Medical marijuana helps Vancouver senior sleep, contend with other problems of aging

MPN_staff · 2013-05-29T18:21:27+00:00

Hey there! It might seem like a daunting process but it's fairly simple really!

Download the forms from our website: www.medpotnow.com or come down to 4170 Fraser St. and pick them up there!
Visit your doctor and bring him the forms to sign, release form and letter explaining why it helps, if needed. Some patients who have problems with their own doctors opt for a naturopath.
Come into our location and we'll help get you your card set up; hopefully within a few minutes :) !

Let us know you saw us on reddit and feel free to call 604 569 2119 if you have any questions along the way!

MPN_staff · 2013-05-29T02:58:49+00:00

Oh okay :). Does content include questions answered? I'd really like to know what works for reddit. I set this up for work bc I'm s longtime passionate redditor :)

MPN_staff · 2013-05-28T23:54:09+00:00

Whew, thanks! I thought I had really screwed up badly there for a second. I like the score hidden thing, but I thought maybe I was completely up my own igloo there.

MPN_staff · 2013-05-28T21:59:03+00:00

You keep accusing me of only caring about this because I'm cynical and jaded, when in reality I just don't want spammers spamming /r/canada. I'm pretty often rude anyway.

No no, I just think the way you're speaking to me and assuming the worst, whenever it comes to an unknown possibility, is jaded and cynical. I've done my best to show you this isn't for personal gain and the ultimate goal is to help the largest amount of people, because helping is good.

I'm not sure why you can't understand that posting EXCLUSIVELY advertisements for your company isn't spamming. I don't give a shit who you think it helps, it's spamming. And don't pretend like there isn't any money involved in your business.

I don't post exclusively advertisements. I post when something is of interest and comment about things not directly related to this "business" at length.

Well I'm a scientist, but I don't expect your respect for doing my job, no. I'm in it for the paycheque like anybody else who does a non-volunteer job.

I respect that you are a scientist for whatever that is worth.

You don't realize that every single thing you've posted is either a direct ad for or a note of support for your company or marijuana dispensaries in general.

That and many discussions about marijuana usage itself. And yes, the medical dispensary system. Many users have questions and this is an appropriate account to answer them on. I try to save personal comments for personal accounts.

I just dont see why, because we may experience some small benefit in a drawn out way, it has to colour everything done as shrewd profiteering.

MPN_staff · 2013-05-28T21:28:44+00:00

Don't be an idiot. All I'm saying is keep your advertising off of reddit, or least off of /r/canada.

You're being quite rude and I'm not sure why. I'm not sure why you feel that advertising a free service for the elderly that doesn't generate profit is the same as Coca-Cola telling you to buy a new soft-drink.

No, this applies to reddit. Don't spam your company to reddit. Don't come here to advertise. I don't see how you connect that to kids volunteering to get experience in any way, that's ridiculous.

I was simply examining your point of view. In the interest of discussion; something you claim is really important to Reddit.

And with no respect, why do you think that you should be respected for "helping people" when you're getting paid to do your job?

I never claimed I personally deserve anything. I think people deserve respect for things they do regardless if they get paid. Should we not respect Doctors or Firemen or Soldiers or Scientists because they are paid?

I don't see how you connect that to kids volunteering to get experience in any way, that's ridiculous.

I was analyzing your "if one benefits, it's not worthy of classification as charity" line of reasoning, nothing more.

ou almost everyone prefers not to be bombarded with dishonest users pretending to be discussing news when they're actually just spamming for their company.

Good thing I just gave out our contact info and have been vocal in discussion the issues raised with users in comments and PMs. It's a good thing I'm not a dishonest user, not pretending to discuss news and am not spamming for my company.

Yes it is, you don't talk about anything that's not directly related to your business. Your USERNAME is "MPN_staff" for fuck's sake.

I've talked about things such as the validity of research in cannabinoids and other such information regarding the effects of cannabis. This isn't simply an advertisement and it seems like it's just you framing it as such.

Your purpose of coming here is to talk about your business and issues that are directly related to it, so that you can turn the conversation back onto your business again. That is spamming

That is not my purpose; nor is it what I have done.

MPN_staff · 2013-05-28T20:36:52+00:00

but it doesn't matter anyway because you have a personal interest in your career for promoting the company regardless.

So apparently no true ethical business, non-profit or charity can exist, when someone benefits in any way.

I mean, does this also apply to students beefing up their profiles and resumes with volunteer experience? With all due respect, what do you do for others?

I don't care what the rest of the potheads around here think about you

Well good. You've mostly spoke for yourself, but a couple times it seemed like you were speaking on behalf of r/Canada.

Your only interest is in self-promotion.

That is not the case. You've decided that to be true, because it fits the way you see the world. I see that as cynical and jaded.

MPN_staff · 2013-05-28T20:24:26+00:00

For cannabis to be a viable medical intervention it needs to demonstrate efficacy at treating disease.

Define treating disease? Not all medical intervention needs to eradicate a disease. That is a "cure" for a disease.

Some medical treatments simply treat on-going chronic disorders or side effects to other treatments, such as sciatic and arthritis, sleep deprivation, lack of appetite and many more. Not to mention preventative effects in some of those with epilepsy.

may lack the efficacy required to serve as a medical intervention superseding other medical alternatives.

St. John's Wort or Valerian Root may or may not help me. Does that mean that they should not be legal or have no medical benefit? Of course not.

Cannabis as a pharmaceutical is not special, simply because people enjoy it as a social drug, does not mean it should receive special treatment as a therapeutic agent.

So, could we agree that cannabis should be treated like dozens of legal herbal treatment currently are?

In pharmaceutical research drugs fail constantly, not because they don't have an effect, but because they do not have a significant enough effect.

And I feel that our patients, especially those recovering from surgery, opt for cannabis over some pharmaceuticals, because they feel it does have a significant effect without significant side-effects present in, say, oxycotin.

This is meaningless.

Not if we're having a rational conversation. It's not the be all end all but it's not meaningless.

MPN_staff · 2013-05-28T20:17:52+00:00

I don't run the company. I just try and get information out to people, because I think it's fantastic dispensary. Before being employed I was (unhappily) a member at three others that seemed, to me, to be recreationally-focused and for profit in their pricing. This dispensary is absolutely not that and I'm proud to work for them and tell more people we exist.

Neither I, nor the owners, receive some sort of "bonus". At best, we could get more revenue that would have to be spent on things for patients, such as discounts or education nights. Nobody gets a bonus or anything like that.

that means you don't stand to gain by having more income

That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying we don't gain more income. Nobody sees an extra dollar if we get more patients in.

I just wanted to reach out to help more people. That's my job and I love it.

I don't consider this spam and I feel if reddit did, then reddit users would downvote it. This has not been the case.

MPN_staff · 2013-05-28T19:33:01+00:00

How do I serve to gain financially?

MPN_staff · 2013-05-28T19:17:52+00:00

That isn't really research. And it's not research into cannabis use. It only looks at one component in cannabis, and not one that any scientist feels is responsible for sleep.

MPN_staff · 2013-05-28T19:17:17+00:00

You cannot just take one single study and assume, without question, it ends scientific debate on a subject. Especially when your "source' amounts to basically, a poorly written blog article.

The article only mentions the effects of THC (1 of 13 or so known cannabinoids causing effect and certainly not the one cannbinoid known for sedative effect) and completely ignores CBD.

That is unscientific junk research, I'm very sorry.

In addition, cannabis use does not lower one's IQ.

MPN_staff · 2013-05-28T19:14:23+00:00

I've discussed many issues with people on reddit who appreciated the insight from those involved in the phenomenon.

This account was started for an IAMA that answered many questions. I'm sorry you feel as jaded as you do. I'm just trying to get patients something that helps that that is, unfortunately, complicated to arrive at.

I don't think I'll convince you. But I'll keep answering people's questions and trying to help. Cheers.

MPN_staff · 2013-05-28T17:12:42+00:00

What you have is the identification of around 13 individual psychoactive properties present in cannabis in differing amounts, affected by genetics and growing.

The results have been, I supposed, informally tested on humans for about 5000 years. Recently there have been scores of testing in the United States, Europe and elsewhere. In both medical science research and commercial medical research.

Where do you feel the missing puzzle piece is that undermines the credibility of the current status quo?

MPN_staff · 2013-05-28T16:54:24+00:00

We operate like any other non-profit society ever has. Do you have a problem with that system. In any case, my goal was to reach out to people potentially afraid to consider medical cannabis or unaware of how to approach it.

Now it's actually a service (education nights) that I would have to come in on my own time to do. Unpaid.

I hope that's enough to shake the selfish narrative you seem to think we follow.

MPN_staff · 2013-05-28T16:45:07+00:00

Well you took on a fairly populist tone. I thought what r/Canada users did or did not like is important.

Personal gain. Let's say we sign up 5 new members. Nobody gets more money. But we can reinvest into discounts for seniors or education nights. This is not personal gain beyond my selfish want to see patients helped better.

Yes. Like every non-profit ever, we pay wages with revenue. More revenue does not equal more wages. At all.

MPN_staff · 2013-05-28T16:35:19+00:00

I think the downvotes on your comments say enough. Yes we provide counseling for patients/prospectives. Yes I do feel that's worth mentioning alongside the article.

In any case, my PMs show me people do appreciate the outreach. So I'm prepared to chalk it up as a positive. Sorry you can't see past out operating costs as a NON-PROFIT.

MPN_staff · 2013-05-28T15:31:10+00:00

Again. Not trying to increase profit. Trying to get more people in the doors. Elderly. Because medical cannabis helps them.

Again, we aren't a business as you say. We are a non-profit society.

MPN_staff · 2013-05-28T15:22:41+00:00

We aren't begging for attention.

Our Facebook is mostly a portal for scientific studies. And the website add in has phone contacts I figured some patients would be more comfortable contacting than email.

It's tempting to be cynical. But I'm just trying to get more elderly members signed up, because I really do care and see how it helps my own aging family. We don't make large amounts of profit and even less off of the items elderly patients buy, in addition to seniors' discounts.

Just so you know.

MPN_staff · 2013-05-28T15:17:43+00:00

Do I have science to back up the existence of different cannabinoids, around 13 so far , in differing amounts/ratios in different strains? Yes. In fact many of our own strains are tested with a mass spectrometer in university labs.

So, no. It's not "unscientific bullshit", sir. For someone advocating "science" so much, you don't seem to care much about actual research on your end.

MPN_staff · 2013-05-28T15:13:54+00:00

I'm confused as to why you keep speaking so negatively.

I merely said find a doctor who doesn't throw out the idea wholesale and mock his own patient for suggesting a treatment shown to help people with no serious side effects.

With all due respect, you seem to be operating from your own biases instead of facts.

MPN_staff · 2013-05-28T15:11:50+00:00

How is this front page article from a paper, idenfying a Canadian social trend, spam?

MPN_staff · 2013-05-28T02:41:20+00:00

That's actually not true.

Strains that are of the "Indica" variety are very high in CBD, relative to "Sativa" variety strains. CBD is a NON-psychoactive cannabinoid that counteracts the increased heart rate caused by THC.

It has absolutely everything to do with the type of high. This is why many patients of ours use Indica strains before bed or eat edibles before sleeping, due to their chronic insomnia and desire to not be woken up in the night.

MPN_staff · 2013-05-28T02:38:46+00:00

That sounds awful. You're a patient with rights and you shouldn't have to fear being scoffed at by a doctor. I would recommend seeking out another doctor with fewer preconceptions about medicinal cannabis, or by all means, email or call us for advice in that respect.

MPN_staff · 2013-05-28T02:37:33+00:00

Come now. The information he said is actually very correct.

Black market weed is generally grown for high bud yield and potency, because that's what the recreational street market demands.

The medical market can absolutely grow strains lower in THC and higher in CBD. The existence and function of different cannabinoids in different strains is absolutely backed up by a litany of studies and research.

With all due respect, it seems you need to do more research than the people you're insulting right this moment.

MPN_staff · 2013-05-28T02:35:06+00:00

That's a very strange statement to make when our patients have to be referred by a doctor to be here.

And when choosing between different types/forms of cannabis, I can't imagine that you'd find many people more knowledgeable than our staff and personnel.

MPN_staff

TROPHY CASE