'I'd Smoke If It Was Legal'

[Jim Finnel]

Australia: Joy Lowry wonders if she is better off smoking marijuana for pain relief instead of taking a cocktail of prescription medication.

A DARWIN woman said she would smoke marijuana for health purposes if it was legalised in Australia.

Joy Lowry, 50, injured her knee 31 years ago and still suffers chronic pain despite having six operations to try to fix it.

Every day she takes a cocktail of prescription medicine to give her some relief, but said that she would consider marijuana if it was legal. "The fact that it is illegal is the only thing stopping me from trying it," she said.

Mrs Lowry said she had never tried illegal drugs, and that it was her strict career in the Navy that had discouraged her trying it as an option for pain relief.

"Both my husband and I were in the Navy so if we got found out we would have lost our jobs, and my son-in-law is a policeman and I'd hate to put him in an awkward position," she said.

Mrs Lowry said it was only because the Department of Veteran Affairs paid for her medication that she could afford it.

"The morphine I've just come off cost $135 a month, and my new one is $190. We wouldn't be able to keep our house if we had to pay for all the medication ourselves.

"It costs so much, marijuana would be cheaper," she said.

It was not just financial costs but fear of what her medication was doing to her body Mrs Lowry said would persuade her to give marijuana a go. "I'm worried about kidney damage, liver damage and the brain gets very addled. I've got two young grandkids. They're everything I live for so I want to be healthy for them," she said.

Cancer Council NT chief executive Helen Smith said while she did not condone smoking marijuana, that other forms of it might be OK - under strict medical supervision.

"If it was done under medical guidance and was legal and in another form other than smoking, then perhaps I might support it. If something is going to ease the pain of someone who is terminal then maybe. But I do think there are better ways of pain management," she said.


NewsHawk: User: 420 Magazine - Cannabis Culture News & Reviews
Source: Sunday Territorian (Australia)
Copyright: 2010 Northern Territory News
Contact: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Website: Home | Northern Territory News | Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia | ntnews.com.au
Author: Lauren Crawley

 

[Warbux]

So, Edibles or tinctures.

 

[Caber1]

If something is going to ease the pain of someone who is terminal then maybe.

I always like to think of myself as being a normal, well adjusted, contributing member of society, but when I see disgusting attitudes like this from so called caring health professionals it sends my emotions into dark places.
Who in the fuuuuuuuuuuuuukin' name of everything died and made you the boss.
These people are adults with problems that are tough enough to deal with and they want to make it that much harder for the person for reasons which vary from religious to simple minded opinion.
Meanwhile this patient is suffering because some god wannabe can't wrap their head around anything deeper than what is spoon fed to them from some propaganda pamphlet they've read.
As a professional I would be more than happy to hear your learned opinion.
After that I, myself will make the decision.
Should be as simple as that. That it isn't, is the real crime.