Big Pharma Not Happy: 80% Of Cannabis Users Give Up Prescription Drugs

WHATFG

Well-Known Member
From 420 Magazine...

Big Pharma must be getting seriously worried by the results of a recent survey conducted by the Centre for Addictions Research of BC

The pharmaceutical (along with the alcohol) industry is a powerful influences in Washington and has long been lobbying against cannabis legalization in order to protect their profits.

Natural Blaze reports:

However, the tide has turned as decriminalization of medical and recreational cannabis sweeps the nation and the continent. With legalization, more and more people are discovering how this plant can provide a safe alternative to the dangerous effects of prescription pills.

The survey of 473 adult therapeutic cannabis users found that 87% of respondents gave up prescription medications, alcohol, or other drugs in favor of cannabis. Adults under 40 were likely to give up all three of these for medical cannabis.

The most startling revelation, and one that will have Big Pharma running to their crony lawmakers, is that 80% of respondents reported substituting cannabis for prescription drugs.

In addition, 52% said they substituted cannabis for alcohol and 32% said they substituted it for illicit substances. These results indicate a very promising trend of people moving away from dangerously addictive and deadly substances in favor of a miracle plant that has never caused an overdose death.

The finding that cannabis was substituted for all three classes of substances suggests that the medical use of cannabis may play a harm reduction role in the context of use of these substances, and may have implications for abstinence-based substance use treatment approaches. Further research should seek to differentiate between biomedical substitution for prescription pharmaceuticals and psychoactive drug substitution, and to elucidate the mechanisms behind both.

As The Free Thought Project has reported before, the U.S. is in the midst of a painkiller epidemic, with overdose deaths skyrocketing as Big Pharma has secured its grip on government and mainstream medicine. Opioid painkillers and heroin have driven overdose deaths to the point where they are now the leading cause of fatal injuries in the U.S. Alcohol is also killing Americans at a rate not seen in 35 years.

The results of this survey confirm that cannabis is the answer to all of these problems.

Americans for Safe Access has a comprehensive breakdown of conditions that cannabis can treat, and comparisons to prescription pills.

Chronic Pain
Arthritis
Gastrointestinal Disorders
Movement Disorders
Multiple Sclerosis

We are just beginning to confirm the benefits of cannabis on other conditions such as anxiety which is normally treated with pills such as Xanax, insomnia which is normally treated with pills such as Ambien, and antidepressants which are treated with pills such as Zoloft. All of these prescription drugs can cause debilitating addiction or severe side-effects.

Although the war on drugs put a stop to medical cannabis research for decades, in recent years we have seen a surge in studies being performed, as prohibition crumbles and the Schedule 1 classification of “no medical benefit” is exposed as a farce.

 

qwizoking

Well-Known Member
Big Pharma must be gettingseriously worried by the results of a recent survey conducted by the Centre for AddictionsResearch of BC

on the contrary, but this is an opinion piece
 

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
Big Pharma must be gettingseriously worried by the results of a recent survey conducted by the Centre for AddictionsResearch of BC

on the contrary, but this is an opinion piece
I respect the knowledge you have. You have to admit though that pharm companies act shameful. Rushing drugs out that harm and kill people. Taking cheap out of patent drugs and slightly changing them to charge a premium with a new patent. Pushing addictive drugs that should be reserved for worst case scenarios.
 

GroErr

Well-Known Member
This is great news, finally some people are doing and finding out that pharma drug users have a much better, non-addictive, natural alternative to the poison they've been feeding them for years. Both my family doctor and oncologist are on board with supporting medicinal MJ after seeing how it helped me maintain quality of life with no real side effects through my fight with cancer. I'm their only 55 year old patient who uses MJ as my only medicine and takes NO PHARMA pills at all. I'm also their healthiest 55 year old patient, my family doctor tells me I'm healthier than most of his 40 year old patients. Weird, regular exercise, good eating habits, no pharma drugs, who would have ever thought that was a recipe for good health ;)
 

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
This is great news, finally some people are doing and finding out that pharma drug users have a much better, non-addictive, natural alternative to the poison they've been feeding them for years. Both my family doctor and oncologist are on board with supporting medicinal MJ after seeing how it helped me maintain quality of life with no real side effects through my fight with cancer. I'm their only 55 year old patient who uses MJ as my only medicine and takes NO PHARMA pills at all. I'm also their healthiest 55 year old patient, my family doctor tells me I'm healthier than most of his 40 year old patients. Weird, regular exercise, good eating habits, no pharma drugs, who would have ever thought that was a recipe for good health ;)
I'm taking the same prescription and my friends tell me I regularly pass for ten years younger.
 

GroErr

Well-Known Member
I'm taking the same prescription and my friends tell me I regularly pass for ten years younger.
Everyone I know in my age group is on something. I think the biggest problem is doctors and their relationship to pharma, read an article last week where pharma companies are paying for doctor's courses/education. In any other industry you'd be fired for taking that sort of bribe, yet they defend the practice. Talk about conflict of interest, it's no wonder doctors hand out prescriptions for harmful (but legal) drugs like candy.
 

qwizoking

Well-Known Member
sure, some of these things happen. but thats largely skewed
this is what yiu hear about from people opposing "big pharma".. usually from some sort of conspiracy mindset in heavy cannabis users or people with holistic backgrounds
from my experience its largely untrue. and am/have worked on many drugs including upcoming cannabis preparations, i know the biz. most medications may take a decade or more before touching a patient. sometimes before even reaching safety trials. pharmacology and how this business works is imo too complex for the avg person to comment on
slightly changing a drug has drastic effects. compare morphine to hydromorphone codeine
or
better yet
look at dextromethophan, an antitussive in otc cough medicine and dissociative
metabolized to dextrorphan an nmda antagonist causing the psychadelia.
the left hand molecule, essentially the same structure...
is levomethorphan is an opioid and analgesic, metabolized to levorphanol ~6 times more potent than morphine

slight changes have huge affect in the binding affinity.




also
pharma companies actually do have morals lol


for example... heres a post of mine on this subject...

Merck, the maker of Vioxx, publicly announced its voluntary withdrawal of Vioxx from the global market onSeptember 30, 2004. In 2005, advisory panels in both the US and Canadaencouraged the return of Vioxx to the market, stating that Vioxx's benefits outweighed the risks for somepatients. The FDA advisory panel voted 17-15 to allow the drug to return to the market despite being found to increase heart risk. The vote inCanada was 12-1, and the Canadian panel noted that the cardiovascular risks from Vioxx seemed to be no worse than those from ibuprofen.

Notwithstanding these recommendations, Merck has not returned Vioxx to the market

Vioxx was the primary suspect in 4,540 deaths, in the 6 years it was on the market

In comparison, the amphetamines, including adderall and ritalin, also with prominent cardiovascular effect accounted for less than 200 deaths in a longer time frame.

tylenol, acetaminophen, kills about 75% less people, widely distributed and
actually used to prevent drug abuse


Last edited: Jul 1, 2015
 

qwizoking

Well-Known Member
Both my family doctor and oncologist are on board with supporting medicinal MJ after seeing how it helped me maintain quality of life with no real side effects t
this ^ was my original point






of course
again for example
in general we only fill the generic we carry unless the prescription says its medically necessary or we get a patient request, as the pharmacy gets more money and the contract allots a specific amount to sell.....
there is money exchanging hands, we have to make money.. no different than wally world stocking certain brands.
but .... ah nvm.. i dont feel like going this long road of politics and business in pharm companies


but pharm companies scouting is certainly not a bad thing.
 
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GroErr

Well-Known Member
The whole industry is a sham as far as I'm concerned. Reviewing some of the decisions from health Canada in releasing/approving certain pharma meds, imo, HC is in their pockets too. All you have to do is go through the approval process to know there's big money involved, no person in their right mind would allow some of the crap they approve to market. The only consistent criteria HC has with classification and approval of pharma meds is enforcing they follow process and pay the fees, likely with very large tips on the side.
 

qwizoking

Well-Known Member
people always like to point out the long list of side effects in pharmaceuticals..
you realize cannabis has a list many times longer than most. especially in new patients with low tolerance, and its very hard to use.
there are also lots of drugs hard to achieve a fatal overdose without medical problems assisting.

i have no further comments on the subject
 
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whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
sure, some of these things happen. but thats largely skewed
this is what yiu hear about from people opposing "big pharma".. usually from some sort of conspiracy mindset in heavy cannabis users or people with holistic backgrounds
from my experience its largely untrue. and am/have worked on many drugs including upcoming cannabis preparations, i know the biz. most medications may take a decade or more before touching a patient. sometimes before even reaching safety trials. pharmacology and how this business works is imo too complex for the avg person to comment on
slightly changing a drug has drastic effects. compare morphine to hydromorphone codeine
or
better yet
look at dextromethophan, an antitussive in otc cough medicine and dissociative
metabolized to dextrorphan an nmda antagonist causing the psychadelia.
the left hand molecule, essentially the same structure...
is levomethorphan is an opioid and analgesic, metabolized to levorphanol ~6 times more potent than morphine

slight changes have huge affect in the binding affinity.




also
pharma companies actually do have morals lol


for example... heres a post of mine on this subject...

Merck, the maker of Vioxx, publicly announced its voluntary withdrawal of Vioxx from the global market onSeptember 30, 2004. In 2005, advisory panels in both the US and Canadaencouraged the return of Vioxx to the market, stating that Vioxx's benefits outweighed the risks for somepatients. The FDA advisory panel voted 17-15 to allow the drug to return to the market despite being found to increase heart risk. The vote inCanada was 12-1, and the Canadian panel noted that the cardiovascular risks from Vioxx seemed to be no worse than those from ibuprofen.

Notwithstanding these recommendations, Merck has not returned Vioxx to the market

Vioxx was the primary suspect in 4,540 deaths, in the 6 years it was on the market

In comparison, the amphetamines, including adderall and ritalin, also with prominent cardiovascular effect accounted for less than 200 deaths in a longer time frame.

tylenol, acetaminophen, kills about 75% less people, widely distributed and
actually used to prevent drug abuse


Last edited: Jul 1, 2015
This is not coming from conspiracy. I've told the story before. In 08 I lost everything. I spent the next couple of years working in home care for mentally handicapped and developmentally disabled. I was required and trained in med administration. I had to know every medicine and their side effects. I also did a lot of medical runs for over time. I've spent plenty of time in ERS and Dr offices. I've seen what goes on.


The fact is most people would be better off without pharma.

You know as well as I do most disease stems from unhealthy living habits.

I've got people in my family and friends that were raised with mountain and Indian medicine. It works. Our own history books tell us that.

I am a firm believer that a diet of fresh raw produce and no processed foods is the best way to go. I also believe there is a plant to cure every ailement.

I also believe if it had not been for the last 80-100 years of prohibition cannabis would be the leader in medicine. We have an endocannabinoid system for a reason.
 
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D528

Well-Known Member
no shit . lol. I been off thier crap since 02. "never again ' ! Me and my family wont even touch their antibiotics either. Im healing multipul systems atrophy from acute toxic phenol poisening . There was no way for them to treat and chase symptoms. I was all side effects already .lol. I had 3 g.i. drs leaching every mineral from my bones when all i had to do is change my diet. What flakes. I fixed my own cronic hepC too .Allopathic medicen can fuck off. Go find another victom ! I rather my grandchildren look up at me than down ta my death bed. sorry drs. thier going to have to wait. useless fucks ! stick to surgery and mending broken bones. Keep tyour claws off my family ! all youdrs dop is cry crocadile tears ! I did whta you fucks couldnt do without a highschool educaTYION .LOL. aLL drs offer me is pain and suffering and wanting to kill myself daily. fuck that , im not pavlovs Dog any longer..........................
 
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qwizoking

Well-Known Member
im certainly not saying a healthy lifestyle isnt beneficial

and yes i am i suppose heavily biased

imo

its the people largely pushing drugs. everyone thinks they are depressed etc cant cope with a minor ache... atleast here in America


im also not saying plants cant be used to treat, white willow creating salicilic acid for example creating aspirin
but we must produce this on a large scale and limit other compounds, i love opium but the thebaine often can be detrimental so we just use morphine in these cases



overall i completely agree with that.
i for one would like many plants and compounds to become legal


one thing people oft fail to realize is we dont claim to even know a fraction of whats going on in the brain particularly.the endocannabinoid system is relatively new. we dont know how many drugs work. and dont know how MOST work completely



i am glad we could atleast have a discussion about this without typical shit slinging. but there is some "ignored" content in this thread so i may be wrong
 
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