Dr. Earleywine Argues For The Use Of Medical Marijuana
Thursday, March 5th, 2009 at 4:35 pm | By: MrSpof
There’s a new video from CBS’s Health department with our own Dr. Mitch Earlywine in a point/counterpoint debate with Dr. Herbert Kleber. The show is refereed by Dr. Jon LaPook. The video is funny to me as medical professionals are generally much more polite than politicians or news folks when arguing with each other. It’s still pretty easy to see they both don’t particularly care for each other’s views.
Two doctors enter, one doctor leaves. Thunderdome!
via – CBS News “Opinion: Medical Marijuana Benefits – Mitch Earleywine Argues For The Use Of Medical Marijuana”
Topics: CBS, CBS Health, Dr. Herbert Kleber, Dr. Jon LaPook, Dr. Mitch Earleywine
I hate to criticize someone who’s on the side of the angels, but I really think that Dr. Earlywine’s presentation-style needs work.
Frankly, he seems too enthusiastic about cannabis. He used words like “great” to describe marijuana’s effects and said “I’d love” to see it prescribed from behind the counter. I guess the worst part was his tone; it sounded exuberant. Now, on any normal subject, that would be fine. But the reality is that we have to undo years’ worth of Cheech, Chong, and Kumar stereotypes. Having a suit-and-tie-wearing MD on TV is a great start. But now he has to use a tone of voice that takes himself extremely seriously just as his opponent did. It’s unfortunate, but that’s what we expect from doctors in American culture. Even though Earlywine had facts and logic on his side, Kleber sounded like he did. I’m afraid it’s Kleber who emerged victorious from the Thunderdome.
Dr. Herbert Kleber – From 1968 to 1989, he founded and headed the Drug Dependence Unit at Yale University. He then served for 2 ½ years as the Deputy Director for Demand Reduction at the Office of National Drug Control Policy in the White House.
Pretty lame for a guy named ‘Herb’
Sorry for this being a little off-topic but: Why is it whenever the news shows someone smoking either a blunt or a joint, it’s always the sorriest example of a blunt/joint (e.g. limp, loose, poorly rolled, no crutch, etc.)? I rarely see people smoke such ugly blunts and joints, I thought people take pride in their rolling skills.
Anyway, Dr. Earleywine came off as the more sensible person in the discussion, while Kebler played a grumpy old man persona. I half expected him to yell, “get off my lawn!”
Animal studies to determine gateway status?!
How exactly does THAT work?
I can’t envision any animal able to manufacture a drug and get hooked on it all by themselves.
*sigh*
Maybe if they find Bigfoot with signs of meth use, they might have something, but…..
side note
I feel for the poor critters that had to be in such a horrible study to begin with.
Everyone should send an email to the email address at the end