Background:
I am a semi-conservative person WRT drugs (i.e. I won't take drugs
that aren't prescribed by my doctor(s).)  However, I am not afraid
when they appear to be properly prescribed

Story:
I had a really nice girlfriend (about 10yrs too young for me, she
was still a little in the wild-oats phase), but she had a bit of a
pot habit.  (More than casual use, but no apparent withdrawal.)

When I met her, and dated her off/on, we were talking about 'nerve'
problems and how she had panic attacks.  I did know that she smoked
pot, and her claim was that she used it both for recreation and for
self-medication (non-prejudical observation.)  She also had to maintain
a script of light dose Xanax to keep her panic attacks under
control -- she'd sometimes have to pull over while driving because of
panic.

I knew that my friend needed a little help, and it seemed like her
panic attacks should be 'unnecessary.'  I did a little research
(as a non-medical-professional, but as a VERY TECHNICALLY COMPETENT
individual), and determined that there was a high probability of
her pot usage making her panic problems worse than they would otherwise
be.

She and I developed an 'older brother'/'younger sister' relationship
over time (we did have a little too much cultural/age difference), but
we were actually very close/caring friends.  I had suggested the
possiblity of pot being a contributor to her panic problem.  She
protested that the pot was used to medicate her panic.  Well, we
had a time period of a week or two where both of us were busy, but
when we made contact later on, she had significantly decreased her
recreational use of pot, and she found that she also didn't seem to
need her Xanax anymore!!!  She didn't have to worry about her
doctors appointments, her medicine cost nor her pot cost anymore :-).
She also mellowed out quite a bit, and her life seemed to get quite
a bit better (keeping her relationships more stable.)

SUMMARY:
The crapshoot idea is probably quite true.  It is sometimes even a
crapshoot with well controlled and measured drugs.  All too often,
it seems like those who would benefit from changing a drug habit
(i.e. decreasing usage or
cessation) are also those who protest most loudly when suggesting
a decrease/cessation.

As a lay-person, and no real interest in pot either way, it does seem
like using pot as a psych medicine might be difficult to prescribe and
manage.  Luckily, it probably doesn't have a dosage creep problem quite
as severe as a narcotic or stimulant, but psych 'medicinal' use should likely
best be in the form of pure THC (if at all.)  For pain or glaucoma, pot
might actually be quite applicable.  (Again, I have no opinion either
way, other than true and not just perceived benefits.)

John