Quebec Doctor Marcia Gillman Speaks up against Quebec College of Medicine

ispice

Well-Known Member
This is such a great open letter. I've been trying to share it far and wide.

I believe the mtl gazette version is shortened slightly.

Bedrocan Canada has the whole version on their site:
http://bedrocan.ca/open-letter-from-dr-marcia-gillman/
Open Letter from Dr. Marcia Gillman
The Collège des Médecins du Quebec (CMQ), with its statements issued April 1 regarding medical marijuana (cannabis), insists on disseminating tired old stereotypes and deliberate misinformation which only serves to deter physicians from prescribing to patients who could benefit, as well as stigmatizing medical cannabis users. The CMQ statements fail to provide any basis of truth or reason, nor do they contribute in any meaningful way to the ongoing debate around medical cannabis.

As a palliative care physician specializing in the symptom management of patients living with (and eventually dying from) incurable cancers, I have been prescribing medical cannabis with very good results. In some instances, it has allowed my patients to reduce their need for opioids, thus reducing the potentially serious side effects of narcotic medications. In addition to managing pain, medical marijuana has helped to alleviate other troubling symptoms in my patient population, such as anxiety, insomnia, nausea, and lack of appetite, with the end result often being a reduction in the use of other medications (with their attendant side effects).

Let me examine some of the statements made by Dr. Yves Robert, secretary of the CMQ, in defending its position:

1. “Medical marijuana is not a recognized treatment.” Perhaps not “officially” recognized, but to state that there is no evidence of medical therapeutic benefit is to ignore thousands of published studies over the last few decades (not to mention tens of thousands of compelling anecdotal cases), which have collected a respectable and impressive amount of data attesting to the very promising therapeutic uses as well as highlighting the high safety profile and exceedingly low toxicity of cannabis.

2. “There are no clear indications for medical cannabis.” Wrong. The medical literature (and patient experience) supports an array of indications for a variety of ailments. Spasticity in multiple sclerosis, control of seizures in epilepsy, control of tremor in Parkinson’s disease, pain management in both malignant and chronic non-malignant diseases, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, appetite stimulation, management of chronic anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder – to name just a few. The list goes on.

3. “Medical cannabis causes addiction.” This is both misleading and overstated. As suggested by an Institute of Medicine report back in 1999, approximately 9% of general cannabis users may become dependent (as defined by DSM criteria). Compare this to dependency (addiction) risks of 32% for tobacco, 23% for heroin, 17% for cocaine and 15% for alcohol. It strikes me as hypocritical to deny patients easy access to cannabis while tobacco and alcohol are freely available, unquestionably harmful, pose a much greater addiction risk and are of zero medical benefit. The simple truth is that the vast majority of patients can give up their cannabis with no ill effects, other than the return of symptoms for which they were originally taking the drug. Also of note is the fact that medical users are not looking to get high. They would prefer to alleviate their symptoms with a minimum of drug psychoactivity.

4. “The side effects of smoking (marijuana) are still present, just like nicotine and cigarettes.” Once again, the CMQ has not done its homework. Patients need not smoke their cannabis. Other delivery systems are available, such as vaporizing, or ingesting the cannabis extracts in the form of oils, tinctures or edibles.

5. “There are no real scientific data showing safety.” With respect to safety concerns, it’s well supported in the scientific and medical literature that with very few exceptions, cannabis is highly safe and remarkably low in toxicity – much safer, in fact, than aspirin or anti-inflammatories. Apart from those with a history of schizophrenia or unstable heart disease, cannabis can be safely prescribed to the general adult population. There has never been a reported case of death resulting from a lethal overdose of marijuana. I can categorically state that cannabis is without doubt safer and decidedly less toxic than most, if not all, of the medications that I regularly prescribe to my very sick patient population. And yet, the CMQ would have us restrict cannabis prescriptions to a very small, select and specific subset of patients and only as a very last resort (if at all), assuming all else has failed, and even then, with a great deal of caution given the supposedly inherent “dangers” of this plant.

I would very much like to know how the CMQ arrived at its guidelines. Did they bother to consult the many thousands of Canadian patients whose lives have been improved by the use of medical cannabis? Did they bother to avail themselves of the current scientific literature? Did they bother to consult the large data bank of excellent research studies now available? Or did they simply and arbitrarily base their decision on some outdated “Reefer Madness” propaganda?

I am deeply saddened and frustrated on behalf of Quebec patients (as well as Quebec doctors) that the CMQ insists on putting up barriers to a safe, effective and relatively inexpensive medical therapy, despite Canadian court rulings and Health Canada guidelines intended to provide Canadians with easier access to medical cannabis.

In the midst of all the buzz (excuse the pun) surrounding the new “Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations” as issued by Health Canada, the CMQ’s stance comes across as deliberately ill-informed and backward-thinking.

Quebec patients deserve better.



Dr. Marcia Gillman
Palliative Care Specialist
April 2, 2014
Montreal, Quebec

An abbreviated version of this letter was posted in the Montreal Gazette on April 4, 2014
 

cannadan

Well-Known Member
Hi Green Medicine....thank you for an interesting read.
usually it takes one to get the ball rolling.
 

Green Medical

Active Member
Hi Green Medicine....thank you for an interesting read.
usually it takes one to get the ball rolling.
Thanks, the same sort of problem is happening in Alberta. We have to care about our brothers and sisters across the country and not leave any of them behind.
 

cannadan

Well-Known Member
from the list I was given originally....for Ontario.
there were huge gaps in service....depending on where you live....and depending on what type of ailments you have.
and In small town central Ontario.....forget it...especially ever since Dr. Kammermans was persuaded to stop enrolling people.
I'm Not sure ,now, what its like....but My experience is barely over 1 year old....so kinda current...and really kinda pathetic...when you consider
what year it is .... and the current state of support for medical mj in the public's awareness...
Its like the Doctors are basically sticking their fingers in their ears....when a patient speaks.....and then start goin,,,Blah Blah Blah Na na Na...
 

symptum

Well-Known Member
Yes, it's really bad in Alberta. I was at my neurologist today and we had a very lengthy discussion about how the college is tying his hands even though he would love to be able to sign his patients up. He understands that a natural way of treating yourself is much better than pumping your body full of chemicals. Then he asked me to give him as much info as I have or can find about how Marijuana can benefit people with my condition. It was a great visit to say the least.
 

cannadan

Well-Known Member
It can be kind of enlightening,when these kind of visits with your doctor occur .
congrats on having a decent doctor....even if she/he can't sign....you at least know.....what the doctor has on his/her mind.
Its a starting point...
 

beebell91

Member
Yes, it's really bad in Alberta. I was at my neurologist today and we had a very lengthy discussion about how the college is tying his hands even though he would love to be able to sign his patients up. He understands that a natural way of treating yourself is much better than pumping your body full of chemicals. Then he asked me to give him as much info as I have or can find about how Marijuana can benefit people with my condition. It was a great visit to say the least.
cool ! too bad he couldnt help you, but nice to see he is receptive to cannabis. my dr also seem interested but was in the same position. he did want to keep all the documents with info on medicinal cannabis i provided and some links to websites to check out on his own. wasnt much help to me but maybe it will open his mind for future patients
 
  • Like
Reactions: rnr

rnr

Well-Known Member
my doc is young and don't have a clue, you have to teach them, print out studies or info on your issues and how mmj helps or has relieved the -pain.
all L.P should do free seminars with local area docs or Skype with information for them. if they learn or see the positive effects, they will advise others and itll spread then they will voice the rights to the institutions. this will work with time
 

Jackal69

Well-Known Member
and ppl still believe the world was created in 6 days, some ppl are worse than walls and don't budge but hey does hurt to try but don't expect everyone to change their minds because of "internet" provided paperwork no matter how accurate it is. Remember the cigarette companies and how they twisted the truth, so anyone can twist anything to make their case.
it's just a reality of the days we live
 

cannadan

Well-Known Member
and ppl still believe the world was created in 6 days, some ppl are worse than walls and don't budge but hey does hurt to try but don't expect everyone to change their minds because of "internet" provided paperwork no matter how accurate it is. Remember the cigarette companies and how they twisted the truth, so anyone can twist anything to make their case.
it's just a reality of the days we live
So True.....Jackal69 absolutely so true.....sometimes it makes my eyes widen like your avitar...lol
 

WHATFG

Well-Known Member
I don't understand why the CMA can dictate to doctors. I thought they were more of a regulatory body rather than governing. Does that make sense? It seems like the provincial versions are just duplicity. I thought docs mantra was do no harm...has this changed?
 

Jackal69

Well-Known Member
yeah but kick backs for prescribing death pills is better for the economy.... isn't it.....I mean they care about patients too ... don't they....... oh the humanity of it all..... sorry but pharmaceutical company's control doctors, kinda like big oil and all those greed run companies..... every so often you hear about a drug that could save a persons life but because it's a 1 in a trillion disease it costs 300,000.00 a year for these pills. you would think the trillions and trillions of bucks these fucks make the would make the pills cheaper for those poor souls but how would that look to the board of directors and the stock market points. I swear greed will be humanities the down fall and the only way will can progress as a society is to remove monetary value off of everything and just work and do things because it's the right thing to do.
I might be a dreamer but I can look at myself in the mirror and like what I see.
 

leaffan

Well-Known Member
Nice thread. So good to see that letter posted.
Jackal, with all due respect...there is a real false impression in Canada that doctors get a kick back from pharmaceutical companies when they prescribe their drugs to patients. This is not true.
Pharmaceutical companies do influence what doctors prescribe and the medical industry generally in a variety of ways, but kickbacks to doctors is not one of them.
Pharmaceutical companies do fund studies and clinical trials. They do hold lectures and informational seminars. They do sponsor a variety of events. They do provide samples to doctors. They do lobby the government.
 

Jackal69

Well-Known Member
Pharmaceutical companies do fund studies and clinical trials. They do hold lectures and informational seminars. They do sponsor a variety of events. They do provide samples to doctors. They do lobby the government.

just another term for kick backs when you can get mega money out of say a "research" project
yeah I may have blanket statement it but even free pills to doctors isn't right they should do their own research into what the studies are and not receive samples to hand out to their patients, it's not candy
 
Top