No protection for medical marijuana users under new law
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SEATTLE -- Everything about medical marijuana is based on trust.
Michael Van Ditto had been a card carrying medical marijuana smoker for years. It gave him respite from his the emotional pain he was suffering after his son died in a tragic plane accident.
"I started smoking it when I became depressed and it helped me tremendously," Van Ditto said from his north Seattle apartment.
But nearly a year ago, he said he stopped smoking his comfort weed after becoming very sick.
"I've never been so sick in my life," he said. "I had total weakness, inflamed lungs, total disorientation and I could only get out of bed for an hour or two for almost 12 weeks."
He suspected his sickness was brought on by fungus that may have been in the marijuana he bought from the North Seattle Medical Collective, a new dispensary he had started to use.
"I only became ill when I started shopping at this particular marijuana medical shop," Van Ditto said.
He said his doctor couldn't identify his illness, but his symptoms where akin to fungal pneumonia. For people with compromised immune systems, fungus in pot could can lead to a deadly infection call Aspirgoelosis, a condition where the fungus begins growing in a person's lungs.
Van Ditto considered the medial pot he bought a health hazard and wanted it tested by authorities. But he quickly realized a predicament facing all medical marijuana users: There's no public agency he could turn to for help because he allegedly got sick using an illegal drug.
Van Ditto asked for help from the KOMO Problem Solvers.
Since he no longer had the marijuana that he believes got him sick, he went back to North Seattle Medical Collective to buy some more for testing.
In a December visit, Van Ditto bought a small amount of marijuana called Grand Daddy Haze. He let the attendant at the Collective make the suggestion on what to buy and Van Ditto bought it.
The Problem Solvers asked the Washington state Department of Health if it tests marijuana. The Department of Health is charged with protecting state residents from health hazards.
"The Department of Health has no authority to inspect or check quality of marijuana," said Donn Moyer, the spokesman for the department.
The Problem Solvers went to the Washington State Liquor Control Board, the agency that will be overseeing the rule making for Washington's new recreation use of marijuana. Language in Initiative 502, which decriminalized the possession of one ounce or less of a marijuana, provides some form of consumer safety and protection from bad pot.
"We are supposed to set quality standards, making sure consumer safety is involved in this," said Pat Kohler, administrative director for the WSLCB.
But Kohler admits there's no protections the state can offer for medical marijuana users, many whom are sick and may need the medicinal effects of marijuana the most.
"The state has no responsibility in the regulatory functions of medical marijuana and initiative 502 doesn't impact medical marijuana either," Kohler said.
"It's sending a wrong message to people," said Douglas Hiatt, an attorney representing users and growers of marijuana.
He blames the mixed messages on conflicting and poorly-written laws. He said marijuana is flat-out illegal in the eyes of the federal government, and because of that the state won't get involved in pot testing.
"You're subjecting state employees to federal criminal law," Hiatt said.
Concerned marijuana users are leaving it up to a growing industry of private laboratories like Analytical360 in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood to perform quality testing on pot.
"There is an issue of things being tainted," said Randy Oliver, Chief Scientist for Analytical360. "You can't tell what it is by smelling it, by tasting it. You have to have a chemical analysis done."
John Brown, the Chief Technical Officer for the lab, said Van Ditto's marijuana exceeded the acceptable range of fungus for therapeutic marijuana, but was in the acceptable range for recreational standards. The results suggest that sick people with compromised immune systems should not be smoking it.
In January, Van Ditto went back to the Collective and bought another sample for testing. This time the attendant suggested a strain called A-Train. Analytical360 performed the same series of microbial tests as they did on the Grand Daddy Haze.
Once again, the lab says the results shows fungus at levels above the acceptable range for therapeutic marijuana, but at lower levels than the Grand Daddy Haze.
The Problem Solvers email links to Analytical360's results the collective. The lab has a full transparency policy. All of its test results are posted on its website so marijuana users can see the quality of product circulating the market.
"We inspect all the product, it seemed ok to us and we smoked it. Obviously, we try everything" says Lisa Dank, spokeswoman for North Seattle Medical Collective.
Dank said all of the product the collective sees from its growers undergo testing for fungus and mold using a ultra violet light.
"If there's anything that's moldy it would show up green," she said.
But after viewing the results online of Analytical360's testing, Dank said the collective has pulled Grand Daddy Haze and A-Train from its product line.
"It's no longer available and growers have been alerted," she said. "It's not acceptable".
Dank defends the product the collective sells as being the highest quality available. She said customers who have compromised immune systems should not be smoking anything at all, let alone marijuana.
She said buying marijuana is like buying fresh blueberries from a farmers market.
"You going to find a few bad berries because that's what happens with plants. Marijuana is the same way," she said.
Van Ditto never told the Collective he believe the marijuana he bought from it got him sick.
"We operating on certain level of trust with the patient," Dank said. "If there's something wrong or they are experiencing a negative side effect, they come and tell us".
Because of the test results done by the Problem Solvers, Dank said the collective will now offer full microbial testing on all of its fresh products.
"Trust is what our business is about," Dank said.
Van Ditto said he's not going to smoke marijuana anymore, at least not until there's a quality control system in place that he trusts.
"I don't want to take the chance of getting deathly ill again," he said.
Michael Van Ditto had been a card carrying medical marijuana smoker for years. It gave him respite from his the emotional pain he was suffering after his son died in a tragic plane accident.
"I started smoking it when I became depressed and it helped me tremendously," Van Ditto said from his north Seattle apartment.
But nearly a year ago, he said he stopped smoking his comfort weed after becoming very sick.
"I've never been so sick in my life," he said. "I had total weakness, inflamed lungs, total disorientation and I could only get out of bed for an hour or two for almost 12 weeks."
He suspected his sickness was brought on by fungus that may have been in the marijuana he bought from the North Seattle Medical Collective, a new dispensary he had started to use.
"I only became ill when I started shopping at this particular marijuana medical shop," Van Ditto said.
He said his doctor couldn't identify his illness, but his symptoms where akin to fungal pneumonia. For people with compromised immune systems, fungus in pot could can lead to a deadly infection call Aspirgoelosis, a condition where the fungus begins growing in a person's lungs.
Van Ditto considered the medial pot he bought a health hazard and wanted it tested by authorities. But he quickly realized a predicament facing all medical marijuana users: There's no public agency he could turn to for help because he allegedly got sick using an illegal drug.
Van Ditto asked for help from the KOMO Problem Solvers.
Since he no longer had the marijuana that he believes got him sick, he went back to North Seattle Medical Collective to buy some more for testing.
In a December visit, Van Ditto bought a small amount of marijuana called Grand Daddy Haze. He let the attendant at the Collective make the suggestion on what to buy and Van Ditto bought it.
The Problem Solvers asked the Washington state Department of Health if it tests marijuana. The Department of Health is charged with protecting state residents from health hazards.
"The Department of Health has no authority to inspect or check quality of marijuana," said Donn Moyer, the spokesman for the department.
The Problem Solvers went to the Washington State Liquor Control Board, the agency that will be overseeing the rule making for Washington's new recreation use of marijuana. Language in Initiative 502, which decriminalized the possession of one ounce or less of a marijuana, provides some form of consumer safety and protection from bad pot.
"We are supposed to set quality standards, making sure consumer safety is involved in this," said Pat Kohler, administrative director for the WSLCB.
But Kohler admits there's no protections the state can offer for medical marijuana users, many whom are sick and may need the medicinal effects of marijuana the most.
"The state has no responsibility in the regulatory functions of medical marijuana and initiative 502 doesn't impact medical marijuana either," Kohler said.
"It's sending a wrong message to people," said Douglas Hiatt, an attorney representing users and growers of marijuana.
He blames the mixed messages on conflicting and poorly-written laws. He said marijuana is flat-out illegal in the eyes of the federal government, and because of that the state won't get involved in pot testing.
"You're subjecting state employees to federal criminal law," Hiatt said.
Concerned marijuana users are leaving it up to a growing industry of private laboratories like Analytical360 in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood to perform quality testing on pot.
"There is an issue of things being tainted," said Randy Oliver, Chief Scientist for Analytical360. "You can't tell what it is by smelling it, by tasting it. You have to have a chemical analysis done."
John Brown, the Chief Technical Officer for the lab, said Van Ditto's marijuana exceeded the acceptable range of fungus for therapeutic marijuana, but was in the acceptable range for recreational standards. The results suggest that sick people with compromised immune systems should not be smoking it.
In January, Van Ditto went back to the Collective and bought another sample for testing. This time the attendant suggested a strain called A-Train. Analytical360 performed the same series of microbial tests as they did on the Grand Daddy Haze.
Once again, the lab says the results shows fungus at levels above the acceptable range for therapeutic marijuana, but at lower levels than the Grand Daddy Haze.
The Problem Solvers email links to Analytical360's results the collective. The lab has a full transparency policy. All of its test results are posted on its website so marijuana users can see the quality of product circulating the market.
"We inspect all the product, it seemed ok to us and we smoked it. Obviously, we try everything" says Lisa Dank, spokeswoman for North Seattle Medical Collective.
Dank said all of the product the collective sees from its growers undergo testing for fungus and mold using a ultra violet light.
"If there's anything that's moldy it would show up green," she said.
But after viewing the results online of Analytical360's testing, Dank said the collective has pulled Grand Daddy Haze and A-Train from its product line.
"It's no longer available and growers have been alerted," she said. "It's not acceptable".
Dank defends the product the collective sells as being the highest quality available. She said customers who have compromised immune systems should not be smoking anything at all, let alone marijuana.
She said buying marijuana is like buying fresh blueberries from a farmers market.
"You going to find a few bad berries because that's what happens with plants. Marijuana is the same way," she said.
Van Ditto never told the Collective he believe the marijuana he bought from it got him sick.
"We operating on certain level of trust with the patient," Dank said. "If there's something wrong or they are experiencing a negative side effect, they come and tell us".
Because of the test results done by the Problem Solvers, Dank said the collective will now offer full microbial testing on all of its fresh products.
"Trust is what our business is about," Dank said.
Van Ditto said he's not going to smoke marijuana anymore, at least not until there's a quality control system in place that he trusts.
"I don't want to take the chance of getting deathly ill again," he said.
This is fugged up, i've been to the emergency room complaining that i was poisoned, this whole time it's been the effin weed i've been smoking, Â gddm it....i thought there was pesticides on it, i'm so effin pissed, i'm bi-polar and marijuana helps w/that.....now this effin weed is making me sick as hell and i can't even tell which one it is, that pot out there is dangerous, and this retarded government could give a sht.....i wish for every person that gets as sick as i did, these government retardeds get it twice as bad.
Blame 4E''s Lisa Dank. Â She said she runs through the weed with a light but still didn't catch it. Â She only pulled it after Komo caught it again...What a ditz. Â we can only HOPE things get better.Â
First off, most of your people are idiots!!! If pot has any type of mold or mildew on it the POT community KNOWS how to get rid of it.  There are several methods for eradicating mold or mildew on marijuana. The dispensaries should be able to tell just by smelling and looking at it. I have been growing pot for over ten years and have no problem dealing with mold or mildew on plants. Its called greed people~ You get all these new pot growers trying to make a buck selling moldy or mildew coated pot think its fine because they have only grown crappy moldy or mildewy pot. Most dispensaries sell clones to patients infected with POWDERY MILDEW~ All of the good dispensaries will give you a refund or let you trade in pot that u dont like... its up to the dispensary to inspect their product that THEY SELL.  The dispensary is liable as many new pot smokers cant tell if their pot is moldy or covered in powdery mildew.
Oh yeah, Lisa Dank...great name for someone working at such a place.
The odds against getting Aspirgoelosis at a dispensary are astronomical. This is sensational reporting and not very responsible when it comes to giving people information that affects their health.
This article is ridiculas. This guy should of went to NSMC and talked to them personally? They are very nice and care about there clients. There's fungal every where. Might want to ware a mask before going out side? Sorry the guy got sick but this guy sounds SHADYYYY..  Most of commercial's advertising meds warns about side effects? After they tell you the long list of side effects, blure vision, bloody nose, constipation,confusion, fungus growth, distracted, disoriant or feel like driving off a cliff or have a weak immune system, consult your doctor. On a possitive note great advertisment for NSMC:)KOMO
 @Angela Great AD For NSMC are you delusional this is horrible Its about time someone finally comes out and talks about the quality of some of the medicine certain collective dispense it comes down to price for most of them. Being a Patient and seeing  this the last thing i want to do is go here now.
 Yes it is horrible that this man got sick. I'm just not sure if the mmj was the total cause of his sickness.
Are you kidding me?  First, people who join a collective sign a liability release and accept responsibility for their own choice to consume marijuana.  While it is widely accepted to have the marijuana inspected and/or tested for various organisms and foreign material - it is impossible to test EVERY single bud available at any dispensary.  A bud can be taken to Analytical360 or Northwest Botanical or a number of other places, but they only test ONE BUD out of an entire crop.  Secondly, if you have a compromised immune system, then it's ignorant to choose to smoke marijuana when there are numerous other methods to medicate effectively.  Sounds to me like this guy is just stirring up trouble.  You cannot guarantee ANY marijuana is 100% microorganism free or 100% safe.  Third, if yuo are a patient and are donating for marijuana in its raw dried form - then inspect it yourself before you leave with it for God's sake!  Use the magnifying glass that almost every dispensary provides for viewing the product - if they don't have one, be responsible for your own actions and choices and bring your own. Â
Doesn't anybody proofread any more??? Maybe it's the English teacher in me, but I found so many typos in this article it was hard to concentrate on the story!  Unless Ms. Dank actually speaks that way -- "You going to find a few bad berries . . ." and "We operating on certain level of trust . . ."  I have a feeling she actually said "You're going to find a few bad berries . . ." and "We operate on a certain level of trust . . ."  Come on, KOMO! I expect better from you!
It's harder to adulterate pot than it is almost anything else. I don't want to challenge the chemists of the world, but if you're getting moldy pot, or anything else, you can usually tell.
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Also - how pot's used (burning) can tend to alleviate most fungal organisms. However I like his push for government job creation. We'll obviously need a Dept of Pot Testing, People will be able to check the goodness of various reefer and be middle class.
Hopefully the dispensaries will all see this mans face, and refuse service to him in the future.
I've been a donating patient of NSMC for over a year now and have had nothing but the most positive experience with every aspect of the collective. Â I actually got some of the A-Train and enjoyed it, had no notion of negative side effects. Â These are the friendliest, nicest people I've ever experienced behind a bud bar and am saddened that a patient of their's would go out of his way to try and incriminate and dirty their name instead of just talking to them! Â
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This story just brought to light the malicious intent of the media and foul play from the patient. Â I can't wait to go back, especially knowing they will start testing.
 @WeedlessinSeattle yeah like this post  wasn't written by someone who works at NSMC.Â
I cant wait to see test results on mold as well not that they will probably change anything but well see.
If Van Ditto felt the marijuana was bad, he should have informed the Collective immediately, so that others wouldn't get sick from it. The fact is, he's either lying so he can sue for money, or he's just an inconsiderate jerk who didn't give a rats behind if anyone else got sick off it.Â
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I've never been to this dispensary, but since they're testing all their meds I will definitely go & check them out this week. Yeah, maybe something will slip through here & there (it's a plant, grown in an industry with no regulations at the moment), but they have got to be safer than all the other dispensaries that don't test.Â
 @Shelly Absolutely!  He's stirring up trouble.  He should remember the membership form he signed which I'm sure has a liability release for the dispensary and puts him in the drivers seat of his decisions to smoke weed.  Compromised immune system?  Then the idiot shouldn't smoke!
ALSO IN THE NEWS: Aflatoxins are naturally occurring mycotoxins that are produced by many species of Aspergillus, a fungu, Aflatoxins are toxic and among the most carcinogenic substances known.
Aflatoxins can be present in a wide range of foods particularly cereals, oilseeds, spices and tree nuts. Maize, groundnuts (peanuts), pistachios, brazils, chillies, black pepper, dried fruit and figs are all known to be high risk foods for aflatoxin contamination, but the toxin has also been detected in many other commodities. Milk, cheese and other dairy products are also known to be at risk of contamination by aflatoxin M.
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But I guess thats just boring because its doesnt contain the word marijuana!
 @SchönLicht Absolutely!!!!!!!!!!!
 @SchönLicht Stop it. Your not supposed to look behind the velvet curtain.
Nice change of headline Komo...This is about fungis,not about MM patients and protection.
Trying to legitimaize the world of drugs is akin to the various sayings about trying to dress a pig so as not to look like what it is. Money is all its about and nothing else. Â
 @Citizen#3457899654 So you don't use aspirin, antibiotics or drink coffee.  I'm sure the bayer, pfizer and starbucks are completely altruistic.  Give me a break, we live in a capitalist country the only way to control distribution of anything is through this system.  So yes in a way it is about money,  but as a part owner in a mmj coop, I can attest we serve people everyday that have legitimate medical needs.  We have people that are in chronic pain thank us for helping them get off opiates and families tell us how cannabis vastly improved their loved ones quality of life in their final days of life.  So yes I sell pot.  It helps people. I get a pay check (barely).  I hope you never need medical cannabis but if you do, me and other people like me will be fighting to make sure you have access to it.Â
 @Citizen#3457899654 Nah Really its about religious people trying to force their morals on other people when they have no right to do so. All morality laws are based on religion and that makes them unconstitutional.
 @Citizen#3457899654 Is that what prohibition was about?
This article is ridiculous. There are fungal spores everywhere and we breathe in fungal spores with every breath.Â
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There is no link established here to any medical issues this man was having and the pot he smoked. Where the hell do you find these people to interview?
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Your own reporting says, "his doctor couldn't identify the illness."
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So KOMO's Problem Starters obviously never saw any medical reports or anything, they just wrote a story based on rubbish.
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If you wanted to write about how there is no system in place for testing marijuana, great, but to do it this way is really unprofessional.Â
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I have never heard of anyone getting a fungal lung infection from smoking pot. And furthermore, fungal lung infections are no laughing matter and can be deadly. They require medication and sometimes surgery. And we are to believe that this man just recovered on his own? Please.Â
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 @lakeview What's the point of testing?  Seriously?  If you test one bud from a crop and it tests ok then the whole crop is deemed ok - but what about that one bud at the bottom of the plant that wasn't tested?  You cannot guarantee that it will ALL be free of fungus or any other unwanted material - PERIOD!  Look at your product people - BEFORE you take it home.  Take responsibility for your own choices and actions.
Ok, here's a trick for those who might be interested. if you want an easy test for mold, look at a bud under bright light, give it a flick and watch for small particles drifting upwards in the light. You will even see spores rise up from moist weed. It's not a definite test, but if you see this, it is suspect and requires further investigation. Then look close with a magnifying glass and you might see a grey powder in the beginning that sometimes look like trichomes. They are solid grey though, and the next day it will be pretty obvious. A black light will show green particles, but I wonder if all of those are actually mold. If you aren't sure, don't risk your life, it's not worth it. Some will make hash or whatever out of it, but mold spores get around and you really have to think about what you are doing. Don't be a victim of your own appetites.
It's probably good Van Ditto stopped smoking. It was clouding his judgement especially when treating depression with weed. There are other ways in treating depression other than medicating yourself. It's called jogging.Â
just like any other business if you sale a bad product you are responsible and subject to action what ever that may be.
a new strain "Blue Cheese Wheeze"
ONLY one dispensary tests ALL its product for all contaminants - Green Buddha Patient Co-op. In fact the owner has been ragging on this for awhile.... why did it take so long to get attention?
Next the public will learn about the safety of Butane Hash Oil - ask the kid who blew his face off.
MOST dispensaries are importing weed from out of state where it is cheaper and thus they refuse to have their product safety tested as the scam would be noted.
HAVE HEART - all the product grown under I-502 will be safety tested... so who would buy UNTESTED meds afterwards?Viva la I-502!
I had fungal pneumonia in January through February 2008 - could not function at all. Was in bed for a solid two weeks. I thought I was dying, ended up in ER where I was diagnosed. Do not know how I contracted it, it wasn't from MJ cause I never smoked any. Never had the flu or barely a cold but had this and don't wish it on anybody!
 @Half-Baked Am I the only one who has a hard time believing "Half-Baked" never smoked any MJ? :)
Buy it on the Streets and see what you get. PCP, LSD, and heaven knows what it is laced with. I bet this guy is trying to make a few bucks.
 @Telman@ In all my years I have never come across any laced weed.
 @Hachee_Bungwhy  @Telman@ I have. Mescaline was put in weed in the 80's by a few, I don't know about now. I haven't come across any in ages.
 @Telman@ Cannabis laced with LSD? Really......heaven knows that's highly unlikely.
Aspergillosis....not Aspirgoelosis
My Mother died 3 years ago from a fungal infection with a name that sounded just like this. There are very few drugs that can be given. The one she was on $1200.00 per refill only kept the infection at bay, it didn't get rid of it. She eventually died within 3 years. We think she got it from Arizona while we were down there. If this guy has this I really do feel sorry for him even though I really don't think he should have been smoking pot but getting counseling like others said below.
 @mstipton Valley fever is the common fungal infection that people and animals can get from those desert areas.Â
Someone wants some money me thinketh.
well i have Euromysotisis
Patients need to know what mold looks like on cannabis. It's is a bit hard to detect unless you know what to look for. And make sure you purchase form a Center that tests its medicine!
how is this news? so what?
Now because the stuff is so called "legal" and it makes you SICK .. you want a recourse ?  REALLY??????????
This guy is another "forever the victim" kind of guys. If he really wanted to deal with the tragedy in his life, get counseling. Smoking weed is just an escape, not a means for dealing with it. If someone wants to smoke it recreationally, fine. If someone uses it for real medical reasons, fine. But don't use it as a crutch -- then cry victim because of it.
 @The WA Mama "Smoking weed is just an escape, not a means for dealing with it."
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Incorrect. Cannabis has been shown to help with clinical depression in individuals who's chemical imbalances, not life situations, cause their depression. Try not to carelessly generalize like that.Â
@Sovereign Yea, but he needed to smoke it for YEARS? Come on.
 @Surveyor1 And that is different from people being on anti-depressant pharmaceuticals for years...how? If it's a chemical imbalance, it may be permanent.
@Sovereign You are correct. But to clarify, I did state I think its ok for real medical reasons -- a chemical imbalance can fall under that category. When someone uses it as a means to deal with life situations, it can actually make things worse because they are not dealing with the problem.
@Sovereign@The WA Mama
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The University of Washington Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute stated the following in an online fact sheet titled "Mental Health and Marijuana," based on information from the National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre (acessed June 14, 2012):
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"Evidence suggests that marijuana may somehow trigger schizophrenia in those who are already at risk of developing the disorder. Those with a vulnerability to develop schizophrenia, such as having a family history of the illness, should be strongly advised against using marijuana for this reason...
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Marijuana may seem to help ease depression before the effects of the drug wear off; however after that, smoking marijuana may make depression worse. Those who use marijuana have been shown to have higher levels of depression and depressive symptoms than those who do not use marijuana. Although results are mixed, there is a substantial amount of evidence to suggest that marijuana use, particularly frequent or heavy use, predicts depression later in life. Young women appear to be more likely to experience this effect.
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Marijuana can lead to symptoms of anxiety, such as panic, in the short-term, but there is a lack of evidence pointing to marijuana as an important risk factor for chronic anxiety disorders...
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Again, if someone has a genetic vulnerability or has an existing mental health issues, marijuana should be avoided."
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--June 14, 2012 - University of Washington Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute (ADAI)Â
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Smoke away, guys....
 @Sovereign Actually, I worked a on major study re: marijuana use and mental illness while in college, and I went into the project with no preconceived biases. One thing I did observe is that a significant number of subjects, generally speaking, became defensive when discussing their marijuana usage during the interview process. I heard the "well, it's not as bad as alcohol," or "at least I am not abusing prescription drugs..." justifications on numerous occasions.Â
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As for any "bias" I may have that came from that experience, I would say this: long-term self-medicating with any substance is not beneficial to one's mental outlook. Doesn't matter if it's legal or not.
Good...you know how to look up and cite studies. Now go look up and cite impartial studies that support more than just your own biased viewpoint.Â
 @StringerJoe  @Sovereign  @The WA Mama And that list of possibilities is still far less than the Rx drugs you see advertised on TV.
@StringerJoe @Sovereign @The WA Mama  Wow , like, thats depressing.