Do medical marijuana patients self-prescribe pot in place of the pharmacy drugs that doctors tell them they should take?

If you're to believe a new California report, yes.

In fact 66 percent of medical marijuana patients surveyed said they replaced their doctor-prescribed meds with good old weed. (Good choice, people. Forget what that well-trained physician says). We wouldn't blame you if you had your doubts about the data:

It comes from a Bay Area marijuana dispensary called Berkeley Patients Group. And the report, which gets the shop's endorsement on its Facebook page, reads like a press release but isn't billed as one.

According to the story 350 customers were surveyed and about two-thirds said “they use marijuana as a prescription drug substitute.” More:

Their reasons: Cannabis offered better symptom control with fewer side effects than did prescription drugs.

Hmm. Good marketing. But science?

More than 70 percent of the patients said they treated “psychiatric disorders” by toking up. Because everyone knows weed makes you more sane (in the membrane).

Amanda Reiman of the Berkeley “center” is quoted as saying:

Instead of having a pain medication, an antianxiety medication, and a sleep medication, they are able to just use cannabis, and that controls all of those symptoms.

Funny caveat: The piece notes that “Dr. Reiman said she has no conflicts” insofar as the research is concerned. Really? You mean being employed by a pot shop and basically saying the weed it sells is better than taking those pesky prescriptions your doctor gave you doesn't present a conflict?

Huh. Thanks for the unbiased advice, doc.

[@dennisjromero/djromero@laweekly.com]

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