Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
I've suffered from muscular dystrophy all my life. The endless and shifting cocktail of pills prescribed to me throughout the years never seemed to bring relief from the severe muscular spasms and peripheral neuropathy caused by my condition.
When I tried medical cannabis, I was finally able to find relief from the muscle spasms that before could get so intense they would burst blood vessels. This treatment has truly made living with my condition more manageable.
In Minnesota, our state legislators recognized in 2014 the enormous treatment potential that could be brought to patients by passing a medical cannabis program. Patients in Minnesota can now access medical marijuana through their primary care providers - an important victory for patients' rights, but two obstacles to full, safe access persist.
Our state's medical cannabis program is only available to patients who suffer from a list of fewer than 10 qualifying medical conditions. This means that many patients, including myself, who suffer from muscle spasms or seizures have been able to find relief.
But other patients who suffer from conditions like PTSD - a condition whose sufferers have been able to find symptomatic relief through medical cannabis - still cannot access this treatment. We as patients hope that legal access can be expanded in Minnesota to all those who suffer.
The other impediment to completely safe and legal access lies in the discrepancy between state and federal law. Though Minnesota (along with 23 other states and the District of Columbia) has legalized and regulated a medical cannabis program, all forms of cannabis remain illegal federally. This means that Minnesota patients who are in full compliance with their doctor's advice, as well as state law, are still vulnerable to federal prosecution.
We need our federal representatives to act now to combat this legislative loophole. Fortunately, there is an opportunity for them to do so. The Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect State Act would protect any patient using medical cannabis legally under state law from federal interference.
The bill is currently in the U.S. Senate and will go before the Judiciary Committee. Both of our senators from Minnesota, Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar, hold positions on that committee, and their support would be crucial to its passage. Franken signed on to the bill earlier this month, a great step for patients around the country.
Klobuchar has been uninvolved regarding medical cannabis so far, though she has made battling the opioid epidemic a priority. Her support on the opioid issue is important, especially considering the 500 percent increase in opioid overdoses in Minnesota during the last 15 years.
Many patients, including myself, have been able to find pain relief through medical cannabis, no longer requiring strong opioid medication. Sen. Klobuchar should sponsor the CARERS Act as a way to provide any alternative possible in pain management.
Hopefully we can attribute Klobuchar's ambivalence on this issue thus far to classic Minnesotan indirectness. I hope she can now also show the compassion that has earned us our title of "Minnesota nice." She should follow Franken in taking a stand to protect patients' rights.
Patrick McClellan, of Bloomington, has been using cannabis to treat muscular dystrophy for about five years, legally for the past year.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Patrick McClellan - Minnesota Medical Cannabis Needs Support Of Our Senators
Author: Patrick McClellan
Contact: 507-285-7676
Photo Credit: Desert Sun
Website: Post-Bulletin
When I tried medical cannabis, I was finally able to find relief from the muscle spasms that before could get so intense they would burst blood vessels. This treatment has truly made living with my condition more manageable.
In Minnesota, our state legislators recognized in 2014 the enormous treatment potential that could be brought to patients by passing a medical cannabis program. Patients in Minnesota can now access medical marijuana through their primary care providers - an important victory for patients' rights, but two obstacles to full, safe access persist.
Our state's medical cannabis program is only available to patients who suffer from a list of fewer than 10 qualifying medical conditions. This means that many patients, including myself, who suffer from muscle spasms or seizures have been able to find relief.
But other patients who suffer from conditions like PTSD - a condition whose sufferers have been able to find symptomatic relief through medical cannabis - still cannot access this treatment. We as patients hope that legal access can be expanded in Minnesota to all those who suffer.
The other impediment to completely safe and legal access lies in the discrepancy between state and federal law. Though Minnesota (along with 23 other states and the District of Columbia) has legalized and regulated a medical cannabis program, all forms of cannabis remain illegal federally. This means that Minnesota patients who are in full compliance with their doctor's advice, as well as state law, are still vulnerable to federal prosecution.
We need our federal representatives to act now to combat this legislative loophole. Fortunately, there is an opportunity for them to do so. The Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect State Act would protect any patient using medical cannabis legally under state law from federal interference.
The bill is currently in the U.S. Senate and will go before the Judiciary Committee. Both of our senators from Minnesota, Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar, hold positions on that committee, and their support would be crucial to its passage. Franken signed on to the bill earlier this month, a great step for patients around the country.
Klobuchar has been uninvolved regarding medical cannabis so far, though she has made battling the opioid epidemic a priority. Her support on the opioid issue is important, especially considering the 500 percent increase in opioid overdoses in Minnesota during the last 15 years.
Many patients, including myself, have been able to find pain relief through medical cannabis, no longer requiring strong opioid medication. Sen. Klobuchar should sponsor the CARERS Act as a way to provide any alternative possible in pain management.
Hopefully we can attribute Klobuchar's ambivalence on this issue thus far to classic Minnesotan indirectness. I hope she can now also show the compassion that has earned us our title of "Minnesota nice." She should follow Franken in taking a stand to protect patients' rights.
Patrick McClellan, of Bloomington, has been using cannabis to treat muscular dystrophy for about five years, legally for the past year.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Patrick McClellan - Minnesota Medical Cannabis Needs Support Of Our Senators
Author: Patrick McClellan
Contact: 507-285-7676
Photo Credit: Desert Sun
Website: Post-Bulletin
