[420 Girl]

In his quest to quell chronic back pain, 19-year-old Jon Dunbar has been prescribed several opiate narcotics during the past two years.

Vicodin, he said, wasn't strong enough. Morphine and fentanyl had too many negative side effects and all of the drugs, including the Percocet he takes now, are highly addictive.

With all that in mind, Dunbar, a Gobles native whose back pain is caused by a spinal injury and neuropathy, plans to submit his application next week to have his name placed on Michigan's Medical Marijuana Registry. The registry is part of the state's medical marijuana law that was passed by voters in November and takes effect today.

The Michigan Department of Community Health will begin receiving applications on Monday. Residents whose applications are approved will receive a registry identification card by mail.

Dunbar said the medical marijuana will offer him a less-addictive option for pain relief, and he is hopeful that using it will help him to lessen the amount of opiates he takes daily.

"The nice thing (is), if there is (any chance of addiction to the medical marijuana), it's so small it's not even known," he said. "If I can take one less pill a day, it's beneficial to me."

Dunbar said he plans to grow his own marijuana. The Michigan Medical Marijuana Act allows for a registered person or a registered primary caregiver to possess 2.5 ounces of useable marijuana or 12 marijuana plants.

To qualify for the program, the Department of Community Health Web site says an applicant must have a qualifying debilitating medical condition, such as glaucoma, Hepatitis C, HIV or AIDS.

The state's Medical Marijuana Act, however, does not provide guidelines on where to obtain marijuana seeds or starter plants and there is no place in the state to legally purchase medical marijuana.

For more information on the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program, where to send an application and to download printable applications for the program, go to MDCH mmp Redirect.


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