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blurred and unfocused, improved. Eventually he began smoking marijuana
on a daily basis. He ventured outdoors. He was soon walking half a
block. His eyesight returned to normal.
- 46 -
His central field blindness cleared up. He could focus well enough to
read again. One evening he went out with his children and found he could
kick a soccer ball again.
25. Paufler has smoked marijuana regularly since 1980. Since
that time his multiple sclerosis has been well controlled. His doctor
has been astonished at Paufler's recovery. Paufler can now run. He can
stand on one foot with his eyes closed. The contrast with his condition,
several years ago, seems miraculous. Smoking marijuana when Paufler
feels an attack coming on shortens the attack. Paufler's doctor has
looked Paufler in the eye and told him to keep doing whatever it is he's
doing because it works. Paufler and his doctor are exploring the
possibility of obtaining a compassionate IND to provide legal access to
marijuana for Paufler.
26. Paufler learned in about 1980 of the success of one Sam
Diana, a multiple sclerosis patient, in asserting the defense of "medical
necessity" in court when charged with using or possessing marijuana. He
learned that doctors, researchers and other multiple sclerosis patients
had supported Diana's position in the court proceeding.
27. Irwin Rosenfeld has been diagnosed as having Pseudo Pseudo
Hypoparathyroidism. This uncommon disease causes bone spurs to appear
and grow all over the body. Over the patient's lifetime hundreds of
these spurs can grow, any one of which can become malignant at any time.
The resulting cancer would spread quickly and the patient would die.
28. Even without development of a malignancy, the disease
causes enormous pain. The spurs press upon adjacent body tissue, nerves
and organs. In Rosenfeld's case, he could neither sit still nor lie
down, nor could he walk,
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without experiencing pain. Working in his furniture store in Portsmouth,
Virginia, Mr. Rosenfeld was on his feet moving furniture all day long.
The lifting and walking caused serious problems as muscles and tissues
rubbed over the spurs of bone. He tore muscles and hemorrhaged almost
daily.
29. Rosenfeld's symptoms first appeared about the age of ten.
Various drugs were prescribed for him for pain relief. He was taking
extremely powerful narcotics. By the age of 19 his therapy included 300
mg. of Sopor (a powerful sleeping agent) and very high doses of Dilaudid.
He was found to be allergic to barbiturates. Taking massive doses of
pain control drugs, as prescribed, made it very difficult for Rosenfeld
to function normally. If he took enough of them to control the pain, he
could barely concentrate on his schoolwork. By the time he reached his
early twenties Rosenfeld's monthly drug intake was between 120 to 140
Dilaudid tablets, 30 or more Sopor sleeping pills and dozens of muscle
relaxants.
30. At college in Florida Rosenfeld was introduced to marijuana
by classmates. He experimented with it recreationally. He never
experienced a "high" or "buzz" or "floating sensation" from it. One day
he smoked marijuana while playing chess with a friend. It had been very
difficult for him to sit for more than five or ten minutes at a time
because of tumors in the backs of his legs. Suddenly he realized that,
absorbed in his chess game, and smoking marijuana, he had remained
sitting for over an hour - with no pain. He experimented further and
found that his pain was reduced whenever he smoked marijuana.
31. Rosenfeld told his doctor of his discovery. The doctor
opined that it was possible that the marijuana was relieving the pain.
Something
- 48 -
certainly was - there was a drastic decrease in Rosenfeld's need for such
drugs as Dilaudid and Demerol and for sleeping pills. The quality of
pain relief which followed his smoking of marijuana was superior to any
he had experienced before. As his dosages of powerful conventional drugs
decreased, Rosenfeld became less withdrawn from the world, more able to
interact and function. So he has continued to the present time.
32. After some time Rosenfeld's doctor accepted the fact that
the marijuana was therapeutically helpful to Rosenfeld and submitted an
IND application to FDA to obtain supplies of it legally for Rosenfeld.
The doctor has insisted, however, that he not be publicly identified.
After some effort the IND application was granted. Rosenfeld is
receiving supplies of marijuana from NIDA. Rosenfeld testified before a
committee of the Virginia legislature in about 1979 in support of
legislation to make marijuana available for therapeutic purposes in that
State.
33. In 1969, at age 19, David Branstetter dove into the shallow
end of a swimming pool and broke his neck. He became a quadriplegic,
losing control over the movement of his arms and legs. After being
hospitalized for 18 months he returned home. Valium was prescribed for
him to reduce the severe spasms associated with his condition. He became
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* Origin: Who's Askin'? (1:17/75)
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