I had a brother, 2 years older than me, who started using pot at around 16. It was immediately apparent. We used to be so close that we could read each others thoughts, or so it seemed. Once he got on that, the connection was broken. I hated pot and other drugs and never even liked aspirin. He died at the age of 50--heroine OD--technically. His liver was 2x normal, it was tan (Not even dark brown!) and nodular--your basic fried liver. The amount of heroine he took would not have killed anyone, but by then he didn't even have enough liver function to process that. Had he not taken that final shot, nor had another drink, he still would have been dead within a few weeks at most. And it took me years to realize that pot was not the culprit--my brother would have ended up as he did even if pot had never existed because that was the lifestyle he chose. He was in constant search of oblivion. He was also alcoholic. I've had fibromyalgia, IBS, diebetic foot nueropathy pain, degenerative disc disease and am on disability now. Pain has a way of changing our minds about stuff! For the 1st time in my life I actually tried smoking pot! I have been researching it for about 5-6 years and I was out of pain meds and going nuts with pain, crying every day, barely sleeping. My hubby talked to some friend who took pity and brought him some "stuff." There I was, 61 and actually rolling my own joint and smoking it!!! My family nearly fell on the floor laughing at the thought! I felt nothing. I smoked 2, one each night---nothing. No "mellowness"--no change in pain. I did,however, sleep for 4 hrs straight for the 1st time in years--the pain of my feet wake me up ever 1-2 hrs and I have to soak them in cold water for a few minutes to get enough relief to get another hr or 2 of sleep. I called the guy and told him I simply could not continue to take this from him--I was making him do something illegal and I couldn't take the guilt--not to mention that I kept looking around the corner and out the window for the cops!! There were police sirens when I was smoking and I nearly fell off my chair! The laws here are very weird, some say it's ok and others say no--about all the dispenseries have been shut down by cops, people arrested, even when the judge threw the case out and said the laws were unconstitutional as one said you could and another you couldn't, the cops turned around and rearrested the same people. So I am not doing this legally or illegally. But, I will say this, if the laws were better, I would rather do pot, than to take these awful drugs that I have to. Pot has less side affects. And I totally object to people who have no idea of what being in pain for over 21 years means having the power to decide how I will treat my pain. This should be between me and the dr. Worried about addiction?? I used to be. I no longer care, I just want relief and to have a half normal life. I've quite thinking there's something out there that will make me pain free, all I want is to make it bareable.
