Medical marijuana users are wary of I-502

Marijuana, whether smoked or eaten, has a calming effect on the body, which some in the medical field say makes it an ideal pain reliever.

"It calms the body down, mentally, emotionally and physically," said Dr. Ralph Capone, a Washington-based naturopathic physician. "It works against inflammation, which promotes pain."

As far as medical marijuana patients are concerned, there's no arguing the effects the drug has on pain. But with legalization proposed in Washington, they say the effects of Initiative 502 on medical marijuana patients remain to be seen.

According to New Approach Washington, the initiative's most visible backer, I-502 would benefit medical marijuana patients in a number of ways. It does not change medical marijuana laws and patients will still be able to grow their own product, the group says. In addition, patients will receive protection from arrest because possession will no longer be a state crime for anyone 21 or older and patients will receive access to safe, secure, reliable, and quality-controlled marijuana that has been grown locally.

But some of the initiative's biggest opponents are medical marijuana patients, who oppose one aspect of the initiative - a provision that makes it illegal to drive with 5.0 nanograms per milliliter of active THC in your bloodstream, regardless of impairment. According to such opponents, this level of the active ingredient in marijuana is not backed by science, and the level of impairment varies greatly among users.

"They didn't put an exemption in the law for medical marijuana patients," said Steve Sarich, spokesman for No on I-502. "Let's say you can have a legal amount of pot, they're not going to arrest you for having it, they're going to arrest you for having smoked in the last 30 days. Active THC can stay in your blood for the last 30 days."

Capone, who practices out of Washington Alternative Medical Modalities, which operates clinics in Spokane and King County near Black Diamond, said he generally does not advise his patients to drive immediately after consuming marijuana.

"It can make you too relaxed, even uncoordinated," he said. "It has a unique effect on relaxing the body, and can make your reflexes slower. ... We always promote responsible use, and we always advise them of these things."

He generally recommends medicating at night.

Marijuana is prescribed for a diverse list of conditions, including arthritis, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, cancer and chemotherapy, nausea and multiple sclerosis. The drug's pain-reducing qualities promote the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls such processes as sexual arousal, salivation and digestion, Capone said.

"While it doesn't take away pain, the reason it's better than pain medication is it reduces a person's ability to feel pain," Capone said. "That's why it works for so many situations."

Washington is one of 17 states and the District of Columbia that allow medical marijuana and was one of the first states to pass such an initiative in 1998. Each state's laws are different, and Washington's allows for 24 ounces of usable product and 15 plants.

Cannabis, all in all, is a very nontoxic plant, Capone said, but it's not entirely risk-free. Unfiltered marijuana smoke contains a significant amount of tar, considerably more than cigarettes. However, there is no conclusive evidence that marijuana smoke is carcinogenic.

"When you smoke a little bit, it actually opens up your lungs, but if you smoke too much of it, it can restrict your lungs," he said.

For those concerned about smoking pot, there are alternative delivery methods that keep toxins out of the lungs with the same pain-relieving quality, Capone said. It can be taken orally, whether cooked into baked goods or infused with candy. It can also be vaporized, which heats the active compounds into a vapor. There are even marijuana oils that can be applied to areas of the body experiencing pain.

Marijuana is not physically addictive, but for those who rely on it for pain management, it can become habitual, Capone said.

"If you're in a very bad pain scenario and find something that reduces that pain, you need something that removes that pain as soon as possible," he said.

There's also no way to overdose on marijuana, he added.

Prescription pain medications, like hydrocodone or vicodin, "ravage" the body, Capone said, working against digestion and promoting inflammatory conditions. Marijuana, on the other hand, stimulates the digestive system, creating what's commonly known as "the munchies." For people going through chemotherapy and dealing with the nausea and vomiting that often go hand-in-hand with the treatment, marijuana can be a godsend, he said.

"I have seen so many conditions where people, it literally brings them to tears how much it changes their life," Capone said. "It's like a return to normalcy."

He mentioned one patient, a U.S. Army veteran who was in constant pain because of shrapnel lodged in his body. Ordinary pain medications partially worked, but when he started using cannabis, the difference was like night and day.

"Quality of life is really a phrase that gets lost in the smoke," Capone said. "What's a treatment if you don't have quality of life?"

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Gaboury may be contacted at kgaboury@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2275. Follow him on Twitter @KevinGaboury.