Medical marijuana user speaks
out
By Dave Stephens
Assistant
Campus Editor
Angel McClary hated being confined to a wheelchair
and she decided to do something about.
McClary, who suffers from several medical conditions
including scoliosis, a brain tumor, wasting syndrome and severe chronic
pain disorder, decided to take marijuana to ease her pain.
"Basically, for me, the only medicine that I can
take is cannabis," said McClary. "It's the only medicine that works
for all my medical conditions."
McClary told about her experiences as a medical
marijuana user Saturday during the Conference on the Medical use of
Cannabinoids, sponsored by the Purdue and Indiana chapters of the National
Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
The conference featured talks by McClary; Clark
Brittain, a clinical professor of Medicine at Indiana University; John
Morgan, a physician and professor of Pharmacology at the City University
of New York Medical School; and Stephen Dillion, an Indianapolis criminal
attorney and chairman of the board of directors for the National Organization
for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
"People are literally dying for lack of their medicine,"
said Dillion. "It's needless pain and suffering that we're allowing
to happen."
Dillion urged the crowd of 30 to 40 people to become
active in the fight against "prohibition."
"The law is wrong to prohibit marijuana; you can
look at alcohol prohibition that happened in the '20s. It didn't work,"
said Dillion.
He also said it was wrong to make marijuana illegal
because a majority of Americans think it should be legalized.
"For the federal government to say you don't have
the right to choose what you do in your own home is wrong," Dillion
said.
McClary also urged people to lobby the state government
to change local laws, to make them similar to the laws of California.
"You have to be willing to take a chance. You need
to break through that fear barrier and support those in need," said
McClary.
McClary made national headlines during the Supreme
Court hearing of the United States of America vs. Oakland Cannabis Buyers'
Cooperative in March where she spoke out on behalf of the cooperative.
"I don't like being a person that practices civil
disobedience but if they make me, I will," said McClary. "I've been
to jail … I'm not going back. I'm not willing to be a martyr unless
they force me to."
Dillion said everyone should join the fight for
legalization.
"It affects all of us," he said. "Whether you've
ever smoked a joint or not is irrelevant."
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