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MEDICAL MARIJUANA USER SEEKING RELIEF, NOT HIGH

I read the Feb.  20 letters to the editor and would like to present an opinion from a medical marijuana user.  Yes, I do have a permit from the state of Hawaii.

I have degenerating disks in my neck and am in heavy pain 24/7.  I was diagnosed with this condition in June 2009.  Every physician consulted had no feasible remedy for this problem, and I was told that surgery was not advisable.  I have been prescribed Oxycontin, and although it affords some relief, it also causes constipation and concerns about addiction.

Although I have never been a smoker - pot or otherwise - I was willing to try anything to abate the pain.  I legally obtained a permit and am using it.  I tried smoking and it very quickly eased the pain but, as a nonsmoker, I found it unpleasant.  Friends in California helped me check on different solutions and I experimented with marijuana cookies.  Happily, they were a solution.

As for having a high, that is not for me.  It eases the pain - one a day is more than adequate - and that is all I need.  It takes a while before the pain releases but it does make you much more comfortable.

By the way, my brain is functioning just fine.

June Raymond

Lahaina