Featured Image Credit: Ride with Larry
Topics: Drugs, Twitter, Health, Documentaries
Gerrard Kaonga
A viral video showing the results of a Parkinson’s sufferer taking medical marijuana for the first time has has left social media users dumbfounded.
The clip has since gone viral on X, formerly known as Twitter, and sparked an intense debate on the platform. Since being posted on November 14, the clip has been viewed more than 22 million times.
The footage isn’t new, however, and is actually taken from a 2013 documentary, Ride With Larry.
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Larry Smith, who previously served 26 years in law enforcement had been battling Parkinson’s disease for 20 years. The documentary detailed his ongoing struggle with the condition as well as his determination to bicycle across South Dakota.
One particular clip that has circulated on social media over the years is Smith taking medical marijuana. As the drug was illegal in his home state, Smith and his wife Elizabeth travelled to San Diego to try it.
The viral clip showcases just how pronounced Smith’s symptoms are. He has trouble walking and difficulty speaking as well as constant hand movements.
After taking one drop of cannabis oil under his tongue within a few minutes, Smith’s body completely relaxes and he appears to not be in pain. Smith even remarked at how quickly the change happened.
His wife said: “He used just a single drop and his hands afterwards were rock steady and the dyskinesia left."
According to the Parkinson’s Foundation website: “Dyskinesias are involuntary, erratic, writhing movements of the face, arms, legs or trunk. They are often fluid and dance-like, but they may also cause rapid jerking or slow and extended muscle spasms.”
In the video clip, Smith even begins singing to show how much better his voice is feeling now.
While many proclaimed this was clear evidence that medical marijuana should be used to treat Parkinson’s, this topic is still hotly debated in the medical community.
“My aunt who had ALS started smoking marijuana. It helped her a great deal. It still took her life, but it made things easier until the end. Hard to understand why it’s not federally legalized yet,” one user commented.
“I started taking marijuana-derived cannabidiol (CBD) this year. From the moment I started taking it, my anxiety was reduced by a considerable amount,” another user wrote.
“Medical cannabis is an absolute game changer for me/my disability as well. Full spectrum oils absolutely work!” another X user commented.
Larry Smith has since died and passed away at the age of 71, on the exact day of his 9 year anniversary of his South Dakota bike ride.