WATCH: Former Cop With Parkinson's Tries Cannabis Treatment for First Time

Over the past couple of years, The Free Thought Project has reported on many amazing examples of medical cannabis helping people who suffer from debilitating conditions. Numerous videos exist of children’s seizures stopping almost instantly after a dose of cannabis oil.
Adults with Parkinson’s disease can also experience this miracle, as Larry Smith demonstrated in a video where he took medical cannabis for the first time. Smith began suffering from Parkinson’s twenty years ago – developing severe dyskinesia (uncontrolled movements), loss of voice, and tremors – and eventually was taking 20 pharmaceutical medications a day.
In his quest for relief, Smith has “exhausted every conventional method of treatment, every drug, and even brain surgery.” But legalization and acceptance of cannabis and its medical value has swept the nation, and it was only a matter of time before Smith and his wife would consider trying it.
Smith is a former police officer, serving 26 years at the Hamden Police Department in Connecticut, until retiring as Captain in 1999. Smith and his wife then moved to South Dakota, where he would open a popular bakery.
As of now, South Dakota remains strictly prohibitionist with no medical cannabis laws, but bills are in the works. The Smiths aren’t waiting around for the state to come to its senses, though.
In a video posted on his Facebook page, Ride with Larry, Smith tries medical cannabis for the first time. A fellow Parkinson’s patient visits Smith with medical cannabis and instructs him on how to use it. Smith’s severe dyskinesia is obvious, and he says, “It’s been a rough week.”As Smith sits on the couch, his friend says to put the applicator under his tongue and rub it in his cheek. “Don’t try to communicate. Just relax. See what happens.”
Soon Smith lays back on the couch, and within a couple of minutes his tremors and dyskinesia have stopped. His hands become rock steady. He seems like a different person, even sitting up and saying, “Did you guys eat lunch yet?”
“A person like me could really use marijuana and it makes me pretty angry that I can’t get it in my home state,” says Smith.
Dr. Daniele Piomelli, director of pharmacology at UC Irvine, says, “The number one frustration that I have is knowing that there is this untapped potential…comes from what marijuana is teaching us…to generate new medicines, and being stuck because of financial issues or political issues.”
As we have said numerous times before, federal government is the biggest obstacle to freedom and medical cannabis healing. The Drug Enforcement Agency is completely devoid of rationality in keeping cannabis a Schedule 1 drug, because it is their cash cow and serves the interest of Big Pharma.
It is past time to end the drug war, so Larry Smith and countless others can treat their debilitating conditions without fear of government throwing them in a cage.