Bob in Mich

http://buffalonews.com/2016/10/27/seantrel-henderson-opens-battle-crohns-disease-drug-suspension/

I've lived in a few NHL cities and over the decades I have acquired hockey shirts and hats for all sorts of teams. Could never get myself to wear anything Philly Flyers though.

Pain is a very individual thing but Roethlisberger has proven in the past to be pretty tough. I expect he will play after their bye week, unless the doctor repaired the meniscus versus just cutting away and smoothing the rough edges.

The Gridiron Ganja episode has made it to Youtube. Check it out. Also, look for the Weediquette episode on medical cannabis in Michigan. (Premiered last night on Viceland) It points to misguided policing and 'asset forfeiture' abuses as the reasons arrests for marijuana in Michigan have risen since the passage of their medical marijuana law. It was another good episode. Anyway, back to Eugene Monroe .... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQPYkvpksxs

Agreed. It put a dent in their operations but organized crime will always try to make money. Historically, they have existed largely due to various forms of prohibition - prostitution, gambling, alcohol, and drugs. To think they were going to fold up due to removing one prohibited substance was naive. I would not assume though that this switch to supplying heroin by the cartels has caused the opiate epidemic in the US. They will supply what they can sell for significant profit. Since the demand is there due to addiction and the very high street prices for pharmaceutical opiates, they are supplying heroin. If coffee were suddenly made illegal in the US, that would be what was smuggled. The demand would drive it.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/how-marijuana-legalizationarizona/ This article talks about AZ cannabis legalization and the effects of that on the Mexican cartels.

Duterte = Unshackled Trump

Ever see this 7 minute video piece from Frontline on 'Policing the Police'? It is a stop and frisk. It is not a simple issue and certainly does create bad feelings in the community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64IjdGdygAE

I haven't followed this issue. I haven't read this thread either but I found The Daily Show's piece pretty funny. (bad language) http://www.cc.com/video-clips/emmbcg/the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah-putting-north-carolina-s-anti-lgbt-law-to-the-test

Sorry Jim, US Attorney General Loretta Lynch agrees that prescription pain medicine, and not cannabis, is the actual gateway to the heroin epidemic. http://www.wlwt.com/article/heroin-epidemic-brings-us-attorney-general-to-kentucky/3615248 From the article - Lynch says (not mentioned in the video at the site) "When we talk about heroin addiction we usually, as we've mentioned, are talking about individuals who start out with a prescription drug problem, and then because they need more and more, they turn to heroin," Lynch said. "It isn't so much that marijuana is the ... step right before using prescription drugs or opioids. I mean, it's true if you experiment with a lot of things in life, you may be more inclined to experiment with drugs as well. But it's not like we're seeing (that) marijuana is a specific gateway."

Doc, you are being very evasive. You are answering lots of unasked questions and not answering the ones I've asked you. It is clear that you are upset and perhaps embarrassed that your ignorance of this topic has been bared. Anyway, I do happen to know quite a bit on this topic. Apparently, at this point, more than you, doc. Don't be embarrassed. It seems that this subject is not typically a topic in med school. My understanding is that historically doctors were taught in school that cannabis is only a substance of abuse and that it has no medicinal value. So, where did you get your formal education on the body's endo-cannabinoid system? Do you know why cannabinoids can impact so many health issues? Briefly, it is because animals use endo-cannabinoids to communicate between cells in order to regulate very many bodily processes. Phyto-cannabinoids can stand in for the body's own cannabinoid molecules and aid in that regulation. Kind of funny that you don't accept drug information from a pharmaceutical company (GW Pharm). Aren't pharma reps pretty much your chief source of information on new medicines? Also, you should give the internet a chance, doc. Lots of good information out there - just check your sources.

So why are there record numbers of heroin overdoses in states that don't allow cannabis? The overdose epidemic exists nationwide. If you want to look for a connection to a gateway substance, look no further than the availability of opiate pain medicine. I will point out a connection to marijuana but not the one you were promoting. The connection is with our drug education programs. Telling kids that all drugs are equally dangerous has contributed to the heroin epidemic, imo. Young people will experiment with drugs. When they learn that they were fed a line of crap with respect to the dangers of marijuana, they become skeptical of the warnings they've heard on other drugs. "Just Say No', is fine for 6 year olds but using scare tactics on teenagers should be reserved for the really scary drugs....like heroin.

So, are you saying that you are unfamiliar with the body's endo-cannabinoid system? And you actively practice medicine? Please, Doc, educate yourself. Perhaps you are so used to being the medical topic expert that you have been lulled into thinking you know it all? Check out the nih.gov website and do some searches on 'cannabinoids'.

Did you watch the Viceland show? Watch it and then come back and share your thoughts. If you get this channel on your cable provider, you can watch it online now. Go to viceland.com, go to 'Shows', Weediquette, and the episode Gridiron Ganja

Not the best information there, doc. How do you know his goal in using cannabis was to get the euphoric effects? You don't. It could have been to stop abdominal cramping. How do you know Henderson was smoking cannabis? You don't. He could have been using concentrated cannabis medicine in many forms. Can I ask, where have you gotten your education on the endocannabinoid system? I ask because you don't sound well educated on the topic. See http://gwpharm.com, hit the R&D tab, and maybe you could learn a few things. If you are a doctor you really should know a whole lot about this intercellular communication system. You are aware that phyto-cannabinoids can be put into pill form, I am sure. The essential oils can be stripped from the cannabis buds and then vaporized or put put into an alcohol tincture or put into capsules. Can it be medical in your mind if it is not smoked? Have you ever heard of the entourage effect with respect to cannabis medicine? Are you aware that THC alone, marinol, will get the patient very high? That is often given by patients as the main drawback. It gets users too high - uncomfortably high - because it does not have the other phyto-cannabinoids, like CBD, to temper the effects of THC.

Watch the Viceland episode. You are incorrect.

Jim Jefferies, a comedian, makes several good points...with humor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rR9IaXH1M0 Note: Lots of bad language

A new episode of Weediquette was on Viceland channel the other day. Check it out if you get a chance. This episode centers on Eugene Monroe and his efforts to get the NFL to consider cannabis as possibly helpful in treating brain trauma. Here is a short clip from the show "Gridiron Ganja" added: The show is on the Viceland channel today (9/10 2:30pm eastern & 9/11 9:30pm). Set the DVR. It is a more personal view than the headlines give. Worth watching as an NFL fan

A new episode of Weediquette was on Viceland channel the other day. Check it out if you get a chance. This episode centers on Eugene Monroe and his efforts to get the NFL to consider cannabis as possibly helpful in treating brain trauma. Here is a short clip from the show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aergmYHWR-k&list=PLZ_hwG6UuEJaANlOTgYY86uHBjNdkSlhU&index=5

NY state is starting to expand its medical cannabis program. As I have mentioned, qualifying for medical cannabis in many states is difficult, nothing like the ease Californians find. Also, intentionally or not, NY has put control of their medical cannabis program under federal DEA control. This was a critical mistake, imo. As we have seen with their recent failure to reschedule, the DEA has an incentive to continue to treat cannabis as an illegal drug rather than as a medicine. In NY, a patient cannot use both medical cannabis and opiate pain medicines UNLESS the same doctor prescribes/recommends both. (Regular urine testing of patients ensures compliance.) Why would anyone need both? For pain for example, opiates are better for breakthrough pain but cannabis may be more appropriate for everyday pain levels. Or, someone on opiates may want to try reducing their opiate dosages by substituting cannabis when that would work for them. Many doctors fear running afoul of the DEA's wishes because the DEA controls their ability to prescribe controlled substances. Consider the future career prospects for a pain management doctor that, due to the DEA imposed restrictions, is no longer able to prescribe pain medicine. Their future as a pain doctor would be over. I believe this federal DEA control is the reason why many NY state doctors do not wish to be involved with the state's medical cannabis program https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/new-york-looks-expand-medical-marijuana-program/ "Unlike most other states, New York’s program prohibits smokeable marijuana, instead requiring dispensing the drug capsules or oils or tinctures that can be vaporized or used with an inhaler. Doctors must complete an online training course before authorizing the drug. Patients may not know which doctors have agreed to participate, making it difficult to access the program."

Jim, be sure to bring your old back pain meds, not the new back pain meds. They are kinda old fashioned on that in NY state.

Ya got me, Nanker. Remember about a year ago when I apologized for calling you an ass? Well I am now convinced that I was right in the first place

I was wondering what our 2nd Amendment supporters thought of this ruling. Is it OK to restrict gun ownership to medical marijuana patients? http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/us-court-upholds-ban-gun-sales-marijuana-card-41778814 "We live in a world where having a medical marijuana card is enough to say you don't get a gun, but if you're on the no fly list your constitutional right is still protected," he said.

Some pharmacies have re-collection programs. Or, there are these tips http://myoldmeds.com/safe-storage-disposal/in-home-disposal/

I imagine it is high in sodium, but I like to cover my pot roast with that powdered onion soup mix.