Doctors, Cancer Patients Voice Support of Medical Marijuana
By: Kyle Leyenberger
Updated: October 31, 2012
Members of the medical community joined cancer survivors on the Fayetteville square Tuesday to voice support for medical marijuana.
The group Arkansans for Compassionate Care wants the natural state to be the first in the south to legalize medicinal marijuana.
Campaign director Ryan Denham says the personal stories of people who benefited from using the drug provide a strong argument in favor of Issue 5.
"Go out and talk to a real patient, and hear their story and understand how medical marijuana has helped them and in some cases even saved lives," Denham says.
Kathy Reynolds says she couldn't eat for months after going through a bone marrow transplant for breast cancer.
"I'm here to tell you today about how sick I was with my cancer," Reynolds told the crowd. "(My doctor) had prescribed, I can't tell you how many numerous different medications. None were effective."
A friend suggested medical marijuana, but her doctor couldn't prescribe it, so the friend bought it illegally.
"It was as if a miracle had happened for me," Reynolds says. "I was able to eat and keep food down."
Dr. David Crittenden has practiced in Fayetteville since 1979. He joined Reynolds and another cancer patient to show his support.
"There's been many reports of people who have used marijuana to good effect for treatment of their chronic diseases," he says. "It's effective and it's safe, the research that's been done shows that."
Crittenden says not all doctors agree, but more than 70 in Arkansas have voiced support of the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act.
"The use of medical marijuana has been advocated or approved by various medical groups and it's been opposed by others," he says. "There's been this anti-drug war going on against substances like this since the thirties and think it's ingrained in our psyche to be against marijuana... I just don't think they're looking at it the right way."
The group Arkansans for Compassionate Care wants the natural state to be the first in the south to legalize medicinal marijuana.
Campaign director Ryan Denham says the personal stories of people who benefited from using the drug provide a strong argument in favor of Issue 5.
"Go out and talk to a real patient, and hear their story and understand how medical marijuana has helped them and in some cases even saved lives," Denham says.
Kathy Reynolds says she couldn't eat for months after going through a bone marrow transplant for breast cancer.
"I'm here to tell you today about how sick I was with my cancer," Reynolds told the crowd. "(My doctor) had prescribed, I can't tell you how many numerous different medications. None were effective."
A friend suggested medical marijuana, but her doctor couldn't prescribe it, so the friend bought it illegally.
"It was as if a miracle had happened for me," Reynolds says. "I was able to eat and keep food down."
Dr. David Crittenden has practiced in Fayetteville since 1979. He joined Reynolds and another cancer patient to show his support.
"There's been many reports of people who have used marijuana to good effect for treatment of their chronic diseases," he says. "It's effective and it's safe, the research that's been done shows that."
Crittenden says not all doctors agree, but more than 70 in Arkansas have voiced support of the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act.
"The use of medical marijuana has been advocated or approved by various medical groups and it's been opposed by others," he says. "There's been this anti-drug war going on against substances like this since the thirties and think it's ingrained in our psyche to be against marijuana... I just don't think they're looking at it the right way."
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