I read with interest Barbara Cisek’s op-ed “Congress must take action on drug prices” (April 6, TribLIVE) regarding a very important issue for so many of us.
Cisek did not mention medical marijuana, which can be an alternative to expensive and not always effective prescription medications, and without the potential deleterious side effects. Medical marijuana can be used to treat many conditions and symptoms, such as migraines, gastrointestinal issues (Crohn’s disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome), chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder and detoxing from opioids.
Once a person obtains a Pennsylvania medical marijuana card (cost, about $250), he or she can go to a dispensary, where medical guidance is available as to which of the many combinations of CBD and THC would be effective. With good medical consultation, the patient won’t experience psychoactive effects. You are not allowed to smoke the product.
The average patient spends $100-$150 per visit. Even seniors are taking it (the average age is almost 50). It works. It’s worth a try.
Mark L. Heckman
Lower Burrell
The writer is a vocational rehabilitation counselor and board member of the Pennsylvania Association of Rehabilitation Professionals.