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Gibsonville, NC — “It’s not about getting high whatsoever,” says Rocky Hoveland of his previous medical marijuana use. He and other members of the North Carolina Cannabis Patients Network are gaining steam behind their efforts.The group now counts more than 150 people who currently use or would benefit from medical marijuana in the Tar Heel State.
Hoveland is a tree cutter who suffers from arthritis, joint pain, and broken bones. He says legal painkiller drugs are often too strong for him, or cause adverse reactions in his body.
But addiction counselors like Rebecca Austin aren’t convinced. She helps teens and adults break drug habits at the Ringer Center in Greensboro.
“I don’t buy it,” says Austin of medical marijuana use. “While it may alleviate symptoms, it also compromises the immune system. So while we may have a short term treatment, we may have long-term effects.”
Rebecca, can you explain to me why the AIDS Action Council, AIDS Treatment News, Canadian AIDS Society, and the San Francisco Mayor’s Summit on AIDS and HIV all support legal access to medical marijuana and thirteen states legalized the use of medical marijuana for the treatment of HIV/AIDS? Why would they recommend an herb that you think “compromises the immune system” for people with Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome? Get yourself a copy of Paul Armentano’s pamphlet on Emerging Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids so you, too, can learn: “Clinical trial data indicates that cannabis use does not adversely impact CD4 and CD8 T cell counts, and may even improve immune function.”
Austin also worries about disregarding marijuana’s addiction risk. “The message that that gives to teens and others is that marijuana is safe in all instances and I think that’s a very dangerous message to send.”
Ah, yes, marijuana’s dangerous addiction risk. The drug so addictive that a full one-third of the people entering rehab for marijuana dependence haven’t even used marijuana in the past thirty days. The drug so powerful that a full 9% of its users report some symptoms of dependence, as compared to “alcohol (15%), cocaine (17%), heroin (23%), or tobacco (32%).” A drug whose symptoms of dependence include irritability and sleeplessness when withdrawing, as opposed to delirium tremens, hallucination, intense craving, and perhaps death.
We wouldn’t want to send a medical marijuana message to the kids, would we? Why, in the last twelve states where we sent that message, teenage use of marijuana decreased.
Hoveland other medical marijuana supporters aim to send a message to state legislators to allow safe and legal access to the drug.
The NCCPN is seeking a bill that would allow patients and doctors to do marijuana research. Members claim they’re teaming up with local state representative Earl Jones, who has supported similar legislation in the past.
We interviewed Rep. Jones on the June 2, 2008 Daily Audio Stash. I am convinced that like Michigan in 2008, North Carolina in 2009 can be the state the introduces medical marijuana to a whole new section of the country.
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