Pubdate: Thu, 21 Jun 2012
Source: Tucson Weekly (AZ)
Copyright: 2012 Tucson Weekly
Contact:  http://www.tucsonweekly.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/462
Author: J. M. Smith

HELP FOR HEADACHES

If MMJ can help people with migraines, then people with migraines
should be able to use MMJ

Thankfully, I've only had two migraines in my life-both when I was a
freshman in high school, and both immediately after biology class.

I'm pretty sure my migraines were environmental, since both came after
I was dissecting animals steeped in formaldehyde. I haven't had one
since, although a couple of times, I have had that sketchy eye effect,
where you have blind spots, and things seem a little fractal or something.

It's hard to describe the pain of a migraine. I remember sobbing on
the couch, wondering if my brain was actually physically changing,
convulsing into some new arrangement that would leave me permanently
locked in the vise of debilitating pain that obliterates everything
else.

Stacey is a medical-marijuana patient who spoke at a state Department
of Health Services hearing on May 25. The state-as discussed
previously in this space-is considering adding depression and
post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as migraines, to the list of
diseases that medical marijuana can treat. Stacey was locked in that
aforementioned vise for most of her life-until she got a
medical-marijuana card for another condition and found that the
cannabis helped.

"Before medicating with cannabis, having a migraine would mean coming
home from work, spending time in the bathroom being sick, and
secluding myself in a dark bedroom for the evening, and sometimes for
days," she said during the hearing. "My daughter was forced to fend
for herself."

The pain left Stacey unable to work, drive or even listen to her
daughter's voice. She tried many drugs, but they either didn't work,
or worked only when the migraine was starting. There were a lot of
side effects. Then, last year, after getting an MMJ card, she decided
to try it for a migraine.

"Within minutes, I could function as a mom to my daughter. (I was)
able to make her meals, function to take care of her, and most
important, tolerate the sound of her voice," she told DHS.

Regular cannabis use has also prevented Stacey's migraines. Although
some migraine-sufferers qualify for MMJ under chronic pain, adding the
illness directly would eliminate confusion among patients and leave no
doubt that they qualify, Stacey said.

Charise Voss was diagnosed 25 years ago with severe migraines. Her
daily headaches prevented a normal life.

"I had a doctor tell me I could do three things-I could have Botox
injected directly into my brain stem; I could have surgery; or I could
smoke pot. ... I chose surgery, and it didn't work," Voss said at the
hearing.

She tried dozens of medications-four of them daily. But the headaches
still came, and the pain left her unable to function. Then, a visiting
friend urged her to try marijuana, which she had never smoked, because
she thought it was wrong. But she tried it.

It worked.

"A year later, I am off all my prescription drugs-my daily
medications, my antidepressants, my narcotic pain relievers. I only
use marijuana. I have no side effects, and for the first time in my
life, I am pain-free," she said. "For me, this was a big moral
conflict, because of my upbringing. I never thought I would be here
today to be an advocate for marijuana, but what we need is a choice."

Dr. Don Hill, a Casa Grande oncologist, also urged DHS officials to
add migraines. He started studying cannabinoids in 2006. Migraines are
caused by two vascular effects-spasms and dilation. He sees anecdotal
evidence hinting that we should allow cannabis for migraines.

"Unfortunately, we do not have hard, evidence-based medicine regarding
this issue. ... What we do have are anecdotal reports," he said. Those
show effective treatment of migraines, so Hill also urged the state to
add migraines to the list of MMJ conditions.

I'm not a doctor, and I've never played one on TV, but I've had a
couple of migraines. I wouldn't wish one on my worst enemy, and if
there is a treatment out there that helps people who have them, we
should let them use it.

'Nuff said.
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MAP posted-by: Matt