Robert Celt
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A doctor who prescribes medical marijuana is pushing for increased testing and labeling of the drug. The doctor says it would make medical marijuana safer and more consistent for patients.
Dr. Dustin Sulak runs a practice in Falmouth. He said medical marijuana should be tested and labeled with a specific dosage. He said the label should also note that it's free of contaminants.
Dr. Sulak is asking state lawmakers to update medical marijuana laws to allow for this testing. He said right now, it's difficult for patients to tell whether they're receiving consistent doses of the drug, and it's possible for the drug to be contaminated with mold or pesticides.
"If I tell a patient that they need 10 mg of CBD, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, and that's what I want them to take in the morning, they have a very hard time making that happen," he said. "The products are out there, but the information isn't, so we need to make that connection so patients can follow their medical providers advice."
Medical marijuana could also be used to fight Maine's opioid epidemic, according to Dr. Sulak.
In some cases, Dr. Sulak said, people using prescription painkillers for chronic pain could benefit from taking medical marijuana instead, or weaning of the painkillers with the help of marijuana.
One of his patients, Michelle Ham, said she was taking opioids for muscle spasms and got addicted. She stopped taking those and switched to medical marijuana.
She said it helped reduce the symptoms of withdrawal from the prescription painkillers.
"It's like you have the flu, and you feel horrible, and you want to be in bed. That's how it was," Ham said. "With the medical marijuana, I was able to get up, and I still had some of the symptoms, but it was nowhere near as bad."
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Maine: Doctor Wants Medical Marijuana Testing And Labeling
Author: Grady Trimble
Photo Credit: From Marijuana Packaging
Website: WCSH
Dr. Dustin Sulak runs a practice in Falmouth. He said medical marijuana should be tested and labeled with a specific dosage. He said the label should also note that it's free of contaminants.
Dr. Sulak is asking state lawmakers to update medical marijuana laws to allow for this testing. He said right now, it's difficult for patients to tell whether they're receiving consistent doses of the drug, and it's possible for the drug to be contaminated with mold or pesticides.
"If I tell a patient that they need 10 mg of CBD, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, and that's what I want them to take in the morning, they have a very hard time making that happen," he said. "The products are out there, but the information isn't, so we need to make that connection so patients can follow their medical providers advice."
Medical marijuana could also be used to fight Maine's opioid epidemic, according to Dr. Sulak.
In some cases, Dr. Sulak said, people using prescription painkillers for chronic pain could benefit from taking medical marijuana instead, or weaning of the painkillers with the help of marijuana.
One of his patients, Michelle Ham, said she was taking opioids for muscle spasms and got addicted. She stopped taking those and switched to medical marijuana.
She said it helped reduce the symptoms of withdrawal from the prescription painkillers.
"It's like you have the flu, and you feel horrible, and you want to be in bed. That's how it was," Ham said. "With the medical marijuana, I was able to get up, and I still had some of the symptoms, but it was nowhere near as bad."
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Maine: Doctor Wants Medical Marijuana Testing And Labeling
Author: Grady Trimble
Photo Credit: From Marijuana Packaging
Website: WCSH