I was diagnosed with HIV in 2002. Within months, my diagnosis quickly progressed to
full-blown AIDS. It took me nearly three years to recover to a relatively healthy state. I
have experienced nausea, weight loss, insomnia, and painful nerve damage caused by
shingles due to this disease. I know from my own research that medical marijuana would
have eased my suffering and facilitated my recovery significantly.
A common misconception about medical marijuana laws is that they are a back door to
the full legalization of marijuana. Personally, my fight ends with the passage of a medical
marijuana law in Illinois. After that, my only concern will be making sure our federal
government catches up with the states on this issue. In the end, most patients are like me
and are only concerned with improving our quality of life. Our conditions require relief
now – some of us may not be around long enough to see the larger debate resolved.
