I post this story independent of the medical marijuana thread because I think it needs some extra attention. Mods, feel free to move it as you see fit.
This man was in pain all the time (migraines) and the feds took away the only pain medication that worked for him: marinol.
I would be dead w/o my migraine medication. If it were to suddenly become illegal, or if I went to jail because I posessed it, I think I would commit suicide, too.
The text of this post is written by a friend of mine, the link is to an obituary from a San Diego Newspaper.
a friend of mine who uses marinol for migraine pain control wrote:
Steve McWilliams, a well-known activist for pain patients, committed suicide this week in San Diego.
He was a big supporter of medical marijuana, using it himself for very severe pain from migraines and other pain he suffered from two traffic accidents. He was a registed California medical marijuana patient. He had a small home garden, legal under California law. But in 2002, the Federal government decided to make an example of him for his activism and raided his home and arrested him. He was sentenced to 6 months prison followed by 3 years probation. Under the sentencing, during this period he would not be able to use cannabis or even Marinol, as it would mess up his required drug tests.
He was out on bail appealing the charges, since he was innocent under state law. But a condition of his bail was he could not use medical marijuana or Marinol. Instead, he had to use powerful narcotics, anti-nausea and other drugs and he was gradually getting worst.
The recent Supreme Court decision (Raich) meant that Federal law took precedence over state law, and he would go to prison. The pain he was suffering and the knowledge that in prison he would be denied almost all pain support there may be what killed him. His partner and a friend sent out a message that they wished us to circulate:
"Barbara MacKenzie, Steve's partner, called to say that Steve committed suicide by overdose late last night/early morning. Steve had been depressed and in terrible pain, and been hospitalized last week. Steve's depression was apparently a combination of dread of going to jail in light of Raich and his deteriorating health. He had had to take powerful pharmaceutical opiates, anti-nausea, anti-migraine, etc. drugs in far higher amounts than when he was able to medicate with marijuana, and evidently was what he used to overdose.
Steve was an incredibly kind, compassionate, intelligent and wise man, as well as a balls to the wall activist. He inspired me and many others, and will be dearly missed. I was proud to know him and be his friend.
Steve will be cremated and flown back to his family in Colorado, but I'll be helping Barbara with a memorial service here for the medical marijuana community. I'll be at the protest tomorrow at noon (San Diego Police Dept. Headquarters, 1401 Broadway).
Please forward this note as appropriate.
David Bronner"
_________________ cirlces they grow and they swallow people whole half their lives they say goodnight to wives they'll never know got a mind full of questions and a teacher in my soul and so it goes
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 10:52 pm Posts: 1727 Location: Earth Gender: Male
When will the hypocrissy end with marijuana. This is so sad to have someone take his own life because he cannot use one of the oldest known medicines on the planet without facing prison time. It's just absurd when you look at all the other narcotics that are legal in this country. It's just cruel to put him through what he had to eventually be put through.
Marinol is a synthetic version of THC right?
_________________ "The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum." -Noam Chomsky
most of this brochure talks about using marinol for nausea control and appetite stimulation, but itis also very good for migraine pain (in some patients).
_________________ cirlces they grow and they swallow people whole half their lives they say goodnight to wives they'll never know got a mind full of questions and a teacher in my soul and so it goes
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