AAMC patient: Greg - A responsible medical user and a concerned opiate addict who wishes he would NEVER have been prescribed opioids.

A responsible medical user and a concerned opiate addict who wishes he would NEVER have been prescribed opioids.

Greg

I am a recently approved medical Cannabis user who has been tragically fighting an opiate addition. I became addicted to opiates when the Doctor's started prescribing me Oxycodone and Oxycontin over a year ago.

All I can say is that I wish that I would have been more assertive earlier and become a OMMP card holder much sooner. I have various problems in my C2-C5 including massive degeneration, myelopathy, osteophites and the vertebrae are actually too small. My last MRI enlightened me by showing me the hard fact that the inside of my vertabrae are actually physically pinching my central nervous system. This causes tremendous deferred pain down the entire left side of my body and at times completely immobilizes me.

So for over a year now I have been to Neurosurgeons and one pain clinic after another; specialist here and more specialists there. After almost 2 years of opioids (Vicodin, then Oxycodone, then MS Contin and OxyContin, Methodone) I found myself hopelessly addicted to opioids. I can hardly dictate in words how brutal these additions are. And the opioids have taken a toll on my body in areas like high blood pressure, stomach problems and depression and more that I don't wish to list here. Also the dry-out times are deadly. How can all these brainwashed beaurocrats deem this activity ok, prudent and less harmful than Cannabis treatments?!?! I think they just want to feed americans prescriptions to keep the cash cow afloat. Pharmaceuticals are a billion dollar industry. I only wish that I would have NEVER even started opioids at all as they have caused my life HELL. I have been responsibly using Cannabis for over 10 years now mostly for my serious condition that started with a very bad injury years ago. I have never had any addictions or problems with Cannabis. I have never felt like killing myself during Cannabis dry-outs. In fact, one never even notices Cannabis dry-outs. It's unfortunate that all the Cannabis laws in this country were pretty much inspired by one closed minded conservative butt-head with a personal agenda.

Cannabis helps my conditions greatly. And all the brainwashed and programed Doctors out there that think they are doing justice by getting poor people addicted to opiates can just go to hell; they are the ones who should have their liscenses revoked. It just goes to show the intelligence and mentality of this country as a whole. I need help getting off of opiates badly. And I do not think I can do it without entering myself into a Methodone clinic. They became more important to me than even myself and I'm even the type of person that can take control of my life usually with no problem. For example, I quit cigarettes cold turkey with no assistance or weaning over 10 years ago and never looked back. Like I stated before, the dry-outs are very un-manageable. I am also a very educated person with a white collar job and a family income well over 150k annually. The Cannabis I have been using for over 10 years has never effected my family life, my mental capabilities, or my career (and I use my mind as well; I am a top level Software Engineer). But after only about 1 1/2 years of opioids, I feel like everything is slipping through my fingers and I do not think I can kick them alone. I do not feel in control of my life anymore. In one year, opioids have almost completely destroyed me and my life and I hate them so, but I still can't kick them yet. And the addictive traits of them is the worst, by far, than anything I have ever experienced. The people that think this is ok and that Cannabis is bad and useless medically I doubt have had first hand experiences with both. They are basing their opinions on beaurocratic word of mouth and public propaganda printings and films like "Reefer Madness", etc.

So I feel now that the laws and beaurocrats who dictate these policies do so mostly for economic reasons. And they are doing far worse damage than any movements for decriminalizing and promoting Marijuana for medical purposes. How did we, the citizens who are supposed to have a government that serves us; for the people, by the people, allow ourselves to get into this position. The same way we let ourselves get into this un-constitutional direct taxation on private transactions debacle I suppose (read Cracking the Code !!)

Opiates are physically, psychologically addictive and have the potential to KILL people very easily. I enjoyed my life and prospered as a responsible medical Cannabis user. And now I am unhappy and feel like I have a bleak future. How can the beaurocratic views be so wrong and far off. It all boils down to economics if you ask me.

The best thing that could have happened to me was to have a Doctor tell me straight from the beginning to use Cannibis and never touch opiates! My quality of life would be 110% better had that happened.

Thank you very much for listening and I hope oher people can read this because it's the most honest thing that I have ever written and maybe it can save just a few people the utter hell that I have been going through.

Respectfully,

Greg - A responsible medical user and a concerned opiate addict who wishes he would NEVER have been prescribed opioids.