Show Me the Facts

"THE PROPER TREATMENT FOR MARY" - Pacific Drug Review - Nov. 1937

I get e-mail from time to time from readers; sometimes they are compliments, sometimes suggestions, and here and there disagreements (which usually end up turning into good conversations). Other times, I get heart-felt stories from marijuana users who appreciate what I am trying to do with this site.

The other day I was contacted by a reader with a joint disorder that causes inflammation and degradation of the mandable. Marijuana, as the reader is keenly aware, has great anti-inflammatory properties to help combat things such as joint inflammation. The reader went on to describe how he found out about it and how well it was working for him. Then he said something that made me really stop and think:

“I also decided to use marijuana because I didn’t have medical insurance and it was the best way to cope with the disorder without breaking my wallet.”

Think about that for a moment. Really let it settle in.

Prior to the dawn of the corporate pharmaceutical age, if you were sick or just didn’t feel well, what were your options? Well, chances are you went to the local drug store and picked up some medicine. Coincidentally, marijuana used to be a highly utilized drug prior to 1937/1938 and was available in many forms, for various conditions. Even the US Pharmacopoeia, a publication of doctor’s remedies started in 1820, endorsed marijuana from 1870 until 1942.

Eli Lilly Powdered Cannabis Extract

These days, if you were to suddenly find yourself in excruciating amounts of pain from, say, a kidney stone or back-strain, what would you do? Some of you may reach for an over-the-counter drug like Motrin®, Tylenol®, or Excedrin® and be completely satisfied with the results. If that fails to work, many of you would schedule an appointment with your physician in order to get yourself checked out and–ultimately–get your hands on a stronger, more effective drug like Vicodin® or Percocet®. However, these more effective drugs come with higher risks for abuse and even physical harm and because of this, you will need a doctor’s approval and prescription before being allowed to purchase them legally.

But what about those not fortunate enough to have medical insurance? What about those 46-million+ Americans who quite literally can not afford to get sick, yet alone afford prescription medication?

For the sake of full-disclosure, I am one such American. Though the concept had drifted past my mind before, I never really thought about it until now: my life would be substantially less productive and my quality of life far lower if not for my access to comparatively cheap, legal, natural medication. Had I not luckily transitioned off my previous medication prior to losing my health insurance, I would never have been able to afford to fill the prescription, nor would I have been able to continue seeing my doctor to get the prescription.

Marijuana is inherently, in the most literally sense of the word, compassionate. Due to its chemical constituents and their interaction with the body, it has the ability to effectively treat an ever-growing list of illnesses, diseases, and conditions. In addition to its versatility, it has an astoundingly low-toxicity level for such an effective drug and, thus, provides no risk of overdose (unlike just about any other drug available). To add the cherry atop a growing pile of pro’s, marijuana is extremely easy to grow/harvest and therefore extremely cheap. And finally, best of all, marijuana comes with no ”®”.

Consider this: If you are suffering from the many side-effects of chemotherapy, the doctor may prescribe Marinol® (make note of that ®), a synthetic, patented version of marijuana’s most celebrated cannabinoid, THC. Another option would be to skip the middle man and use naturally-occurring THC via consumption of marijuana. So what is the difference? Well, aside from the obvious legal repercussions of the latter decision (depending on the laws in your area), and the fact that Marinol® is not without its own issues, the difference comes down to dollars and cents. While Marinol® will cost its users, on average, between $200 and $800 per month (depending on dosage), marijuana can be grown for about $10 an ounce.

The drug companies have every right to protect their intellectual property and charge whatever they like for said property. However, in a free-market, freedom-of-choice world, people also deserve protection of their rights; such as the right to treat themselves however they see/believe/feel fit. Pharmaceutical companies, via proxy of law and government enforcement, should not be allowed to strong-arm people into purchasing their goods.

While some people–namely politicians–feel it is easy to escape this issue by using the memorized “there are other, legal medications available” mantra, there are millions of individuals who do not have the luxury of choice (both due to the lack of money, as well as the lack of a supportive government).

So for those of you who feel content in your belief that there is no reason for medical marijuana when there are so many other legal options, I ask you: What about us? What about those who are not as fortunate to have a choice? Those who can not afford choice? Those who would rather trust a natural substance that has been safely utilized for thousands of years rather than trust a for-profit, faceless corporation that uses drug-dealers with degrees and white coats to peddle their goods?

You are completely free to believe that certain prescription drugs some how work better than marijuana, but don’t make their alternatives illegal. If you can afford to choose them, be my guest… but please do not judge me for not sharing your tax-bracket; I know marijuana doesn’t.

(Update and a note: I am completely aware that marijuana is not a “miracle cure” with the ability to treat every condition better than pharmaceuticals. The fact is, however, that there are many occasions where marijuana is indeed the safer, more effective alternative. And that’s what it should be… a safe alternative.)

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I would love to know how many more of you reading this are also without health insurance but have successfully been medicating with affordable, reliable marijuana. Leave your thoughts in a comment.

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