Being a sufferer of chronic pain since 2003 when involved in a motor vehicle accident, I've consistently been on opiates done that time. The Australian Government has, the past few years, been making much ado about opiate addiction, and has been pushing doctors to reduce the dose patients are on.
I ran into this program very tangibly when I moved from Brisbane, Queensland (Australia) to Ballarat, Victoria a couple of years ago. I left behind as very supportive pain specialist who had stood by me and helped me try a number of alternative approaches to pain management. Sometimes we won and I was able to reduce my dose, sometimes we lost and my dose has to go back up.
When I hit Ballarat, I found a very reserved GP staring at me, wondering if I was drug shopping. He said (from memory) "the government is really cracking down, and I can get in big trouble for prescribing opiates". It's interesting that GPs are now worried that Big Brother is watching. This guy wasn't dodgy. He's a straight up GP. But he's worried to the extent that he won't help me transition my care effectively to Victoria. I had a really tough three months or so until I earned his trust, but even then he's still been very reserved and concerned about his safety as much as my health. I've switched GP to someone I met socially, and he's much more if a people person but, and I say but, he's still very much aware of the government's line on opiates.
I've had a number of people tell me about cannibus as pain relief, and a couple of people suggest something else again. Many of the cannibus advocates are using it because they can't get prescription drugs to manage their pain. A number of them seem to have transitioned to cannibus the past few years; the same timeframe as the government's campaign against opiates.
I've seen articles on the TV and Internet about alternative pain relief. Many talk of legalised cannibus/marijuana. It seems cannibus oil is all the go. People tell me it's available on the Black Market. "Why not use it", "Give it a try" they say.
I have wondered what the shift from legal opiates to possibly illegal drugs will do to our society. Certainly the government will not have to subsidize the opiates as much. But who will make money? Where are the drugs likely to come from?
Then I saw this video just now, and knowing what I do, it kind of makes sense to me. If this is true for the USA, what does it mean for Australia? Watch with an open mind and judge for yourself.
