Pubdate: Thu, 23 Jan 2003
Source: Daily Star, The (NY)
Copyright: 2003 The Daily Star
Contact:  http://www.thedailystar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/557
Author: Matt Smith

SUFFERERS PLEAD FOR MEDICAL POT

ALBANY o Bruce Dunn of Otsego County has lived in chronic pain since nearly 
being crushed in a car accident more than 14 years ago.

The spinal cord injury he suffered left the nerves in his neck damaged 
severely. The muscles in his upper back, meanwhile, have deteriorated to 
the point where you can see bone through his shirt when he turns around. 
And often, he hurts so bad that he finds it hard to sit more than 10 
minutes at a time.

Since his 1988 crash, Dunn has tried an array of powerful prescribed 
medications to relieve his pain. Some drugs simply didn't work. Others left 
him sick.

Finally, he turned to marijuana.

"I'm not sure how it works, or why," Dunn said. "But for me, it's the best 
medication I've come across."

Dunn came to the state Capitol on Wednesday to urge lawmakers to legalize 
the medical use of marijuana. He was joined by AIDS patients, health 
professionals and activists who testified before an Assembly Health 
Committee panel on benefits marijuana can provide to those suffering from 
cancer and other terminal illnesses.

"I don't like admitting that I commit a crime," said Dunn, whose hometown 
would not be disclosed by the Assembly Committee on Wednesday. "I don't 
like living as a criminal and I don't deserve to be a criminal."

Since 1997, there has been legislation in the Democrat-controlled Assembly 
that would legalize the possession, sale, delivery and distribution of 
marijuana for medical use to certified patients.

And technically, the state already has a medical marijuana law on the 
books. Since 1980, in fact, New York has doled out some 6,000 
government-supplied joints to patients.

The federal government, however, effectively shut the program down in 1989 
when it approved Marinol, a synthetic pill form of THC, which is the active 
ingredient in marijuana.

Ann Purchase, a registered nurse who testified before lawmakers Wednesday, 
said the problem is some patients respond negatively to Marinol, as well as 
other anti-nausea and pain-relief medications.

The elderly in particular, she said, don't do well with Marinol and often 
suffer hallucinations because the drug is so concentrated.

Mark Hayes, who was diagnosed with HIV in 1997, said Marinol "kicks in 
hard," often leaving patients in a near-sedated state for hours. Smoking 
marijuana, he added, has been the only way he's been able to control side 
effects such as vomiting and hives suffered as a result of the drug 
"cocktail" he must take to combat his HIV.

Since its introduction more than five years ago, legislation to legalize 
medical marijuana has gained support in the Assembly.

However, no bill has been introduced in the Republican-controlled state 
Senate. A spokesman for the upper house Wednesday declined comment on the 
issue.

Law enforcement officials, meanwhile, have been a primary opponent to 
legalizing the medical use of marijuana, claiming such a law would 
compromise their ability to fight illegal use of the drug.

But Vincent Marrone of New Yorkers for Compassionate Care said there has 
been no evidence of that happening in the eight states throughout the 
country that have medical marijuana laws on the books.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens