Jacob Bell
New Member
JACKSONVILLE – A two-story fall 19 years ago left Chris Butts with a spinal compression injury, slowly degenerating discs along his spine and daily pain that earned him a permanent prescription of Oxycontin.
He became addicted to the prescription narcotic and it nearly ruined his life, Butts told a steadily increasing crowd of about 30 people Saturday afternoon at Jacksonville's Germania Springs Park.
After five years he was able to kick the habit by using medical marijuana, which Butts has used daily for 14 years, in edible form, to manage pain from the injury.
He still has the Oxycontin prescription and has to use it three to four times a year, but he says thanks to marijuana, Butts is able to take it when necessary without relapsing.
Now the Alabama resident is co-president of the Alabama Medical Marijuana Coalition and working to get a bill allowing use of medicinal marijuana through the state legislature.
"I'm just somebody who doesn't want to feel like a criminal for doing something my doctor advised," Butts said.
He and co-president Ron Crumpton describe the coalition as a patients' advocacy group working to secure safe, regulated access to medicinal marijuana for patients afflicted with at least one of a list of 24 diseases identified on the legislation the group plans to submit to the state legislature in 2012. The group was incorporated in June and most of its executives have experience working with previous medicinal marijuana lobbying organizations.
The Jacksonville picnic was the second event put on by the group. Its leaders have divided the state into eight districts and hope to host an event in each district to raise awareness of the upcoming legislative push, Crumpton said.
It was not coincidence that Germania Springs Park was chosen as the picnic site, as Rep. K.L. Brown, R-Jacksonville, showed up at the event to learn more about the issue and the people involved with coalition.
Brown has a personal connection to the use of medicinal marijuana, as he lost a sister to breast cancer in 1987. He didn't know much about the drug then but saw how it worked against his ailing sister's pain and nausea.
"I do know that marijuana tablets were very helpful to her there, especially at the end," Brown said.
There is a "good possibility" that Brown will sponsor the bill when the legislature meets early next year. Some legislators will never get past the stigma of the word "marijuana," Brown said. But he believes that if the group can get people to listen to situations where marijuana has helped people with pain and nausea, the bill stands a chance of having success in Montgomery.
A bill proposing the use of medicinal marijuana in Alabama has died in the legislature for the last seven years, Crumpton said. He declined to discuss specifics of the bill the group is working on but said it was similar.
By mid-afternoon, 45 people had signed in at the pavilion. A far cry from the more than 300 people committed to attending on Facebook, but the organizers were pleased with the turnout, noting that Calhoun County has been a strong supporter of medicinal marijuana in the past.
A wide array of people attended the picnic, from teenagers with facial piercings to a decorated Vietnam veteran who has used marijuana to manage combat-related ailments for 38 years. The veteran declined to be identified for fear of losing his government retirement, medical and Social Security benefits.
He fought in the Marines in the 77-day battle of Khe Sanh in 1968, earning a Silver Star and Purple Heart during his tour, he said. The preacher's son began getting high at that time too, he said. When he returned home, he began drinking and "it was hell," he said. It was then he realized that marijuana had helped him handle nightmares and other health problems related lingering from the war.
The veteran, from the Montgomery area, said he began adjusting his marijuana use 15 years ago to manage post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and high blood pressure – the latter two from exposure to Agent Orange.
"It helps you learn to live with what you've done. It helps me better than any damn pill," he said. "Got to go out to the damn ghetto (to get marijuana). That's the problem."
Crumpton, also the group's executive director, hopes that by spreading awareness of this push to allow medicinal marijuana they can build enough momentum to ease the old Marine's worries.
It's rare to take an issue such as medicinal marijuana and get a bill passed on the first attempt, Brown said. But the local representative was somewhat optimistic.
"I think they made a lot of headway last year," Brown said. "If we can go at it with the same energy as the past year, maybe we can have some success this time."
News Hawk- Jacob Ebel 420 MAGAZINE
Source: annistonstar.com
Author: Jason Bacaj
Contact: Contact Us
Copyright: Anniston Star
Website: Alabama Medical Marijuana Coalition advocates for healthful use of forbidden plant
He became addicted to the prescription narcotic and it nearly ruined his life, Butts told a steadily increasing crowd of about 30 people Saturday afternoon at Jacksonville's Germania Springs Park.
After five years he was able to kick the habit by using medical marijuana, which Butts has used daily for 14 years, in edible form, to manage pain from the injury.
He still has the Oxycontin prescription and has to use it three to four times a year, but he says thanks to marijuana, Butts is able to take it when necessary without relapsing.
Now the Alabama resident is co-president of the Alabama Medical Marijuana Coalition and working to get a bill allowing use of medicinal marijuana through the state legislature.
"I'm just somebody who doesn't want to feel like a criminal for doing something my doctor advised," Butts said.
He and co-president Ron Crumpton describe the coalition as a patients' advocacy group working to secure safe, regulated access to medicinal marijuana for patients afflicted with at least one of a list of 24 diseases identified on the legislation the group plans to submit to the state legislature in 2012. The group was incorporated in June and most of its executives have experience working with previous medicinal marijuana lobbying organizations.
The Jacksonville picnic was the second event put on by the group. Its leaders have divided the state into eight districts and hope to host an event in each district to raise awareness of the upcoming legislative push, Crumpton said.
It was not coincidence that Germania Springs Park was chosen as the picnic site, as Rep. K.L. Brown, R-Jacksonville, showed up at the event to learn more about the issue and the people involved with coalition.
Brown has a personal connection to the use of medicinal marijuana, as he lost a sister to breast cancer in 1987. He didn't know much about the drug then but saw how it worked against his ailing sister's pain and nausea.
"I do know that marijuana tablets were very helpful to her there, especially at the end," Brown said.
There is a "good possibility" that Brown will sponsor the bill when the legislature meets early next year. Some legislators will never get past the stigma of the word "marijuana," Brown said. But he believes that if the group can get people to listen to situations where marijuana has helped people with pain and nausea, the bill stands a chance of having success in Montgomery.
A bill proposing the use of medicinal marijuana in Alabama has died in the legislature for the last seven years, Crumpton said. He declined to discuss specifics of the bill the group is working on but said it was similar.
By mid-afternoon, 45 people had signed in at the pavilion. A far cry from the more than 300 people committed to attending on Facebook, but the organizers were pleased with the turnout, noting that Calhoun County has been a strong supporter of medicinal marijuana in the past.
A wide array of people attended the picnic, from teenagers with facial piercings to a decorated Vietnam veteran who has used marijuana to manage combat-related ailments for 38 years. The veteran declined to be identified for fear of losing his government retirement, medical and Social Security benefits.
He fought in the Marines in the 77-day battle of Khe Sanh in 1968, earning a Silver Star and Purple Heart during his tour, he said. The preacher's son began getting high at that time too, he said. When he returned home, he began drinking and "it was hell," he said. It was then he realized that marijuana had helped him handle nightmares and other health problems related lingering from the war.
The veteran, from the Montgomery area, said he began adjusting his marijuana use 15 years ago to manage post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and high blood pressure – the latter two from exposure to Agent Orange.
"It helps you learn to live with what you've done. It helps me better than any damn pill," he said. "Got to go out to the damn ghetto (to get marijuana). That's the problem."
Crumpton, also the group's executive director, hopes that by spreading awareness of this push to allow medicinal marijuana they can build enough momentum to ease the old Marine's worries.
It's rare to take an issue such as medicinal marijuana and get a bill passed on the first attempt, Brown said. But the local representative was somewhat optimistic.
"I think they made a lot of headway last year," Brown said. "If we can go at it with the same energy as the past year, maybe we can have some success this time."
News Hawk- Jacob Ebel 420 MAGAZINE
Source: annistonstar.com
Author: Jason Bacaj
Contact: Contact Us
Copyright: Anniston Star
Website: Alabama Medical Marijuana Coalition advocates for healthful use of forbidden plant
