The Marijuana Dispatch

This article dispels the myth that people probably go straight to older people and cancer patients when they think of the typical medical marijuana user. The 20th state adds a lot of weight behind the medical movement. Now legal in Illinois, anyone with glaucoma, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), dystonia or Crohn’s disease are allowed medical marijuana from some 60 state-licensed dispensaries and 22 cannabis cultivation centers. Patients who suffer from some 40 different problems are allowed 5 ounces of cannabis a month.

I’ve had Crohn’s disease for seven years. It’s a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract. To skip the TMI details, let’s just say I spend quite a bit of time in the bathroom and have a much higher risk for colon cancer.

The alternative that medical marijuana gives us is more than just a high—it’s a chance to live a (somewhat) normal life. My fellow Crohn’s sufferers who are actively trying to get better have already tried multiple variations of medicine, sometimes even surgery and radiation.