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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
I too, was in a horrific car wreck. My left leg and right arm now permanently damaged, resulting in chronic pain. I sadly live in a state (Georgia) that gives no credence to weed… It’s pathetic what options they’ve left me with. I can stay doped up all day on meds that do further damage to a body that can tolerate little more… Rather than smoke a small amount of marijuana. How completely ignorant of our government.
They’re unable to find a way to tax what I can easily grow in my own backyard. Though I have a medical condition and am of course interested in the “medical” aspects of weed, I have ALWAYS been against the governments unconstitutional ability to limit what I grow and consume. I am an adult (50) and in my opinion was given the RIGHT to make my own choices by the our founding fathers.
The so-called war on drugs is another war we can not win. But the war doesn’t just cost us money and the lives of our sons and daughters, … No, this war costs us our FREEDOM!
Mrs Massie – amazing story, thank you for sharing that with us!
You are undoubtedly correct when you say the war on drugs is not one that can be won – and that it’s a war on our freedom.
but isn’t that just what governments do?
To Tony I want you to think about waking up everday with pain all over your body. Then think about vomiting about 6 to 7 times aday and ending up in ers aleast 5 times a month and then having to stay in a hospital. Do you have someone you love in your life imagine them watching you wase away and weigh 80 pounds. Then I get migranes so bad that I am in bed not able to function at all. I have been sick for 20 years and it has been a very hard life. I do believe we are all entitled to our thoughts,but maybe you should think about the other side of the grass before you state your thoughts with such anger and profanity.
Angel – what an awful situation. And worse yet, there are a lot of people out there that want to control what you do in the privacy of your own home. And they’re willing to send men with guns to take you away if you don’t agree with what THEY want for YOUR life.
The reality of the drug war is that it’s repugnant to the ideals of a free society.
thanks for your response michael,it is a very hard life to live and if I can make a difference for anything in this world it is to support to those who suffer from chronic pain or a illness. I was upset with the way tony expressed his views have a little class when expressing yourself. Being sick everday of your life is a hard thing to accept,but I am lucky to have a loving husband to support me and hold me up when I cant…………..I really hope that the world wakes up and smell the roses if you know what i mean angel
A pickup pulled out into my lane and hit me head on several years ago. It was a fairly low-speed collision (about 35 mph combined speed) fortunately, but it dislocated my left shoulder and did a lot of nerve damage. I have been tested and treated and drugged by normal medical procedures. The pain and numbness in my left arm and shoulder, especially when I lie down, is serious. Without medication, I can only sleep about half an hour at a time at night, then I have to get up and walk around till the pain and numbness subside enough to sleep again. I was on narcotic painkillers for seven months, which did allow me to sleep and function during the day. They also made it difficult to concentrate and had physical side effects. I reached the point where I couldn't take them any more — the side effects were just too much. I tried marijuana and found that I can smoke a small amount twice a day and the pain and numbness are almost completely eliminated, and with no serious side effects.
If someone wants to criticize another person for choosing the most effective and least harmful method of dealing with serious chronic pain, they should stop and think long and hard about what that person's situation is. And it's not the government's business either. I consider the marijuana laws to be, among other things, a case of government practicing medicine without a license.
Wow, what a story, Jeff. You hit the nail on the head though when you said "'s not the government's business either."
This is not something that the federal government has any constitutional authority to be involved in. And, if they weren't, I think it would be likely that state governments wouldn't want to spend the time, money and resources on either
And it might be noted that Ron Paul is a medical doctor, and knows far more about health and medicine than anyone else in Congress.
Great point, Jeff – and even he will tell you that as a federal representative that he has no authority to tell you how to live your life in this area. This is a state or local function only.
Hello everyone it is angel again. You know I was sitting here not feeling good not a gooday for me,its okay. I have had to accept alot of things that people can do everday that i cant. Like cleaning the house and laudry,I have to pace myself and I have to go real slow and somedays it just not possible. I fought my way out of a wheelchair and vowed i would never end up in one again and it has been 10 years. It is beautiful here in NH today and I am watching my dog play in his little pool. Those are the little things that keep me going,if my dog was suffering in horrible pain what do we do as people,we put them down. We let them go with love and respect. This battle over how we choose as americans to deal with chronic pain is our business end of story. But yet we have big gov bailouts and all of the not so smart decisions that our gov makes and they want to make a battle of pot………..Give me a break isnt there enough battles in this world like violence murder and the war and the financial state we are all facing. I am a responsible person,I would not drive or do any harm when it comes to pot. I realize that some people do use their brains.But do not make the rest of us suffer amen amen. I would like to start a petion on this issue for legal use anyone behind me. I hope so I have written the house of reps governor and reps. thats what we have to do if we really truley are behind this issue. so please write comments back to me on this so important issue angel