Is medical marijuana an effective treatment for depression, bipolar disorders, anxiety, and similar mood disorders?

PRO (yes) D. Mark Anderson, PhD, Assistant Professor of Economics at Montana State University, Daniel I. Rees, PhD, Professor of Economics at the University of Colorado Denver, and Joseph J. Sabia, PhD, Assistant Professor of Economics at San Diego State University, stated the following in their Jan. 2012 study "High on Life? Medical Marijuana Laws and Suicide," published by the The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its Discussion Paper Series: "Our results suggest that the legalization of medical marijuana is associated with a 5 percent decrease in the total suicide rate, an 11 percent decrease in the suicide rate of 20- through 29-year-old males, and a 9 percent decrease in the suicide rate of 30- through 39 year-old-males. Estimates for female suicide rates are generally measured with less precision and are sensitive to functional form... The strong association between alcohol consumption and suicide related outcomes found by previous researchers... raises the possibility that medical marijuana laws reduce the risk of suicide by decreasing alcohol consumption." PRO (NO) Gregory E. Simon, MD, MPH, Senior Scientific Investigator in the Center for Health Studies at the Group Health Cooperative, stated the following in a Jan. 2012 column titled "Ask the Doctor Q & A," published on the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance website: "Using marijuana can certainly contribute to or worsen depression. Low motivation, fatigue, and withdrawal from positive activities are central features of depression and marijuana can worsen each of those problems. Some people do say that marijuana dulls anxiety or negative feelings. But it also dulls energy and motivation. And we know that activation and engagement are key parts of recovery from depression. Marijuana can be even more troublesome for people—especially younger people—who live with bipolar disorder. In addition to worsening depression, marijuana can increase the likelihood of experiencing symptoms of psychosis—like hallucinations or paranoid ideas. In younger people who are at higher risk for bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, using marijuana increases the chances of developing a severe or disabling mental illness."

Heavy Marijuana Use Doesn't Damage Brain

Long-term and even daily marijuana use doesn't appear to cause permanent brain damage, adding to evidence that it can be a safe and effective treatment for a wide range of diseases, say researchers. The researchers found only a "very small" impairment in memory and learning among long-term marijuana users. Otherwise, scores on thinking tests were similar to those who don't smoke marijuana, according to a new analysis of 15 previous studies. In those studies, some 700 regular marijuana users were compared with 484 non-users on various aspects of brain function -- including reaction time, language and motor skills, reasoning ability, memory, and the ability to learn new information. Surprising Finding "We were somewhat surprised by our finding, especially since there's been a controversy for some years on whether long-term cannabis use causes brain damage," says lead researcher and psychiatrist Igor Grant, MD. "I suppose we expected to see some differences in people who were heavy users, but in fact the differences were very minimal." The marijuana users in those 15 studies -- which lasted between three months to more than 13 years -- had smoked marijuana several times a week or month or daily. Still, researchers say impairments were less than what is typically found from using alcohol or other drugs. "All study participants were adults," says Grant, professor of psychiatry and director of the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research Center at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. "However, there might be a different set of circumstances to a 12-year-old whose nervous system is still developing." 10 States OK Marijuana Use Grant's analysis, published in the July issue of the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, comes as many states consider laws allowing marijuana to be used to treat certain medical conditions. Earlier this year, Maryland became the 10th state to allow marijuana use to relieve pain and other symptoms of AIDS, multiple sclerosis, cancer, glaucoma, and other conditions -- joining Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. Medicinal marijuana is available by prescription in the Netherlands and a new marijuana drug is expected to be released in Great Britain later this year. In the U.S. and elsewhere, Marinol, a drug that is a synthetic form of marijuana and contains its active ingredient, THC, is available by prescription to treat loss of appetite associated with weight loss in AIDS patients. Grant says he did the analysis to help determine long-term toxicity from long-term and frequent marijuana use. His center is currently conducting 11 studies to determine its safety and efficacy in treating several diseases. "This finding enables us to see a marginal level of safety, if those studies prove that cannabis can be effective," Grant tells WebMD. "If we barely find this effect in long-term heavy users, then we are unlikely to see deleterious side effects in individuals who receive cannabis for a short time in a medical setting, which would be safer than what is practiced by street users." Grant's findings come as no surprise to Tod Mikuriya, MD, former director of non-classified marijuana research for the National Institute of Mental Health Center for Narcotics and Drug Abuse Studies and author of The Marijuana Medical Handbook: A Guide to Therapeutic Use. He is currently president of the California Cannabis Medical Group, which has treated some 20,000 patients with medicinal marijuana and Marinol.

U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag Can't Deal With Marijuana Protesters, Ditches Public Event

Medical marijuana is not making U.S Attorney Melinda Haag's life easy. Among Bay Area cannabis advocates, she's become a loathed figure, scorned and mocked in unflattering effigy. All of this due to her role in the Justice Department's crackdown on state-legal medical marijuana clubs. Haag has shut down more than a dozen taxpaying "pot shops" in the Bay Area since October 2011, and is working to add the scalp of Harborside Health Center -- the state's biggest pot club -- to her list. Haag -- who, we have been told, is actually a likable person -- was scheduled to take time out of her busy day Wednesday to participate in an educational panel at Golden Gate University's law school. Then the medical marijuana folks got wind of this event and quickly organized a protest in her honor. Then Haag got wind of this protest and a few hours before she was scheduled to speak, she bailed. Mission accomplished? Haag was scheduled to moderate a panel, The Role of the 21st Century Prosecutor, along with San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón and Philadelphia DA Seth Williams. Haag was a "last-minute" cancellation, after cannabis advocates made clear their intentions to take over the panel's Q&A session with such gems as, "Why are you making life more difficult for AIDS and cancer patients?" And connoisseurs of Sour Diesel, but we digress. No word on who filled in for her. Recall that the administration of President Barack Obama signalled an early acceptance for state-legal medical marijuana. That helped usher in a veritable boom, a "Green Rush" of growers and sellers getting into the business in California. But it was the licensed, taxpaying dispensaries that fell to Haag's axe, after the prosecutor informed all involved that marijuana was still illegal under federal law and would be treated as such. Under protests from local governments, dispensaries in Fairfax, Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco all shut down under threat of prison terms for their landlords. "I'm disappointed that Ms. Haag was a no-show for this event," said Caren Woodson, a spokeswoman for the San Francisco chapter of Americans for Safe Access, a marijuana users' lobby. "Twenty-first century prosecutors ought to have the courage to show up and account for their actions. When Ms. Haag is ready to come out of hiding, SF ASA with be right there to defend state laws against her continued rogue attacks." Haag's press people have long greeted every inquiry related to the pot crackdown with a "no comment." So just like Haag, SF Weekly didn't even bother.

Becoming a Patient in California

Summary Patients and their caregivers are permitted to legally use, have, and grow cannabis for medical purposes. The law also protects not-for-profit collective and cooperative grow operations and allows primary caregivers to be reimbursed for the costs of their services. To be a legal medical cannabis patient in California, all you need is a valid doctor's recommendation. There is a medical cannabis ID card system run by the state and several privately issued patient ID cards. A state-issued ID card is not required to be a legal patient, but it does look more official to the police. If you are on probation or parole, it's up to your probation or parole officer whether or not to allow you to use medical cannabis. What's Allowed The state limits are: six mature or 12 immature cannabis plants plus eight ounces of dried cannabis per patient. Cities and counties can set limits that are higher than this limit, but cannot set lower limits. For a listing of known guidelines for localities across California, see http://www.safeaccessnow.net. Also, the doctor's recommendation can specify that you need an amount of medical cannabis that exceeds the limits. Eligigble Conditions Eligible conditions include: AIDS, anorexia, arthritis, cachexia, cancer, chronic pain, glaucoma, migraine, persistent muscle spasms, seizures, severe nausea, and any other serious chronic or persistent medical symptom. Access You or your caregiver can grow your medical cannabis. Also, California's law allows for cooperative grows and dispensing businesses, as long as they are not a for-profit entity. See this user-maintained list of dispensaries. For more on dispensing collectives and cooperatives, including information about how to start one, read these FAQ. Consumption Don't be dangerous (i.e., don't drive under the influence). That is still illegal. Also, don't use cannabis within 1000 feet of a school, rec center, or youth center. Don't smoke on a school bus. Paraphernalia The law does not specifically address the legality of paraphernalia. Caregiver Your primary caregiver must be at least 18 years old and should consistently assume responsibility for your housing, health, or safety. They can be the primary caregiver of more than one patient only if the patients live in the same city or county as the primary caregiver. Application Process There are both public and private entities that issue ID cards. It usually takes at least 24 hours for them to verify your doctor's recommendation and produce the card. ID cards are valid for one year, then should be renewed. Contact your local Department of Public Health or one of these private organizations: Oakland Cannabis Buyers Cooperative (Bay Area) - (510) 832-5346 Medicann (Statewide) -866-632-6627. Again, you do not need an ID card to be a legal patient. Doctor Get a written recommendation from your doctor. Here is a sample doctor's recommendation and here is the form used by San Francisco Department of Health Services. It's best to work with your primary care physician, but if they are unwilling or you don't have one, you can find a list of doctors familiar with medical cannabis at http://canorml.org. Under California's law, your doctor cannot be punished simply for having recommended medical cannabis. Confidentiality Your medical information is confidential and protected under HIPPA. The medical cannabis ID cards do not show your name, address, or other sensitive information, though they do have a photo. Police and government agents can verify the legitimacy of the card. Housing Jails and other penal institutions do not necessarily have to accommodate your medical use of cannabis. Employment Employers are not required to accommodate on-the-job consumption of medical cannabis. Patient status outside of work is not protected either. See Ross v RagingWire. Insurance Health insurance providers are not mandated to cover medical cannabis expenses. Reciprocity Montana, Rhode Island, and Michigan should recognize your medical cannabis card issued by government entities. For more information If you have more specific questions, talk to a local attorney. You can also contact the California Department of Public Health: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/mmp/Pages/Medical%20Marijuana%20Program.aspx California Department of Public Health Office of County Health Services Attention: Medical Marijuana Program Unit MS 5203 P.O. Box 997377 Sacramento, CA 95899-7377 Phone: 916-552-8600 Fax: 916-440-5591 mmpinfo@dhs.ca.gov