Veterans Stories
Montel Williams - National Talk Show Host
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"As a sufferer of multiple sclerosis since 1999, I use medical marijuana to ease my painful spasms. Marijuana allows me to function normally instead of having to endure the debilitating side effects and mental fogginess that I found accompanied opiate-based painkillers. |
I'm a proud 22-year veteran of the armed services, and I wish more veterans organizations and VA doctors would speak out on behalf of their patients who face potential federal arrest, prosecution, and withholding of VA medical services for using marijuana, even when they have a recommendation from their doctor. It's time for our federal government to stop prosecuting medical marijuana patients, especially our veterans who have been willing to pay the ultimate price for their country. I strongly endorse the mission of Veterans for Medical Marijuana Access." |
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Marty Chilcutt, 72 - Kalamazoo, Michigan
Navy veteran Martin Chilcutt served in air intelligence shortly after World War II, where his duties involved testing nuclear weapons. The radiation exposure left him extremely vulnerable to cancer, which he has suffered from — and survived — three times. He has been in remission for ten years, but there is always a chance that his cancer could return.
Traditional medications did little for Martin’s chemotherapy-induced pain and nausea, and some doctors at the Veterans Affairs hospital recommended medical marijuana. Martin was amazed at how effectively and quickly marijuana eased the intense pain and nausea he felt from chemotherapy. One of Martin’s friends, an epileptic veteran, took his doctor’s advice and tried medical marijuana to prevent seizures. Another veteran friend who developed multiple sclerosis used medical marijuana on his doctor’s recommendation to relieve neuropathic pain and muscle spasms.
"The medical use of marijuana has helped to relieve the pain and suffering associated with serious illnesses in my life, and in the lives of several close friends of mine. I wish more doctors would speak out and demand that the federal government allow research to be done on medical marijuana and help protect their patients on the federal level. We need rational decisions and action to combat the status quo. The most perilous aspect of using medical marijuana is the threat of getting arrested and going to jail.”