Ecstasy as Medicine?

[BS-87 30]

When I read this article in my online browsing, I was forced to make a spin-off of the thread concerning Ecstasy being unacceptable on all counts.

 

http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/12/17/drug-%E2%80%98ecstasy%E2%80%99-may-help-individuals-with-schizophrenia-autism/21876.html

 

This appears to be a legitimate thing to consider before denouncing drugs altogether.

 

If morphine and vicodin can be used (and abused) for pain.

 

If marijuana can be used in treatment of depression, anxiety, glaucoma, anorexia, and chemo-relief.

 

If we consider all things that could be useful but also abused, why couldn't we use ecstasy in the treatment of schizophrenia and autism?

 

 

[GernBlansten 10]

Abuse should not nullify the benefits.

[BS-87 30]

I heard it once (probably in a middle school health class) that ecstasy is like taking gray matter the size of ice cream scoops out of your brain...

 

I agree with you though. If these preliminary studies are right, would ecstasy be good as a controlled medicine for kids with autism or people suffering from severely flattened affect as a negative symptom of a schizophreniform disorder?

[Basementdweller 608]

Why not weed is now medicine and can be purchased in stores.

 

I don't support drug abuse, But why not legalize it, tax it, put in rehab programs financed by the tax on users. That would help with some of the illicit activity surrounding this stuff.

[vol_scouter 365]

The article brings up concerns that it does not create true empathy. Nonetheless, there is suggestion that it may provide some benefit for some individuals with particular diagnoses. For it to gain that indication will require years of testing. It will need to go through Grade I, Grade II, and Grade III FDA clinical trials (the last of which is a prospective trial to prove efficacy). If the drug shows enough promise, then it will eventually be studied.

 

Marinol has indications cachexia (anorexia) and nausea associated with malignancy and anti-neoplastic medications.

 

Smoking marijuana has not undergone clinical trials for any purpose and is not recognized as a pharmaceutical. BS-87, I am glad that it appears to have helped you but that is far from a scientific study. Therefore, smoking marijuana has no medical role. For it to ever have a clinical role, the risk benefit ratio for lung malignancies, COPD, et cetera will have to be determined as well as the efficacy for treating the particular disease state.

 

It is important to consider many possible medicinal agents for use to help us to relieve the suffering of mankind. They must be efficacious and be shown to possess more benefits than risks. Drugs for hyperactivity disorders are amphetamines which have serious addictive properties and were readily accepted by the medical profession despite the prior history of the drugs being abused.

 

Due to the problems associated with smoking marijuana, I doubt that it will ever be an FDA approved medications.

 

All medications that can be abused must be tightly controlled to prevent illicit use.

[BS-87 30]

I guess what this spin-off thread is showing is that there's such a powerful stigma around MJ now that everyone is starting to think they're an expert.

 

When we come across something that's rarely talked about, there just aren't very strong opinions...

 

Kind of makes you wonder if any of us truly actually understand anything we talk about in the Issues and Politics Board...

[Beavah 205]

Nah, BS-87, I think it's because there are active efforts to legalize MJ, but not X. Some of us in states with medical MJ laws have watched as "clinics" spring up like mushrooms around college campuses and high schools.

 

Vol_scouter as a physician is an expert. Da rest of us are just ordinary citizens, with different views and perspectives. Some of us have experience in related areas like law enforcement or public policy or youth addiction treatment or whatnot. But for da most part we're just citizens, eh? Hopefully as scouters we're informed citizens, but not always. I reckon that's one of da reasons we come here to discuss and argue, so that we can see different perspectives and be told when we're wrong!

 

Beavah

 

[Basementdweller 608]

Weed has entered into a period of acceptance, lets face it I have parents that are current users whose parents were users during the early 70's and I am afraid that some of my current scouts will make that choice.

 

I am sure esctacy will be that way someday, but not right now. I am sure a drug company could pick it up and research what it can do......but I doubt there will ever be ecstacy dispensaries like the medical mary jane dispensary we currently see popping up. It would probably need a prescription.

[vol_scouter 365]

The level of abuse does not bestow upon a drug a medicinal role. If alcohol were to be considered by the FDA, it would never be approved. Smoking marijuana is never likely to approved by the FDA. If the people wish for marijuana to be a legalized drug such as alcohol and cigarettes, that is the prerogative of the people in our democratic republic. If memory serves me correctly, this past election California voters rejected such a change for smoking marijuana. Until that occurs, marijuana is ILLEGAL and its use should not be supported in any manner in front of scouts. Scouters who do so should be counseled and if they refuse to change, they should be removed. for encouraging minors to break the law. No matter what our personal views on marijuana are, it is wrong to in anyway condone its use to minors. In my state, it is a crime to do so. As scouters who have the responsibility to care for young people, we must support upholding the law even if we do not agree.

[broken 10]

Ecstasy started out as medicine, used in therapy. I believe its clinical "name" was MDMA

[vol_scouter 365]

broken,

 

MDMA, according to Wikipedia, was synthesized in an effort to find coagulants for bleeding diatheses. There were several attempts to find as use since it is in the amphetamine group of drugs. It was never an FDA approved pharmaceutical and has never had a legal use if Wikipedia is correct. At this time, there is no medical indication for the drug which is a dangerous and addictive.