Should a Vietnam veteran be denied pain pills after testing positive for marijuana?

Hey there RP Members, since Kim Bolen RN CCM ACM can't respond to all your great comments she wanted to share some information with you and I'm just passing it along for you're benefit and additional comments/feedback:

From Kim:

Okay here you go

It is a Plant that needs to be removed from the schedule completely, but it must be done by Executive Order.
It was placed on the schedule in the roaring 20's for prohibition sake, because of the public outcry which was racially motivated at that time in our history.

Who better than this POTUS to reverse that discrimination?
Alcohol and tobacco are now legal, it is only marijuana that remains on that list today. Both alcohol and tobacco kill more individuals daily, than on any given day as opposed to marijuana.

We also have several Commander's in Chief, that have used this plant, for either their recreational use or their medicinal use.

Give this economic engine to the people to improve our own economy and health.

It has been proven to help with PTSD, seizure disorders in children and adults, cancer patients to prevent nausea and vomiting after toxic chemotherapy. etc.

But we do not want this in Big Pharma's hands.

There has not been one single marijuana overdose recorded throughout time.
(unless it is man made synthetic by big pharma)

But use Big Pharma's poly-medicines and they all interact with something and each other.

Does anyone ever ask if cardiac medications interact with proton pump inhibitors or antibiotics?

Not until they are in the ER or dead.

Just sayin,
LTC Stephen F. TSgt Hunter Logan CW4 (Join to see) CW3 (Join to see) SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SGT Ben Keen Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS COL Ted Mc CSM Michael J. Uhlig SGT (Join to see) SGT (Join to see) CPT (Join to see) CW3 Kevin Storm CMSgt Mark SchubertLTC John Shaw CPT (Join to see) TSgt (Join to see) MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca SGM Steve Wettstein

Two glaring sentences: "They (Veterans) have to sign an ‘opiate consent’ form which outlines the negative effect of mixing pain killers and marijuana is now required." Followed by: "Under the new VA guidelines, vets can get their prescriptions filled, or use marijuana, but can’t do both."

Is this rule in place to 1.) Prevent a catastrophic prescription cocktail; and/or 2.) to prevent/curb illegal drug abuse. Maybe both. My supposition is that the doctors and pharmacists are acting in the best interest of BOTH the VA and the veterans.

There are a couple of concerns here and I'll throw my two cents in as a RN.

The first is the legal aspect... Even if a state legalized MJ for medical purposes the Federal Government didn't. Its still a Federal crime and the VA is a Federal institution goverened by Federal laws.

Next, if it were for "medical use" who regulates it? Does the prescribing MD say "smoke x amounts of joints a day for pain"? Is there a monthly allotment that is checked? The answer is no. They smoke as much as they feel like with no follow up from the prescriber. This man doesn't even have that much as it is illegal in his state.

Lastly if the VA were to keep prescribing they would be liable if something happened knowing that he was mixing drugs and refused to quit.

I would wonder if the medication management of his pain was truely effective why would he need the MJ?

Hell no. After going thru that (Vietnam), and living that long ( 70 or older) you should be able to do just about anything you want to stop pain: alcohol, marijuana, over the counter, under the counter, Rx, whatever. Let an old veteran live out his days in peace and painless.

Two years ago I would have said he should be denied. But, I live in Colorado and it's now sold over the counter and is legal...so no. Now, what did I do with those Doritos? :-).

IMO, one doesn't have anything to do with the other. Whether MJ is truly medicinal or just a placebo, so what? If we have a legal basis for it in a few states, not my concern. If the pain pills are for a valid service connected disability, dispense them!

Complex issue.

We're talking about mixing pharmaceuticals with unknown effects.

Should a pharmacist issue a script for a drug if he "knows" it will cause an issue with another medication? Of course not. What about if he just doesn't know? Doesn't that border on negligence?

The patient can't fully absolve his doctor and pharmacist of liability for all these "treatments" when it gets this complex.

So in this case, I don't think there is a "good" or even a "most right" answer. Just diverging opinions.

Edit: Corrected two words.

Right, wrong or purple ... "The Law Is The Law"!

I believe this is the very reason the VA makes you sign a pain management contract. I know that I feel like a criminal trying to get my meds refilled. Every freaking month I have to bleed and pee to get the very things I need to have the quality of life that I have. But why don't civilians have to bleed and pee for what they need from the government? Even after serving we continue to be treated worse than those who would rather curse the military.

No, he should not be denied his medication. This is a complex topic but I think marijuana should be legalized at the federal level (like Colorado did at the state level). I was a cop (AZ State Trooper) for 21 years. We lost the so called "War on Drugs" a long time ago. I've seen too many cops die and families be devastated because of the war on drugs, not to mention the hundreds of billions we have wasted. I have pretty strong feelings on this topic (the War on Drugs) but I’ll stay on topic. Legalize marijuana, tax it and be done with it. If a person needs it for medical purposes, prescribe it to them. The thought that there is no medical benefit to using marijuana for certain illnesses is ridiculous.