David Knowles investigates the use of marijuana to treat ADHD:
While [Lester] Grinspoon concedes that the evidence of marijuana's effectiveness in treating conditions like ADHD is mostly anecdotal, he believes that practitioners would be wise to start listening to the everyday experiences of their patients. "It has been hard to collect hard data because the federal government has, for so long, said, no, marijuana is not a drug."
[Stephen Hinshaw, professor of psychology at the University of California at Berkeley] is intrigued by success stories of patients treating ADHD with marijuana, but he cautions against euphoria in the absence of data. "People with ADHD are terrible at self-reporting, that's one of the things that characterizes the condition. Still, this is worth looking into. Any hypothesis that adheres to the proper ethical limits is worth investigating."
A reader notes another drug irony:
Nitro glycerin, the potent explosive, is a common anti-angina med. As Nobel worked on making dynamite, he noticed his chest pain diminished when he handled nitro. Thus one of the most lethal substances became one of the most life preserving.
All we are saying is give research a chance. If that makes me a goddamn hippie, pass the patchouli.