Elvy Musikka
“Marijuana saved my sight. I don’t think the law has the right to demand blindness from a citizen.”
Elvy Musikka testifying at her trial for marijuana possession in August 1988.
Left to right: Robert Randall, Elvy Musikka, and Kenny Jenks in Santa Cruz, CA. November 1992.
Elvy Musikka, a glaucoma patient from Florida, became one of the few Americans legally supplied with medical marijuana through the Compassionate IND program. After losing sight in one eye from failed surgeries, she faced blindness in the other until her doctor advised cannabis in 1976. Though initially reluctant, she found that it eased her eye pressure and preserved her remaining vision. In 1988, after being arrested for growing marijuana, a judge ruled that the drug was a medical necessity to save her sight—paving the way for her federal prescription.
Musikka’s story made her a prominent advocate, traveling nationwide to speak about the medical benefits of cannabis for glaucoma, cancer, AIDS, and multiple sclerosis. She emphasized its therapeutic value over any intoxicating effects, often declaring, “ignorance is blinding us.” Her courage and charm have endeared her to thousands, and she has played a significant role in shaping the medical marijuana movement of the late 20th century.
Further information
The following articles are scans of original news clippings. For additional clippings see the Archives Pages on this website.
Alternatively, newspapers.com is an excellent source for contemporaneous stories about the medical cannabis movement.
Davis, Ken. Glaucoma patient fought long battle to get marijuana. Ft. Lauderdale News (Ft. Lauderdale, Fl), August 16, 1988.
McCarty, James F., Patient gets OK to use pot. The Miami Herald (Miami, FL), August 16, 1988.
Lester, Will. Judge rules woman can smoke marijuana to treat glaucoma. The Tampa Tribune (Tampa, FL), August 17, 1988.
Mason, Dick. Woman says pot should be legal medicine. The Observer (La Grande, Oregon), September 22, 1993.