Patients Are Powerful

Archive for April, 2010

How many patient advocates does it take to fill the Cow Palace in San Francisco? A lot! But, those who were there over the weekend for the two-day International Cannabis and Hemp Expo, were too busy to count! I am a healthcare provider who believes strongly in the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes.  It seems to me, and thousands of others, that patients should have the right to choose or reject marijuana as a treatment alternative for the ease of their pain and suffering. Let’s face it, there are far too many “legal” pharmaceuticals that are not only addictive, but also have extremely risky side effects.

Patients are powerful when they come together in such large numbers to uphold patients rights, to stand for freedom of choice when it comes to their health and treatment of their pain and disease. To make the case for “actions speak louder than words,” under a white-canopied courtyard young adults in baggy jeans and baseball caps smoked alongside aging hippies. (Bob Katzman, chief operations officer for the expo, said he obtained permission for the medicating area last year from the Cow Palace, which is controlled by the state, after years of negotiations, and he credited the recent push to legalize marijuana in part for the approval.)

Even though California voters approved a measure in 1996 that allowed sick people to use marijuana if they have doctor referrals and an identification card, marijuana advocates want to take their advocacy a step further. In November, California voters will be able to consider a ballot measure on whether to legalize and tax pot in California, making marijuana truly a profitable “home-grown” industry!

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