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Mainers
for Medical Rights
44 Exchange Street
Suite 201
Portland, ME 04101
800.846.1039
207.780.0704
info@mainers.org
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Jack Smith
Housing Consultant
Portland
In his own words:
"I want to relate a first-hand personal experience I observed regarding the
therapeutic value of marijuana.
At the age of 30, my first wife was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She
developed a severe and highly progressive case of this terrible disease.
I will never forget the dramatic result the first time she smoked marijuana
in 1981. She and I shared 2 joints. Because of the shakiness from the
spasms, she could barely hold the first joint. When we finished the second
joint a few minutes later, her shakiness had practically stopped.
She regularly smoked for several years after that initial experiment.
Marijuana was the best drug to alleviate her spasms and improve the quality
of her life. It seemed like a miracle drug.
I do not know if the pot was affected by the other drugs she took. The
reduction in shakiness only seemed to last for about an hour after she
smoked the marijuana.
I do not believe she ever told anyone about this improvement in her symptoms
because she was embarrassed about her marijuana use. No one in the medical
community ever told her about the possible therapeutic value of the
marijuana. We never saw any research regarding the therapeutic use of
marijuana for MS.
Based on my experience, I strongly believe people who report positive
first-hand experiences with the therapeutic use of marijuana. Our society
and government are doing a disservice to the many people who could benefit
from marijuana. It is difficult for me to publicly advocate this because
my brother is a state police detective and I have teenage children. But
sometimes, you need to take an unpopular position and do what is right."
-- Jack Smith
Portland
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