Medical marihuana

[GoingThere]

I've seen a couple of episodes on National Geographic about medical marihuana in USA. I think it was about a state Kolorado. Are dialysis patients allowed to use medical marihuana?

GT

[Restorer]

It varies by doctor and state. It's still discouraged by most doctors, it seems. It's completely against the rules at most transplant centers - they'll put you on hold for up to a year after you've stopped using it.

[jeannea]

I have a friend who told me about a guy she knows. The guy asked his nephrologist if he could continue smoking marijuana and the doc actually said yes. In my state we do NOT have legal medical marijuana. When he got his transplant he stopped cold turkey.

My doctors were completely against it. I would have been removed from the list. I'm sure they tested for it.

One of my questions would be similar to cigarette smoking. I was told if you smoke cigarettes when you get a transplant, you have to keep smoking the same number of cigarettes each day or your med levels can change too much. If you want to quit you have to work with the team to stabilize your meds while changing your habit. Would you have to do the same with marijuana?

[lmunchkin]

I believe it is legal in Colorado whether medical or not!  They have legalized it for all!!!  I could be wrong though.

God Bless,
lmunchkin

[dieterschien]

Here i Cali, if your over 50 years you get a card. I was told if you have a card and smoke you are still eligible for transplant. 
There are  other choices other  than to smoke (edible medicine) 

[Restorer]

Dieter, who told you that?

I've heard from doctors and patients at many centers that if you admit to smoking marijuana, or they decide to test you for it and it shows up, they're almost universally against that. Many centers will prevent you from listing until you test clean for a certain amount of time, medical card or not.

There's also the excuse they use that "a lot of" marijuana is dried improperly and can be contaminated with mold spores that you inhale when you smoke it. Not so dangerous for relatively healthy people, but it can cause serious problems for immunosuppressed transplant patients; thus, having a habit of smoking is not good for a transplant patient.

[Bill Peckham]

Washington State specifically allows it
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2012897297_medpot15m.html

There's also the excuse they use that "a lot of" marijuana is dried improperly and can be contaminated with mold spores that you inhale when you smoke it. Not so dangerous for relatively healthy people, but it can cause serious problems for immunosuppressed transplant patients; thus, having a habit of smoking is not good for a transplant patient.

The prohibitions include the use of hash, a vaporizer or edibles, so I take the mold concerns as a stalking horse for moral tut tutting

[Joe]

I believe it is legal in Colorado whether medical or not!  They have legalized it for all!!!  I could be wrong though.

God Bless,
lmunchkin

You are correct lmunchkin, it is legal here in Colorado. Washington legalized recreational use last year too. It's a new kind of Rocky Mountain High.

[jjneyjr]

The nephrologist I saw today is part of the transplant board. She told me it does not automatically disqualify me for a transplant but my abdominal weight would need to come down. I never lie to doctors, they know I smoke pot. That may have been instrumental in my lasting so long without dialysis.

Lets speak about MMJ. It is tightly regulated by labs before they can sell it to you. Farmer brown cannot grow moldy pot and sell it to you. It has to meet purity standards before it can be dispensed. I.E. Checked for mold etc. If you buy it from Juan who grows it out back you take your chances. If you get it from a dispensary the quality is mandatory.



Cheers,

[gothiclovemonkey]

i know a few people who live where its legal for medical use and have cards for kidney failure.
Ive heard that about the mold as well, but as jjneyjr said, they dispensories, if ran properly, have good stuff. although, i am sure its still a risk.
I really wouldnt think you would "need" it if your tx goes well, though...
since i was knocked into "inactive" status for tx, ive been thinking about doing it. I have some things going on causing a ton of pain, and they wont give me pain meds until ive seen a specialist, which wont be until the end of april... part of me thinks it could help, but since i dont live in a legal state, i probably wont. But the thought has crossed my mind a few times lately... like today.
they should at least make it legal for medical issues, really should just make it legal period IMO.
Im so moving to colorado hahaha

[Sydnee]

Just don't come up to Wyoming after having marijuana. Our state was coming up with tests and protocols before Colorado voted on it. So in addition to a "drunk test" there now is a "high test" in Wyoming

[Joe]

It's starting a whole new tourist industry here 

[jjneyjr]

Boy, if it wasn't so cold in Co.
I would move in a heartbeat. Come on Fla! 
You can actually find it on Denver's craigslist in the health and beauty section.

http://denver.craigslist.org/search/haa?zoomToPosting=&query=64&srchType=A&minAsk=&maxAsk=

It's only a 22 hour round trip for me! 

Cheers,