Pubdate: Mon, 07 Oct 2002
Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON)
Copyright: 2002 The Ottawa Citizen
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326
Author: Lise Denham

I NEED MARIJUANA TO COPE WITH CHRONIC PAIN

I am a law-abiding wife and mother who finds herself in a difficult situation.

As a fibromyalgia sufferer, I have chronic pain. On top of my 12-hour 
slow-release pain pills, I also took pain medication for flare-ups and bad 
days, more often than not brought on by bad weather and extra stress.

My system is used to these pills, so they no longer work. My doctor 
informed me that there was nothing else out there that I could take. Where 
does that leave me?

I am not afraid to say that I have tried marijuana. I had heard so much of 
it from other chronic-pain sufferers that I decided to try it. Guess what? 
It's only thing that works for me at the moment.

When I suffer from excruciating pain, I don't give a hoot what some 
minister says about the effects of marijuana. All I know and care about is 
that it helps me deal with my pain. I would like to see those 
decision-makers in my shoes.

The legislators want to make a decision on decriminalization? Fine. Ask the 
people who are involved in the use of the drug. Not the social users, but 
people such as me, whose opinion doesn't seem to matter.

Lise Denham,

Nepean
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom