Transcript:Each day, an estimated 6,000 Americans will try marijuana for the first time. It's the most common illicit drug in the United States, with nearly 15 million people using it at least once a month.
But should marijuana be legalized? Let us know what you think. All this week, we are taking a close look at that deeply divisive issue in a series of eye-opening reports that may change your mind one way or other. It's a special 360 investigation. We're calling it "America's High: The Case For and Against Pot."
And we begin with the growing fight over medical marijuana. Now, as of right now, 13 states have laws that permit marijuana, also known as cannabis, to be taken for medical conditions. There's no prescription for cannabis. Instead, doctors issue a recommendation in these states.
But is it safe? Is it effective? Does it actually work?
Melissa Etheridge says it worked for her. The Grammy Award- winning singer/songwriter turned to marijuana after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
In an interview, Etheridge tells me why she did it and how she believes it helped restore her health.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ETHERIDGE: I'm actually grateful for my cancer diagnosis.
COOPER: Grateful because it -- it changed your life?
ETHERIDGE: Changed my life, woke me up, totally.
COOPER (voice-over): Melissa Etheridge's wakeup call came in October 2004, when she was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer. She immediately underwent two surgeries to remove the tumor and lymph nodes and then began what she calls the most painful experience of all, chemotherapy.
(on camera): What is the pain like?
ETHERIDGE: It was just a general pain of your body dying, of all your cells dying. And, so, your appetite is gone. And you are nauseous. And your hair is falling out. Your skin -- it's like death.
And -- and the only thing I could do is lay there. I can't -- it hurt to -- light hurt. Sound hurt. I couldn't read anything. I just laid there.
(LAUGHTER)
COOPER (voice-over): Needing something to ease the pain, she didn't want to use Vicodin or other prescription pills that could be addictive or come with side effects.
ETHERIDGE: All of these things have side effects. So, the steroids and the -- the pain relief that they give you on that first day when you go into chemotherapy causes constipation. So, they -- well, here is a pill for the constipation, which will give you diarrhea...
(LAUGHTER)
ETHERIDGE: ... you know, which you -- and you get huge side effects from all of this.
COOPER: Etheridge decided to combat the pain of chemotherapy with medicinal marijuana.
(on camera): The first time you did it, it made a big difference?
ETHERIDGE: It instantly, I mean, instantly, within a minute, relieves the nausea, relieves the pain. And -- and, all of a sudden, I -- I was normal. You don't -- you don't take medicinal marijuana to get high. COOPER: So, it doesn't -- you didn't -- you weren't getting high?
ETHERIDGE: No. You don't get a high. No, it's not a high. It's a normal. And I could -- all of a sudden, I could get out of bed. I could go see my kids, like -- and it was amazing.
COOPER (voice-over): Often too sick from the chemotherapy to smoke, Etheridge's wife, Tammy Lynn Michaels, would mix the marijuana into butter and spread it on Melissa's food. Or she would inhale it through a vaporizer.
Medicinal marijuana worked so well, Etheridge says she used it every four hours daily during chemotherapy.
(on camera): Did you ever worry about becoming addicted? Do you -- there are those who say, well, look, this is a gateway drug.
ETHERIDGE: No. It's not -- not at all.
If you ever were on that side of it, you would understand what I mean. It's -- it is almost laughable to think that -- that that -- you could be addicted to this. It's not at all.
COOPER: You mentioned you still have a prescription.
ETHERIDGE: Mm-hmm.
COOPER: Do you still use marijuana?
ETHERIDGE: Yes, I do. But the effects of -- on my gastrointestinal system, I have a real low tolerance for acid of any kind. So acid reflux is a constant problem.
And I don't want to take the pills that have all the side effects to help with that. And I do use it -- I'm one of the users that would like in a stressful situation, or maybe when I've eaten that cheese pizza with my kids, you know, that I will do that and it settles all that.
COOPER: Most people eat the cheese pizza after the marijuana.
ETHERIDGE: That's true.
COOPER: You've got it backwards.
ETHERIDGE: I know.
(singing) I run for hope, I run to feel, I run for the truth for all that is real.
COOPER (voice-over): Today at 48, Melissa Etheridge has been cancer free for five years. And she says she can't imagine having gone through the battle of her life without medicinal marijuana. She is now pushing for its legalization. (on camera) There's more than, I think, 200,000 people in California who are registered to receive medicinal marijuana. Do you really believe that all those people, though, have legitimate reasons to be getting marijuana?
ETHERIDGE: Yes. If it helps somebody at the end of the day instead of drinking a couple of glasses of wine, to have a few tokes, who are we to say? Why must we be in this country so judgmental about this? These people aren't hurting anybody. They're not hurting themselves.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Melissa Etheridge and I covered a lot of ground. You can see more of the conversation, more of the interview, at AC360.com. That's where you can also join the live chat, which is happening now. Let us know what you think about this issue.
From:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0906/15/acd.01.htmlI've had a look on his site but can't find the full conversation...
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