The General
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Florida - Vivian Garrote sat near her electric wheelchair as she talked about the many prescription drugs she has tried to combat the ravages of multiple sclerosis, which has robbed her of balance and makes her legs jolt painfully. None of medications worked, but Garrote said she is hopeful about a new treatment some doctors say has shown promise in reducing MS symptoms.
The only problem: that drug is illegal. Although medical marijuana has been legalized in 20 states and the District of Columbia, it remains forbidden in Florida, a state that has some of the harshest penalties for possession in the country. "It would be life-changing (if marijuana could alleviate my symptoms)," said Garrote, 66, a retired high school history and Spanish teacher from South Carolina. "If my legs were calmer, I could go to dinner with friends without having to leave when my legs start kicking."
Garrote said she has never used marijuana, nor has she been enlisted by pro-medical marijuana forces who are seeking 700,000 signatures to get a constitutional amendment on the 2014 ballot that would legalize the drug for medical purposes in Florida. But Garrote's desire to see medical marijuana legalized has plenty of support. A recent Quinnipiac University poll showed 82 percent of Floridians in favor with just 16 percent opposed.
Dr. Eric Voth, chairman of the Institute on Global Drug Policy, is among those who warn that states such as California that have legalized medical marijuana have opened the door for widespread abuse and even addiction among recreational users, including children. "The biggest problem we're facing, truly, is that marijuana is the only illegal drug with a lobby behind it, and it has softened public perception," Voth said. "It's just wrong on so many levels."
Garrote counters that she should at least have the option of using a drug that could offer relief. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often-crippling disease that attacks the brain, spinal cord and nerves. Doctors do not know what causes it. There is neither a cure nor successful treatments to alleviate symptoms. As a result, Garrote cannot walk more than a couple of steps without falling or grasping for a solid surface for balance. Spasticity produces painful, uncontrollable spasms in her legs.
The base of her spine feels like it is on fire most of the time, and her buttocks feels like restless, creepy-crawlers have taken roost. "I want to be able to do things without the fear of pain and without the fear of my legs spazzing," Vivian said. She is tired, both from the MS and from trying almost every conceivable treatment for the disease.
She tried three rounds of chemotherapy, prescription pills and special massages to try to treat her symptoms. Lately, Garrote said she has been scouring the state to find beekeepers who will sell her hundreds of bees so she could try "sting therapy." Essentially, she would put her arm into a box full of hundreds of bees, let them sting her and then hope to feel some relief.
"I'd rather get stung by 300 bees than deal with my leg spasms all night," she said. But she would prefer to try marijuana for the first time than make herself a human beehive. Several studies, including one conducted by the National Institute of Health in 2007, showed the active components in marijuana – THC and cannabinoids – may help quiet the spacicity. "We conclude that this (cannabis-based medicine) may represent a useful new agent for treatment of the symptomatic relief of spasticity in MS," the National Institute of Health study said.
Voth said those claims are exaggerated. "It's tough to differentiate perceived benefits from intoxication," he said. "The biggest problem is that systematic looks at this really have not shown that it's more effective than what's already on the market." He said he often encounters medical-marijuana patients who claim marijuana was the only drug that helped them. But, when Voth would ask the patients to list the legal drugs they tried, they often admit they had not tried all the alternatives. He added that medicinal marijuana has never been cleared by the FDA, unlike every other prescription available in America. "I don't think it's fair to throw in the towel on our standards and how we introduce medicines to the market," he said. "These measures bypass the FDA and they skimp on consumer protection."
Garrote said the illegality of marijuana creates its own roadblocks. Even though she believes marijuana could help her, she has not tried to obtain it because she fears that the drug that is sold illegally could be contaminated. She said she signed the petition to get medical marijuana on the 2014 ballot because she will only use the drug if it is medically prescribed and regulated for safety. "Do it for me," she implored. "There are people who could be helped. Not just me, people in chronic pain, people with cancer. Have empathy."
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Heraldtribune.com
Author: Shelby Webb
Contact: Contact Us
Website: NEW: Venice retiree hopes medical marijuana push succeeds | HeraldTribune.com
The only problem: that drug is illegal. Although medical marijuana has been legalized in 20 states and the District of Columbia, it remains forbidden in Florida, a state that has some of the harshest penalties for possession in the country. "It would be life-changing (if marijuana could alleviate my symptoms)," said Garrote, 66, a retired high school history and Spanish teacher from South Carolina. "If my legs were calmer, I could go to dinner with friends without having to leave when my legs start kicking."
Garrote said she has never used marijuana, nor has she been enlisted by pro-medical marijuana forces who are seeking 700,000 signatures to get a constitutional amendment on the 2014 ballot that would legalize the drug for medical purposes in Florida. But Garrote's desire to see medical marijuana legalized has plenty of support. A recent Quinnipiac University poll showed 82 percent of Floridians in favor with just 16 percent opposed.
Dr. Eric Voth, chairman of the Institute on Global Drug Policy, is among those who warn that states such as California that have legalized medical marijuana have opened the door for widespread abuse and even addiction among recreational users, including children. "The biggest problem we're facing, truly, is that marijuana is the only illegal drug with a lobby behind it, and it has softened public perception," Voth said. "It's just wrong on so many levels."
Garrote counters that she should at least have the option of using a drug that could offer relief. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often-crippling disease that attacks the brain, spinal cord and nerves. Doctors do not know what causes it. There is neither a cure nor successful treatments to alleviate symptoms. As a result, Garrote cannot walk more than a couple of steps without falling or grasping for a solid surface for balance. Spasticity produces painful, uncontrollable spasms in her legs.
The base of her spine feels like it is on fire most of the time, and her buttocks feels like restless, creepy-crawlers have taken roost. "I want to be able to do things without the fear of pain and without the fear of my legs spazzing," Vivian said. She is tired, both from the MS and from trying almost every conceivable treatment for the disease.
She tried three rounds of chemotherapy, prescription pills and special massages to try to treat her symptoms. Lately, Garrote said she has been scouring the state to find beekeepers who will sell her hundreds of bees so she could try "sting therapy." Essentially, she would put her arm into a box full of hundreds of bees, let them sting her and then hope to feel some relief.
"I'd rather get stung by 300 bees than deal with my leg spasms all night," she said. But she would prefer to try marijuana for the first time than make herself a human beehive. Several studies, including one conducted by the National Institute of Health in 2007, showed the active components in marijuana – THC and cannabinoids – may help quiet the spacicity. "We conclude that this (cannabis-based medicine) may represent a useful new agent for treatment of the symptomatic relief of spasticity in MS," the National Institute of Health study said.
Voth said those claims are exaggerated. "It's tough to differentiate perceived benefits from intoxication," he said. "The biggest problem is that systematic looks at this really have not shown that it's more effective than what's already on the market." He said he often encounters medical-marijuana patients who claim marijuana was the only drug that helped them. But, when Voth would ask the patients to list the legal drugs they tried, they often admit they had not tried all the alternatives. He added that medicinal marijuana has never been cleared by the FDA, unlike every other prescription available in America. "I don't think it's fair to throw in the towel on our standards and how we introduce medicines to the market," he said. "These measures bypass the FDA and they skimp on consumer protection."
Garrote said the illegality of marijuana creates its own roadblocks. Even though she believes marijuana could help her, she has not tried to obtain it because she fears that the drug that is sold illegally could be contaminated. She said she signed the petition to get medical marijuana on the 2014 ballot because she will only use the drug if it is medically prescribed and regulated for safety. "Do it for me," she implored. "There are people who could be helped. Not just me, people in chronic pain, people with cancer. Have empathy."
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Heraldtribune.com
Author: Shelby Webb
Contact: Contact Us
Website: NEW: Venice retiree hopes medical marijuana push succeeds | HeraldTribune.com
