Letter: NC needs medical marijuana

Graphic by Lori Deaton

This letter is a warning to every chronic pain patient in North Carolina. As of March, physicians can no longer prescribe opioid medication to their patients. Chronic pain sufferers must now go to “pain clinics,” where if marijuana is found in their urine, they will promptly be deprived of the medication they need to function.

Twenty-nine states have passed laws legalizing marijuana for medical purposes. If you, your friends or family members know anyone in these states, ask them to contact their physicians, who in “legal” states would be free to prescribe your pain medication.

The first principle of medicine is do no harm. This basic premise does not matter here in North Carolina. No one should suffer because they cannot get the medication they need.

— Name withheld
Hendersonville

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15 thoughts on “Letter: NC needs medical marijuana

  1. Jason

    With ignorant white Christian conservatives running the show… good luck!
    As a disabled veteran who suffered from chronic pain and PTSD; I brought medical Marijuana up to “comb over” Edwards at a CEBO meeting; his reply, “I’m to busy getting tax breaks than concerning myself with illegal drugs!”

  2. boatrocker

    Funny how most vets vote conservative straight ticket GOP then have the gall to complain when theparty of Jeff Sessions seizes power and attempts to roll back legalization legislation on state levels for medical marijuana. Except it’s not funny as lives are at
    stake for the servicemen/women who perform the second most important job in America.

    Don’t worry vets, at least the GOP still will protect doctors/pharmy companies who over-prescribe opiods after signing draconian budget cuts for VA hospitals under George W.

    Hoo ahh, no sympathy here.
    And Semper Fi to any GOP vets who are ‘always
    faithful’ to party over country.

  3. Roberto

    I agree.

    But, welcome to the South.

    We aren’t progressive. We eschew science. We’re kind of dumb.

    You had better find in the Bible where it says it’s “okie-dokie” or it ain’t going to happen here, never mind that you’re trying to help folks.

    • jason

      The bible has been re-written numerous times to suit whoever was in power. Let’s just re-write it again. It’s just a book to control behavior of uneducated and poor people anyway.

  4. Bright

    “We” need a lot more than that. Too many dumb down pills have been prescribed.

    • Jason

      oh but those pills were prescribed by the almighty DOCTORS; who were BY CHANCE raking in huge bucks in kickbacks….. all legal thanx to our bought and paid for whore politicians

      • Juliette

        Yep, my PM would rather keep me on fentanyl and oxy for years for my chroic pain issues ( FM, IC, TN, OA, RA and seizure related pain than help me obtain and use MMJ in a safe manner. I hate pouring $ into the pockets of these big pharma companies whose poisons do nothing but destroy my body and create more havoc. I have no guidance, help, or access to a wonderful safer remedy for healing. I love NC but we need to catch up to the rest of these states that are getting with the program.

  5. My $0.02

    Genesis 1:11 – And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so.

    Genesis 1:29 – And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.

    Genesis 9:3 – Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.

    Genesis 1:29-30 – And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.

    Proverbs 15:17 – Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.

    Hebrews 6:7 – For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God.

    • boatrocker

      Nice. That’s going to piss off the law and order MAGA evangelicals for sure.
      I call those quotes The Willie Nelson Defense.
      If NC ever gets medical or recreational legalized wacky weed
      legislation, know we will be the last state in the union for it.
      Kicking and screaming.

      I’ve talked to a few vets over the years who say a lefty cigarette does more good than
      any pharmies for PTSD and other mental illnesses, but pharmy companies, the insurance industry and docs manage to keep their heads down when it comes to this debate ahem the wheels being greased is my theory.

      I’ll repeat myself for the benefit of those who may not have read my post up top…

      Vets w PTSD and those suffering from big C/glaucoma types- vote the Party of Jeff Sessions out, pass legislation to make it not a Category 1 drug and buy local if it happens.

      Please remember neocons, that Repubs and Dems only switch belief systems
      after the 1964 Civil Rights/Voting Acts where Repubs became “The Southern
      Strategy” designed to punish LBJ (D) to caving in to those ‘uppity NAACP types’.
      Woodrow Wilson, a Dem (meaning a modern GOPer) had no problem with the
      Volstead Act, and NC had no problem enforcing it which is why I am a bit cynical.
      Ahem Baptists in lawmaking positions.

      Otherwise enough with your complaining. You made your bunk and dropped a quarter
      on it to see if it would bounce, Oh Brothers of straight GOP party over country.

      • Tim w Frazier

        You are wrong. I had a 25 day stroke 2.5 years ago. Lost my left eye, motor control slowness on my right side. My doctor tried a bunch of things to get my right leg felling like my Left. A BUNCH OF THINGS. Including opioids. he finally said “have you tried cannabis?” I ignored him. Three week later a radiologist mentioned the same thing. I ordered some and tried it – – Oh My Gawd ! It works. I’ve slowly got my pile of pills from 11 down to NONE.

        There a reason it went from CA to MA and stuff, those are the well educated among us (I’ve lived in 7 cites/places). Burlington VT, Boston, Denver, Chicago, Burlington again, Holly Springs. I’ve been a GE person until they laid me off (stroke).

        Thank-you.

        • boatrocker

          Not sure if you are addressing my post as wrong (?)
          but you just made the exact same points as I did that
          medical weed is a good thing for various ailments
          and opioids do more harm than good.
          Thank you back.

  6. Barbara King

    I hope N.

    I Hope north Carolina get’s Cannabis real soon. If that does not happen , I have siblings in Marijuana states,
    This is what a lot of people do, their relatives send it to them.
    Come on N.C.

    • Juliette

      Me too…Im ready to move just to have relief from my severe chronic pain and epilepsy. I don’t want to pour 22 meds down my throat a day knowing there’s a better/ safer option.

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