Bitt, excellent points. A couple of thoughts:

As I was thinking about it, illegal is an all-or-nothing thing. Sort of like pregnancy. You make a good point that the punishment is harsher depending on the chemical properties of what I obtain and intend to eat.

If the doctor has an alternative treatment, why didn't he just say so? For that matter, why can't that be handled over the phone?

I think you're right about the doctor's motivations. This is probably due to legal or insurer requirements. But that is precisely my point. All reason dictates that this is a matter between me and my doctor, or, more accurately, it is my own issue and I choose to obtain a doctor's advice. NOTHING should be above the patient's interest in the doctor/patient relationship. In reality many things are, which is proof that the system is broken without getting into personal opinions about so-called "recreational drugs", like tobacco or alcohol.

Jim