Pubdate: Sun, 06 Apr 2014
Source: Saratogian, The (NY)
Page: A6
Copyright: 2014 The Saratogian
Contact:  http://www.saratogian.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2100
Author: John Ostwald

LEGALIZATION NEEDED FOR MEDICAL USE OF MARIJUANA

When I was a kid, I smoked weed a few times.

My use was just experimental and I never used it regularly because it
made me sleepy. I envied my friends who enjoyed it. They always
thought they danced better but really didn't and they laughed
excessively at mundane questions like, "What time is it?"

During my middle adult years I smoked "ganja" once with a friend who
insisted that I share her high. It wasn't really the kind of peer
pressure you might be thinking about. She had stage four breast cancer
and was undergoing chemotherapy. I would have done almost anything she
asked because I thought that she was going to die. Luckily she
survived and after various treatments, she is well and thriving.

I am again involved with marijuana but in an unusual way. I am united
with a large group of other supporters of the Compassionate Care NY
bill that seeks to let people, with significant physical and emotional
distress, use medicinal marijuana for symptom reduction. The
supporters that I mentioned are, most importantly, those who would
benefit in a dramatic way by being able to use the marijuana to ease
their pain and suffering. They are adults with MS, AIDS and other
chronic conditions. They are children, and in many cases under 15,
with multiple serious debilitating conditions. I was involved in
lobbying because I support the idea that medical marijuana can be
helpful in the treatment of PTSD. There is still much debate on this
topic and ongoing research by the American Medical Association but my
work with veterans ,over the past decade, has lead me to believe that
marijuana can ease many symptoms and PTSD and maybe Traumatic Brain
Injury as well.

My advocacy of the Compassionate Care NY bill started when I met
Gabriel Sayegh, director of the Drug Policy Alliance's New York Office
who is spearheading this intense effort at the state Legislature.
While lobbying he dispenses all forms of relevant information,
coordinates hearings, and works to get the optimum amount of helpful
media attention.

If you look up multitask in the dictionary you will probably see his
picture. He is obviously a skilled professional but I was more
interested in his emotional commitment to this challenge. This is how
Sayegh responded to my inquiry.

"We have tens of thousands of people in our state who are suffering
with debilitating conditions like cancer, multiple sclerosis, seizure
disorders, HIV, and more," Sayegh said. "And even though many of these
patients have physicians who want to recommend medical marijuana, and
despite the strong scientific evidence and public support and even the
recent pronouncements by CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta, politicians in Albany
are still stuck in the old drug war, leaving families and patients
with a horrible choice: continue to suffer, break the law to get
marijuana for medical use, or move to one of the 20 states with
working medical marijuana programs. This doesn't make any sense; it's
an outrage."

"I do this work because we can do better," Sayegh said. "I've talked
with thousands of patients in New York who just want relief from their
suffering, who can't understand why politicians in Albany continue to
delay providing compassionate care. The only way patients and families
are going to get the relief they need is if we fight for what's right.
I, for one, want to be part of that fight. I've committed myself to
working with others to pursue a new path based in science, compassion,
health and human rights. We can start that here in New York by
allowing seriously ill people to access small amounts of marijuana for
medical use under the supervision of their doctor. It just makes sense."

I will continue to work with Sayegh because it makes sense to me and
hopefully to you also.  
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D