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Marijuana: The miracle drug

Experience shows that it can give people suffering illness the strength to live their lives. That should not be against the law.

By KATHY RIPPENTROP

Last update: February 16, 2009 - 8:18 AM

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For the past several years, Minnesota lawmakers -- Republicans and Democrats alike -- have worked hard to pass sensible, compassionate legislation to protect seriously ill patients from arrest for using medical marijuana when their doctors recommend it.

It's encouraging that they've come so close in the past, but for many Minnesotans, time is running out.

I know. It's already too late for Jane Schmidt -- my mom -- whom I lost last year after a four-year battle with cancer. She fought bravely, even when the only drug that relieved her pain and allowed her to function -- medical marijuana -- also made her a criminal.

When Mom was diagnosed with colon cancer in November 2003, doctors gave her about a year to live. She went through many surgeries and many hospitals. An extremely virulent, painful staph infection made recovering from each surgery much more complicated.

Mom tolerated the first full series of chemotherapy quite well. However, the pills she was prescribed for the vomiting cost $100 each, were only about 75 percent effective, took 30 minutes to start working and were not covered by insurance. Plus, they did nothing at all for her dwindling appetite.

Another surgery and a second series of chemo took its toll. Mom had completely lost her appetite and was withering away to nothing. She suffered serious stomach sickness. She was losing her spirit.

That's when a friend of my dad's suggested medical marijuana.

We do not take drug use lightly in my family. My dad is a recovering alcoholic and drug user who has stayed clean for 30 years. He was highly reluctant to bring an illegal substance into the house. But Mom was suffering, and we were desperate for anything that might work.

The very first time she tried it was a miracle. The violent sickness was gone. An hour later, Mom was able to have a good meal. The stomach problems from the chemo were gone.

Medical marijuana helped her regain a quality of life that allowed her to continue to fight. Unless you're dying yourself or you're very close to somebody who is, it's extremely hard to imagine how depressing and demoralizing a debilitating illness can be.

Mom survived -- and thrived -- for four and a half more years. She would never have made it through the second year without medical marijuana. With it, she was able to keep fighting and was even able to travel overseas. In the 12 months before she died, she visited Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Mexico, Cuba and Greece. These were all lifelong dreams that she was able to fulfill only because of medical marijuana.

Our legislators have debated this issue earnestly and seriously for more than two years. We know by now that 13 states already have laws that protect people like my mom who rely on medical marijuana for survival. We know that mountains of scientific evidence prove medical marijuana is safe and effective for many patients. We know from the experience of other states that laws protecting these patients have no effect on the prevalence of illicit marijuana or the rates of youth marijuana use.

This needs to be the year our elected leaders step up for these patients and pass a medical marijuana law in Minnesota.

Kathy Rippentrop lives in Lakeview, Minn.

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