cannabisnews.com: Veterans Key To Medical Marijuana Lobby Efforts
function share_this(num) {
tit=encodeURIComponent('Veterans Key To Medical Marijuana Lobby Efforts');
url=encodeURIComponent('http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/27/thread27515.shtml');
site = new Array(5);
site[0]='http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u='+url+'&title='+tit;
site[1]='http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit.php?url='+url+'&title='+tit;
site[2]='http://digg.com/submit?topic=political_opinion&media=video&url='+url+'&title='+tit;
site[3]='http://reddit.com/submit?url='+url+'&title='+tit;
site[4]='http://del.icio.us/post?v=4&noui&jump=close&url='+url+'&title='+tit;
window.open(site[num],'sharer','toolbar=0,status=0,width=620,height=500');
return false;
}
Veterans Key To Medical Marijuana Lobby Efforts
Posted by CN Staff on June 21, 2013 at 13:07:36 PT
By Sophia Tareen, Associated Press
Source: Associated Press
Chicago -- When a constant, “sputtering” pain grips Jim Champion’s arms and legs, the Army veteran says only one thing brings him relief: marijuana.Champion, who suffers from a progressive form of multiple sclerosis, hopes his experience with marijuana as medicine will help bring relief to other suffering veterans in Illinois. He’s told his story to Gov. Pat Quinn, who now faces a decision whether to sign a measure legalizing medical marijuana in the state.
The veteran, who met Quinn in 2011, says his illness started with blurred vision when he was in the military 25 years ago and ultimately left him a quadriplegic reliant on his wife for care. Pills he took to control pain, which causes violent tremors and leaves him at times unable to open his fists, killed his appetite and turned him “into a zombie,” he says. At the same time, the marijuana his wife adds to baked goods relaxed him.“My nerves kinda shut off. They quit jumping, sputtering,” Champion said. “So far I’ve found no medicine that’s capable of doing that.”Pleas from people such as Champion who have serious illnesses have been central to efforts to lobby for legalized medical marijuana in Illinois. As Quinn decides whether to sign the measure, those personal stories could make the difference.Quinn has placed veterans’ issues at the top of his agenda since before he held the state’s highest office. That has included attending their funerals, creating a relief fund for families who lost active-duty soldiers and traveling to Germany each Christmas to visit wounded soldiers.The Democratic governor has mentioned hearing compelling stories of sick patients, including a veteran, who have been aided by cannabis. But Quinn, facing the start of what could be a tough re-election campaign, has said only that he’s “open minded” to the proposal.Some law enforcement officials are against the measure, which would allow seriously ill patients — the bill describes roughly 30 conditions — who have a doctor’s approval to access the drug.Veterans for Medical Cannabis Access, a Virginia-based nonprofit group, has organized in several states including Illinois, saying marijuana can help people with post-traumatic stress disorder find balance.“Really the choices are few and basically suck,” said Michael Krawitz, the group’s executive director. “It’s a population that finds cannabis really, really useful.”Opponents have been vocal as well.The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association have called on Quinn to veto the measure, saying it would create troubles for motorists. The Chicago Crime Commission, a non-government group that looks at crime trends, says legalized marijuana raises too many questions and that the allowed amount — 2.5 ounces per patient at a time — is too high.“Would it wind its way to family members? On purpose or inadvertently? Would it wind its way onto the street corner drug trade?” asked Joe Ways, the commission’s executive director.Proponents say the 2.5-ounces limit is necessary for baking, in case a patient can’t smoke.The measure outlines a four-year pilot program that requires patients and caregivers to undergo background checks and sets provisions for state-regulated dispensaries. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Lou Lang, a Skokie Democrat, said the regulations are stiff.“There’s an absolute need out there. It will help the quality of life immensely for a lot of people,” Lang said. “Every leaf, every transaction is going to be tracked.”Champion would like for his wife to be able to buy marijuana for him without the legal risk.After being diagnosed with the autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system, Champion was medically discharged from the Army in 1989.Over the years, doctors prescribed numerous medications — including morphine, valium and methadone — to help him deal with the pain, until he was taking 59 pills a day. The medications made it difficult for Champion to eat. Last year, he experienced kidney failure. Once a robust 185 pounds, he saw the scale dip to near 130.“You don’t remember a lot. You’re not hungry. You’re constantly sick to your stomach. You’re tired. You’re shaky,” he said.Marijuana brought back his appetite and eased the pain without side effects, he said. While neither likes that she buys the drug on the streets, his wife, Sandy Champion, agrees to be interviewed about it, and both say it’s worth the risk. He’s decreased his daily pills to around two dozen.Champion is optimistic about the bill’s chances and believes Quinn’s talk about the sacrifices of service members is heartfelt.“I reminded him that I was one of those veterans,” he said.Source: Associated Press (Wire)Author: Sophia Tareen, Associated PressPublished: June 21, 2013Copyright: 2013 The Associated PressCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help
Comment #8 posted by afterburner on June 23, 2013 at 21:52:38 PT
'Perhaps one day Canadians will be as lucky.'
•Canada: Column: Why It's Time To Legalize Marijuana, Maclean's Magazine, (17 Jun 2013)
http://www.mapinc.org/newstcl/v13/n285/a06.html?176
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #7 posted by afterburner on June 23, 2013 at 13:26:30 PT
Be Not Afraid -- Choose Love
sacred knowledge of vibration and the power of human emotions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0gBoV0ygJc&feature=player_embedded
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #6 posted by HempWorld on June 22, 2013 at 16:22:04 PT
This Is Our Holocaust!
I keep thinking... (see 2 of the below posts)
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #5 posted by HempWorld on June 22, 2013 at 16:18:28 PT
Ok, so prohibition of marijuana is basically
a Eugenics program. We have seen this confirmed from the ACLU report. And I would say, it is working rather well. Exactly as it was intended...Remember Anslinger's words: "Degenerate races, negroes, ..."
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #4 posted by HempWorld on June 22, 2013 at 16:03:57 PT
OT From doing more research, since
I'm obsessed with cannabis/hemp/Ford/Hitler etc. how we got here? (2013)"The superior species the eugenics movement sought was populated not merely by tall, strong, talented people. Eugenicists craved blond, blue-eyed Nordic types. This group alone, they believed, was fit to inherit the Earth. In the process, the movement intended to subtract emancipated Negroes, immigrant Asian laborers, Indians, Hispanics, East Europeans, Jews, dark- haired hill folk, poor people, the infirm and anyone classified outside the gentrified genetic lines drawn up by American raceologists."From:
http://www.waragainsttheweak.com/offSiteArchive/www.sfgate.com/index.html
Eugenics and the Nazis -- the California connection If you think that's interesting, check out the Ford-Hitler connection, without Ford, there would have been no Hitler...http://www.amazon.com/Nazi-Nexus-Corporate-Connections-Holocaust/dp/0914153099/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1371937463&sr=1-1&keywords=nazi+nexus#reader_0914153099
Eugenics and the Nazis -- the California connection
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #3 posted by Swazi-X on June 22, 2013 at 04:41:08 PT
Another Charade
The VA is criminal to deny veterans the use of cannabis. We can spend billions of dollars on a massive, secret, unregulated security compound designed to scoop all possible information from all possible people - domestic and abroad - and still we can't seem to find the time or money or will to sort the VA's massive dung-heap they call their records in order to make good on the promise we made these soldiers of basic health care? We send billions overseas in military aid, and further billions go to domestic corporations in tax credits, bizarre subsidies, and protectionist tax laws and we STILL can't bother to honor our pledge to the veterans who desperately need what we've promised?To deny the health of our veterans in favor of more millions for more millionaires is not only perverted, but for the owners of our government it could very well prove to be dangerous. Just look at Turkey. Brazil...Bottom line - screw the VA and their "medicine" (poisonous chemicals designed to help Big Pharma's bottom line, mostly). Move to a medical cannabis state, plant a seed and cure yourself. Remember: fresh flowers, never dried or heated - frozen right off the plant - are your best friends. Much of the health benefits, none of the high!
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #2 posted by FoM on June 21, 2013 at 18:17:31 PT
HempWorld
You are right!
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #1 posted by HempWorld on June 21, 2013 at 13:46:50 PT
"Police called on Gov. Quinn to veto the measure&q
And thus leave vets and other citizens and their surroundings suffer needlessly until they die!How humane! How did we get to this point? Why is the police doing this, and playing doctor, once again?Because they don't want to give up the easy and fun part of their job, that's why! Their word is law!
Pot Law
[ Post Comment ]
Post Comment