This is still a hot topic. I know I discussed this awhile ago in a past post. I discussed it then more in the context of how I also have some friends here in the PA area that worked diligently for a few years to get the PA Bill passed.
That said, I think Brittney’s post (Brittany is one of my fellow bloggers from the Chronic Illness Blogger Network) is great & brings up additional food for thought.
I think she makes some excellent points.
I know when Chelsea & I were hosting our Sickadilly Chat series on Blab we discussed the bill & MMJ at length at that time because it had just been passed. (It’s a shame I couldn’t get that archived in time before Blab completely folded because it was a great conversation).
I admit in the past I was biased against marijuana even for medicinal purposes, but then I saw just how a few instances of compassionate use really improved the quality of some people’s lives (of all ages). Some of those people had intractable seizures & some had pain from cancer or chronic illness. Research even shows now that shows it might help ward off transplant rejection which is another potential use & call for greater accessibility.
It’s not an option for me now for a few reasons, unless it was available to me in medible form on an as needed basis.
I have to be honest, I’d much rather use MMJ than an opioid for pain.
I think it would be more tolerable with less side effects, but I also know in some transplant patients it’s tricky because it can influence immunosuppressant levels too. Also some transplant centers are less than willing to get on board with any potential use of MMJ. Some will not allow pre transplant candidates to be listed if they use marijuana at all, even medicinally.
That said, I agree with Brittney that Act 16 is a great positive move, but more needs to be done.
I know my friends that fought hard to get this far, will not stop either in their quest to help more people & fight the misinformation & stigma surrounding MMJ & its derivatives.
Slowly but surely too, I see pharmaceutical companies are slowly starting to pay attention & hope on board as well. Which is also progress in the right direction.
This article on Epidiolex is encouraging but I have to say, is long overdue given the great need.
As I live And Breathe 
Reblogged this on The Sick and the Dating and commented:
Taking opioids away and leaving chronic pain sufferers with nothing is completely unnecessary. I was on the Medical Marijuana program while living in Arizona because being allergic to the shunt materials and having an uncontrollable leak for an entire year was excruciating, so I tried just about everything to alleviate the pain. I learned a lot from the dispensary that I didn’t know before because even though marijuana was always around, it wasn’t being studied by large pharmaceutical companies with money to burn. I think we are slowly seeing that change.
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http://mylifeasbrittney.com/post/149389774756/dear-pennsylvania-governor-tom-wolf-can-we-talk – sorry for the glitch. Not sure the reblog showed up. In case not, there’s the link. I’ll fix it in my original post.
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As I see it, banning marijuana altogether is treating people (suffering from chronic pain) like irresponsible children. Well, of course there are lots of people abusing marijuana. There are millions of people abusing all kinds of substances, legal or not. The lesson has been learned about alcohol since the 20ties: banning any substance is not the answer. Education and self knowledge is.
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