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In the years since I injured my back I have gone through 1 variety of prescribed
medications, physical therapy, spinal injections, and finally surgery to try to remedy mt
pain and suffering. After surgery I then dealt with the depression of not healing as I hope
I would and therefore loosing a job I lend and many friends who could only deal with the
me that used to have the physical stamina and good back to do al the wonderful hikes,
bike rides, skiing, playing sports etc., etc..
 
A cane and service dog became familiar to me to help ma maintain a standing position
because my legs ire too often threatening to collapse beneath a. The problem of
Interrupted sleep due to pain, numbness and changing positions makes me want to sleep more
often. However pi to often even laying down doesn't feel good. Many times I wish I could
learn how to levitate myself in mid-air traction! The closest 1 have come to that is by
dangling in a deep pool which gives me relief as long as I am in the pool Warm bathes,
hottubs and massage ire also a means of temporary relief from the pain.
 
The medications that doctors prescribed for me all have some side effect that leave me
zoned out for days on end, cause problems or weaken other parts of my body and mind, and
leave me feeling like I have even less control over my life Id body.
 
The final diagnosis of my disability is degenerative bone disease, failed back syndrome,
scar tissue buildup on nerves and fibromyalgia.
 
When I tried marijuana for my back pain and depression, which helped, I found it helped
me to sleep better and gave me a better appetite as well. Also it relaxed me so that I did
not have regular attacks of my back going into spasms and binding up on me.
 
So, I asked my doctor if she could prescribe it for me and she informed me it is against
the law for her to do so. I don't understand why marijuana that can help so many suffering
people has such a taboo in this society of ours. Those against it ire constantly telling us
about al these negative effects that supposedly exist. When is the proof? Some people
point a finger in the direction of people that an drug addicts or loosers of some sort and
blame it on marijuana. But those folks who are dan and out would be that way on
anything or nothing at al. How can this society justify the abuse of alcohol by selling it
It gas stations and advertising it everywhere while so many die from it's abuse? How can
we justify so many prescribed drugs that are proven to have terrible side effects and
known to destroy many other body functions?
 
The answer is money. look how much money is made from prescription drugs and alcohol
Prices for prescription drugs are out of this world. It should be illegal for companies to
- profit so much from the misery of others. They don't want marijuana to be legalized for
medical use because then those pharmaceutical companies won't be making quite as many
billions of dollars off of us.
Even people I care about have given me a hard time and say that daily use of marijuana
would make me an addict. But they take their pills everyday and tell me to ask my doctor
for this or that medication. Some of these folks even know the side effects and body
disorders that are caused but they still persist.
 
I still keep my hops up that the doubtful felts can see beyond the smoke screen and make
some sense about the medical use of marijuana. People who use it don't just sit around
and waste awry. We aren't loosers or addicts. We shouldn't feel that we are criminals or
breaking the law to seek relief either. We do have ambition. We also have compassion for
the well being and want to end the suffering of so many people that have found 7 way to
alleviate their pain.
 
I have heard numerous personal testimonies of folks that have benefitted from the
medical use of marijuana. Sadly I have also heard some say that they would not be able to
make such a profit selling it if it were legal. This too is a fact we must face. There are
marijuana growers who fight to keep it illegal for their own profit.
 
When it 18 comes down to it why should we have doctors prescribing heart surgery when
you need an aspirin. Why should I be given Relafen, Cimetidine, Elivil, and Prozac when
marijuana gives me better relief and causes me less, if any, harm? Mast prescribed drug!
create many side effects and medical problems for other parts of our bodies. Then re
seek additional medical attention for those ailments which again adds up to big bucks
being spent at the doctors office. Funny how that works.
 
The medical use of marijuana should be a human right. It is time that we took back some
of the control over our own bodies and our rights as voting citizens. We should not be
asked to suffer when there is a solution. No parson or doctor should be threatened by 1
government action when we as voters have our rights. We the people of this United States
of America are the voters and the government should be working for us.
 
Marijuana
by Sunny C. Bell