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I'm currently reading Understanding Marijuana: A New Look At The Scientific Evidence, by Mitch Earleywine. (Pub by Oxford Univesity Press, 2002). It's available from the Scientific American (magazine) book club. (www.sciambookclub.com) I'm only on chapter 4, but I jumped ahead to the "Medical Marijuana" chapter. It concludes that there is little evidence of marijuana's efficacy in treating PD, but it goes on to list several symptoms commonly reported by PWP, such as anxiety, dystonia, insomnia, and pain, on which marijuana seems to have an effect. Let me add my personal experience. (Many of you are now thinking, "Aha! I knew it!") When my neck, shoulder, and abdominal muscles feel like ship's ropes (made from hemp fibers, of course), a little marijuana helps relax them. I have also personally observed moderate reduction in my tremors after smoking a few puffs of marijuana. Emotionally, marijuana makes me feel like everything is just fine. It has helped me get through some tough stretches, when I was feeling anxious or depressed. Since pot is illegal, quality and strength varies greatly, unless you can get it from a co-op or something. I do get mine on the black market, but I try to stay local and fresh, as with any produce. This avoids nasty issues like pesticides, mafia involvement, and our wonderful drug-war policies. All disclaimers apply. Results may vary. Ask your doctors. I did. They have not raised any objection to my judicious, symptom-related use of marijuana. But you must be very careful, especially if you're not knowledgeable or experienced in how marijuana affects you. And remember to be vigilant for signs of abuse or dependence. Enjoy Spring! Rick McGirr Email: [log in to unmask] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn