cannabisnews.com: Patients Need Relief Marijuana Gives





Patients Need Relief Marijuana Gives
Posted by CN Staff on October 19, 2008 at 06:22:34 PT
By Dr. George Wagoner
Source: Lansing State Journal
Michigan -- As a practicing physician of 29 years, I dedicated my life to caring for people. After my wife of 51 years was diagnosed with ovarian cancer last year, I knew uncertainty lay ahead. Beverly's prognosis was grim. Cancer treatment is an emotional roller coaster, yet we kept hope until the last day. She underwent surgery and several courses of grueling chemotherapy. The resulting nausea robbed Beverly of her quality of life. She couldn't keep anything down, lost considerable weight and literally wasted away before my eyes.
Over the years, I heard marijuana was a helpful treatment for nausea. We consulted with our family physician. "Of course you know that isn't available," he said, "but Marinol is." Marinol is a synthetic version of THC, one of the active chemical components in marijuana. But it also had a distressing side effect - hallucinations. Beverly refused to take any more.We were running out of options as Beverly's condition worsened.I decided to procure marijuana for her. After taking just the smallest amount, her nausea was gone. It was miraculous.Many families go through what we did - being forced to break the law to provide loved ones with relief. But on Nov. 4, Michigan voters can change this by approving Proposal 1.To think my wife could have been thrown in jail for using a miniscule amount of marijuana to cope with her nausea is outrageous. Proposal 1 would protect seriously ill patients from arrest and jail. It's about compassion and common sense.Years of study show compounds in marijuana can safely relieve pain, certain symptoms of disease and the side effects of treatment.The debate over whether to allow people to use marijuana with the recommendation of a licensed physician should be about science and compassion for seriously ill patients who suffer debilitating pain. It should not be about fear tactics that marijuana use will skyrocket or that some might take advantage of the law. These arguments are largely baseless and haven't materialized in the 12 states with medical marijuana laws. Indeed, Proposal 1 incorporates many of the lessons we've learned from those 12 other states.Proposal 1 establishes a statewide registry of patients, who must apply for ID cards and have the written recommendation of a physician. Police verification will be a mouse click away.While some disagree with Proposal 1, the science is sound. More than 1,200 medical professionals in Michigan publicly support Proposal 1, as do prominent organizations like the Michigan Nurses Association. The American College of Physicians, the largest specialty physician group in the country, has acknowledged the efficacy and medical applications of marijuana.Patients should be able to choose the medicine that works best for them with their doctors' guidance, and without fear of arrest or jail. That is precisely what Proposal 1 will allow.Keeping a safe and effective medicine away from sick people is inhumane. Michigan can and should do better for some of the most vulnerable members of our families and communities.Source: Lansing State Journal (MI)Author: Dr. George WagonerPublished:  October 19, 2008Copyright: 2008 Lansing State JournalWebsite: http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/uc45fODdRelated Articles & Web Site:Stop Arresting Patientshttp://www.stoparrestingpatients.org/Vote 'Yes' on Medical Marijuana Planhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24230.shtmlManistee Doctor Supporting Marijuana Initiativehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24229.shtmlIt's Immoral To Not Vote 'Yes' on Onehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24225.shtml 
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Comment #13 posted by tintala on October 19, 2008 at 20:26:08 PT:
It's about keeping the corrupt "PRISON INDUSTRY&qu
Cops need to have the war on drugs, to keep a prison industry. Otherwise the 20,000,000 ppl who have been arrested wouldn't have been there in the 1st place , the more people in prison the higher wages the prisons make.
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Comment #12 posted by The GCW on October 19, 2008 at 18:10:12 PT
Reality.
I can not imagine this law not passing in Michigan.BUTIf this law doesn't pass in Michigan I will blame it partly on police and I will think they are aweful people.
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Comment #11 posted by Nicodemus on October 19, 2008 at 14:24:22 PT
re: compassion
The Eternal Night Is Waiting, In The Highest Hemisphere it is about every sentient and awakened citizen and Explorer Who Can Vote? Who Has decided, The Path Is Awesome. The Place Where You And I Became on The Long Rocky Journey.Compassion is not a communist word, it is an ancient word, filled with Wonder and The Most Incredible Experience somewhere you momentarily experience your Special Place in and that's where it Is, You Become Hallalugha
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Comment #10 posted by user123 on October 19, 2008 at 11:22:39 PT:
Subject
"It's about compassion and common sense." Nothing in this country has been about compassion and common sense for a very very long time. 
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Comment #9 posted by museman on October 19, 2008 at 10:24:02 PT
law enforcement has their hands full 
...trying to justify their existence.
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Comment #8 posted by runruff on October 19, 2008 at 10:18:44 PT
law enforcement has their hands full 
of payola!
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Comment #7 posted by museman on October 19, 2008 at 10:13:46 PT
 law enforcement has their hands full 
..of donuts.
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Comment #6 posted by Hope on October 19, 2008 at 08:31:38 PT
Dr. George Wagoner
Good man. Good head on his shoulders and he's disconnected those lying propaganda wires trying to stay connected into his thinking about the matter.Thank you Dr. Wagoner.I'm sorry about the loss of your wife and her suffering. I'm glad you know about the amazing and "miraculous" benefits of the plant, cannabis.I'm glad you've joined in the effort to take back the plant from the prohibitionists.
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Comment #5 posted by Hope on October 19, 2008 at 08:24:43 PT
Exactly, Duzt.
".... law enforcement has their hands full without trying to find out what is or is not legal". "Without trying to find out what is or is not legal"?That is a weird thing for even a robot for the state to say.
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Comment #4 posted by duzt on October 19, 2008 at 08:10:33 PT
some people are just so.......
I can't believe this guys quote and he's running for office? He said, "and law enforcement has their hands full without trying to find out what is or is not legal." What in the hell does that mean? Law enforcement has their hands full because of all the stupid laws. And I don't believe it is their job to figure out what is legal, it is their job to enforce the law as it is written, not throw their own opinion into the law like happens in Southern California all the time. They may not like the law but they only get to enforce it, they aren't judges or juries just enforcers. That quote was just so absurd.
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Comment #3 posted by runruff on October 19, 2008 at 08:07:28 PT
v.s.
Doctors say yes, Mr. Walters says no, gosh oh golly to whom shall I listen?Who is the ultimate authority here, gosh oh golly?
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Comment #2 posted by The GCW on October 19, 2008 at 07:28:49 PT
Also: 3 out of 4 candidates...
Of the 4 candidates in the 22nd District state House of Representatives race in Michigan, 3 of them support medical use of cannabis.Only 1 of them does not.Proposal 1: Legalizing physician-approved marijuana use? GEISS: I support this proposal. It is not about drug use, but, rather, being compassionate to those in serious pain. Under this proposal, only a doc-tor can give the authority for their patients to obtain and use marijuana. With health care and prescription drug costs skyrocketing, using marijuana for medicinal purposes provides an inexpensive, proven means to provide help to those in need. JOHNSON: My support for this is a selfish one. I watched for four years my dad fight multiple melanoma, going through chemo, radiation and having to deal with two broken shoulders that would not heal. It would have been nice to have an alternative to morphine. McNEILL: I'm against this proposal on two levels. First, it just opens the door to many other drugs to become legal and law enforcement has their hands full without trying to find out what is or is not legal. Second, using marijuana is still against federal law and the enforcement will not stop. SCHLEMMER: I support this proposal. It is long overdue. There is no reason to deny medicinal marijuana to a patient whose quality of life would improve if using it. It is time for the government to stop intervening in the lives of citizens. If your neighbor smokes medical marijuana, it does not hurt you, so why should you be concerned. Pubdate: Sat, 18 Oct 2008Source: News-Herald, The (Southgate, MI)http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n950/a05.html?397
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Comment #1 posted by The GCW on October 19, 2008 at 07:21:00 PT
Greg Francisco in Michigan, In the News.
US MI: Groups Argue Over Proposal to Legalize Medical Use of MarijuanaPubdate: Sun, 19 Oct 2008Source: Kalamazoo Gazette (MI)-Greg Francisco IN THE NEWS.http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n950/a04.html?397
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