Letters
As a physician, I have dedicated my career to helping people live healthier lives. Many factors contribute to health – diet, exercise, heredity, stress levels, environment and more.
Throughout my decades of practice, people have sought quick, easy remedies to feel better. While modern medicine offers some amazing cures, we still haven’t found the perfect cure for everything.
With the legalization of recreational marijuana going into effect this month, I see people turning to cannabis as a miracle cure for everything and this concerns me.
While there are legitimate uses for cannabis, it is not a cure-all.
Cannabis can help reduce pain and nausea, and it’s proven especially effective for some patients undergoing chemotherapy or receiving palliative treatment for terminal illnesses.
However, marijuana is not the wonder drug some people would have you believe.
There is a sense that because cannabis is a plant, because it is natural and not derived in a lab, that it must be healthy. Not so! Nature creates some potent toxins, and man has modified these plants to make their effects even stronger.
Unlike alcohol, which does not contain any chemicals produced by our brains, cannabis contains THC, a chemical that mirrors a naturally occurring substance in the brain. This allows THC to alter brain activity profoundly.
This effect on the brain is what leads to a decrease in productivity and ambition. Used sparingly as a distraction by adults, cannabis does not appear to do long-term damage. Used regularly by adolescents or pregnant women, the effects can be disastrous and irreversible.
Unfortunately, recent studies have shown that the use of marijuana among pregnant women is increasing. In California, among pregnant women 24 years of age and younger, the rate of marijuana usage is about 14 percent. Among pregnant women of all ages, marijuana usage is about 7 percent.
My concern is that legalizing marijuana makes people believe it is safe when it isn’t. I have other concerns about the effects of marijuana on our community – the increased violence and crime, the pollution of our forests and streams, and the hard feelings between neighbors. But my biggest concern is for the welfare of our children, including the unborn.
If you choose to use marijuana, please protect your children from the negative effects of this drug. The brain only develops once. If that development is impeded by cannabis, there is no fixing it.
Dale Morrison retired from Ukiah Valley Medical Center (now called Adventist Health Ukiah Valley) in Ukiah, Calif., where he served as a cardiologist and chief of staff.
Throughout my decades of practice, people have sought quick, easy remedies to feel better. While modern medicine offers some amazing cures, we still haven’t found the perfect cure for everything.
With the legalization of recreational marijuana going into effect this month, I see people turning to cannabis as a miracle cure for everything and this concerns me.
While there are legitimate uses for cannabis, it is not a cure-all.
Cannabis can help reduce pain and nausea, and it’s proven especially effective for some patients undergoing chemotherapy or receiving palliative treatment for terminal illnesses.
However, marijuana is not the wonder drug some people would have you believe.
There is a sense that because cannabis is a plant, because it is natural and not derived in a lab, that it must be healthy. Not so! Nature creates some potent toxins, and man has modified these plants to make their effects even stronger.
Unlike alcohol, which does not contain any chemicals produced by our brains, cannabis contains THC, a chemical that mirrors a naturally occurring substance in the brain. This allows THC to alter brain activity profoundly.
This effect on the brain is what leads to a decrease in productivity and ambition. Used sparingly as a distraction by adults, cannabis does not appear to do long-term damage. Used regularly by adolescents or pregnant women, the effects can be disastrous and irreversible.
Unfortunately, recent studies have shown that the use of marijuana among pregnant women is increasing. In California, among pregnant women 24 years of age and younger, the rate of marijuana usage is about 14 percent. Among pregnant women of all ages, marijuana usage is about 7 percent.
My concern is that legalizing marijuana makes people believe it is safe when it isn’t. I have other concerns about the effects of marijuana on our community – the increased violence and crime, the pollution of our forests and streams, and the hard feelings between neighbors. But my biggest concern is for the welfare of our children, including the unborn.
If you choose to use marijuana, please protect your children from the negative effects of this drug. The brain only develops once. If that development is impeded by cannabis, there is no fixing it.
Dale Morrison retired from Ukiah Valley Medical Center (now called Adventist Health Ukiah Valley) in Ukiah, Calif., where he served as a cardiologist and chief of staff.
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- Written by: Dr. Dale Morrison
Thank you for printing the information on the avian cholera and the die-off of the ducks on our lake. My husband and I were just two of many volunteers that picked up the dead waterfowl/gulls/crows in the past. We know how quickly this disease spreads and how important it is that we continue to pick the the birds from the shoreline "daily" and dispose of them properly.
I was disappointed to read that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife people were now just "monitoring" the situation. Does that mean just one person walks all the shorelines and looks for the dead birds? Do they not know that this disease doesn't disappear in just a few weeks? We have thousands of waterfowl on our lake right now.
When I read your article on the die-off, I sent an email to Dr. Susan Cannon (Wasson Memorial Vet.) who runs the Wildlife Rescue Center for our county. We offered to assist in picking up the dead waterfowl for as long as she needed us.
To my amazement, Dr. Cannon replied she was not aware of any duck die-off and had not seen it in the news. I sent her the link to your article and she said she was surprised that Fish and Wildlife hadn't contacted her or anyone in her vet's office.
My biggest worry is that people might unknowingly pick up the infected ducks or birds and bring them into veterinary offices where the avian cholera could be spread by curious people in the waiting room that want to see the bird. If Dr. Cannon wasn't advised, did other vets know about the outbreak?
I should think California Dept. of Fish and Game would care enough to do everything possible to get the word out to everyone and to continue to quickly pick up all of the dead ducks/birds.
There were many volunteers that put in lots of hours to assist in the past. All they had to do was ask. Shame on them.
Vicki Miller lives in Kelseyville, Calif.
I was disappointed to read that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife people were now just "monitoring" the situation. Does that mean just one person walks all the shorelines and looks for the dead birds? Do they not know that this disease doesn't disappear in just a few weeks? We have thousands of waterfowl on our lake right now.
When I read your article on the die-off, I sent an email to Dr. Susan Cannon (Wasson Memorial Vet.) who runs the Wildlife Rescue Center for our county. We offered to assist in picking up the dead waterfowl for as long as she needed us.
To my amazement, Dr. Cannon replied she was not aware of any duck die-off and had not seen it in the news. I sent her the link to your article and she said she was surprised that Fish and Wildlife hadn't contacted her or anyone in her vet's office.
My biggest worry is that people might unknowingly pick up the infected ducks or birds and bring them into veterinary offices where the avian cholera could be spread by curious people in the waiting room that want to see the bird. If Dr. Cannon wasn't advised, did other vets know about the outbreak?
I should think California Dept. of Fish and Game would care enough to do everything possible to get the word out to everyone and to continue to quickly pick up all of the dead ducks/birds.
There were many volunteers that put in lots of hours to assist in the past. All they had to do was ask. Shame on them.
Vicki Miller lives in Kelseyville, Calif.
- Details
- Written by: Vicki Miller
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