With National Recovery month beginning in September, Jon Weeldreyer, an addictions counselor at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, looks at the ways attitudes toward marijuana have evolved since the 1980s. Although medical marijuana has provided relief to some patients' medical disorders, he sees challenges with the growth in medical marijuana laws. Weeldreyer, a counselor and manager of the Pine Rest Kalamazoo Clinic, explores these questions and challenges in the following column: As an addictions counselor since the mid-1980s, I've seen many changes in how the American public views marijuana. [continues 548 words]
I have been a psychologist and addiction counselor for 20 years. When I started in this field, I believed marijuana was a drug of limited danger or impact on the user. My clients taught me quickly the consequences this drug brought into their lives, including damaged health, lost potential, memory difficulties and addiction. The National Institute on Drug Abuse is currently initiating a $4 million research study to examine these impacts. Having said that, it's vital the medical and pharmaceutical fields actively pursue all potential medications from this powerfully psychoactive plant just as they have the opium poppy. Marijuana unquestionably has medical and psychoactive qualities as evidenced by the responses from the Kalamazoo Gazette's respondents, including reducing pressure in the eyes, pain relief, reduced nausea and improved appetite. The problem with either legalization or decriminalization of marijuana is its addiction potential, delivery mechanism, toxicity and varied strength (with accompanied unstable dosage). [continues 88 words]
