Many can benefit from medical marijuana

When I read the March 22 article 'MedPharm bets big on Iowa medical marijuana,” I was pleased to see Iowa has moved forward on this issue allowing individuals who suffer medical conditions to benefit from using this drug.

My husband and I were born in Wisconsin and after 40 years on the west coast in Portland and California returned to our Midwestern roots two years ago by moving to Cedar Rapids. I have glaucoma and as a resident of California I had a medical marijuana card which enabled me to purchase marijuana at a dispensary. The use, along with prescribed eye drops, has kept my disease from worsening by lowering the pressure in my eyes.

I was excited about the possibility of being able to benefit from its use here in Iowa. The MedPharm article said that only a little over 300 applicants had filed with the state in the hope of benefiting from this drug. When I filled out the application I found out why so few have applied. Very few medical conditions qualify. Mostly for the treatment of terminal cancer. There was no mention of the drug's benefits with post-traumatic stress disorder that our brave vets suffer from, or the proven reduction in opioid use (which a Denver study showed after Colorado's legalization of marijuana), or for glaucoma patients.

My hope is that Iowa will expand the list of conditions that qualify so individuals are not forced to purchase marijuana from illegal sources to alleviate their pain and aid in their recovery.

Noralee Sherwood

Cedar Rapids