proposes to stand for, with her drug-dealing actions.

let's not pretend that it's some sort of noble cause, or that what Doc 420 is doing in this case *is* unlawful and unethical.

okay, so far established: Doc 420 is going about this all wrong.

I'm curious about your repeated use of this phrase, "let's not pretend..." Are you referring to Doc 420's marketing campaign or the medical marijuana policy?

oops, that should be... let's not pretend that it's some sort of noble cause, or that what Doc 420 is doing in this case isn't unlawful and unethical.

And I don't mean in any way to conflate medicinal marijuana use with drug abuse. But I also don't doubt that there are people who get prescriptions for it, who don't need it, from unscrupulous docs like Dr. Patel, who are potheads.

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".

Avi, actually, no where in my entire post above do I even discuss "drug abuse." Are you confusing me with another commenter???

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?

Because she is BREAKING THE LAW (in spirit at the very least) and she supports smoking pot. Sanjay Gupta does not break the law and he is against pot smoking. Beyond that, it was a humorous comparison.

I have suffered chronic pain for 7 years now.

I'm sorry to hear that. As many people above have pointed out though, this post isn't about whether smoking pot is right or wrong. It is primarily about abusing a law on the books and using one's sexuality to aid in that abuse.

So when you take a cheap and ill-thought shot like this, think who might be affected, whose treatments might be interrupted because your sanctimonious post might put this doctor in legal jeopardy with the equally sanctimonious federal officials of this administration.

Please be sure to only comment on something once you've actually read the post. Or maybe you shouldn't take a hit right before reading the site. I'm sorry, was that too sanctimonious?

Hope this means something to you out there: MEDICAL marijuana is not a bunch of bums or dudes sitting around puffing away for fun

Maybe "us out there" actually SUPPORT medical marijuana for pain suffers like you and it pisses us off that people like Dr. Patel abuse the law so flagrantly that the feds will make sure you, a real chronic pain sufferer will have their option taken away.

Maybe "us out there" actually SUPPORT medical marijuana for pain suffers like you and it pisses us off that people like Dr. Patel abuse the law so flagrantly that the feds will make sure you, a real chronic pain sufferer will have their option taken away.

Can we start a pool on the likelihood that the good Doc will make an appearance and comment?

I'm curious about your repeated use of this phrase, "let's not pretend..." Are you referring to Doc 420's marketing campaign or the medical marijuana policy?

Not the medical marijuana policy (like I've said, I'm all for it). I guess I should clarify it to say that I won't pretend, I can't control what any of y'all think. But I'm responding to posters who have said things along the lines of 'she's heroic' or something. I don't see a hero, I just see a doctor who is undermining the policy she stands for by prescribing medicinal marijuana to people who don't need it and just want to get high because she wants more money. Though I shouldn't fling such accusations around... but what Abhi posted about the secret camera is enough for me to cast doubt on her.

Can we start a pool on the likelihood that the good Doc will make an appearance and comment?

I'm about 99% sure she's read it. That's what our sources are reporting. I think there is about ZERO chance that she'd marry Abhi as his sugar momma at this point though.

i met sonal patels 'friend' last night at a fete.... heard she smokes out all the time..and doesn't look as good as she used to... (smoking causes wonders, eh?)... or photoshop is working overtime...

Can we start a pool on the likelihood that the good Doc will make an appearance and comment?

get a prescription from her and she will appear to you whenever you want, in any joint you want.

i met sonal patels 'friend' last night at a fete.... heard she smokes out all the time..and doesn't look as good as she used to... (smoking causes wonders, eh?)... or photoshop is working overtime...

cigs definitely do appear to make one "broke-ass" ahead of one's time. Not sure about the reefer's effect on fine lines and wrinkles.

everybody knows pot makes you fat

First, I should say that a part of me admires the hot Doc420

I'm about 99% sure she's read it. That's what our sources are reporting. I think there is about ZERO chance that she'd marry Abhi as his sugar momma at this point though.

Drug administered patient : It happens everytime I play this song. Who is this doctor ?
Dr Sonal Patel : I have absolutely no idea

cigs definitely do appear to make one "broke-ass" ahead of one's time. Not sure about the reefer's effect on fine lines and wrinkles.

i don't think she stops at reefer...

so what's wrong with what sonal is doing? personally, i like my pcp's better with reeferals.

OK, I praised her actions in a lighter moment. But seriously, I have a problem with doctors prescribing marijauna for fun and she is clearly not doing it for medicinal purposes. She could care less what the motivations of the "patient" is. If she is the type who is doing it to thumb her nose at the government, then I can get with the program and view her favorably. However, if she is doing it because she is an irresponsible party bitch who just wants to make money , then I can't respect her.

This is why we need legalization. Maybe they can regulate the content and protect the mainstream users from getting sick with bad pot. Also we do not need the respect of the medical profession to go down when they act as pushers (which this woman is clearly doing). it's bad enough some doctors already have that reputation by selling out to the pharm industry. People who want to get high will always find a way to get high.

Just because the law saya smoking marijuana is illegal, that does not make smoking marijuana or advocating the use of marijuana immoral. The law is a political tool; a tool created by mostly men, mostly white men, in Washington D.C. Often the law coincides with what is moral but sometimes it does not. If you have a problem with what the doctor is doing, it seems weak to resort to the claim that she is advocating illegal activity. Some commenters claim that marijuana is addictive. Anything can be addictive; sex can be addictive and lead to unhealthy behavioral and mental health problems for those who are addicted. The FACT is that there is nothing chemically in marijuana that makes it addictive. There simply is no argument for keeping marijuana illegal.

and then there's poor Emery whose extradition hearing's on this week to get him shipped to the US. Emery, in case you dont know has been selling cannabis seeds to the american public from across the border, has been arrested 21 times on charges linked to cannabis, and heads the marijuana party.

i do not advocate drug use, but friends who've done mj and the harder stuff too (are going clean now), tell me it's in the DEA's interest to keep the system lax. there are farms of the stuff in the carolinas and the badlands, and the growers are in cahoots with the DEA. They get one or two fields seized so that the DEA's quota is met, and carry on. All hearsay I know, but keeping this shit illegal is in everyones interest. pot is one of the biggest cash crops on the continent.

topic for some other time - the desi connection to pot - via brampton.

Wow, has even *this* thread turned into 'she's rebelling against the white man!' That's no excuse to prescribe pot to people who don't need it. And that's basically the crux of why what she's doing is wrong. This is such a frustrating point to keep making, over and over again.

I didn't claim that marijuana is addictive. I said that I've seen people get addicted to it (and I agree, people can be addicted to anything to the detriment of having a normal, healthy life). I brought it up to contest some commenters' claims that there's nothing harmful about smoking pot. I've smoked pot and didn't see what the big deal was (I also don't see what the big deal about alcohol is), I don't care about legalization one way or another, so it's not like I'm against pot-smoking. I just think people should face up to that it's mind-altering to the level that you shouldn't smoke and drive, and that people can get addicted to it. But that's not what this thread is about anyway, so I'm going to stop.

I don't know if I agree with what she's doing or not medically but she I do know that she's hot and I wish she was my doctor. It would be great if she actually wore that outfit during practice.

Her site is down but her myspace page is up (and includes a full view of her incredible legs):
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=63093075

all this clamor to make marijuana legal is just a conspiracy to keep it from the hordes of immigrants invading our country. as the national reefer association (nra) has said many times, when marijuana is legal, only legals will have marijuana. think of the mexicans, will ya?

more on marc emery from the web-zine cannabis culture.
Also of note, Ron Paul's perspective on marijuana in the same issue.


I would love to hear Patel's perspective on this. I doubt it is purely a moneygrabbing ploy. This issue raises hackles on both sides of the debate and she seems too astute a person to not have a ready argument advocating marijuana decriminalization.


Question for y'all - do you think this should be an issue in the US presidential debate?

From my personal experience of taking Medical Marijuana for Crohns Disease, I believe its a wonderful drug. It's the only drug thats been able to quell down my sysmptoms and allow me to live a normal life. I know others as well who have auto-immune diseases such as MS, Lupus, etc who've used it to help with the pain. Now I wouldn't recommend smoking it to get high but taking the minial dose to feel the effects of its benefits. I mean I've been through all the drugs even Chemotherapy. Fortunately for others those drugs work but for the ones that don't this drug is a good alternative. Just my two cents.

Abhi:

Perhaps I was un-necessarily strident in my post. However, if you read the first few sentences in your post, you do seek to highlight the 'contrast' between Dr. Gupta, who 'speaks out against drug use'. I don't think you mean use of prescription drugs there. He speaks out against abuse. Then, you proceed to make the case against Dr. Patel.

Regardless of your intentions, unless the reader were to examine each link in its entirety, the conflation of 'medical marijuana' with 'drug use' has already happened. And, I am sorry to say, it is precisely this nebulous way of making the link between abuse and prescription use that is making life hard for both practitioners and patients. Your intent may have been humorous, but I for one didn't get the humor. However, if you still believe, on re-reading your own post, that it is NOT too harsh a judgement on the lady, for "at least breaking the law in spirit", then I apologize for my stridency.

And by the way, for the commentators who believe that a doctor prescribing medical marijuana in accordance with state law cannot be prosecuted by the feds: you are dead wrong. That is what the case early this year at the Supreme Court was all about. Feds do, and will continue to go after doctors as long as the federal admininstration has the view that prescription of marijuana is 'unlawful'.

Avi

128 · Pravin said:

I have a problem with doctors prescribing marijauna for fun and she is clearly not doing it for medicinal purposes.

Why do you think that fun and good health are mutually exclusive?

Fun: can be dangerous sometimes.

#66- Louiecypher: actually I went to the U of Vic in one of the whitest communities in North America. It was fun when the hippies were around, but the island has gotten so expensive that they've decamped to the Interior and on campus you're left with the hardcore business school conservative, the guys and girls who are in Vic precisely because it is white and they like it, and the Canadian Olympic teams for every conceivable sport. The latter are really the only redeeming variables.

Manju, thanks for the cogent support.

Here's some more grist for those of us who believe: in BC, there are very many stoners. In fact, no few of my friends have worked in the summer on illegal grow-ups, watering pot in the bush or in rickety old houses, packing a .45 for the purposes of silencing dissent. The grows are were a fantastic way to make money when our economy was sour; you couldn't get a job waitressing unless you were a flirt, a certified hottie, possibly sleeping with someone already working in the establishment and really really lucky to boot. You couldn't even get a retail job on the island for the last ten years without being highly fortunate. So you'd take your chances and head to the bush. Even the professors at my fair uni were in on the ganga; one of my soci teachers was actually busted dropping off baggies for pickup in the parking lot behind the math building. In any case, the point of this ramblefish is that you'd meet people in their late twenties/ early thirties who had been mainlining unfiltered hits for years, and besides having charred lungs, they had the worst short term memory you'd ever encountered. Everybody knew they were this way, and knew why: they'd commiserate about their baked up friends when out for strong cups of local coffee. These friends could not find anything. They would put something down and forget where they put it. They lost their keys and their purse and their socks eight times an hour, making them impossible to go out with. They'd write your phone number on a scrap of paper and lose it. They'd forget when their same day appointments were and constantly bugged you as to when they actually had to be somewhere. They weren't as bad as burnouts on LSD or anything, but they were manifestly annoying.

So smoke away, my friends. I guarantee you won't be all excited about my comments in another few years. You'll be busy looking for your credit card.

^^^Meh. Bill Hicks says:

They lie about marijuana. Tell you pot-smoking makes you unmotivated. Lie! When you're high, you can do everything you normally do, just as well. You just realize that it's not worth the fucking effort. There is a difference.

I have never seen two people on pot get in a fight because it is fucking IMPOSSIBLE. "Hey, buddy!" "Hey, what?" "Ummmmmmm...." End of argument.

No, I don't do drugs anymore, either. But I'll tell you something about drugs. I used to do drugs, but I'll tell you something honestly about drugs, honestly, and I know it's not a very popular idea, you don't hear it very often anymore, but it is the truth: I had a great time doing drugs. Sorry. Never murdered anyone, never robbed anyone, never raped anyone, never beat anyone, never lost a job, a car, a house, a wife or kids, laughed my ass off, and went about my day.

Here is my final point. About drugs, about alcohol, about pornography and smoking and everything else. What business is it of yours what I do, read, buy, see, say, think, who I fuck, what I take into my body - as long as I do not harm another human being on this planet?

and unrelated but oh so true:

Watching television is like taking black spray paint to your third eye.

ugh. I don't have the patience to explain my point any longer (perhaps some people are willfully missing the point), so...

Cartman: "Goddamn hippies!"

So smoke away, my friends. I guarantee you won't be all excited about my comments in another few years. You'll be busy looking for your credit card.

And you'll be choking on your own smug. Or perhaps that special variety, glib-smug.

the point of this ramblefish is that you'd meet people in their late twenties/ early thirties who had been mainlining unfiltered hits for years,

Mainlining? Surely such a wordly and weathered individual such as yourself would know that the proper word is "inhaling." Unless, of course, you are in the habit of regularly denigrating those damn junkers who are constantly ejaculating themselves with illicit dregs.

that should be 'worldly'

They weren't as bad as burnouts on LSD or anything, but they were manifestly annoying

I'm sure you have extensive experience with this LSD burnout population as well--did you conduct your in-depth research of such burnouts by watching the Woodstock DVD or skipping through Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas? Your credibility here regarding substance use is rapidly decreasing.

131 · nala said:

I just think people should face up to that it's mind-altering to the level that you shouldn't smoke and drive, and that people can get addicted to it.

First, to address the "addictiveness," look at the first sentence of the second paragraph here.

As for smoking and driving, I could point you to numerous studies which found that marijuana may actually improve driving capabilities--it does indeed slow down reaction time, etc, the paranoid stoned driver actually overcompensates for the impairment resulting in a net benefit--but I'll just quote Bill Hicks again instead:

Say you get in a car accident and you've been smoking pot...you're only going four miles an hour!

My favorite Bill Hicks quote about the subject:

If you don't believe drugs have done good things for us, then go home and burn all your records, all your tapes, and all your CDs because every one of those artists who have made brilliant music and enhanced your lives? RrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrEAL fucking high on drugs. The Beatles were so fucking high they let Ringo sing a few songs.

Harb, still waiting for a reply to my email. Way to keep a dude hanging!

Marijuana is a drug just like many legal prescription drugs and certainly there are pharmaceutical companies (Purdue - Oxycontin) that have promoted drug use under false or less than honest pretenses. However I question her motives and whether or not she is truly living up to the Hippocratic Oath or in the words of Sir William Osler, the model physician "To cure sometimes, to comfort always"

If her motives were truly altruistic why does charge for her services?
Does she treat any other illnesses and does she use any other medications?
Is she were 250lbs would we give her the same lattitude?

She can do what she wants. There are bad doctors doing the same thing without using marijuana but ultimately she will have to live with the consequence of her actions.

Reap as you so, Dr 420

Is she were 250lbs would we give her the same lattitude?

I would giver her more latitude actually, since my bias is to attribute more intelligence & gravitas to less attractive people. I am pro decriminilization but shudder whenever a "everything is better with pot" type attempts to make a point...they hurt the case. It would be so much better with highly productive, well known people like Rick Steves making the case

As an EMPLOYEE of Dr. Patel, I feel compelled to shed some light for channel 7 news.

1. Here at Doc420 we take vital signs on each an every patient as required by the medical board. I know because I take the vitals MYSELF!

2. Dr. Patel examines each and every one of her patients as required by the medical board and I know because I put them in the room for her to examine!

3. Doc420 is NOT under any investigation by the medical board because she follows all the rules and regulations. Sorry to disappoint you Dan!

4. Dr. Patel does see about 20 patients per day but what Dan clearly failed to mention is that Dr. Patel also works over 10 hours per day! Why did he leave that out of the interview??

5. Dr. Patel is about the people and for the people. She believes in healing pain and improving the quality of life. She also believes in her patients right to choose their medicine. Its absolutley ridiculous to hear these accusations that she is doing this for "profiteering"!

She charges $100.00 a new recommendation and $80 for a renewal. Did you know Dan that this is the lowest price recommendation in California? All other doctors charge up to $250!!
Did you check around for prices Dan, because clearly the doctor charging $250 is "profiteering", no Dr. Patel who is trying to make it afforable for everyone.
At 20 patients per day, with a 10 hour work day that comes out to about $2,000,thats not "profiteering" when she has to pay the cost of running 3 offices and salary for all her employees!! How can you make these statements without doing any kind of research??

6. We do NOT give recommendations without medical documentation. Dan failed to mention that their undercover reporter only recieved a temporary recommendation which would be extended only if he provided medical documentation to prove his aliment. Again this is what state law and medical board requires and that is what we do.

7. And as far as selling sex, oh please Dan, like that picture was not the main reason you intiated this expose in the first place!

Who are you Dan to judge Dr.Patel's credibility when she has went through 4 years of undergrad, 4 years of med school, 3 years of residency, and 2 years in her private practice. That is way above what california law requires to write a recommendation. Last time I checked it only required a GED to be a reporter....is that your education Dan because then your ignorance makes sense?

8. An lastly I would like to say thank you for the all the publicity because,
"What the Devil meant for evil, God mean for good".

7. And as far as selling sex, oh please Dan, like that picture was not the main reason you intiated this expose in the first place!

I agree that the reporter knew he was pushing certain buttons by 'exposing' a medical marijuana office, but how are people supposed to receive the hot-pants clad doctor? Think about how efficient she'll be in the examination process due to the cooling effects of a lack of fabric?

Muralimannered, methinks you need to change your nic- how's about badlymannered, or perhaps unmannered? At least I'm not saying unmanned(!) ;)

I'm sure you have extensive experience with this LSD burnout population as well--did you conduct your in-depth research of such burnouts by watching the Woodstock DVD or skipping through Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas? Your credibility here regarding substance use is rapidly decreasing.

Actually, a lot of anthropologists took LSD, and wrote papers on themselves and later on, the ones that escaped commented on the user population at large. Please don't tell me that you're advocating for the usage of this particular drug, too- although I wouldn't be surprised. Frustrated much?

In anth, the actual lived qualitative experience of individuals is often as privileged as formal studies. If my common sense is informing me of something, I'm going to offer that observation up. Many anthropologists gather observations by talking to a myriad of people and ferreting out people's assertions. There's a famous vignette that was created when Margaret Mead turned to her daughter and told her that she would never be a good anthropologist. Stung, the daughter asked her why. Because, Mead replied, you don't like to gossip enough.

People use the word mainlining ALL the time for 420 where I live. It started as a joke, but its now common parlance. Control of etymology, doesn't, apparently, belong to the pompous.

People use the word mainlining ALL the time for 420 where I live. It started as a joke, but its now common parlance. Control of etymology, doesn't, apparently, belong to the pompous.

"people 'round where my family came from used swastika symbols everywhere from the temple to the house-warming ceremony. Why y'all not getting it when I draw it in chalk on the pavement in front of my house." At some point, even anthropologists will have to succumb to the ever-encroaching dominion of empiricism and produce some data to back up their claims of wide-spread trends instead of endless anecdotes about their friends and associates.

explain much?

Please don't tell me that you're advocating for the usage of this particular drug, too- although I wouldn't be surprised. Frustrated much?

Frustrated how? By my inability to pompously expound on the particulars of why I think drugs'r'bad, mmmkay? I don't advocate for the usage of any sort of drug--just sensible public policy when it comes time to rule on the subject.

Big supporter of medical mj. First hand experience witnessing a loved one slowly dying (painfully) in the arms of cancer. The only thing that made my family member sleep and be able to hold any food down was medical mj and I thank god for it b/c the prescriptions pills didn't do SHIT. It certainly made his life more bearable until he died.

Doc 420 rocks.

After reading many of the comments I am at a total loss at how myopic some of you "Doc 420 rocks" types are. Doc 420 is not only selling to dying cancer patients but to neighborhood junkies. Since the legalization of marijuana ultimately lies in the hands of VOTERS and not in the hands of "Doc 420 rocks" types, you all should recognize that for every one Doc 420 (someone who abuses a just law for profit) there will be a 1000 voters who will come to believe that medical marijuana is a scam and vote it down because they will think all doctors will end up like Doc 420. Rooting for her just means that "your side" will keep losing the battle and that medicinal marijuana will be voted down.

At some point, even anthropologists will have to succumb to the ever-encroaching dominion of empiricism and produce some data to back up their claims of wide-spread trends instead of endless anecdotes about their friends and associates.

2. Where's YOUR research?

well, I don't need to supply any research because most of it has already been done and if you had taken the time to read through the comments you would have found the links to these studies as well. What I am not doing is supplying anecdotes and then signing off with a snarky, "girl don't do that" punch-line. I know someone who was fatally shot by a ricochet from a man innocently doing some target practice in his very rural backyard. Does that mean that "I don't do target practice because someone I know was killed in a tragic accident"? No. And what bearing does your personal anti-marijuana stance (stated ad nauseam, i might add) have to do with this discussion? You have a serious axe to grind when it comes to weed, and I think we would all best be served if you finished grinding it and then put it away. (or, created your very own drugs are bad mm'kay blog and showed the world the truth!

(stated ad nauseam, i might add)
hahahaha you have like fourteen comments to my what? five?
look, there are a LOT of reefer memory loss studies out there:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3225/is_n3_v41/ai_8905793
http://www.ndc.hrb.ie/directory/news_detail.php?cat_id=&news_id=2743&pointer=0
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2005/02/08/1297900.htm

and this chilling warning:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn6745.html

I've worked with a ton of mentally ill people, gone onto the wards, watched them being injected with toxic crap against the will, all because someone had a couple of joints. Being a drunk doesn't compare to hearing voices and thinking the world has ended in a nuclear holocaust. Whatever, support my view, don't support it; I'm with Abhi on this one.

Actually, a lot of anthropologists took LSD, and wrote papers on themselves and later on, the ones that escaped commented on the user population at large. Please don't tell me that you're advocating for the usage of this particular drug, too- although I wouldn't be surprised. Frustrated much?

Instead, I'll just let Bill Hicks speak for me again

and hope that you're not calling yourself an anthropologist without a PhD, little one.

Did I? Call myself an anthropologist? When was that?
Seriously, if you can find evidence of such a grievous occurrence on this thread, I'll mail you homemade cookies. Orange and chocolate shortbread. Because, really, anyone who falls for an anthropologist deserves compensation ;)

I think I like being called little- what woman doesn't- so I'll let your assumptions stand. Anyway, I have no clue how old you are (similar to your data on my age and height), so I'll make my first assumption of the morning and suppose that you're entitled.

I have no clue how old you are (similar to your data on my age and height), so I'll make my first assumption of the morning and suppose that you're entitled.

Jasmine, Murali, Harb,

Whoa, chill out with the haterade brahs, you just killed my buzz. I was mad trippin' cuz I had just discovered, by total accident, that The Dark Side of the moon and the Wizard of OZ TOTALLY sync up! Freakiness, my brahs! I was about to alert the academic world and fans of Primus of my monumental discovery via this thread, but then I read your comments, got major bummed, realized my bowl was cashed, and now I haveta get up 'cause I'm jonesing for Mountain Dew and Funyuns.

Harsh, dudes.

When I get back from the john I'm expecting more lovage, less ruffage and I'm going to prove once and for all that The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension and Captain and Tenille's Love Will Keep Us Together line up to reveal some startling truth about the nature of the universe.

Peace go with you, my brahs!

Are you axing for my biodata?

The Dark Side of the moon

To the Fabulous Five Rivers Free Spirit, I'm going to take your advice, leave my computer, and head up to the light side of the river crag. Out of the darkness and into the air, and all that...
Rainbows and sunshine,
Jasmine

My common sense (which, I might add, is the only thing "common" about me) informs me that you're prolly a young'un on account of your condescending tone, presentation of vague anecdotal personal experience as scientific truth, and your use of exclamation points! Thanks for playing!!!

Harbeer,

brace yourself for the forthcoming, "One time...at amateur anthropologist camp..." story. I predict at least one character in the story attempting to tragically insufflate some keef before running off into the nearby suburban dead-end screaming, "Save me, Tom Hanks!!!!"

I was about to alert the academic world and fans of Primus of my monumental discovery via this thread, but then I read your comments, got major bummed, realized my bowl was cashed, and now I haveta get up 'cause I'm jonesing for Mountain Dew and Funyuns.

Why the Primus dig, brougham? You're hurting my feelings. And the Funyuns must be paired with the finest of convenience store chocolate milks.

To the Fabulous Five Rivers Free Spirit,

Lovin' it! I am so adopting the aforementioned sobriquet to use in third person reference to myself. Rawk!

I'm going to take your advice, leave my computer, and head up to the light side of the river crag. Out of the darkness and into the air, and all that... Rainbows and sunshine, Jasmine

So, would now be an appropriate time to ax for your biodata?

Why the Primus dig, brougham? You're hurting my feelings. And the Funyuns must be paired with the finest of convenience store chocolate milks.

Oh hell to the naw, naw, naw! Obviously, I loves me my Primus!

No feelings were meant to be hurt in the making of that comment. Meet me in front of the Haight St. Amoeba and we'll test out your radical Funyuns/Carton of Chocolate Milk hypothesis.

But I'm telling you, sometimes you just gotta Do the Dew.

And the Funyuns must be paired with the finest of convenience store chocolate milks.

I just think people should face up to that it's mind-altering to the level that you shouldn't smoke and drive, and that people can get addicted to it.

First, to address the "addictiveness," look at the first sentence of the second paragraph here.

I never did say that pot *is* addictive; I said it can be addictive. There is a difference between physical and psychological addiction, the potheads I know having the latter. In other words, there is a difference between the nature of a drug and how people react to it. And there, pot can slow down your reactions and you might be more paranoid about it than a drunk person, but it still slows down your reactions! It's not the harmless drug that people would like to make it out to be. That's all. Yeah it's good times, but there's a bad side to it too. That's really all I ask people to recognize. I don't pretend that all my extracurricular activities are without danger, and I don't understand why other people don't as well.

And the Funyuns must be paired with the finest of convenience store chocolate milks.

i prefer pot with cream.

I went to medical school with Sona and am appalled at the route she's chosen in which to practice medicine! That picture of her is well air-brushed and that is NOT HER BODY!!! No matter how hard she worked out after med school!!!! Although she was eccentric in her behavior at school this particular advertising strategy/practice of "medicine" really tops every crazy stunt she's pulled when I knew her back in school. I was just browsing sepia as I do from time to time and shocked to see this piece on her! Every physician has the right to practice medicine in their own way as it is an art, but the premise is to "do no harm". Dispensing medical marijuana without a chronic medical diagnosis warranting a prescription may be harmful in the hands of those who don't really qualify. I am concerned about the message she is putting out there regarding physicians, and selfish motives for profit. It is pretty embarrasing to even admit we did go to school together as I feel she undermines the medical profession. Not to mention, she is also risking losing her medical license which she spent the best years of her life to obtain. I hope she has a damn good lawyer.

to all that might try to brand dr patel with the title of unethical drug dealer, a few questions....

-- does she purchase any drugs (deemed illegal or otherwise)? ........ the answer is NO

-- does she have anything to do with the possession of any drug being bought or sold ? ......... the answer NO

-- does she have any stake in the profits made by government or independent retailers of any drug ? .......... the answer still NO

-- does she sell drugs ? ........ the answer NO

-- does she administer non FDA approved medication to her patients ? .......... the answer NO

**** then how is she a "drug dealer" ? ........ the answer is simple, she IS NOT ****

dr. patel is a family practice physician who just happens to specialize in a very new and absolutely law a bidding branch of medicine (medical marijuana)... as a part of her list of services, as a family practitioner, she uses government guide lines to determine who does and does not QUALIFY for relief, medical marijuana.... that individual that qualifies then most go to an independent vendor site (some time referred to as a 'head shop') regulated by the government to actually receive the drug.... if ur not happy with this process, voice your thoughts to your local representative and ask for a change and exercise your right to vote.... don't pass the buck to a doctor working within the system....

now for the way she markets her practice...

dr. patel has chosen to:

A) use the catch title 'doc420' .... lets see anyone have a problem with dr 9021, no i didn't think so... i know, i know, being the smart bunch that u are, ur gonna say 'yeah but she's using a reference to illegal marijuana use ?'... yeah ur right, illegal IF ur smoking, eating or however else u use marijuana without a doctor's consent *and* do not purchase it through a GOVERNMENT mandated (individually run) 'head' shop.... otherwise it is just a reference to marijuana use (like how the term '420' is used in Amsterdam, where marijuana use is legal)... let's be real here, it didn't matter what catch phrase dr patel used, if it referred to marijuana, u'd have a problem with it.... ** NOW the real story (as if u cared yes you ahbi)--- dr patel chose 420 as her catch phrase not because of street lingo, i'm possitive she's much more insightful than that.... see our law makers decided that the law which was to allow this marijuana reform in the state of california would be named 'California Senate Bill 420'.... so if numbers are your fixation, then i suggest once again that u consult your local representative and ask him/her why they used a marijuana reference to name a bill legalizing marijuana (but i know, it's much easier to just chastise the perceptive and singular dr patel) ....

B) attach a flattering picture of herself.... ok sona's better looking than average and i'm guessing those pictures do her justice.... i have plenty of doctor, lawyer, dentist, accountant, hair dresser (u get the point) friends that put up advertisements that have pictures.... these pictures almost always show them at their best (they just don't look like dr patel does, but i bet if they did, they'd put it up)... i know naysayers out there that are saying, 'but she's selling her sexuality as a doctor', ok then i'm gonna go back to our plastic friend, dr. 90210 (that no one has a problem with), he and other 'eligible' doctors use 'sex appeal' to sell themselves and ultimately there practice.... and i deify you to show me one plastic surgeon or dermatologist that doesn't use sex as an advertising tool.... oh and i'm guaranteeing you that approximately half her patients are probably female....

sona does not use cartoon characters to propagate to children and their likes.... dr patel uses, sexy, perhaps un-doctor-like, images of her likeness to market herself to a patient population that is --- HOLLYWOOD....

BOTTOM LINE --- dr patel, is a board certified family practice physician, who is specializing in the very new field of medical marijuana.... at best i can see some validity in quarrel over her marketing strategies... but from the point of the voting public which voted for the representatives, who in turn, voted for this marijuana reform, dr. patel is providing a legal medical service as part of her practice .....if u don't agree with her marketing strategies don't go to her.... but don't write her off as a drug dealer, that my friends is the very definition of ignorant...

note to tough guy blogger, ahbi, please don't respond.... i get it, u don't like what dr. patel is about.... u don't want to see any side but yours, no matter how compelling the argument... so i implore you to keep your uncle tom, hateful, purist, uneducated comments to yourself.....

ajay shah md

There is absolutely nothing wrong with smoking or eating this miraculous herb.

It is a staple of Indian culture as well.

Great for PMS and to ease stress of today's modern working mother.

I bet every Desi grandma used it back in her day.

One must remain aware that simple correlation of Schizophrenia with Cannabis does not equal causation. On the same page Nicky noted there is also this particular gem of information of which she notably omits any mention.

"It is also notable that alcohol abuse is a stronger predictor of psychotic symptoms than regular cannabis use (by a factor of four)." Might individuals experiencing the very early stages of mental problems try to self treat themselves with booze and/or pot?

I don't advocate anyone go out and abuse anything, but I do deeply object to propagandistic warnings when they are not based on fact. The strength or high THC percentage arguments are to my mind utterly silly. Had the powerful pot of today been available way back when, I'd bet every now worried former pot smoking parent would have paid extra for it. As in fact they did, every time they bought hashish or "Columbian" over "Mexican". I suspect the danger to the lungs is significantly reduced by the modern high grade pot because people tend to smoke far less of it.

One thing remains clear, that Dr. Patel's record is impeccable. Note her credentials in person at her office in Hollywood!

Who should draw the line to who can possess this natural narcotic? It started only with Aids patients. Then it was cancer patients too. Next narcoleptic patients then anxiety, hunger, migraines, etc. Should there be a line drawn to who can use medicinal marijuana? If so, why? For every one of these ailments there are legal man-made prescription drugs, some made with opiates(another known narcotic) to kill pain. Many of these prescription drugs have plausible side effects to boot and are often extremely addictive. Now addiction to marijuana is possible depending on the person using medical marijuana(study effects of cannibus -- http://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_effects.shtml), also fortunately, far less threatening to your health than most prescriptions-and legal drugs such as drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes. As far as I am concerned, I have not read, heard or seen any form of evidence denoting a prolonged use of marijuana to cause serious harm other than respiratory symptoms. Smoking of any kind will blacken your lungs surely, like cigarettes, but with the major difference of thousands of poisonous and lethal chemicals in nicotine saturating your bloodstream compared to THC. The DEA's apprehension on marijuana and shops located throughout California for the sole purpose of protecting the people's "health from smoking" is not the issue here. Their ultimate goal is to regulate a multi-billion dollar industry covertly. It is a fucking shame, America is at a loss to break out of a comfort zone it has upheld since 1937, a time before many happenings. Countless anti marijuana campaigns throughout the decades, symbolizing it as the epitome of evil, this natural plant to be inhaled or consumed AS IS straightforward and unaltered, are we the people entirely unable to evolve an idea, such as smoking grass and making it socially acceptable?

"Marijuana grows naturally upon this planet, it's against the law. Doesn't making nature against the law seem a bit, I don't know, unnatural?" ~Bill Hicks, 1994

It slows down heart rate and should not be taken by people with heart problems.