Mr. Sprouse is a true advocate for what is right. Medical Marijuana is an effective treatment for many disorders including post traumatic stress disorder. More than 1/5 of the United States already has laws in place for use of medical marijuana. Others, like the wise folks of Ohio, have decriminalized it to the point of it being easier for a police officer to ignore personal use than to have to write a ticket up. And that is only 39 miles away from where Family Care is dismissing a patient for using medicine. I am a patient at Family Care and I am a medical marijuana user too. They have never dismissed me, and I have openly discussed my marijuana use with several staff members. I never signed the pain managment agreement, however. I also use marijauna spiritually in a religious practice that demands its use by doctrine. I am a minister in that religion, and my religion is recognized by the state of WV through my registry on the list of people allowed to perform marriages in WV. All this poor man wants is to be treated for the pains that the marijuana doesn't take care of. Although, Ron, if you use it orally instead of inhaled, it will help more with pain. Vaporizing (inhaling) is good for psychological uses such as PTSD, but pain management is better managed by oral dosing.

www.the-recovered-truth.org we are all behind you 100%

I have CRPS/RSD as well as PTSD. I also go to a pain mgt. doctor. I signed a similar contract, but discussed my use of medical marijuana with my doctor. He gave me my first drug test a few months ago (he had put it off as long as possible). He asked me about my use of marijuana, and its effectiveness, then announced, "If it works, I recommend you continue using it, but you need to also understand that I need to protect myself and my other patients. Therefore I am informing you that your medical record will not contain my support of your use, and will say that I have strongly advised you to discontinue any further use of marijuana." *sigh* Such an atmosphere of fear and deception has no place in my medical treatment.

We need to start a collection effort so that Sprouse can retain an attorney. Even better, the Marijuana Policy Project, of which I am a member, should assist Sprouse with his case. If he tries to argue his own case in a place such as West Virginia where public sentiment is strongly pro-police, he doesn't stand a chance. The defense lawyers will at some point haul in a cop to recite the litany of lies that they use to demonize cannabis, medical and other, and the good West Virginians will sagely agree. After having sent the drug abuser packing, the good jurors can enjoy the warm feeling that spreads from having done a good deed. (More likely, it's the warm feeling of spreading piss as the obedient yahoos soak their pants.) We shouldn't let Sprouse go up against those bastards by himself.

I think NORML and MPP should get very involved in this case. It will open the door to marijuana law reform in WV that won't likely see the legislature any other way. We need sprouse to win his case or the legislature will pass even stricter laws riding their win. We cannot let that happen

Yes - I too am very concerned for this brave man, Mr Sprouse, as he fights an unfair fight: one against many. How can we help him get the support he needs to win in court?

Concerned citizen

Thank you USA for bringing us the War on Drugs with all of its misinformationk, politicization of institutions and thanks good they did not stop the censorship yet, but they tried. Else they would have been able to report on this case.

They know that history and science is against this War on
Drugs. So they do their best to intimidate and make
people fear. Fear is the only tool they have, because
they are running out of scienrific nor political
argument to continuo this war that has cause trillions
of dollars and have not given us much results.

In any other business they would have been out of business.
If they would have spended all of this money in public
health and treatment we would have not have the half of
the problems we have now with drugs. We wouldN'T have
people shooting dope under xpressway and leaving their
syringes behind because they are affraid that the cops
are going to bust them for posession of resedue for
only carring a syringe. We would have been doing
research about the best use for marijuana and what it
ails people.

Drugs have efficacy or else people wouldn't
be doing them and if they get in trouble with using or
changing them too much, they could go to treatment.
Instead they have driven a whole system of people
undergroud like they were rats. It is basically racist in
nature and disigned to disfranchise parts of our community
and keep them unemployed, with out civil rights, the right
to vote and be full participants of our community. The hawks
creat a fear that this people are imoral and not decent. What
is worse is that we have to double check ALL of this
statistics and guesstimates because they are questionable
of the scientific method. The hawks wants to keep us in this
war and they are outright lieing.

I was injured at work 2-1-07.Beginning my life of disability and cronic pain.Smoked marijana helped me get threw being stuck home all day disabled.It really helped with pain and depression.Put a smile on my face despite my condition.After 18 months of being on pain meds my dr left clinic.New dr urine tested me 3 times in 2 weeks.Reffered me to pain management.Who test me every 30 days.And said clean up thc on test or no more meds.Been clean over 60 days now.The injured worker bill of rights states we are protected by law from being mistreated.But I guess being forced to hate life in general.Is not considered mistreatment.A medical marijana clinic in oregon said my condition would qualify me.Probably move to a little apartment there and visit wife and kids every couple months.This country is not equal oppertunuty for disabled workers.

I wrote Marijuana advocates all over USA, including WV MMP and WV NORML.
None will help, why are we sending them money to defend these people and to help get laws established If they don't do anything? This would have been an opportunity to introduce Medical Marijuana in WV.

Then why am I not surprised... most of the Marijuana advocates are starting to look like politicians, law enforcement, judges, prisons and attorneys.
Where would they get their paychecks if Marijuana where legal?

There is still so much misinformation and misunderstanding when it comes to medical marijuana. When will people realize that it has important medical uses? It serves some purposes better than any drug currently available - such as reducing nausea in those receiving chemotherapy. Hopefully someday the stigmas around medical marijuana will be gone and people will recognize it's medical value.

-Randy Spelling

Dr. Should be explained in the benefits of the use of marijuana. I am a chronic pain person. When i can not stand the pain smoking pot is the only thing that helps me relax. All the Oxycotin and Percet in the world sometimes DOES NOT HELP. It is a shame that I can not be honest with my Dr. For fear of him turning me over to the police. I am hoping that president Obama will confront this issue. Seeing that his oun grandmother died of cancer. I would much rather smoke a joint for some pain releif, Than ruin my kidnes and liver that the pain meds are doing to them

As a former Paramedic/Firefighter who suffers from PTSD, I can attest to the medicinal properties of Cannabis. I was witness to two firefighter deaths and was almost killed, myself. I started using Cannabis( I prefer Cannabis to Marijuana for many reasons I won't get into) about the time that I begin to suffer from PTSD. It works vastly better than any anti-depressant I have tried for PTSD. It seems to modulate my moods, helps me sleep better, without any unpleasant dreams. I actually sleep through the night and feel really good the next morning. With Cannabis, I don't think about the events that caused my PTSD as much. I can actually get enjoyment out of things, instead of only being anxious and angry. The fact that this miraculous herb is illegal is fucking stupid. The Drug War is bullshit and it must end now!!

I respect everyone's opinion on this subject because we will all stand up for what we believe in. So here is mine....I have smoked marijuana since I was 14 years old and am now almost 49. I did not become addicted to other drugs, I don't drink and I have a very high IQ. As previously posted, alcohol and prescription drugs are far worse on the kidneys and liver...speaking of which, it is true that medical facilities won't allow for transplants if you smoke cannibus, however, I must not have tested positive when I received my kidney transplant in 1986, because I sure did receive one. Also it was a cadaver (non-living) and only expected to last approximately 5 years and I discussed my cannibus usuage with my transplant coordinator after the fact and she assured me that I would lose the kidney if I continued to indulge......I did continue to "indulge" and have had the kidney for 23 years and still going strong. If that really want to go after a drug that truly kills the mind, the body and the spirit, legalize cannibus and prohibit alcohol. There are numerous problems with transplantation and one of them is the immunsuppressive drugs that must be taken daily every day for 23 years.....they do a number on your stomach and various other parts of the body. If it weren't for smoking, there would be no relief....and by the way, I did my own experiment with cannibus and tried to refrain from smoking. Each and every time, I started rejecting the kidney. My nephrologist is aware of this and agrees that "it's not as bad as we once thought it was." Now the only problem that I face is trying to locate it, buying it at street value, taking the risk of imprisionment and the humiliation of being labeled as "drug user." We are not "dopes", we are educated people trying to educate the rest of the world. Guess I will have to move to one of the 13 states that will allow for medical use of cannibus or everyone that lives in Virginia and believes it's our right to live in pain-free environment with vomiting everyday and having some quality of life needs to get on board and either put up or shut up. Oh, and if you decide to respond to this blog, I don't need some wise guy telling me to start packing or giving me a hyperlink to the nearest drug rehab center....only intellectuals need reply.

jl25304@yahoo.com

If I can help let me know. I have been in Pain Management for 10 years and COMPLETELY understand your concerns. Since I returned back to Charleston, there was only one pain management center that would accpet me, because he is the only game in town unless you were injured via work/or on Workmans Comp...Oh I visisted the workman comp doctors when we arrived here with a spotless record and high reccomendations from my prior pain management doctor, and was not only treated like a thief, but then had to pay over 800 dollars for 30 pills that lasted 12- 13 days, and about ruined my life. I was about to fly to Mexico, but didnt. I even went to the extent of flying to Boston to get experts to verify my 2 illnesses, and they used words like, MYSTIFYING, EXTREMELY RARE, because of where my tumors are and the 2. My heart is encapulated, both kidneys, and I have over 150 tumors in my abdomine, plus over 2000 bb size tumors embeded in all of my muscles. My point is I go thru hell each month, and yes Marijuana would help me reduce my morphine intake by 30-60 percent, but I do not have that option as I follow the rules of my contract, BUT as each month passes I am SCARED to death to go to my doctors office, for the fear they will cut me off because of their attitude and when they see me they only see a drug addict. If I sneeze wrong I am done. THEY have total control of your life and they know it, and use it against you. What they actually want is a person who will pay ( and they deserve payment) and who is regualted, but my issues are i have been on 150mg per day, and one month he gives me 90mg per month, one month, then 135mg per day for a month, and this is after 10 years...and each month my perscriptions depend on their attitude for that day. People who are not in our shoes, do not understand, and they never will.
PS, I do not sit on my butt and think the world owes. I am a home owner, I work each day, I not only build laptops and desktops with a spotless record, and I am also highly reccomended, but I also work at night to help provide more for my family.

I am a Vietnam veteran; who supports the use of medical marijuana. I have used marijuana for many years. I suffer from PTSD, anxiety, depression and arthritis. The arthritis is in my both feet, both legs, both hips and both arms. I am on a lot of prescription pills for all these.

I am sitting here with my legs swollen and the skin is pealing. My left leg is swollen so much the the skin feels tight around my calf. This whole thing started about a month ago. My doctors at the VA have been changing some of the prescriptions I'm taking. Because some of the meds are not working anymore. I have just completed a step down program from effexor. I am completely off it now, but it has been replaced by cital opram hydrobromide. I have been put on seroquel since Janurary. I see that in Europe there is a class action lawsuit against seroquel.

I have been going to the doctor once a month. From my visit in March to my visit in April - I've gained 8+ lbs. I weigh 240 lbs. I think it is caused by some of the steroids in my meds. I am pretty sure that my swollen legs and weight gain are caused by the pills I am taking.

I showed the doctor my swollen and pealing legs. He seem to think that it could be a blood clot. The doctor also gave me some pills for the infection in my leg. I have told the VA for 2 1/2 years now that what ever happens do not give me penicillin. Well the pills he gave me turned out to be amoxicillin. So now I am 3 days into hives and itiching all over and eating benadryl like crazy.
I am thinking that I could get rid of 2 - 3 maybe more pills that I am taking.

If a person was in need of a prescription for cocaine or morphine; they could get a prescription for them in all the states in this country. But if you don't live in one of the 13 states that support medical marijuana; you are not going to get a prescription for it. Then you still have to watch out for the federal government.

I see that the Department of Health and Human Services has the patent on medical marijuana.
US Patent 6630507 titled "Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants. Why does the US government lie about this issue while holding the patent?

Thanks,

the war against canibus will always continue. over the years i have kept up with what is going on. Im sure if u contact a canibus magizine or NORMAL they will help

I along with many others have been denied access to the wait list for organ transplant because of my medical marijuana usage in california. This is a bit more serious than just pain management. There are no law suits I know of regarding this issue. There should be. It does not surprise me no lawyers will help this guy out. it also angers me. Is it a right or privlege to receive a transplant? That is the question. I think its a right. Is it a right to breath air?
only a murderer would think not. There should be a class action law suit for people who need a transplant but are denied because of marijuana usage,
even when perscribed by a doctor. Please, someone step up to the plate don't let us continue to die for our choice to medicate with marijuana.