A Tale of Two Drugs
For the first time in my life, I’ve just been prescribed an opioid painkiller: hydrocodone/acetaminophen, commonly known by the brand name Vicodin. The occasion was a medical procedure known as brachytherapy. I’ll explain more about that below, but it’s pretty low on the fun meter. There can be lingering pain for a few days, hence my introduction into the fabulous world of narcotic pain drugs.
I can’t help but notice some odd contrasts with medical marijuana.
My prescription bottle came with a warning label affixed by the pharmacy, cautioning me about acetaminophen (best known as the active ingredient in Tylenol): “Taking more acetaminophen than recommended may cause serious liver problems.” It’s rather disconcerting that the most prominent warning in one’s first narcotic prescription concerns a pain drug that’s handed out almost like candy, one of the most common ingredients in combination cough-and-cold remedies sold over the counter. But the warning is a good idea: Overdoses of acetaminophen, mostly accidental (due to people combining cold medications and not knowing they’re getting multiple doses of the stuff), are estimated to cause 458 U.S. deaths each year due to acute liver failure.
Hydrocodone, a Schedule III narcotic, can cause physical dependence. Overdose can cause respiratory failure, cardiac arrest, and death.
Yet this useful but potentially deadly combination was handed to me in an ordinary prescription bottle, without even a childproof cap.
Now consider medical marijuana. It’s far less addictive than hydrocodone or other opioids. No fatal overdose has ever been documented. And yet it’s in Schedule I, so doctors are legally barred from prescribing it. In many of the states where patients are permitted under state law to grow marijuana for medical use, they are required to do so in an indoor, securely locked facility — while my narcotic cocktail doesn’t even rate a childproof cap. This is crazy.
This might be a good time to mention that if you want to help change some of this insanity, please sign up now for MPP’s free email alerts.
Finally, as promised, a word about brachytherapy. It’s a treatment for prostate cancer, involving the implantation of dozens (in my case precisely 85) tiny, radioactive seeds in the prostate gland. Over about six months or so, the radiation zaps the cancer and you live happily ever after. Please do not be alarmed. My little malignancy is early, localized, and non-aggressive. I’ll be fine.
And at this point I don’t actually have a need for medical marijuana. But dumb laws shouldn’t tie my doctor’s hands for no good reason.
Tagged with: Medical Marijuana and pain by the author
10 comments
Glad to hear you’re okay
Amen to that
OK, not alarmed. Thanks for all the good work, take it a little easy if you need to!
great article man. i mean ultimately everyone, when taking prescription pills, should have thoughts like this but we are the alternate universer where alcohol is not a disinfectant but a recreational drug and marijuana is not a sacred beautiful flower but a tool of satan to be wiped off the planet… now what we need is a fuckin time machine lol
I’m just curious, why doesn’t any organization like MPP or even the ACLU file a lawsuit against the federal government to get Marijuana rescheduled as a III or something? The Government would be practically defenseless! I’d really love to see a blog on this topic.
There is an ongoing effort to get marijuana rescheduled. Unfortunately, it’s a convoluted and difficult process. While it may end up in court at some point, that may take a while. For more information, see http://www.drugscience.org/intro/arguments.html
The ACLU just filed a case in Iowa sueing the state for placing marijuana in both scheduke I and II, this is illegal. Since 13 states have legalized Medical Marijuana it is the responsibility of the DEA to either put marijuana in a different schedule or remove it from scheduling at all like alcohol and nicotine. For the legalization of Marijuana in any state makes it unlawful for the DEA to continue leaving marijuana in a schedule I catagory. There are more cases of people dieing from liver failure caused from tylenol then from alcohol. This is fact. Hydrocodone is also manufacterd in under the brand names as Lortab, Tussionex Suspension, a cough syrup where 1 teaspoon full containes 10 mg of Hydrcodone, and a whole host of other names. Chances are you recieved the 5mg or 7.5 mg version. They are all addictive and Hydrocodone is the most abused opiate drug in the USA. Why because the euphoria wears off in 2-4 hours. So people take several at a time or 1 every four hours which will addict a person within a 2 week period or less of daily use. The only safe, effective and efficient drug that exists today for the safe control of chronic nausea and vomiting is marijuana. Don’t believe me just ask your pharmacist. My gastric specialst prescribed Regalen/Metoclopramide then proceede to tell me not to take it on a regular basis for it causes Irreversible Parkinson like shakes and tremors, and this is legal ?!?!? The non-toxic marijuana gives immediate relief from nausea. Marinol, which I’ve been on for years can’t even be compared to the immediate, safe, efficient and effective use one gets for nausea control from marijuana. Since Marijuana is as addictive as heroin in my state (Lord save us from these idiots) I live in fear of arrest, loss of benefits and forfieture of property just by trying to improve my quality of life and for this I am labeled a criminal and a drug addict. These politicians in Iowa, yep that’s my state. The pig shit/methane producing state. AAHH!! I need finacial help to get the f- – - out of this God forsaken, neo-nazi state. Someday, someday either by moving or dieing I will eventually find peace. Until then…Keep On Tokin”.
Too bad mother nature can’t afford the lobbyists big pharma can
I have been addicted to opiate therapy for almost 9 years, and the effectiveness wore off years ago. I go through withdrawals on a monthly basis, as any time I do any form of physical activity leaves me aching. I suffer from acute muscle spasms and chronic pain. My doctors found a protein in my blood that signifies muscle damage, and mine was upwards of 20 times normal., and I see specialists at the University of Michigan Hospital, who have yet to find the cause. I use marihuana (the true spelling, which was bastardized by early government to add a “latino stigma” to it) to ease my spasms and afford me some measure of relief from the chronic pain. I was raided by police for having 7 plants and a small amount of marihuana. Lucky for me, I have not been charged, and as of December 4, 2008 any pending charges can be defended with the new law. FINALLY, I do not have to hide like some criminal for my medicine. I thank all who helped change this, and urge residents of other states to PLEASE, stop this hypocritical crimninalization of a plant that has NEVER in recorded history killed anyone. Thank you.
listen to the words and wisdom of PETER TOSH in the song LEGALIZE IT he realy says it all and pure spiritual.
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