Guest guest Posted December 18, 2002 Report Share Posted December 18, 2002 I was involved in a conversation the other night where one person suggested that he controlled his attention deficit disorder with marijuana. Another person said that didn't make any sense to her since marijuana appeared to make most people's thoughts more chaotic, not more coherent. The gentleman making this claim suggested perhaps there was a ritalin analogy. Ritalin is an amphetamine that causes hyperactivity and nervousness in those with normal brain function, but allows greater focus and concentration for those with ADHD or so the theory goes. Perhaps marijuana's stimulating effect actually enhanced concentration in those few (less than 5% of the population with true ADHD) with abnormal brain function. I thought that was interesting. We know the vast vast majority of people will report decreased learning ability when using marijuana, but perhaps you may know one or more people who seem to thrive on it despite being involved in serious intellectual endeavors. It would make sense that marijuana would be therapeutically appropriate for at least some people. It is quite lauded in the shen nong ben cao. So then the issue would be determining from a TCM perspective who might get benefit from marijuana. I suppose the first question that needs to be answered is what does ritalin do in TCM terms? some random thoughts. We know it is stimulant pharmacologically (as compared to chai hu for example, which is sedative pharmacologically). Yet it calms hyperactivity. does that make it cooling. perhaps it breaks through phlegm obstruction that is clouding the mind. that would explain how it calms. by clearing phlegm, the heat due to stagnation could disperse and calm, clear thinking could ensue. the stimulant effect is evidenced in the ability to break through obstruction. Chinese Herbs " Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre minds " -- Albert Einstein Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 18, 2002 Report Share Posted December 18, 2002 I was involved in a conversation the other night where one person suggested that he controlled his attention deficit disorder with marijuana. Another person said that didn't make any sense to her since marijuana appeared to make most people's thoughts more chaotic, not more coherent. The gentleman making this claim suggested perhaps there was a ritalin analogy. Ritalin is an amphetamine that causes hyperactivity and nervousness in those with normal brain function, but allows greater focus and concentration for those with ADHD or so the theory goes. >>>The majority of ADHD kids and adults do very badly with marijuana while most do well with stimulants Alon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 18, 2002 Report Share Posted December 18, 2002 , " ALON MARCUS " < alonmarcus@w...> wrote: > >>>The majority of ADHD kids and adults do very badly with marijuana while most do well with stimulants > Alon and this was determined by controlled study or anecdote? I presented an anecdote on one side, which is not disproved by anecdote on the other side. since most ADHD is misdiagnosed, I wonder where such data arises. I suspect that some people with ADHD may benefit from marijuana; the question still remains who? According to the man making this claim, dose is crucial. Small amounts for concentration, while large amounts cause loss of focus. Social or recreational smoking does not work for this effect. I bet if any valid comparison was made, it was between those who smoked heavily and those who took ritalin (apples and oranges). Could this be another dose dependent effect? marijuana was also used for depression by eclectics in low doses. though it causes this with habitual use. Opiates relieve pain without causing euphoria in those with chronic pain. for those who may need cannabis, we cannot correctly extrapolate the experience of healthy recreational users. Given some of the claims for cannabis in MS, it seems marijuana may have a role in neurological disorders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 18, 2002 Report Share Posted December 18, 2002 and this was determined by controlled study or anecdote? >>>Just the literature in general obviously not controlled studies as these are not legal or possible.You can read Dr Wender's texts and studies he discusses marijuana and ADD. He is considered the world authority on adult ADD Alon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.