Marijuana: The Los Angeles Times and Boobs in Pot-Land

Phillip Leveque has spent his life as a Combat Infantryman, Physician Pharmacologist and Toxicologist. After surviving WWII, he went on to treat veterans for years who suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - I was interviewed for The Los Angeles Times on Sept. 4, 2002 by Kim Murphy. The title was MEDICAL POT IS DOCTORS SPECIALTY.

It was a pretty good article announcing the success of the OREGON MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROGRAM while simultaneously exposing the ignorance and vehemence of the Oregon Medical Board who apparently knew absolutely nothing about the benefits of cannabis/marijuana as medicine which at onetime was the most prescribed, most used medicine in the U.S. and Europe. Maybe they all saw REEFER MADNESS.

It was discovered that some people were forging my name for medical marijuana applications and this in some way made me a target of the Boards investigation. At that time I had signed about 40 percent of the 1000 applications and 8 times more than any other doctor.

The regulations regarding physicians requirements were so vague even the local District Attorney couldn’t interpret them and I couldn’t either.

I have been a scholar of marijuana as medicine for over 50 years as a Pharmacology Professor and by all accounts it is GOOD medicine.

I occasionally saw marijuana articles from the LA Times so I searched "LA Times Marijuana" and found over one hundred articles, some were factual others were utterly factitious.

A couple articles were by Jill U. Adams who did a good job but which were based on some old or weird REEFER MADNESS articles. She quotes the U.S. Govt. phony research of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Their publications are as phony as a 3 dollar bill.

First of all, marijuana is less addicting and less harmful than aspirin or a Starbucks espresso. The information spreading about mental illness, psychosis and depression is garbage. It’s used to treat those conditions.

If marijuana has no medical benefits, why is Marinol – pure THC approved by the FDA?

The adverse effects of marijuana are minimal, and teens in drug rehab were put there by ignorant judges. Any OTHER drug you can mention is more dangerous than marijuana.

If a new user of marijuana gets STONED he may be psychotic for a short time but antidepressant medicines are far worse. Even Marinol at 10 milligrams causes psychosis. Depression sometimes occurs when marijuana patients run out of their medicine, after all, supply is the biggest problem.

Poor grade marijuana (ditch weed) causes bronchial irritation and bronchitis. SO does smoke from burning your neighborhood LAWN GRASS.

Lets think about tobacco, a real killer. The U.S. Govt. says it causes lung cancer. Kaiser Permanente reviewed 10 thousand or more cases. In any event, THC or other related Cannabinoids may suppress cancer.

Despite this present article, I do recommend patients search LA Times Marijuana but be advised, there is a whole bunch of phony research and articles by THE BOOBS IN POT-LAND. (Here's a link to the specific story: http://articles.latimes.com/2001/sep/04/news/mn-41839)

If any one has opposing information to the above, E-mail it to Newsroom@salem-news.com. I will be happy to hear your views.

More information on the history of Dr. Leveque can be found in his book, General Patton's Dogface Soldier of WWII about his own experiences "from a foxhole".
Order the book by mail by following this link: Dogface Soldier

Watch for more streaming video question and answer segments about medical marijuana with Bonnie King and Dr. Phil Leveque.

Click on this link for other articles and video segments about PTSD and medical marijuana on Salem-News.com:
Dr. Leveque INTERVIEWS & ARTICLES