Cigarettes have never touched my lips. I lived through the rock’n’roll years of the 1960s and never participated in a pot party. I believed it was as evil and addictive as alcohol and a pathway to heavy drugs and the devil!
Until recently, little medical research was available to change my mind. Now, as an arthritic octogenarian — and as more information is known about the pain-relieving properties of cannabis — I am praying that the Virgin Islands government will opt to consider allowing farmers to grow this ancient miracle “bush” medicine.
I’m not alone with painful days and sleepless night. As important as this crop is for the revenue it will generate for the VI, equally important is the relief from the relentless pain of arthritis, chronic and post-operative pain, and other debilitating diseases that affect many VI residents. Presently, the only option in the VI is addictive and harmful opioids.
I’m looking forward to an announcement soon that farming for medical marijuana is a VI reality.