EXPERIENCE BACKS MEDICINAL MARIJUANA

Re: "Response to medical marijuana", by James R. McDonough, July 10.

McDonough, director of the Florida Office of Drug Control, quoted
many, many "facts" regarding the medical use of marijuana that were
intended to Sway the minds of your readers. However, I seriously doubt
that McDonough has had any firsthand experience in caregiving to
patients who have been through a stem-cell recovery or a bone-marrow
transplant. I have! My wife has primary amyloidosis, which is still
classed by the medical profession as an incurable, terminal disease of
the immune system.

She underwent a stem cell recovery at a research center in the Eastern
United States in a desperate attempt to put the disease in remission.
Although the stem-cell recovery was an apparent success, the aftermath
left her with severe nausea and unable to hold down food. She was
literally dying of malnutrition.

Among other medications, we tried the synthetic marijuana and, like
all the other medications, it did not work. As McDonough pointed out,
THC synthesizes only one ingredient; however, there are more than 60
active ingredients in marijuana. My wife was under the care of the
world's leading clinics and research centers, and if there is a
prescription drug that works for this situation, they were unaware of
it. It was suggested that my wife try smoking marijuana, and it worked.

At that point in our lives, my wife was 66 years old and I was 67,
hardly potheads, let alone drug users. Try spending your "golden
years" out on the streets dealing with drug pushers to buy marijuana,
which incidentally is not covered by medical insurance.

I'm not qualified to write about medicines or cures, but I do know
from experience what works and what doesn't. I'm tired to the bone of
listening to these self-proclaimed experts quote from other sources
and have no firsthand experience about the subject.

C.E. Love, Palm Harbor