My doctors wrote me prescriptions for some of the strongest painkillers available. I took Percocet, Vicodin and Oxycontin on a regular basis, knowingly risking overdose just trying to make the pain bearable. But these powerful, expensive drugs brought me no relief. I couldn't sleep, I was agitated, my legs kicked involuntarily in bed and the pain was so bad I found myself crying in the middle of the night.

All these heavy-duty narcotics made me nearly incoherent. I couldn't take them when I had to work, because they turned me into a zombie. Worse, these drugs are highly addictive, and one thing I knew was that I didn't want to become a junkie.Advertisement

When someone suggested I try marijuana, I was skeptical. But I also was desperate. To my amazement, it worked after the legal drugs had failed. Three puffs and within minutes the excruciating pain in my legs subsided. I had my first restful sleep in months.

I am not alone. A new study from the University of California, published in February in the highly regarded medical journal Neurology, leaves no doubt about that.

You see, people with MS suffer from a particular type of pain called neuropathic pain: pain caused by damage to the nerves. It's common in MS but also in many other illnesses, including diabetes and HIV/AIDS. It's typically a burning or stabbing sensation, and conventional pain drugs don't help much, whatever the specific illness.

The new study, conducted by Dr. Donald Abrams, looked at neuropathic pain in HIV/AIDS patients. About one-third of people with HIV eventually suffer this kind of pain, and there are no FDA-approved treatments. For some it gets so bad that they can't walk.

This was what is known as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, the "gold standard" of medical research. And marijuana worked. The very first marijuana cigarette reduced the pain by an average of 72 percent, without serious side effects.

What makes this even more impressive is that U.S. researchers studying marijuana are required to use marijuana supplied by the federal government, marijuana that is famous for its poor quality and weakness. So there is every reason to believe that studies such as this one underestimate the potential relief that high-quality marijuana could provide.

In my case, medical marijuana has allowed me to live a productive, fruitful life despite having multiple sclerosis. Many thousands of others all over this country — less well-known than me but whose stories are just as real — have experienced the same thing.

Here's what's shocking: The U.S. government knows marijuana works as a medicine. Our government actually provides medical marijuana each month to five patients in a program that started about 25 years ago but was closed to new patients in 1992. One of the patients in that program, Florida stockbroker Irvin Rosenfeld, was a guest on my show two years ago. If federal officials come to town to tell you there's no evidence marijuana is a safe, effective medicine, know this: They're lying, and they know it.

Still, 39 states subject patients with illnesses like MS, cancer or HIV/AIDS to arrest and jail for using medical marijuana, even if their doctor has recommended it. It's long past time for that to change.

Illinois state Sen. John Cullerton, D-Chicago, has introduced a bill — SB 650 — to protect patients like me from arrest and jail for using medical marijuana when it's recommended by a physician. Similar laws are working well in 11 states right now.

The General Assembly should pass the medical marijuana bill without delay. Sick people shouldn't be treated as criminals.

Television talk show host Montel Williams is the author, with Lawrence Grobel, of "Climbing Higher" and other books.

Special to the Post-Dispatch

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MO)
Author: Montel Williams
Published: April 3, 2007
Copyright: 2007 St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Website: http://www.stltoday.com/
Contact: letters@post-dispatch.com

Related Articles & Web Sites:

Montel Williams Show
http://www.montelshow.com/

Montel Williams MS Foundation
http://www.montelms.org/

Senate Pending Marijuana Drug Bill
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22735.shtml

Byrds - "Turn Turn Turn"

He posed the question during a handshake meet and greet afterward, (with crowd around) "With NM Gov. Richardson signing a medical marijuana bill, what is your position regarding medical marijuana"

Edwards replied that "he is becoming more for it than against it " (not the exact words, but supportive)

It looks as if Richardson is forcing all candidates hand.

This story, (I'm guessing) is not from the ChiTown area but rather in the state capital: Springfield, Ill area (with the reference of: The Illinois General Assembly) or in the East St. Louis area on the other side of the river from St. Louis. The windy city doesn't get St. Louis channel 4.

It's sad to see him amazed that not everyone believes him. We...so many of us have been saying that it was amazing help to some people for years...yet we are ignored and insulted...over and over.

Sucks doesn't it, Montel? It really is bad.

RRG

I found out about a week ago that the new Chairman of the Congressional Health Committee is Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., who has a legislative office in New Brunswick, N.J., right accross the street from Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical company. Late last summer, Congressman Pallone told me in his office that he has changed his mind and now supports medical "Marijuana". I called his office the other day on their toll free number, (866) 340-9281, to support medical "Marijuana", REMOVE Fluoride from drinking water [referred to water Fluoridation as "liquid castration"], support research on the bedbug infestation problem, and OPPOSE the massive influx of Mexican "undocumented workers" and the planned "North American Union" [which the Council On Foreign Relations wants to impose, eliminate our international borders, by the year 2010, ONLY 3 YEARS AWAY, PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]!!!

A trial date is scheduled for April 16, 2007, in regards to my lawsuit against the New Jersey State Police for having barred me from entering the Statehouse on the day Montel Williams & Dr. Morgan testified, Richard Paul Zuckerman, Plaintiff, vs. State of New Jersey, New Jersey State Police, Unknown Statehouse Guards, Defendants, docket number MER-L-1948-06. Within the past couple of weeks, the Deputy Attorney General filed a motion for summary judgment to dismiss the case before trial, alleging they made a "mistake" interpreting their "restricted access list", that they were only negligent, that negligence never constitutes a constitutional violation, that I was only denied entrance into the Statehouse on that one occasion, and that a citizen does not have a constitutional right to enter the Statehouse. This morning, I personally drove down to Trenton, N.J., and served the Attorney General's Office and motion/trial judge Paul Innes, J.S.C., Mercer County. My opposition papers, consisting of a letter, an affidavit, and an appendix, asserts a citizen DOES have a State Constitutional Right of access to a public building, that they denied my State Constitutional Right even if it was only one time, that the motion for summary judgment should be denied because there was a genuine dispute of material facts as to whether I asked to speak to a Supervisor and whether one of the guards simultaneously made a telephone call to a supervisor to confirm their misinterpretation of the "restricted access list". I made sure to comment in the opposition brief that pro se litigants should not be treated like the cave men in the Geico auto insurance commercials!!!! April 16, 2007, in the courtroom of Hon. Paul Innes, J.S.C., Mercer County Courthouse, Trenton, New Jersey!!

I was particularly pleased that he included reference to the federal medical marijuana program. The feds and the public should be reminded with this every time the John Walters of the world open their mouths.

"Here's what's shocking: The U.S. government knows marijuana works as a medicine. Our government actually provides medical marijuana each month to five patients in a program that started about 25 years ago but was closed to new patients in 1992. One of the patients in that program, Florida stockbroker Irvin Rosenfeld, was a guest on my show two years ago. If federal officials come to town to tell you there's no evidence marijuana is a safe, effective medicine, know this: They're lying, and they know it."