cannabisnews.com: Some Doctors and Patients Swear by Marijuana Some Doctors and Patients Swear by Marijuana Posted by FoM on September 27, 1999 at 06:44:06 PT By Vaishali Honawar Source: Journal Online WASHINGTON Possession of marijuana is illegal in Maryland, punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of $1,000. But for doctors who recommend it and patients in the state who use it, the benefits of medicinal marijuana far outweigh the fear of arrest. St. Mary's County resident Kerri Andrews said she took marijuana on the advice of her doctor to treat her epilepsy. She said she the drug changed her life. ``I was on barbiturates before that and they were completely messing me up - I couldn't remember my daughter's name," she said. But while on marijuana, she went without an epileptic seizure for as long as eight months, she said. Andrews is taking another drug for her epilepsy now but said that, if she has to, she will go back to marijuana as a treatment. That response is not unusual for medicinal marijuana users, said Chuck Thomas of the Marijuana Policy Project. ``Patients who're already using marijuana will keep using it because it helps them more than any medication," said Thomas. His Washington-based group estimates there are 2,000 medicinal marijuana users in Maryland. Help for those users could be just across the border, if a recently approved initiative on the issue in Washington, D.C., is allowed to go into effect. Studies have shown that marijuana can alleviate pain in diseases like AIDS and some types of cancer, and clear vision in cases of glaucoma. Under Washington's Initiative 59, patients in the city could grow, possess and use marijuana for their ailments, if they had a written recommendation for it from their doctors. ``Until 1937, when marijuana was declared an illegal drug in the country, it was used as a medicine, like any other herb," Thomas said. A 1998 opinion poll by the Center for Substance Abuse Research showed that 71 percent of Maryland residents think physicians should be allowed to prescribe marijuana for medical uses. The same poll also found 24 percent felt adults over 21 should be able to possess small amounts of marijuana for personal use without legal penalty. But whatever the arguments, possession of marijuana is still illegal in Maryland, and people found with any amount on them will be arrested, said Pete Piringer, a Maryland State Police spokesman. In 1998, police made 28,694 arrests in the state for possession of marijuana. Piringer said nearly 1,000 of those arrests were made as a result of traffic stops. He added that any change in D.C. laws on medicinal marijuana would not make a difference in Maryland; people buying marijuana in Washington and using it in Maryland would still face arrest. Dr. Deborah Goldberg said she believes marijuana should be legalized for medicinal use. Goldberg, a physician who once practiced in Silver Spring, said she recommended marijuana use to patients and friends in the past and testified on the medicinal benefits of the drug during a federal marijuana trial in the 1980s. ``Marijuana is definitely useful in some diseases," she said. ``I find that it helps people with gastrointestinal diseases." Legalization would allow more research on marijuana's medicinal uses, said Goldberg. There are a few studies on the usefulness of marijuana now, but more needs to be done, she added. Legal or not, medicinal marijuana users say the drug is easy to get in Maryland. Piringer confirmed its popularity, noting that police make more arrests for marijuana than for any other drug. Pubdate: September 27, 1999Marijuana Policy Project's Web Sitehttp://www.mpp.org/ACT UP Washington DChttp://www.actupdc.org/Marijuana Initiative Backedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread3031.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #1 posted by Jaeey Vicious on March 20, 2001 at 08:38:59 PT: Washington State 692 Hello, I have A.S. (Ankleosispondelitis)www.kickas.org. I live in constant agony. I'm currently on small doses of chemotherapy . (Methotrexate & Remecaid)) I also take Naproxyn, Prednisone, Vicadin, Perkiset and anti depressants. The reason why i'm writing (This will never get seen anyway)is i can't find a DR. in washington state who will discuss the pros and cons of marijuana. Perscribe it for me. I find major relief from Marijuana. I've been obtaining it illeagally and i've gained 20 pounds!!! I also sleep! And my stomach doesn't bleed either! If anybody is listening this is my silent scream for help. The people have spoken! My 70 year old mother who is the most conservitive person i know voted for inititive 692. Is there anybody out there? [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: