PLEA FOR CANNABIS USE

Only Form Of Pain Relief - Amputee

Frail amputee Barry Stone yesterday pleaded to MPs to relax cannabis
laws to allow him relief from excruciating and unrelenting pain.

Mr Stone, a convicted cannabis user, fronted up yesterday to a
parliamentary inquiry to support decriminalising cannabis, in
particular for medical use.

With an empty jacket sleeve tucked into his left pocket, Mr Stone
told the inquiry that cannabis was the only form of pain relief that
had helped him cope since he was knocked off his BMW motorbike and
went through a car's passenger window in 1993. He suffered head
injuries, a fractured chest, and breaks in his left arm, which
doctors amputated in 1995. He now has phantom limb pain, which he
says feels like he is holding a burning ember.

Mr Stone, 37, has used cocktails of prescription drugs for constant
pain, but they have made him sleepy, or caused confusion, vomiting,
and stomach pains.

He tried cannabis after a doctor said it might help.

"It made my life easier. It made me relax," he told the inquiry.
"Marijuana, I have found, has been the only form of pain relief that
has helped me to cope with my condition."

But in 1999 police raided Mr Stone's home at Waitarere Beach, Levin,
found three cannabis plants and laid charges.

Last November he was sentenced to prison, with an 18-month suspended
sentence -- which means if he is caught with cannabis again before
the middle of next year, he will be sent to prison.

"I have not touched cannabis since I was charged. I was hoping the
judge would allow me to have it, but the law did not allow him to do
this," Mr Stone said.

As the pain has increased, so has his intake of prescription medicines.

Mr Stone went on to the maximum dosage of codeine but then got
stomach cramps and had to take zantac and rantidine for the pain.
When that did not work, he was put on kapanol, a slow-release
morphine capsule.

"It made me like a zombie, not knowing what I was doing. I could not
urinate when I wanted to, I had stomach pains, did a lot of spewing
up, and slept at the wrong times," he said.

"I would like to be able to use marijuana again, as it is the only
way I have been able to live with my pain."

The inquiry also heard yesterday from Billy Mckee, a Levin man whose
right lower leg was amputated after he was knocked over in a
hit-and-run in 1975.

He used cannabis almost every day to cope with depression, stress,
pain, and mood swings.

"But I still wake up clear-headed," Mr Mckee said.

"Over the past 25 years I have made an in-depth study into all
available drugs, both legal and illegal.

"I have seen far more harm done in the form of organ damage, mood
swings, woolly headedness, slow brain, lack of motivation, hepatitis,
aids, and death from prescribed drugs and manufactured drugs than I
have from cannabis use, which causes none of the mentioned
side-effects," he said.

The Medical Association told the inquiry it supported more research
into the benefits of cannabis for medical use. The association did
not oppose partial decriminalisation, provided it could be proven
that would not lead to increased use, chief executive Cameron McIvor
said.

"We consider that drug abuse and addiction is more a health problem
than a criminal problem and urge that it should be dealt with
accordingly.

"Health promotion strategies are likely to be more effective where
they are not linked to an environment of illegality and criminality."