Interview with an MS patient

From “Cannabis Culture” 2003

This interview was conducted in connection with the acquittal of Michael F. before the Mannheim District Court. Michael was confirmed by the district court judge that his fundamental right to adequate medication (with marijuana) was to be rated higher than the prohibitions of the BTMG (narcotics law). Michael had grown some cannabis plants for his own use to alleviate his otherwise untreatable symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Michael F. is supported by the working group cannabis as medicine ACM e.V.

The rule of law you can smoke in the pipe …
Interview with Michael F.

?: Outside, there’s been a sweltering heat outside for weeks, and Mannheim is one of Germany’s hottest regions anyway. How are you, Michael?

!: If it’s hot, I can only stay at home, because it reinforces my symptoms. I can not walk in the heat anymore.

?: What did you think when you first felt the effects of cannabis?

!: “Never without THC”. The very positive effect on my residual symptoms was as if a new life had been given to me

?: How much has that changed your life?

!: I throw less things around and fall less about my own feet, I can articulate myself understandable. This is difficult to enumerate on the basis of individual symptoms. I felt so bad at the beginning of my MS – I was paralyzed on one side, could not talk anymore and see – that I thought I had to die. Cannabis relieves all symptoms with me so much that it is unimaginable without it.

?: Your therapeutic cannabis dose is about three grams a day. What is the best form of income for you?

!: Actually smoking – as strange as that sounds. Joints or pure. I am now using an AroMed vaporizer because of the harmful effects of smoking.

?: You have applied for the health insurance company to pay for the drug dronabinol. Do you have experience with it? If so, does it work like the (much cheaper) natural product?

!: I once bought 20ml of dronabinol. This is a very good drug and even cheap compared to the usual MS therapy with interferons, which costs € 15,000 a year. The effect on ataxia and occlusive spasms is as good as it is on cannabis. But I was missing, for example, the calming effect of the plant. You just notice that there are no substances that are present in the whole plant.

?: What does a typical daily routine look like?

!: Get up, take a shower, have breakfast, make music.

?: How about if you did not have cannabis anymore?

!: My health condition without cannabis is no longer sustainable for me.

?: You were acquitted on May 15, but the prosecution goes to the next instance. In addition, there are two other lawsuits. How much does the fight with the authorities take you?

!: I can not deal with that: I have enough to do with myself and my MS.

?: What do you think about the rule of law of the Federal Republic of Germany?

!: You can smoke it in the pipe, but then turn it off. They celebrate the lack of help on a grand scale.

?: Your Message to the Readers of Cannabis Culture?
!: I have no message. I just do not want to be helpless at the mercy of my MS.

We thank you, Michael and wish you all the best!