Cannabis is sparking quite a bit of controversy; new legislation proposed to legalize medical marijuana in Idaho. Rep Tom Trail of Moscow is leading the legislation and says he's doing it for the cancer patients, for the people who deal with chronic health pain every day. "When you receive the message from the doctor that you have cancer, it scares you to death you think, “Ok, I'm going to die,” said cancer survivor Rhett Wintch. It was a long road for Wintch. "You can get to a place of hopelessness which, if you reach that, you’re wanting something to help you get over that hump," he said. Now, he stands as a cancer survivor. It was an experience that shook his life. "I guess I left out all the needle sticks, all the blood draws, all the CAT scans, all the MRIs I went through," added Wintch. Wintch is also a registered nurse at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. He's felt the pain his patients endure. "They would just relax knowing that I knew just what they were going through," he said. Because of that knowledge, Wintch supports medical cannabis. "Giving shot after shot after shot after shot, wondering there's got to be something better," said Wintch. "Cannabis is not unique," said oncologist Dr. Christian Schull. "It is simply a chemical like any other chemical that we use, and when used properly can certainly, can certainly help people, and when used improperly can harm them." Dr. Schull sees cancer patients’ every day. For his patients, he can prescribe just about everything, but not cannabis. "It would be another weapon in our arsenal of managing the symptoms of progressive cancer and its treatment," said Dr. Schull. "It's a shame that it's simply for societal reasons that licensed doctors cannot, by prescription, make it available." "From what I can tell, there are no real valid reasons for not legalizing it," said cancer patient, David Kent. Fourteen states have legalized the use already, with another fourteen following suit, pending similar measures to legalize the drug. It's not being brought to the attention of Idaho state representatives. "In my particular condition, I do look forward to it becoming legal," said Kent. An appetite, better outlook, something to ease the pain; Dr. Schull understands the misuse of the drug, but sees the same thing in just about every medicine he prescribes. "There is no question that marijuana is a drug," said Dr. Schull. "But it is like every other drug that we use. When used properly it has its place, when used improperly it's a bad thing." As the legislation moves forward with more folks discussing the topic, Dr. Schull hopes people will take the time to research the pros; ones benefiting Wintch and Kent, not just the cons. "Yeah, it would be bad for your 15 year old to use it but guess what, that's not who it is for! It's for the person that has the prescription," said Dr. Schull.
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Should Medical Marijuana Be Legal In Idaho?
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Should Medical Marijuana Be Legal In Idaho?
