Pubdate: Sat, 26 Apr 2014
Source: Billings Gazette, The (MT)
Copyright: 2014 The Billings Gazette
Contact: http://billingsgazette.com/app/contact/?contact=letter
Website: http://www.billingsgazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/515
Author: Pierre Berger

MARIJUANA HELPS THOSE WITH CHRONIC PAIN

In response to Steve Zabawa's effort to make any possession of 
marijuana illegal, I suggest that he try living with the chronic pain 
that many users have to deal with.

True, when the law was first enacted, people abused it, but that will 
happen with almost everything due to the current society we live in. 
As a former card carrier, I dare those who have never suffered from 
chronic pain to try tying off a part of their body to the point that 
it hurts, then try living with that pain 24/7/365. That might give 
people an idea of what it's like to live with chronic pain.

The medical marijuana made it possible for me to not have to 
constantly take the mega doses of morphine that one doctor had 
prescribed for me and kept me from also getting sick to my stomach 
because of the drugs. If this treatment is taken away from people, 
they are being condemned to a life of misery and possible misuse of 
the prescription drugs that doctors provide because they don't know 
how to treat people with chronic pain correctly.

I'm fortunate that I found a good pain doctor who helped me get clear 
of the drugs and got me set up with a spinal cord stimulator system 
that takes care of my pain. I now can lead a real life where I don't 
have to try and think about something other than pain.

This initiative should be kept as just one person's opinion like it 
should be and not a condemnation of those who use it due to chronic pain.

Pierre Berger

Billings
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