The Hidden Scars：A Warning from 18 Years of Marijuana Addiction

《隱形的傷痕：18年大麻成癮者的警世告白》

Should marijuana be legal? Or not?

This is a photo of a patient who successfully quit marijuana after 18 years of addiction. The image is part of a work meant to serve as a warning to the public. The purpose is to show that non-medical marijuana use can be extremely difficult to quit. Even after successfully stopping, the patient suffers from severe skin itching.

During withdrawal episodes, the itching becomes unbearable—so intense that the individual would use a razor blade to scratch the skin. Even now, the patient occasionally requires phototherapy treatment at the hospital.

With marijuana now legalized in countries like the United States and Canada, there is growing concern that such legalization could lead to more long-term health issues. These symptoms don’t appear right away; they develop over time. This raises the question: Should marijuana laws be reconsidered? Should legalization be limited strictly to medical cases, such as for cancer or Parkinson’s disease patients?

I once watched a documentary called “Ride with Larry”, which includes a powerful segment on medical marijuana and its positive effects on Parkinson’s disease.

To me, marijuana seems like a substance that—when used properly—can help many patients. However, due to widespread misuse and commercial interests, it has become too easily accessible. I believe this is a dangerous trend that should not be taken lightly.

大麻應該合法？不合法？
這是一位成功戒掉大麻的病人，其皮膚照片記錄了他18年吸毒後的身體狀況。這幅作品的目的是要警醒世人：若非醫療用途，大麻的成癮性極強，戒斷並不容易。

即使成功戒斷，病人仍飽受劇烈皮膚痕癢之苦。在癮發作時，癢感強烈到令人難以忍受，他甚至曾用戒刀來刮皮膚。即使如今，他仍需不時到醫院接受光療治療。

如今，美國與加拿大已將大麻合法化，然而這也讓人擔憂可能會引發更多潛在問題。這些病徵不會立刻出現，而是經年累月地浮現。我們是否應該重新檢視大麻合法化的政策？是否應該僅限於癌症或帕金森氏症患者等醫療用途？

我曾看過一部紀錄片《Ride with Larry》，其中一段深刻描寫了醫療大麻對帕金森病人的幫助，的確令人動容。

在我看來，大麻若用於正當醫療，是可以幫助很多病人的；但因為許多人出於私利與濫用，使得大麻變得過於普及。我認為，這是我們社會不應忽視的危機。