Daniel Clark, who has been paralysed from the waist down since a motorbike accident ten years ago, said that his quality of life is worsening by the day because, he claim’s the ‘man-made drugs’ he is prescribed do not work.
The 28-year-old said he used to be able to go to the gym to keep fit and socialise, but he is in so much pain now that he can no longer do so. He added that last year he took an overdose of his prescription drugs because he could no longer handle the pain.
‘My quality of life is going down,’ he said. ‘My pain is getting worse and I am depressed.’
In October Mr Clark, who says he has smoked cannabis since he was nine, with no side-effects, offered to prove to Health officials that cannabis was better for him than conventional painkillers. He said he was willing to be admitted to hospital, where he would alternate between cannabis one week and prescribed medication the next, enabling Health officials to monitor the difference. His request never came to fruition.
He is again making the same request in an effort to prove his claims about the class B drug.
‘The pain is so bad I feel like I am going to have to sell my house and move away to somewhere that will let me use cannabis to ease my pain,’ he said. ‘Jersey could lead the way on this. I definitely want to do a trial if they will let me. I would like to meet the Health Minister one-on-one.
He added that Jersey should follow the lead of some states in America which allow cannabis to be used medicinally.
Mr Clark, who admits that he still smokes cannabis, said he is currently prescribed pregabalin, lamotragine and baclofen – powerful painkillers and muscles relaxants which help him overcome the pain from muscles spasms caused by his injuries.
Under the current law, the Health Minister has the power to grant special licences permitting the possession and use of medicinal cannabis, but the department has previously been reluctant to support such a move. Health Minister Andrew Green was unavailable for comment.
Alleged benefits of cannabis:
1. Cancer
Cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana, inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animals and also kill cancer cells. Western governments have known this for a long time yet they continued to suppress the information so that cannabis prohibition and the profits generated by the drug industry proliferated.
THC that targets cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 is similar in function to endocannabinoids, which are cannabinoids that are naturally produced in the body and activate these receptors. The researchers suggest that THC or other designer agents that activate these receptors might be used in a targeted fashion to treat lung cancer.
2. Tourette’s Syndrome
Tourette’s syndrome is a neurological condition characterized by uncontrollable facial grimaces, tics, and involuntary grunts, snorts and shouts.
Dr. Kirsten Mueller-Vahl of the Hanover Medical College in Germany led a team that investigated the effects of chemicals called cannabinols in 12 adult Tourette’s patients. A single dose of the cannabinol produced a significant reduction in symptoms for several hours compared to placebo, the researchers reported.
3. Seizures
Marijuana is a muscle relaxant and has “antispasmodic” qualities that have proven to be a very effective treatment for seizures. There are actually countless cases of people suffering from seizures that have only been able to function better through the use of marijuana.
4. Migraines
Since medicinal marijuana was legalized in California, doctors have reported that they have been able to treat more than 300,000 cases of migraines that conventional medicine couldn’t through marijuana.
5. Glaucoma
Marijuana’s treatment of glaucoma has been one of the best documented. There isn’t a single valid study that exists that disproves marijuana’s very powerful and popular effects on glaucoma patients.
6. Multiple Sclerosis
Marijuana’s effects on multiple sclerosis patients became better documented when former talk-show host, Montel Williams began to use pot to treat his MS. Marijuana works to stop the neurological effects and muscle spasms that come from the fatal disease.
7. ADD and ADHD
A well documented USC study done about a year ago showed that marijuana is not only a perfect alternative for Ritalin but treats the disorder without any of the negative side effects of the pharmaceutical.
8. IBS and Crohn’s
Marijuana has shown that it can help with symptoms of the chronic diseases as it stops nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
9. Alzheimer’s
Despite what you may have heard about marijuana’s effects on the brain, the Scripps Institute, in 2006, proved that the THC found in marijuana works to prevent Alzheimer’s by blocking the deposits in the brain that cause the disease.
10. Premenstrual Syndrome
Just like marijuana is used to treat IBS, it can be used to treat the cramps and discomfort that causes PMS symptoms. Using marijuana for PMS actually goes all the way back to Queen Victoria.
The Netherlands – Cannabis was decriminalised in the Netherlands in the 1970s
The United States – Although still widely illegal for recreational use, medicinal cannabis is legal in 16 states, including Colorado, Washington, New York, Montana, Nevada and Maine.
Uruguay – The South American country recently legalised the use and production of cannabis – the first country in the world to do so.
Portugal – All drugs, including cannabis, cocaine and heroin, have been decriminalised since 2001.
