Today, on Sunday Housecall, Dr. David Samadi sits down again with Dr. Cynara Coomer, Chief of Breast Surgery, Staten Island University Hospital.
Dr. Davi Samadi: Let me get to this topic.
It is controversial, there is a lot of debate about it.
I think we should be civilized and have just a talk about it, without any insult or attacking each other. But medical marijuana is a big topic and there are pros and cons and the country is kind of talking about it.
I personally think that the train has left the station. 29 states have legalized medical marijuana. Seven states have just legalized recreational marijuana. California is the one that has just approved it this year.
Dr. Cynra: Yes, starting January first and Colorado of course has legalized marijuana.
Dr. David Samadi: The question is and I think that Jeff Session is making some good comments about trying to slow down and get the attorney generals of the states involved in controlling this. Agree or not, I think we should have this kind of discussion. I think that the kind of marijuana we are seeing today or the TCH, which is the main component, is a lot more potent than in the 1960s and 70’. You have to know exactly how much of this you are getting. This kind of cannabis is finding its way to candies, to cookies, to drinks…and I think we should be a little more careful because of the side effects. Now, the minute you talk about the side effects of marijuana, people say: Look at alcohol, alcohol is legalized! Smoking is legalized so leave it alone and do not take it away from me. I think that even though we do not have a lot of long-term studies but a lot of studies show that it can affect your memory, it can affect your cognitive functions. You have seen teenagers that have grown without properly developing their brain, there are side effects. What do you think about this?
Dr. Cynra: I think it has been shown it can be beneficial. I deal with cancer patients and they found it to be beneficial in regards nausea and vomiting.
Dr. David Samadi: For nausea and vomiting it works.
Dr. Cynra: Exactly. It has been shown to be beneficial for chronic pain as well. So, I can see the benefits of doing it but I do think you have to do it very, very carefully. I think number 1 is to get it from a licensed physician and then think about the dose that is appropriate for you. Because the side effects, such as dizziness, hallucinations, psychosis come from taking a bigger dose than you need. And actually, we do not know the long-term side effects of using marijuana even for just medical purposes because we have never had the ability to study that.
Dr. David Samadi: So, I agree with you. I think that for many patients, such as epileptic, it can be beneficial. Some studies have shown that it can help kids that have epilepsy where modern medication is not really helping. I am ok with it. If the situation is desperate and the kid is suffering it may work. It can also be beneficial for patients that lose weight. Also, even for patients with HIV who are really losing weight, this is a great way to restart your appetite. I have seen many people who are stage 4 prostate cancer who are suffering from pain. I think it would be helpful. But I do not think it must open for use, especially in a society where we are suffering from the opium crisis. If it is not consumed under the supervision of parents or the government, people will just jump on it because it makes you feel good. I think we need to be really careful and think about this. If you have opinions about this we would love to hear from you on both sides of the story.
You can go to drsamaditv.com to leave your comments and we will share some of that next weekend and see if we can have a smart, educated debate and discussion.
Dr. Cynra: Yes, I would love to hear people’s comments.
Dr. David Samadi: Absolutely.