By Derek Spellman

dspellman@joplinglobe.com

Linda Yelvington rattles off her list of ailments: Severe scoliosis. A prosthetic hip. Cervical degenerative disc disease. DeQuerin’s syndrome in both wrists. Arthritis. Breathing problems from diminished lung capacity because of scoliosis.

The 54-year-old woman then rattles off a list of painkillers she has taken for her health problems.

“None of them are working right,” Yelvington said of the legal drugs, listing some of their side effects.

It has been several months since she has taken her preferred painkiller — marijuana — because it’s not legal in Missouri.

She contends it works just as well, if not better, with fewer side effects. Yelvington, who started taking marijuana years ago, is well-versed in studies about marijuana’s medicinal use.

Asked if the issue of legalizing marijuana for medical use is personal or political for her, she replied, “I think it’s a compassion issue.”

Activists, meanwhile, are gathering support for a statewide initiative that would ask Missouri voters to approve medical marijuana.

The forthcoming debate will likely have two dimensions — one medical and political. Both will be personal.

‘Not harmless’

On the medical debate, both sides cite research and a roster of supporters to back their claims.

A local physician said a lot depends on whether the discussion is about someone who is terminally ill and in agony or whether it is about someone who will have to deal with the long-term effects of using the drug.

“Marijuana is not harmless,” added Matthew Miller, a medical oncologist from Freeman Health System.

The medical debate is also attended by a political debate about whether the marijuana issue is an act of compassion for the dying, or a Trojan horse for outright legalization of recreational use of the drug.