There Is No ‘One Size Fits All’ Description Of A Medical Cannabis User
What do you think of when you hear the term ‘medical marijuana patient?’ Because I have so many friends that are medical marijuana patients, I instantly get visions in my head of faces of people that I know. They come from all walks of life. Old people, young people, men, women, tall people, even little hobbity people like myself, and everything in between. I’m sure it’s the same for TWB readers in areas where medical marijuana programs are implemented.
Opponents of medical marijuana will have a narrower picture in their heads when they hear the term ‘medical marijuana patient.’ When asked to describe medical marijuana patients, medical marijuana opponents will always describe someone that is young, healthy, and has no visual appearances of any ailments. It always blows my mind how these uneducated people all of a sudden become Dr. House when it comes to medical marijuana. They don’t need proof or facts. All opponents of medical marijuana need is one example of someone that doesn’t fit their preconceived notions of what a medical marijuana patient should look like, and they will forever rail against medical marijuana as a cover up for recreational use.
I love to argue with these people. Medical marijuana opponents want to make it about the one person they heard of or saw on the news. But they fail to recognize that despite what one person looks like visually, marijuana is scientifically proven to have medicinal qualities, period. Passing judgement on a person that they know nothing about can never take that away. Rather than try to argue with medical marijuana opponents about whether someone is too young looking to have a medical marijuana card or not is unproductive and irrelevant if you ask me. I make the conversation about medical marijuana, and if a doctor feels that it helps someone, and their doctor credentials are in order, then who is anyone else on the planet to say otherwise? Especially people that have no medical experience whatsoever.
I am thirty years old. I do not look like a ‘typical’ medical marijuana patient according to medical marijuana opponents. I know this because at least one person will tell me so every day. I walk fine, I don’t look visually sick, and I have more energy than most Monster drink consumers (just ask Ninjasmoker!). As a result, some people feel the need to bash my marijuana use and call my card a fraud. I suffer from sever tendinitis. Two decades of constant typing, over a decade of texting, a decade of repetitive motions in office jobs, and half a decade of balloon art will do that to a person’s hands and wrists.
I can either take a lot of anti-inflammatory drugs and rot my organs, or I can consume marijuana and get more relief. I think I’ll choose the second, regardless of what it makes other people think. My condition is far from the only one that is not noticeable to the naked eye.If you are a medical marijuana opponent, please wait to pass judgement on people. After all, chances are you don’t look like you need all of the pharm dope that you have in your medicine cabinet!
