Readers Sound Off on Medical Marijuana in Iowa

Marijuana provided a woman with cancer a few final moments of joy before death, a disabled Army veteran relief from nerve damage in his back and normalcy for a man with chronic depression and anxiety.

These are a few of the anecdotes shared by Patch readers following a story this month about a push to legalize medical marijuana in Iowa. Others debated the pros and cons of legalization from a social perspective.

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The story generated 140-some comments, largely in support of legalization, and 87 percent of those that participated in a poll favored legalization.

Still, while Iowa lawmakers are working on two bills - one to legalize medical marijuana and one to decriminalize recreational marijuana - passage is unlikely. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has vowed to veto bills legalizing marijuana for any use.

Here is a sampling of what readers had to say in their own words:

Tyler Schnabel:

I am a disabled Army Veteran and smoke marijuana strictly for medical purposes. I never smoked before I broke my back in the military and it hasen't been a gateway to anything. I started smoking because of my cauda equina syndrome.
I had a herniated disk in my lower back that compressed the nerves at the lower end of my spine (cauda equina nerves). The doctors couldn't prevent permanent damage, so I am left with permanent pain that is so severe that it leads to vomiting on a consistant basis without my medacine (marijuana). The doctors prescribed me morphine, oxycodone, oxymorphone, oxycotton, hydromorphone, hydrocodone, etc... All of the above named medacines made me useless, I hardly knew what was happening around me. On top of that, they didnt help with the pain or the vomiting from the pain. I felt like bugs were crawling under my skin.
After complaining about this for a while, friends and family handed me cannabis. I was reluctant at first, due to the stigma that goes along with it. After I gave it a try, I realized that it was far and away a better solution than any of the above named DRUGS. I had none of the issues with cannabis that I had with all those other PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS. I can function and carry on with my life. Marijuana has made me a better person and a far more functional parent and husband.

Jim Zupan

I think it is way past time to join Colorado and Washington. if I can go to a bar and drink a beer, why should other folks not get to enjoy their pot. I am no idiot, I have done both, I know from experience that pot is way less harmful than alcohol. The dumbest thing I ever did when I smoked was eat too many chips...drinking, i found myself driving a 2 ton car putting myself and everyone else at risk.

Mike

my wife had brain cancer for 7 years, lost her battle on January 2nd 2009, she rarely drank and never did any ill legal drugs in her life, in her last months with all the chemo, radiation, and experimental drugs they were using, she was miserable. I convinced her to try Marijuana when she did I could see her again we laughed, she ate,I could cut back on the dilaudid and it provided us a moment in time of happiness. If any politician or DEA agent could of seen what we went through they would never deny any person the use of this plant. Shame on the heartless people that rule this country!!!

John

I am a husband and father to five boys. Suffer with chronic depression, and severe anxiety. Which makes it very hard for me to function on a daily basis. I have been offered and have tried more pharmaceutical drugs than I can remember, many of which come with the warning of thoughts of suicide, as if I needed any help in aiding that effort. And yet these drugs are constantly pushed on American people on a mass daily basis, in an effort to line the pockets of big business.
I am a Christian man who would love to see Gods natural remedies allowed to be used in aiding suffering citizens in a country that was founded on freedom. Sadly my own Christian community would frown on any legalization of marijuana, regardless of what the bible says. I believe most people fear this natural medicine because of the hype that surrounds it. Shear ignorance and laziness are the two things that hold this bill up in Iowa. I have smoked in the past. But refuse to put my family at risk by my use of a a so called illegal drug. I would love to get involved in the passing of this bill. My family deserves a normal functioning husband and father. Please get involved

Judy R

I used to be in favor of legalization because I wanted to take the profit out of it for the drug traffickers. However, I have employed several people who used it recreationally and they were very erratic in their work habits. Now I know this is for medicinal purposes but are these same people also trying to hold jobs? If so, then I think it could be a problem. Also, where are they going to smoke it? It has a very strong smell and other people react to the smell with allergic reactions. What about those people, their neighbors, family, etc.? Would we just be creating another cigarette situation where there are victims by association?

LMcC

It should be legalized for adults over 21 and regulated just like liquor. Feds need to let states decide, and the states should not be allowed to infringe on personal liberty. This should be a non-issue, and really the reason it still isn't legal is that the vast majority of those over 65 have been hit with so much incorrect information and scare tactics, that they won't even support industrial hemp, because it LOOKs like marijuana. Right now the cartels are running the show, and street dealers don't I.D. Over half of the population now supports legalization. Time to have a real conversation based on facts, not scare tactics.

Shannon Pierson

All that money and all we have to do is tax smokers for what they're already doing. It's an easy choice.