Medical Marijuana Abused: The Case of Chris Brown
Chris Brown’s name has been in the news lately for going to residential rehab—and then leaving it and going to outpatient—but for anger, not drugs. Brown is best known and much hated not for his music but for his 2008 assault on beloved singer Rihanna. His most recent response? “They can boo all they want…but I’m rich and happy.” Just tell that to the person whose nose he broke in Washington D.C. a few months ago.
Brown has also lost a lot of weight over the past several months, and he’s been asked if drugs caused the pounds to drop off. He claims that his weight loss has resulted from all the dancing he does during his two-hour shows, touring over the past year or so. Then he admits, “Everybody knows I got a medical marijuana card and smoke marijuana. Shouts to Wiz and Snoop!”
A Google search of Wiz and Snoop takes you to Wiz Khalifa and Snoop Dogg, and specifically to their collaboration on a song about smoking—something—using a technique called French Inhale. It’s an explicit song on the soundtrack for the movie Mac and Devin Go to High School. One can therefore infer that Brown loves French inhaling his medical marijuana.
The use of medical marijuana continues to spark controversy. It’s only supposed to be prescribed for a handful of circumstances, including:
- Stimulation of appetite and relieving nausea in cancer patients.
- Doing the same for HIV/AIDS patients.
- Doing the same for those suffering from cachexia, a wasting syndrome.
- Relieving pressure within the eyeball caused by glaucoma.
- Relieving brain inflammation in patients who show signs of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
- Relieving muscle spasms that occur in neuromuscular illnesses like multiple sclerosis.
- Relieving nausea associated with chronic migraine headaches.
It’s really not difficult for someone with the time and money to find a doctor who will write a prescription for medical marijuana. Oh, you’re suffering from chronic muscle spasms? Let me help you, the doctor says, for a not-so-small price.
Although many states have approved marijuana for medical use, the federal government has deemed it useful only when controlled carefully for the nausea and wasting away seen in cancer, HIV/AIDS, and cachexia patients. One reason is that its ingredients cannot be measured and replicated exactly, dose after dose. Another reason is that tests have not shown that the benefits of use outweigh the risks.
A third reason is that marijuana exerts adverse health effects on people who use it. It causes short-term memory. Faulty motor coordination and delayed reaction time make it dangerous to use while operating machinery. Its 400 chemical compounds can increase respiratory problems in some users. It also alters judgment, mood, and decision making. Hear that, Chris Brown? It can cause severe paranoia and even psychosis. Hear that, Chris Brown?
Marijuana has been listed as the drug of choice for over 4.5 million people just in this country alone. It causes addiction and dependence and serves as a gateway drug, leading to use of other, definitely more dangerous drugs. Some states are working to close the loopholes in approving prescriptions for medical marijuana.
If you know someone who’s abusing marijuana, it may be time for that person to check into residential rehab to get his or her life back under control. Call your local substance abuse clinic to learn more.
