by Alanna Ketler, Collective Evolution
Larry Smith is a former cop who lives in South Dakota. He’s had Parkinson’s disease for 20 years, which causes severe dyskinesia (uncontrolled movements), tremors, and voice loss.
The following is a clip from the documentary Ride With Larry, which follows Larry’s efforts to raise awareness about his illness as he travels across the United States on a bicycle, despite having Parkinson’s disease. This clip has raised a lot of attention on social media and for good reason — it’s simply unbelievable.
Smith is shown in the clip taking medical marijuana for the first time. He puts a drop of cannabis oil under his tongue, after which, everything about him changes. His involuntary movements come to an end, he can speak normally, and he is very still. It’s simply incredible to see what one drop of cannabis oil can do. Unfortunately, cannabis is still not legally available in South Dakota, even for medicinal purposes.
Check it out.
What is shown in the video clip is nothing short of amazing. Many people have their doubts about medical marijuana, but the results speak for themselves. And while some people argue that this is just placebo, even if it were, which seems doubtful, does it matter? The fact remains that it works, and it can improve the lives of people like Larry tremendously.
Research Showing the Efficacy of Cannabis for Parkinson’s Symptoms
According to a study conducted in 2002 by Dr. Evzin Ruzicka, a neurologist at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, 50% of patients who were receiving medical marijuana for treatment said that it had helped them to alleviate some of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
Another noteworthy study which was conducted in March 2014 involved researchers from Tel Aviv University’s Rabin Medical Centre in Israel. It demonstrated how 22 patients with Parkinson’s disease (13 men and 9 women) had their symptoms alleviated from the use of medical marijuana, particularly tremors, rigidity, and dyskinesia. Researchers also observed that the patients were able to sleep better throughout the night and experienced less pain. No adverse effects were reported from the cannabis.
Can This Help You or Someone You Know?
It is definitely possible that cannabis could help alleviate Parkinson’s symptoms for yourself or a loved one. There are many states and countries that offer prescriptions for medical marijuana these days, and considering many of the prescription drugs available come with a wide array of negative side effects, this is certainly worth considering. As seen in the video above, this treatment works. It may not work this same way for everyone, but with so little to lose and so much to gain, it is certainly worth trying.
Please share this story. There are many places that still do not allow the sale of medical marijuana, and research and stories like this can help change this!
Much Love
