Marijuana and Chronic Pain
by Anonymous

I’m a 31-year-old married male, raising a very bright and on-the-ball little girl. I was raised in a strong Christian home and at the age of 17 I joined the USMC. While in I was like all other Marines and could drink with the best of them. At the age of 23 I decided to smoke marihuana for the first time after long talks with my girlfriend about the subject. At the age of 25 I was told I had psoriasis. I had chronic lower lumbar back pain due to arthritis related to the skin condition. I am now rated at 60% disability by the VA and use marihuana for the relief of the stress disorder that is part of my condition. The more stressed out I am, the worse my back and skin get, and weather conditions hinder me also. Other than a few speeding tickets I am a law-abiding citizen, but I do feel that it should be legalized so I won’t have to be a so-called lawbreaker. The VA has put me on over 20 different medications for the pain but none work like smoking the forbidden herb. I cannot work while using most of the meds that I’m supposed to take, because they make me very much out of my head and unable to think, and the pain is still there. Smoking pot doesn’t rid me of all the pain but does take my mind off of the pain and more on to the job at hand. My job is construction working with power tools (i.e. nail and screw guns, saws, paint guns, etc.) I do not recommend pot to all, but I smoke all day every day just to be able to feed and support my family.