cannabisnews.com: How Do You Spell Relief?





How Do You Spell Relief?
Posted by FoM on May 01, 2000 at 07:54:16 PT
By Andrea Wiebe, Edmonton Sun
Source: Edmonton Sun
 Two Edmontonians tired of battling cops to use marijuana to alleviate chronic pain hope the federal government will soon offer relief. Both separately convicted for marijuana possession despite court arguments it soothes their pain, Dean Troyer and Patricia Weber want to apply to the federal health minister for an exemption from laws prohibiting marijuana cultivation and its use. 
Health Minister Allan Rock set up clinical trials a year ago to study pot's medicinal purposes. Troyer, a city firefighter, is waiting for a diagnosis Friday to find out if he has Crohn's disease - a chronic inflammation of the intestine causing abdominal pain, fever and weight loss. "Marijuana helps ease the pain, and right now I haven't been eating much more than a piece of white toast. I've lost a lot of weight lately," said Troyer, 42, who has been off work since last July. "It's pain control and appetite stimulant." With his pain relief came a high price; he was fined $2,500 and put on six months probation a year ago for having a hydroponic grow-operation in his basement. Troyer has done extensive research on the effects and health benefits of marijuana and sees medical exemptions as a step in the right direction. But that step doesn't go far enough, he said. "They give you an exemption but there's no way you can get the product legally. You have to grow it on your own and, if you're too sick to grow it on your own, what do you do?" Research has shown marijuana destroys brain tumours in mice, quells multiple sclerosis tremors and prevents brain damage from strokes, said Troy. "I think there's more than enough evidence. If smoking a joint helps, then you should be smoking a joint. When you talk about medical marijuana, you're talking about basic human rights," he said. "The only problem I had with pot is that I got arrested." Troy and Weber both hope to see prescriptions for marijuana given out to suffering patients. Weber was fined $600 in December 1997 for her marijuana use to combat migraine headaches and arthritis. Her daughter's suggestion to apply for the federal exemption has raised her interest, she said. "I am thinking about it, definitely, because I don't want to keep getting busted." A Tylenol 3 for her migraines takes about 20 minutes to kick in, but "a little toke will help it right away," said Weber. "I also use it for arthritis." She said not everyone should have access to weed. "You can't have kids using marijuana in school," Weber said. "I'm an old bag. "Let me enjoy my life, the rest of it." Published: May 1, 2000 Copyright © 2000, Canoe Limited Partnership. CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archives:http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #1 posted by Mari on May 01, 2000 at 10:02:28 PT
Relief
I suffer from TIA's;these are small strokes that have left me with diminished memory & some weakness on one side of my body.My Dr.(while he can not recommend MMJ..we have no MMJ laws here)has told me that my smoking has helped prevent further damage to my brain,as well as being a vaso-dialator.The action of keeping my arteries open helps prvent the clots from lodgeing & causing more strokes.It has also helped with my macular degeneration(I'm going blind).Without MMJ I have no idea how long it would be before a major stroke kills me.This is truly the most effective medicine available to many of us who also have multiple drug sensitivities that make it all but impossible to take many perscription drugs(the side effects of some of these are worse than the illness the are supposed to treat!!!!!).
[ Post Comment ]

Post Comment


Name: Optional Password: 
E-Mail: 
Subject: 
Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message]
Link URL: 
Link Title: