Op-Ed

Medical Marijuana- Science Versus Politics

How medicla marijuana helps very ill Cape Codders

by Matt Allen, Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance.

Don Parker is a father who holds down two jobs in the Cape Cod area.  Though he looks like a healthy middle-aged man, since childhood Parker has suffered from cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) - prolonged, debilitating bouts of vomiting which can leave him bed ridden with nausea, dehydration, and migraine headaches.  The cause is unknown, making CVS very difficult to treat.

Countless prescription medicines have either failed to help or caused side effects that were too severe to bear. Only one medicine has really helped him: marijuana.

But while several other New England states have given legal protection to medical marijuana patients like Don, Massachusetts has not. That could change soon, but it will require our legislators to put science and compassion ahead of politics.

"If I have access to medical marijuana, my intake of other prescription medicines decreases, and most importantly it effectively address the muscle stiffness and tremors that cause me pain and keep me up at night." - Ken.

When flare-ups occur, Don has to call in sick to work.  But with the help of medical marijuana, he has excelled in his field as an electro-mechanical technician and is able to live a normal day-to-day life.  In fact, he has not had any serious symptoms in months

Don says that using a small amount of marijuana every few days is enough to keep his symptoms at bay.  But when he doesn't have access to medical marijuana, the vomiting begins and he can't work.

"I've suffered from this condition all my life, and I've never used cannabis socially," he says. "I don't even drink.  It wasn't until I was in my late twenties that I tried medical marijuana after a friend suggested it might help me with my migraines."  When he tried medical marijuana to address his headaches, he found that the most severe symptoms of CVS disappeared for days.  Now his symptoms only re-emerge when he has no medicine, and he resents the fact that he had to suffer for so many years without the knowledge that medical marijuana could help him.

Thousands of patients across Massachusetts suffer from conditions like chronic pain, HIV, or cancer, and find themselves in a similar situation.  For example, Ken (who asked  us not to use his full name for fear of legal repercussions), a resident of southeastern Massachusetts, was first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the1970s.  A former drummer in a successful band, he noticed the symptoms when he began to lose control of the muscles in his bass drum foot while he was playing.  

MS is a degenerative disease that causes pain, muscle spasms, and extreme muscle stiffness that leaves many patients wheelchair-bound.  Ken has known about the benefits of medical marijuana for years, and finds it is the most effective medicine at reducing spasms.  "If I have access to medical marijuana, my intake of other prescription medicines decreases, and most importantly it effectively address the muscle stiffness and tremors that cause me pain and keep me up at night,"  he explains. Ken would like to be able to grow marijuana in his home, but could lose his public housing and face felony charges if he does.

A recent poll by Channel 7 News and Suffolk University found 81 percent support for legal medical marijuana in Massachusetts, including 76 percent of Republicans, 82 percent of Democrats and 86 percent of voters over age 65. With such high approval ratings among the public, plenty of studies supporting the efficacy of marijuana as medicine, and so many public health organizations endorsing the issue, why have our legislators been so slow to act?

In a word, politics - and antiquated politics at that. Much of the political landscape around medical marijuana was defined in the 1980s when the toughest anti-drug laws were passed.  At the time, anyone who opposed harsher drug laws was cast as soft on crime. Some politicians see medical marijuana in this context and are afraid to support it.

Opponents often bring up specious arguments about medical marijuana.  They cite lack of FDA approval, failing to note that federal government has blocked the very research that would be needed for the FDA to approve marijuana as a medicine.  They say that no medicine is smoked, ignoring the fact that vaporization technology has made smoking medical marijuana a non-issue. And amazingly, despite a dozen years of evidence proving otherwise, they say that legalizing medical marijuana will "send the wrong message to kids," encouraging teen drug use.

In fact, none of the 13 states where medical marijuana programs currently exist, has documented an increase in marijuana use among youth since the medical marijuana law took effect. Even in California, where the lack of regulation has led to problems, teen marijuana use has dropped like a rock since the state's medical marijuana law passed in 1996.

Patients like Don and Ken hope that medical marijuana in Massachusetts - known as HB 2160 - will finally move forward soon. If it doesn't, some are considering leaving the state rather than continuing to suffer without legal access to their medicine.  

"I hope they do something soon.  I love Massachusetts," says Don, "but when my son grows up I might have to move to Rhode Island for medical reasons."   Ken echoes, "I've definitely thought about it... I've lived in Massachusetts for all my life and I'd hate to leave, but the worse my condition gets the more I think about moving to California."