Mary Lynn Mathre RN – Founder Patients Out of Time

Mary Lynn Mathre RN – Founder Patients Out of Time

Transcription: My name is Marilynn Mathre; I’m a registered nurse, masters prepared.

I am the co-founder and president of Patients Out of Time. A non-profit organization basically dedicated to educating health care professionals and the public about the therapeutic use of cannabis.

I’m a registered nurse; I’ve been a nurse for over 30 years. In terms of medical cannabis, originally while working in a hospital in Washington state.

We had a patient who was in clinical trials for marinol dronabinal, back in the early 80’s and as he was coming to the hospital I was charge nurse on the medical surgical unit, and the director of nursing found out he was bringing marinol with him, got very excited didn’t know what to do with marijuana, and I suggested we just lock it up in the narcotic cabinet.

As I met the patient, and interviewed the patient since I was admitting him and talked with his family I realized that this was something that was really helpful to him.

Following that, I then I did my thesis. Went to graduate school at Case Western University. I did my thesis on marijuana disclosure to health care professionals.

Since it was the most used illicit drug at the time, still is. In the United States I thought is was very important that health care professionals at least ask patients about marijuana use and if there are any negative consequences of their use. If they are not asking, they don’t know. I did a survey through NORML. Sent out about 5000 surveys and got a return of about 900.

And the final question on they survey, was a question about the concerns about the use of cannabis. And that ran from no concerns to be they concerned about the effects on their brain, if it was a woman, the effects on a fetus, effects on lungs, effects on other body organ systems, and I had a space for other concerns.

Many of those people who filled out that survey started responding with their therapeutic use. I have no concerns I use it for migraines, I use it for multiple sclerosis; I use it for chronic pain. Those two instances seeing the patient and the survey started to change my thoughts about cannabis from a recreational drug, to a therapeutic drug.

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