Medical pot can help

One year ago, a friend of mine I’ll call Tom moved to a state with a comprehensive medical-marijuana program. After physicians reviewed his extensive medical records, they admitted him to the program.

Twenty years ago, a van ran a stop sign and smashed into Tom’s and his wife’s car. Inoperable damage to Tom’s spine resulted in chronic pain. At the time of his move, Tom used morphine syringes and codeine pills.

Twelve years ago, Tom was diagnosed with complex partial epilepsy caused by brain swelling, the result of a viral infection. A neurologist specializing in epilepsy prescribed Dilantin. Within six months he added Klonopin, 2 mg three times a day, then added Lamictal. Tom was hospitalized twice with status epilepticus. One time he spent two days in intensive care. He had been to five pain doctors about advancing neuropathy which caused painful tingling and loss of sensation in his feet. Tom had been on Irbesartan 300 mg/day for over 30 years to control high blood pressure.

Tom no longer takes prescription drugs except a low-dose Losartan for blood pressure. After he started using cannabis medication, within a week he was off Klonopin, Dilantin, morphine, and codeine. As of September, he has gone five months without a seizure. He reports improving neuropathy and a notable uptick in his general health and mood. He uses 1.5 80 mg cannabis cookies per day.

If opponents to Issue 7 want truth, it’s not hard to find. But they apparently don’t want to know.

DENELE CAMPBELL

West Fork