New User with Question RE: NSW Laws

[User101]

Hi Everyone,

I was searching the internet for some info and this board looks pretty cool and you lot look friendly and informed so i thought i would ask my question here.

 

I have been suffering major depression for the last 4 years, it became extremely serious 6 months ago and i was sent to a doctor who prescribed me Aropax.

At first it worked, but now i am back to my bad condition and the medication does nothing to me. I actually think i feel worse now as i am unable to get to sleep at night.

 

Recently i tried MJ for my first time, and i have to admit it was the first time i was happy and actually laughed and felt relaxed in the last 4 and a half years.

 

My question is if i go back to my doctor and tell him this to try to get medicinal MJ is it legal in Australia? I am scared to do this because of the initial response i will get from the doctor and my parents.

 

At this point i am feeling very helpless and unsure of what i can do as i have never liked the idea of taking pills, when i first started taking them i starting shaking from the fear of getting addicted to them or the side effects, which seem to be much more serious in anti-depressants than MJ which 'seem' to be fairly harmless.

 

Some assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Sorry for the vague username, i am scared of being caught and getting a criminal record, as i would lose my job.

-U1

Edited November 9, 2004 by User101

[FlowerPower]

Most doctors are well informed on the medicinal qualities of mj, and are usually pretty open minded. I dont know whether it could be used as a full time anti-depressant, as it has been known to cause depression if used in large amounts. Talk to your doc, if he cant help try another, or maybe a naturopath? Theres some good herbal alternatives out there that can be safely combined with the odd joint. :smoke

[Tom]

Keep your vague user name mate, it's the way to go around mj sites. Medicinal mj is still illegal in Oz except for maybe NSW, I would also recommend that you re-visit your doctor and see if he will prescribe a different drug for your depression as the Aropax doesn't seem to be doing the job, also talk to him about your use of mj if you plan to continue using it as your doctor needs to be aware of all medications you are using, patient confidentiality means he cannot tell anyone about it. If you do decide to keep using mj (it is good for depression IMO) then we can help you set up to grow your own.

 

[F420]

Hello and welcome to ozstoners Australia.

Im also an aussie and a medicinal user (unofficial).

SO I will try and offer you my thoughts-

 

I have been suffering major depression for the last 4 years, it became extremely serious 6 months ago and i was sent to a doctor who prescribed me Aropax.

At first it worked, but now i am back to my bad condition and the medication does nothing to me. I actually think i feel worse now as i am unable to get to sleep at night.

 

FIrst of all you need a cyber hug *hugs*, Depression is a very sad state to be in.

I know because I have battled with depression most of my life, so has family and close freinds. One of my dads best mates wives also committed suicide over depression.

 

http://gsk.co.nz/aropax/what.asp is pretty useful info about Aropax.(paroxetine. )

The biggest thing to remember is that dont take these sort of drugs SSRIs with anything that is a monoamine oxidase inhibitor antidepressants (MAOIs) until 2 weeks after you stop taking Aropax. Examples of MAOIs include phenelzine (NardilTM ) and tranylcypromine (ParnateTM ). There may be others so please check with your doctor or pharmacist.

 

If the SSRI has stopped working then talk to your Doctor, it may be that it has done its job and contiued usage may make matters worst.

 

I found taking SSRI's didnt do much for me, I was already using Amitriptyline in the form of Endep for help with my chronic pain. It worked better for me also as a antidepressant.

Also my Mrs was going through the same depression and the only thing that worked for her was something called Zoloft.(Sertraline)

 

Heres a good website about the different drugs used- http://www.depressionet.com.au/treatments/...edicns.html#tca

 

As for getting to sleep at night MJ is wonderful it really does help, What you need is a Indica like Afghani, NLPI etc for insomnia, and a good sativa which is the bud that makes you giggle and be happy.

 

Recently i tried MJ for my first time, and i have to admit it was the first time i was happy and actually laughed and felt relaxed in the last 4 and a half years.

Yes a sativa can have this effect, thats why alot of people are turning to it for depression. To get the giddy up high you need a sativa. The indicas just couchlock you and so is good to help you sleep.

 

My question is if i go back to my doctor and tell him this to try to get medicinal MJ is it legal in Australia? I am scared to do this because of the initial response i will get from the doctor and my parents.

 

It is VERY IMPORTANT to make sure your doctor knows that you are going to be smoking to try and overcome this problem.(mainly so he doesnt give you anything that could react with the MJ.

Most doctors are not against the weed and I know of a couple that smoke themselves.

BUT as far as I know there is NO official med use in Australia, they have a few tests etc happening but nothing has been finalised yet. So peolple like you and me cant get it legally.

My GP and specialist have both told me that I should continue smoking as they can see in their records that it was helping. IE no midnight trips to the hospital for morphine injections recently.

 

At this point i am feeling very helpless and unsure of what i can do as i have never liked the idea of taking pills, when i first started taking them i starting shaking from the fear of getting addicted to them or the side effects, which seem to be much more serious in anti-depressants than MJ which 'seem' to be fairly harmless.

Ok FOR ME and this doesnt mean it would be the same for everyone-

I have given most of the prescriptuion drugs away, they were doing nothing other than giving me bad side effects. eg- mood swings, aggression, insomnia, total lack of interest in anything. the doctors presciprtions caused more problems than they fixed.

Since switching to Cannabis I have made a huge improvment, as I mentioned abouve I went back to the Drs asking for fresh scripts and they wrote them out for me and then asked why I wanted to start them up again. After I explained that MJ was working and how it worked etc, they suggested not to be paranoid and just keep using weed. They said although there was no meical useage etc in my state that they would both be willing to write a letter or even stand up for me in a courtroom to state that it works and how it worked etc.

 

Sorry for the vague username, i am scared of being caught and getting a criminal record, as i would lose my job.

 

Thats ok, We understand, however dont be paranoid of Ozstoners as I have been a member here since the place first opened a few years ago. I have never been busted by posting here.

Just be aware not to post anything personal, and they cant trace anything back to you.

 

Once again Welcome to ozstoners and I hope my ranving on and on hasnt scared you away

 

:thumbsup :reallyexcited: :reallyexcited:

[User101]

Hi,

Thanks for the great replies, i will take all your comments into consideration.

 

I read in another post that doctors can write letters 'recommending' the use of MJ to help medically. The main reason for this, is if the police catch you, you can get off.

Is this true? If so, that would be great.

 

FlowerPower, you mentioned a naturopath, do they have the medical 'abilities' or 'powers' a doctor has. (able to give prescriptions etc)

 

Thanks for that Ferengi420 but i read all that in a pdf document i got off the medication company. Also what do you mean by 'sativa'?

Thanks again :reallyexcited: ,

-U1

Edited November 9, 2004 by User101

[Tom]

I read in another post that doctors can write letters 'recommending' the use of MJ to help medically. The main reason for this, is if the police bust you, you can get off.

Is this true? If so, that would be great.

Not that I am aware of in Australia, unless possibly in NSW but someone there would have to fill you in on that as their new med laws seem to be a bit of a mess.

 

[User101]

Not that I am aware of in Australia, unless possibly in NSW but someone there would have to fill you in on that as their new med laws seem to be a bit of a mess.

Wow, thats one fast reply

Hrmm, well, anyone from NSW here? Speak up

hehe.

[F420]

Thanks for that Ferengi420 but i read all that in a pdf document i got off the medication company. Also what do you mean by 'sativa'? shy.gif

 

If you read all of that somewhere please tell me where, because it took me friggin ages to write all that out.

Its just something im passionate about is all. Im sorry I bored you.

 

With Marijuana there are two common types and a third not so common.

Sativa- Is one of the types and is a uplifting high, that can make you giggle and generally feel good. Usually bush weed.

 

Indica- is a shorter fatter type that is suited to indoor growing. This is what they refer to as a couch lock. IE- it numbs you making you want to sleep.

 

[User101]

With Marijuana there are two common types and a third not so common.

Sativa

Indica

http://www.gsk.com.au/gskinternet/publishi.../Content/Aropax

Towards the bottom there is a pdf with lots of info.

 

Sativa and Indica, ok

Whats the third not so common one?

Now that you say that i know what you mean, i have tried mj twice and once i just sat there looking around not moving (Indica) and the other time i laughed at everything, watched tv and literally continually laughed :: (sativa)

I definetely prefer sativa.

 

Thanks for the reply,

Anyone who knows about NSW laws and the recommendation letter would be great.

-U1

[FlowerPower]

FlowerPower, you mentioned a naturopath, do they have the medical 'abilities' or 'powers' a doctor has. (able to give prescriptions etc)

I'm not sure mate, I think their main purpose is to provide natural alternatives, for medication. A friend of mine who was on pretty high-dosage meds found he was having odd reactions when smoking pot, He went to a naturopath and never looked back.

[F420]

oops sorry the third is ruderellis, and is not usually grown to be smoked. although some strains have it in them to speed up the process because the Ruderellis auto flowers.

 

Law in NSw-

 

New South Wales

Offences

In New South Wales possession or use of up to 200 grams of cannabis leaf is a criminal offence, with a maximum penalty of $2,000 fine and/or two years imprisonment. In 1993, 78 per cent of these cannabis offences were dealt with through a fine (often a small one of $200), and 90 per cent of those found guilty had a conviction recorded against them.

Cautioning and diversion

Following a recommendation of the Drug Summit which was held in May 1999 the cannabis cautioning scheme (CCS) began statewide in April 2000 for a trial period of 12 months. The CCS

covered offences of use and possession of dried cannabis leaf stalks, seeds, heads, and equipment for administration. It does not include living plants or derived products such as hash and hash oil.

Police guidelines apply to cautioning adults detected using or in possession of not more than 15 grams of dried cannabis and/or in possession of equipment for administration. When detected, police are encouraged to exercise their discretion to issue the person with a caution, providing the cautioning criteria are met. Offenders are issued with a caution notice along with legal and health information and a number to call for confidential treatment and referral.

Police still retain their discretion to charge an offender or issue a caution. A caution cannot be issued if there are prior convictions under the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 or a violent or sexual assault offence. No person can be issued with more than two cautions. The offender must admit to the offence and must only possess the cannabis for personal use (15 grams or less).

This scheme does not have any legislative basis, but is dealt with by the New South Wales Police Service policy and procedures on the ‘Cannabis Cautioning Scheme’.

 

 

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