MrFixit
June 13th, 2007, 02:10 PM
Prescription Pot
Posted by CN Staff (letters@metrotimes.com) on June 13, 2007 at 06:32:45 PT
By Curt Guyette, Metro Times News Editor
Source: Metro Times (http://www.metrotimes.com/)
http://cannabisnews.com/images/medical.gif (http://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml) Michigan -- Rochelle Lampkin knows she's breaking the law when she lights a joint and takes a few tokes, but she doesn't feel like a criminal. "Sometimes," she says, "you have to do something that's wrong for all the right reasons."The 48-year-old Detroit grandmother has multiple sclerosis, and an associated condition called optic neuritis, an excruciatingly painful inflammation of the optic nerve. It hits her a few times a month.
"It's like an explosion," says Lampkin. "On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say it's a 12."
She tried prescription pain relievers, but was bothered by the side effects. Vicodin, a narcotic related to opium, made her nauseous and sleepy. Tylenol 4, which contains the opiate codeine, had a similar effect. "They were just too strong for me," says Lampkin.
Then some people in the MS support groups she belongs to started suggesting she try pot to ease the pain. One of the frequently cited medical benefits attributed to marijuana is its effectiveness at easing the spasms that often afflict people who suffer from MS. Although spasms weren't a major problem for Lampkin, some thought it could help deal with the eye pain as well. But Lampkin was reluctant. Neither a drinker nor a smoker, she recoiled at the thought of doing an illegal drug.
"I was afraid of it," recalls Lampkin. But finally, out of desperation, she got a "marijuana cigarette" from a friend she knew would be "discreet and wouldn't lace it with anything" and fired up. It took just a few "puffs" for the pain to ease.
"It worked," she says.
Now she's backing a push to make it legal for Michigan doctors to prescribe marijuana to patients like herself.
http://cannabisnews.com/news/23/thread23069.shtml
Posted by CN Staff (letters@metrotimes.com) on June 13, 2007 at 06:32:45 PT
By Curt Guyette, Metro Times News Editor
Source: Metro Times (http://www.metrotimes.com/)
http://cannabisnews.com/images/medical.gif (http://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml) Michigan -- Rochelle Lampkin knows she's breaking the law when she lights a joint and takes a few tokes, but she doesn't feel like a criminal. "Sometimes," she says, "you have to do something that's wrong for all the right reasons."The 48-year-old Detroit grandmother has multiple sclerosis, and an associated condition called optic neuritis, an excruciatingly painful inflammation of the optic nerve. It hits her a few times a month.
"It's like an explosion," says Lampkin. "On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say it's a 12."
She tried prescription pain relievers, but was bothered by the side effects. Vicodin, a narcotic related to opium, made her nauseous and sleepy. Tylenol 4, which contains the opiate codeine, had a similar effect. "They were just too strong for me," says Lampkin.
Then some people in the MS support groups she belongs to started suggesting she try pot to ease the pain. One of the frequently cited medical benefits attributed to marijuana is its effectiveness at easing the spasms that often afflict people who suffer from MS. Although spasms weren't a major problem for Lampkin, some thought it could help deal with the eye pain as well. But Lampkin was reluctant. Neither a drinker nor a smoker, she recoiled at the thought of doing an illegal drug.
"I was afraid of it," recalls Lampkin. But finally, out of desperation, she got a "marijuana cigarette" from a friend she knew would be "discreet and wouldn't lace it with anything" and fired up. It took just a few "puffs" for the pain to ease.
"It worked," she says.
Now she's backing a push to make it legal for Michigan doctors to prescribe marijuana to patients like herself.
http://cannabisnews.com/news/23/thread23069.shtml