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  WINDY CITY TIMES

Advocates: Medical cannabis law will benefit LGBTs
by Kate Sosin, Windy City Times
2013-08-21

This article shared 4712 times since Wed Aug 21, 2013
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For Julie Falco, it was a last-ditch attempt at living. She had tried everything else, she thought. "It was either this or me taking my own life," she said.

Falco has multiple sclerosis, and for her, self-administering cannabis, better known as medical marijuana, changed everything.

"It was profound," said Falco. "As soon as I started doing it, I noticed immediate improvements."

Falco is not LGBT, but her story is not uncommon, especially among people coping with HIV/AIDS and cancer, two diseases that disproportionately impact LGBT people.

On Aug. 1, Illinois became the 20th state to legalization marijuana use for medical purposes.

The new law will mean less stigma and more frank communication between patients and doctors, advocates say.

Medical cannabis was among a slate of issues being pushed by the AIDS Foundation of Chicago this year.

Ramon Gardenhire, a lobbyist for AFC, said that HIV organizations overwhelmingly support the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes.

"We need to use every tool in our arsenal to make sure people stay linked into care," Gardenhire said.

Evidence has shown that marijuana can reduce side effects of some HIV drugs, side effects that can be so intense that some stop treatment. If cannabis can curb those side effects, advocates say, the drug may help keep patients linked to care, reducing their chances of transmitting HIV and improving their health overall.

And legalization in Illinois decreases stigma, say advocates, because people don't need to seek the drug out illegally.

"It's certainly great news for a lot of our clients," said Ann Fisher, executive director of the AIDS Legal Council of Chicago (ALCC).

Many ALCC clients use marijuana, said Fisher, but few face criminal charges as a result. In that way, legalization may not necessarily mean a decrease in legal problems for HIV/AIDS patients. What it will mean, she said, is that many who wanted to try the drug but feared criminal consequences will have access to it for the first time.

Falco agrees. She notes that stigma around the drug has prevented cancer patients who might benefit from usage from even researching medical cannabis.

"We even had people that were afraid to go on the internet and do Google searches about it," she said.

Fisher said the new law will mean that physicians will feel more comfortable broaching the subject with patients, and patients will be more likely to disclose cannabis usage to physicians.

"I think it allows people to have more honest conversations with their doctors," Fisher said.

But Fisher also notes a drawback to the new law.

Cannabis usage remains illegal at the federal level, and employees can still fire workers whose drug tests turn up positive for cannabis, even if they have a legal prescription.

"Legal in Illinois does not mean you get to use it despite what your job is," Fisher said. "It's still this awkward situation where legal in Illinois does not mean federally legal."

Howard Brown Health Center was asked to comment on the impact of this new law on LGBT health. "At this time, the HBHC medical team is assessing the usage of medical marijuana and how it will affect the overall health of our patients," the organization said in a statement to Windy City Times.


This article shared 4712 times since Wed Aug 21, 2013
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