Politicizing Pain: The War on Marijuana
by Rep Ron Paul
K.K. Forss does not claim medical marijuana solves all his problems. His pain from a ruptured disc in his neck is debilitating. He is unable to go to work or to the First Baptist Church he used to attend because of the pain and muscle spasms. Taxpayers through Medicare spend over $18,000 a year on his various medications.
Half of those drugs are strong narcotics. The other half address the various side-effects brought on by the first half, such as nausea, heartburn, heart palpitations, difficulty sleeping, and muscle spasms.
No, marijuana would not completely address all his pain, but it made a tremendous difference in the quality of his life when he tried it for over a year. It helped him regain 38 pounds he had lost. It calmed his muscle spasms and helped him sleep. In short, it alleviated many side effects and greatly reduced his need for other expensive medications. Mr. Forss estimates that being allowed to use medical marijuana would save taxpayers at least $12,000 a year in medications he would no longer need. He would also be able to work occasionally and attend some church services.
Scientists at the University of California at Davis recently completed a study that backs up Mr. Forss’s experience, finding that cannabis demonstrates significant relief of neuropathic pain. Many in government call for more studies while people like K.K. Forss suffer. More studies will not change what many patients already know, and that is for some, medical marijuana helps their pain. But over-reaching government gets in the way.
K.K. Forss lived in constant fear of federal and state officials so he eventually stopped taking medical marijuana and switched to his more rigorous and expensive pill regimen. Presently, twelve states have passed legislation allowing marijuana, under certain conditions, to be prescribed legally by doctors for patients who could benefit from it.
K.K. Forss lives in Minnesota, where it is not yet legal. However, even if it is legalized by the state, Mr. Forss will still have plenty to fear from the Federal government, as cannabis dispensaries and clinics that operate under these state laws are still under fire from the Drug Enforcement Administration.
In other words, the federal government sees fit to use our tax dollars to raid state sanctioned healthcare clinics, to imprison and fine patients and operators, in order to compel people like Mr. Forss to be bedridden and overmedicated at great taxpayer expense every single day.
The Federal government should recognize that states have the authority to decide these issues. This affords all states the opportunity to see which policies are most beneficial. As a Congressman and a physician, I strongly advocate that healthcare decisions should be made by doctors and patients, not politicians or federal agents, which is why I am an original co-sponsor of the recently introduced “Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act” which would bar the Federal government from intervening in such doctor/patient relationships that violate no state law.
The bottom line is that K.K. Forss should be treated as a free American. Mr. Forss is one of many who would like to use marijuana medicinally because it helps him.
Politicians and bureaucrats have no right to interfere.
Ron Paul is a republican member of Congress from Texas.
(3 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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I want to encourage Drs. and the media alike to strongly back the use of cannabis for pain relief. I crushed both legs in a work related accident. It took two months to detox from the pain meds. I believe they caused as much if not more pain than I was already in. I now live with pain so as not to become addicted to pain meds. This is very real and creates addiction and suffering. A horrible quality of life for millions.
Thank you
Michael Meka
and I suppose inhaling copious amounts of intense smoke daily for years and years have absolutely no negative effect on the lungs, liver, veins, arteries, etc? I thing that it is safe to say that the negatives out weigh the positives. Not to mention the smoking too much ganja seems to make people obsess about the most trivial things imaginable..I mean really, really ask yourself whether you are spending your time productively if you are preoccupied with a ridculoulsy irrelevant obsession..whether weed should be legalized..I mean, at the end of the day, who really gives a fuck? Find yourself a hobby…maybe just start by walking around the block a few times..you will be amazed by what you will see..GET A LIFE NUMBNUTS!!
Hey asshole also known as Tony,
There are other ways to take medical marijuana other than smoking. Such as eating or vaporizing it. So why don’t you shut the fuck up you little pissant. So why don’t you go play with your toys and let the adults talk. You have no idea what you are talking about so SHUT THE FUCK UP!
What does going or not going to church have to do with it.
I agree. However, if you are a congressman and a doctor, you don’t need donations to keep this site going. ridiculous.
[...] Ron Paul on medical marijuana I’m not a Ron Paul supporter, but sometimes I think he’s one of the best of a very bad lot. Witness his essay on medical marijuana: Politicizing Pain: The War on Marijuana » Tenth Amendment Center … the federal government sees fit to use our tax dollars to raid state sanctioned healthcare clinics, to imprison and fine patients and operators, in order to compel people like Mr. Forss to be bedridden and overmedicated at great taxpayer expense every single day. __________________ "There’s nothing wrong with you that changing yourself completely couldn’t fix." -Joanne Stupac (That ’70s Show) [...]
as i get older my political views seem to align more with the libertarians than the socialists of my youth. thanks for the breath of fresh air, Dr. Paul.
one needs to grasp the reasons why cannabis is still regarded as a shcedule 1 drug (no “recognized medicinal value”). It threatens the profits of chemical and other companies. Tommy Chong went to federal prison for 9 months because his name was attached to a company that sold bongs over the internet. thats like putting me in jail for assisted suicide because someone used a knife i sold them to do it. please get active and ask your congressman to support the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act. I work as a teacher…i use cannabis under the care and recommendation of a physician. Racist (yes, racist…look up the origins of federal cannabis law and a dude named Anslinger) laws have made me a criminal. please help lift the federal ban on medical cannabis.
Wow,
I just have to say that Ron Paul seems like the first level headed, reasonable, rational conservative that I have seen for a very long time. I live in Australia and have always voted for the Greens party but the more I hear about this Ron Paul character the more respect I gain for him!
At least someone is able to stand up on this war and expose the GOOD rather than the bad on the situation.
Well put, Dr. Paul.
This is about freedom, not drugs.
yes freedom, that essence of democracy which we seem to toss around so lightly. It was hard won and has been nearly lost over and over for 500 years. Defend the right to exercise free will, in habit, custom and pursuit of happiness. It may be your fun they pinch next time.
tony, you’re a fucking retard.
the point of medical marijuana is to titrate it and smoke just enough for the pain to subside and then stop. people want it to last, they’re not going to smoke it all at once. secondly, if you’re really concerned about carcinogens, vaporizers filter out over 90% of them. and if you’re opposed to both those things, there’s an endless supply of various edible and drinkable products with significant levels of thc in them, so obviously smoking is not required.
[...] Politicizing Pain: The War on Marijuana [...]
“the negatives outweigh the positives”
say that when it is YOU that is in pain…..you have decided that YOU know what is best for everyone else
your sin is arrogance
“and I suppose inhaling copious amounts of intense smoke daily for years and years have absolutely no negative effect on the lungs, liver, veins, arteries, etc?”
First of all, medical marijuana is nearly always vaporized or eaten rather than smoked, which means that there isn’t actually any damage to the lungs (as there might be in recreational smoking use).
Secondly, cannabis doesn’t damage the liver (it isn’t toxic like alcohol), veins, arteries, or really any other part of the body. At the very least, any damage is low-level, happens over very prolonged use, and is likely to be far less than the damage done by the prescription opiates it would be replacing.
Thirdly, even if there are side effects, shouldn’t it be up to doctors and patients to compare the side effects and decide upon the best treatment available? We allow the prescription of all kinds of medicines which are far more dangerous than cannabis because they are the best option in some circumstances. It seems reasonable to do the same with marijuana.
Prozac….
Prozac….
To those who compare marijuana smoke to the heavily additive-leaden and addictive nicotine-enhanced cigarettes, which are perfectly legal, you are wrong.
There are far more known toxins and crap in cigarettes than in marijuana, which is pretty much additive-free. As for toxicity, marijuana is one of the least toxic drugs there is. Also, you can always smoke marijuana from a bong/water-pipe, or any of the many commercially available vaporizers, all profoundly reduce/eliminate heat and smoke.
Marijuana is illegal because of ignorance and fear, period.
I found after a car accident, which ended my career and disabled me for years, that I could smoke a little (about 40 dollars worth a week) marijuana and spare myself most of the side-effects from the barrage of pain medications prescribed to me by my doctors which I needed to minimally function.
Guess what? I took my HMO paid medications and sold half of them to pay for my marijuana, and still had money left over ! So screw all of you jerks who would have people who are in chronic pain suffer - you just are ignorant, you don’t know how profoundly and suddenly chronic pain can ruin your life.