Pubdate: Sat, 27 Aug 2016 Source: New Zealand Herald (New Zealand) Copyright: 2016 New Zealand Herald Contact: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/300 Author: Linda Field MARIJUANA HELPED Nearly 30 years ago my then 40- year-old husband was diagnosed with cancer. Two years later and after several operations, the cancer returned and nothing more could be done. His life over, his last couple of years consisted of radiotherapy, operations and daily doses of morphine. We were told that even with the cancer he had, he would never have to be in pain, due to the morphine. What we weren't told was the side effects of the morphine - nightmares, hallucinations and not being able to eat. We ended up taking turns to sit with him during the night to talk him through the hallucinations. He tried halving the morphine dose but was then in a lot of pain. A friend who came to visit was horrified to see the distress my husband was in and arranged for him to be given two marijuana cigarettes. I was totally against him having these but he was at the stage he would try anything. Within a very short time after smoking just part of one cigarette, he was almost pain-free and able to have a conversation. It's for this reason alone I will back the call to legalise medical marijuana. Linda Field Northland - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom