Multiple Sclerosis and Marijuana

I have found that in the MS Community, Marijuana has a welcomed home. With the recent decriminalization laws passed in many States, and rapidly growing Medical Marijuana industry, one would think that pot is having its day. Unfortunately, Marijuana is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance in the company of Heroin, Meth, LSD and Peyote to name a few. The Department of Health and Human Services has been campaigning for years to no avail attempting to have Pot reclassified as a Schedule III drug, still a controlled substance but not the same as Schedule I in that they pose less risk of dependency.

The fact that marijuana remains a Schedule I drug at the Federal level, coupled with the decriminalization laws enacted in many States, and drug enforcement laws pertaining to pot have been loosened has resulted in a Green Rush where Medical Marijuana Dispensaries are popping up all over our County, There is a raw and bitter history related to pot in our country, where historically there have been serious issues with how the laws governing marijuana are applied, and how minorities are disproportionately entangled in the legal system for marijuana offenses, big and small. So long as the Federal government maintains that Marijuana is a Schedule I drug, the revenues from Pot Businesses can not be banked in a traditional sense, further complicated by the fact that these revenues are almost exclusively earned in CASH. Dispensaries typically function as all CASH businesses, and we all know that inevitably nefarious actors and activities seem to surface whenever CASH only commerce.

Still, for me, the most disappointing aspect of how pot is being prescribed in the Medicinal arena is related to how it is delivered and exactly what medication is being delivered. In New Jersey, the Medical Marijuana business has been thriving, one would be perplexed to see all the elderly and infirm folks lining up to get their monthly allotment. There is no uniformity in terms of what strains are helpful for specific conditions, so really it is a crap shoot whenever you go to a Medical Dispensary. There is a distinction between Hybrids, Sativa and Indica, Sativa described as Uplifting and Indica, as In the Couch, when you really just get stoned. Many strains of pot are being cultivated, still it is hard to know what will help for what disease or symptoms a person is suffering.

In terms of Multiple Sclerosis, disease modifying drugs like Ocrivus, Copaxone as examples typically come with hefty price tags, therefore access is often limited as Commercial Insurance Companies often deny coverage or have their own ideas about what particular disease modifying drug you ought to try first, second or be prescribed. Additionally, for those who are under insured, co-pays or prices of DMT’s are often cost prohibitive. I have been disappointed beyond words to have to pay hundreds of dollars for a Weed, a plant that grows wild and can be cultivated by a weekend gardener or kid in their basement with some grow lights, good seeds and soil. Then there is the crazy stigma that goes along with this Schedule I drug, and really as full grown woman, mother of three young adults I don’t want to be rolling joints or hitting a bong, I didn’t smoke or dabble in drugs as a kid, and I don’t really want to be involved with all the paraphernalia and pot culture…honestly all I want great quality, cost effective medicine! If not flower, there are edibles, tinctures and vapes available in the medical marijuana arena, but again these delivery “systems” are not reliable and you really can’t know how to dose your medicine. The first time I tried pot gummies, I was disappointed and only felt the raging stomach ache it caused. You see, weed is not an exact science, in my opinion Science has neglected to really study, research and develop cannabis into precise medications. I had hoped that science would be invested in the Medical Marijuana business to the extent that there was the development of a pill, salve, serum or shot that delivers a standardized dose of THC, CBD and other beneficial cannabinoids that effectively help me manage spasticity, anxiety or other MS related symptoms.

One thing I am certain of, having lived with MS for as long as I have, and having used it medicinally, marijuana is very effective for quelling pain associated with spasticity that inevitably causes all kinds of mental angst. Marijuana offers instant relief of pain associated with spasticity, and I could not say the same for any muscle relaxers prescribed…and I have tried them all! The muscle relaxers need to be titrated so that you kind of hit a sweet spot, where the spasticity is relieved while there is still rigidity enough to support you. The muscle relaxers are effective but living with the side effects negates their benefit, at least it did for me. Dealing with the Fatigue MS can cause and taking Muscle Relaxers was a recipe for disaster. Many folks with MS are dealing with Fatigue in their every day, and then on top of that you layer muscle relaxers round the clock, or through an internal pump and yes they will likely provide relief from the discomfort of whatever spastic body parts, but the price for this relief was too much for me. The muscle relaxers made me feel like a noodle in my mind and in my body.

I am a member of several MS Facebook Groups where I have heard Pot described as Kryptonite for MS, and so many folks in these groups welcome pot as an alternative to narcotic pain relief. I know for myself, pot will relieve the pain associated with my spastic muscles immediately. If I am in a spasm, pot will alleviate that discomfort immediately if it is delivered in smoke. I find it impossible to square the pushing of narcotics like Oxycodone or Benzodiazepines prescribed to us for a number of reasons, typically associated with pain, despite the dangers of addiction and crisis these drugs have caused in our Country, actually across the globe. Still, I’m left shaking my head wondering why the pot industry pushed for medical legitimacy, but did not bother to do the science, research and development needed to standardize marijuana products that are prescribed for specific diseases and symptoms. I wonder what kind of information is being gathered and used in empirical scientific studies that should have started prior to this Green Rush and continued in real time as Medical Marijuana programs rolled out across the Country. What has been learned about Marijuana for Medical use other than Pot is a very big and lucrative business. Honestly, it is kind of the wild west when it comes to pot as medical marijuana dispensaries are highly marketed, very pretty polished retail spaces were you can acquire basically the same product you could get from your local pot purveyor, but it will be more expensive and packaged in a beautiful glass jar not a double baggie.

One of my kids worked as a bud tender in one of the largest and first Medical Marijuana Dispensaries in New Jersey. The amount of cash collected daily was mind numbing, literally hundreds of thousands of dollars, daily…all cash. I believe the company is owned by a Russian Oligarch, and has become known as the Marijuana Walmart here in the States. I read recently that the company is looking to go Public as soon as they can….of course, who wouldn’t want to go public with this Green Rush fueled by CASH, that is dirty, at least on the Federal Level? With all of the resources spent on these dispensaries, all the marketing, packaging, branding and real estate designated as grow houses or retail spaces, monies spent on licensing and the like collected in States and Towns all across this country you would think that there would have been a significant investments in research and development of marijuana pharmaceuticals and varied delivery systems. Where is the scientific data and research to back up all the anecdotal information related to the medicinal benefits of pot that we have been compiling for centuries. Frankly, we should know proper dosing schedules, that our medicine is being safely dispensed, delivered, and that protocols and procedures have been developed so we informed and educated about this drug.

You would think that the recent explosive growth of the Medical Marijuana industry would have a positive impact on vulnerable populations like those suffering with Cancer, Chronic Pain, Migraine, MS and the like. Unfortunately making pot available for medical use absent Science backed information perpetuates the stereotypes associated with pot as a street drug. I had hoped that Medical Marijuana would legitimize the benefits we gain when we use cannabis as the medicine I believe it is. The entire Medical Marijuana system is piece meal as State Laws pertaining to marijuana vary, and that on a Federal Level, marijuana wears a Scarlet Letter. The patient with the Chronic medical condition did not really benefit from the Medical Marijuana industry, but the Investors and owners of Dispensaries and many Politicians as well as political departments are making money hand over fist. The saddest part of the story for me is that because of this Green Rush there is absolutely no incentive to do the Science, Research and Development needed to cultivate and produce cannabis strains for specific medical issues and delivery systems with clear specific dosage information. At the very least Medicinal Marijuana users need dosing schedules and guideline and specific strains developed to target symptoms that will perform with some degree of consistency. Honestly, all we want is quality cannabis to help us in managing our Disease. To sum it all up, I’m just saying that the cat is out of the bag, lots of money has been made and the opportunity to bring marijuana into the 21 Century and make it into “legitimate medicine” has been lost, it is still just pot, very expensive pot.

These are my thoughts on the subject, curious and would love to hear yours.

Have a great day & lots of love always,

Stephanie