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I am new to this form and I would like to hear some of your guys opinions. I am currently a college student in California and I am planning on becoming a PA. My whole life I have had ADD and Anxiety I was diagnosed at a very young age and have tried so many different medicines without much effect. The only medications that really work come with many undesirable side effects. Such as adderall which I have been taking my whole life and benzodiazepines which I almost refuse to take. The adderall does work really great for my ADD but it comes with many awful side effects that I absolutely hate! I have tried just about every ADD medicine and it really is the only one that works. Beznos also work for me and I have had them perscribed at small amounts for breakthrough anxiety at times but I haven't and wouldn't ever take them regularly because I do not want to rely on an addictive pill to feel normal and get stuck having to take it every day. I have tried just about every single anxiety medicine even including SSRIs (I am not depressed at all, doctors thought that it would help with my anxiety) and the only ones that actually work for me are benzos but I don't like how they make me feel at all. They make me feel intoxicated, very tired, unmotivated, and dull my emotions. There is no way I could take something that makes me feel like that. Also, last year I suffered my 4th concussion from hockey and it ended my hockey career. I was supposed to go play college hockey on a scholarship so I was very bummed about this. Ever since then I have been dealing with post concussion syndrome. I have tried just about every thing even including some holistic medicine. The last option I have for this is taking narcotics pain killers and I do not like taking opoids at all. They are extremely addictive and dangerous and just make you pretty intoxicated even in the therapeutic doses. So I was prescribed percocet for these headaches but I wouldn't accept an everyday prescription so I took it as needed. The medicinal effects were good at relieving my headaches but when I take it, I cannot function as good as I should be able to. I have talked to many different doctors and psychiatrists and almost all of them told me to try medical cannabis. So I decided to try it and it benefits me greatly. It strongly helps my ADD, allowing to take over as my main ADD medication with adderall rarely ever used as needed. I take my medicine before school and it allows me to really focus on my work and not get distracted and be productive. It does not make me lazy in any way at all and actually allows me to be more productive while feeling like myself and not being intoxicated like most of these other medicines. It helps my anxiety greatly, not quite as good as benzos but its very close without all of the unwanted side effects. It also works great for my headaches. It works just as good or even better then the narcotics I was prescribed. I am very glad that I have tried this and it has really benefited my life in such a positive way. I no longer have to take adderall all the time with absolutely terrible side effects, I no longer have to take benzos that just lower my ambition and make me lazy, and I no longer have to take any more narcotics which just make me feel totally out of it. The whole reason I take this is because it benefits me very much and allows me to be normal and doesn't make me feel intoxicated. That is the whole entire reason why I use it. I don't like taking medications that alter your personality. A lot of people claim that it makes people intoxicated and then cannot work on it and I don't totally understand this. I feel like it is totally fair if a company wants to fire you for not being 100% on point and that should go for every medication. Handling patients is a huge responsibility and you have to be 100% on point for sure! Many medications take away your ability of being on point and some you can barely even function on but I don't hear very many people talking about those medications while working. Maybe its government propaganda? When I consume cannabis it doesn't take away any of my abilities to work hard, think straight, and be productive. If anything it improves it. So my question is can PAs use medical cannabis in California? Let me know some of your guys opinions on this.

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I am happy for you that medical cannabis helps you out tremendously.

 

Your post, however, reads as someone who is looking to justify being a medical practitioner and prescribing for themselves, which is a huge ethical no-no if you're not already aware....plus, it's something state boards love to take away licenses for.

 

My advice would be not to share very intimate medical details on a professional message board which may come back to be used against you in a career field you're looking to join.

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I am new to this form and I would like to hear some of your guys opinions. I am currently a college student in California and I am planning on becoming a PA. My whole life I have had ADD and Anxiety I was diagnosed at a very young age and have tried so many different medicines without much effect. The only medications that really work come with many undesirable side effects. Such as adderall which I have been taking my whole life and benzodiazepines which I almost refuse to take. The adderall does work really great for my ADD but it comes with many awful side effects that I absolutely hate! I have tried just about every ADD medicine and it really is the only one that works. Beznos also work for me and I have had them perscribed at small amounts for breakthrough anxiety at times but I haven't and wouldn't ever take them regularly because I do not want to rely on an addictive pill to feel normal and get stuck having to take it every day. I have tried just about every single anxiety medicine even including SSRIs (I am not depressed at all, doctors thought that it would help with my anxiety) and the only ones that actually work for me are benzos but I don't like how they make me feel at all. They make me feel intoxicated, very tired, unmotivated, and dull my emotions. There is no way I could take something that makes me feel like that. Also, last year I suffered my 4th concussion from hockey and it ended my hockey career. I was supposed to go play college hockey on a scholarship so I was very bummed about this. Ever since then I have been dealing with post concussion syndrome. I have tried just about every thing even including some holistic medicine. The last option I have for this is taking narcotics pain killers and I do not like taking opoids at all. They are extremely addictive and dangerous and just make you pretty intoxicated even in the therapeutic doses. So I was prescribed percocet for these headaches but I wouldn't accept an everyday prescription so I took it as needed. The medicinal effects were good at relieving my headaches but when I take it, I cannot function as good as I should be able to. I have talked to many different doctors and psychiatrists and almost all of them told me to try medical cannabis. So I decided to try it and it benefits me greatly. It strongly helps my ADD, allowing to take over as my main ADD medication with adderall rarely ever used as needed. I take my medicine before school and it allows me to really focus on my work and not get distracted and be productive. It does not make me lazy in any way at all and actually allows me to be more productive while feeling like myself and not being intoxicated like most of these other medicines. It helps my anxiety greatly, not quite as good as benzos but its very close without all of the unwanted side effects. It also works great for my headaches. It works just as good or even better then the narcotics I was prescribed. I am very glad that I have tried this and it has really benefited my life in such a positive way. I no longer have to take adderall all the time with absolutely terrible side effects, I no longer have to take benzos that just lower my ambition and make me lazy, and I no longer have to take any more narcotics which just make me feel totally out of it. The whole reason I take this is because it benefits me very much and allows me to be normal and doesn't make me feel intoxicated. That is the whole entire reason why I use it. I don't like taking medications that alter your personality. A lot of people claim that it makes people intoxicated and then cannot work on it and I don't totally understand this. I feel like it is totally fair if a company wants to fire you for not being 100% on point and that should go for every medication. Handling patients is a huge responsibility and you have to be 100% on point for sure! Many medications take away your ability of being on point and some you can barely even function on but I don't hear very many people talking about those medications while working. Maybe its government propaganda? When I consume cannabis it doesn't take away any of my abilities to work hard, think straight, and be productive. If anything it improves it. So my question is can PAs use medical cannabis in California? Let me know some of your guys opinions on this.

 

Hello and thank you for sharing your story, I know that took a lot energy and thought to put together and I commend you for your candidacy and honesty. I'm also glad that you've found a natural medication that works for you, especially in place of substances which can have much higher potential for dependency issues as well as damage to the body with long term use. Public attitude towards marijuana is changing such as can be seen with full legalization now in WA and CO, with AK putting it on their upcoming ballot. That's all fine and dandy but my main concern is there being a pervasive forgetfulness regarding the medicinal properties of the cannabis herb. Sure, we all recommend it to people who have loss of appetite from cancer but now they are finding huge results as remedy for other pathologies.

 

http://www.physicianassistantforum.com/forums/showthread.php/38773-medical-marijuana-for-Dravet-s-syndrome?highlight=marijuana

 

http://www.physicianassistantforum.com/forums/showthread.php/39849-Marijuana-users-have-better-blood-sugar-control?highlight=marijuana

 

http://www.physicianassistantforum.com/forums/showthread.php/38310-Family-uses-pot-to-mange-kid-s-autism?highlight=marijuana

 

A good friend of mine is a MD/ND, he would understand and is one of the Docs who will justifiably write a recommendation for medical marijuana based on symptoms. Many Doctors who are up to date and free from dogma will do the same. However, your average Doc or PA Program Faculty may not be as understanding. Most important to remember is that a PA or other provider has their DEA from just that ... the DEA. The DEA still classifies the plant as Schedule I and until that changes, my advice to you would be thus. Remember that you could be tested at any time ... in your healthcare experience leading up to PA school application, during your PA Clinical Rotations (I was tested on only one, Ob/Gyn) and in employment after that. And that's the final point, the 'after that' ... you would have to find an employer that understands or that simply does not test. I for a while worked in a region where marijuana was widely accepted and so I assume that's the reason why they state on their application that they do not do drug testing lol. That being said, it's going to be up to you to find a position that works for you, if and when you graduate, but until then it will be in your interests to abstain and make it through without once you reach the point where it could potentially start becoming an issue.

 

Best of luck and welcome.

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I am new to this form and I would like to hear some of your guys opinions. I am currently a college student in California and I am planning on becoming a PA. My whole life I have had ADD and Anxiety I was diagnosed at a very young age and have tried so many different medicines without much effect. The only medications that really work come with many undesirable side effects. Such as adderall which I have been taking my whole life and benzodiazepines which I almost refuse to take. The adderall does work really great for my ADD but it comes with many awful side effects that I absolutely hate! I have tried just about every ADD medicine and it really is the only one that works. Beznos also work for me and I have had them perscribed at small amounts for breakthrough anxiety at times but I haven't and wouldn't ever take them regularly because I do not want to rely on an addictive pill to feel normal and get stuck having to take it every day. I have tried just about every single anxiety medicine even including SSRIs (I am not depressed at all, doctors thought that it would help with my anxiety) and the only ones that actually work for me are benzos but I don't like how they make me feel at all. They make me feel intoxicated, very tired, unmotivated, and dull my emotions. There is no way I could take something that makes me feel like that. Also, last year I suffered my 4th concussion from hockey and it ended my hockey career. I was supposed to go play college hockey on a scholarship so I was very bummed about this. Ever since then I have been dealing with post concussion syndrome. I have tried just about every thing even including some holistic medicine. The last option I have for this is taking narcotics pain killers and I do not like taking opoids at all. They are extremely addictive and dangerous and just make you pretty intoxicated even in the therapeutic doses. So I was prescribed percocet for these headaches but I wouldn't accept an everyday prescription so I took it as needed. The medicinal effects were good at relieving my headaches but when I take it, I cannot function as good as I should be able to. I have talked to many different doctors and psychiatrists and almost all of them told me to try medical cannabis. So I decided to try it and it benefits me greatly. It strongly helps my ADD, allowing to take over as my main ADD medication with adderall rarely ever used as needed. I take my medicine before school and it allows me to really focus on my work and not get distracted and be productive. It does not make me lazy in any way at all and actually allows me to be more productive while feeling like myself and not being intoxicated like most of these other medicines. It helps my anxiety greatly, not quite as good as benzos but its very close without all of the unwanted side effects. It also works great for my headaches. It works just as good or even better then the narcotics I was prescribed. I am very glad that I have tried this and it has really benefited my life in such a positive way. I no longer have to take adderall all the time with absolutely terrible side effects, I no longer have to take benzos that just lower my ambition and make me lazy, and I no longer have to take any more narcotics which just make me feel totally out of it. The whole reason I take this is because it benefits me very much and allows me to be normal and doesn't make me feel intoxicated. That is the whole entire reason why I use it. I don't like taking medications that alter your personality. A lot of people claim that it makes people intoxicated and then cannot work on it and I don't totally understand this. I feel like it is totally fair if a company wants to fire you for not being 100% on point and that should go for every medication. Handling patients is a huge responsibility and you have to be 100% on point for sure! Many medications take away your ability of being on point and some you can barely even function on but I don't hear very many people talking about those medications while working. Maybe its government propaganda? When I consume cannabis it doesn't take away any of my abilities to work hard, think straight, and be productive. If anything it improves it. So my question is can PAs use medical cannabis in California? Let me know some of your guys opinions on this.

 

 

why do I feel like I just read an advertisement for medical marijuana?

 

asking medical device and a public forum such as this really is frowned upon.......

 

I would suggest you review the rules of the forum

 

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  • 7 months later...

This is a rather old thread but I would like to add two comments. First, after a long diatribe about how the op benefits from cannibis, his question was: Can a PA use medical marijuana in California? This isn't a medical question, it's a legal question and asking for legal advice on this forum is as dangerous as asking for medical advice. Talk to an attorney or the state board. Second, there are a lot of other issues to consider here such as the ethical obligations to patients and employers. Not sure how I feel about that but what if your sp is a surgeon who tells you he just needs a stiff drink before surgery to steady his nerves so he can perform optimally. I wouldn't be ok with that. At what point is your condition so debilitating that you have no business being a medical provider? If you openly discuss these issues, you may never even get into PA school or may not be allowed to do rotations or may not get a job offer. If you hide your condition and treatment that, in my opinion, is an ethical lapse which may lead to more legal issues so....Talk to an attorney.

 

Sent from my Kindle Fire HDX using Tapatalk 2

 

 

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