General Hospital Tackles Medical Marijuana

I've been glad to see General Hospital taking on more serious subjects. Since I've been watching (about 15+ years), their main topic has been HIV/AIDS, but recently a main character has been diagnosed wit lung cancer (even though she's NEVER smoked cigars or cigarettes) and she's been having a bit of trouble with all of the chemicals being put into her body. The chemo makes her incredibly sick, and in order to keep up appearances for her young daughters and to be able to function on a semi-normal level, she took to smoking marijuana (suggested to her by a friend). Though her ex-husband is using this as a ploy to take away her youngest daughter, the rest of the cast has been extremely supportive of this decision, telling her that cancer is a horrible disease, the treatment is as bad or worse, and anything she can do to make herself feel better is fine by them.

You can bet that medical marijuana is going to be an issue, however small, in the upcoming Presidential election, and if it isn't, the press and the politicians are just being negligent. Marijuana is not a completely harmless herb, but the adverse effects are well within the requirements specified by the FDA for anything Americans put into their bodies, and it's effects are far less than that of alcohol or smoking cigarettes.

Marijuana is especially helpful for pain in those with certain cancers, especially that of they eyes, and other painful conditions with limited treatment options such as Fibromyalgia (which my sister suffers from after 4 open-heart surgeries, 1 spinal surgery, 1 shunt, and several hearth catherizations, all due to being born with Tetrallogy of Fallot, better known as Blue Baby Syndrome), Multiple Sclerosis (which Montel Williams and my friend and mentor Annie suffers from), chronic back pain, and MANY other conditions.

Eleven states (AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ME, NV, OR, RI, VT and WA) allow medical marijuana for the treatment of various illnesses or side-effects associated with major illnesses, and many others are debating it. Whatever your opinion, please educate yourself on the benefits AND the risks, then form your own opinion. You owe it to those who are suffering daily and deeply.

Other Americans who are suffering daily and deeply include:
3,129 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
23,530 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq

Dateline THC

Last Sunday on Dateline NBC Melissa Etheridge discussed her cancer, her recovery, and her marijuana use. Her argument is the same as most people using medical marijuana. She said she could have taken five or more pills a day that barely helped at all, or she could go the natural route, smoke half a joint, and feel better immediately.

I was glad to see this interview on national TV, and I'm thrilled that this debate and the truth about this drug is finally gaining political credibility. Marijuana has been used medically for thousands of years, as evidenced by the link above. It has been used to treat menstrual cramps, stomach pains, and pain in general. Thomas Jefferson grew hemp at Monticello. In fact, it was only made illegal because of the Mexican immigration problem. The government thought it was the cause of socially deviant behavior and making it illegal may stop people from streaming over the boarder. We all know how well that worked.

Weeds

After three episodes of the new Showtime series, Weeds, I finally decided to post about it. Bringing an issue like Marijuana use to the forefront is just the beginning. The show suggests that it is difficult for a middle-class person living in the suburbs of America to cope if tragedy strikes. The death of a husband, or a wife, has put hundreds of families in similar situations since the war began, and one wonders what their spouses have to do to make ends meet. Selling marijuana to the lawyers, accountants, and business owners of a community is certainly one way to go, especially if you want to maintain the lifestyle to which you have become accustomed. And another question arises: If no one believes that marijuana should be legalized and fewer people are doing it that we think, how are suburban moms and dads making a living off of growing and selling it? What benefits, if any, do you see from the legalization of marijuana, mushrooms, or peyote? What would be he societal changes involved? Given the looming meth crisis, and the fact that marijuana has been used to treat meth addicts, does marijuana really seem so bad?

And the Supreme Court Rides Again

I have a friend with Multiple Sclerosis. She is an incredible teacher and an amazing person. Unfortunately, she is in constant pain. She wakes up three hours before she has to every day because it takes her that long to get her body moving. She has tried every pharmaceutical pain killer and none of them worked more than once. She does everything she should, eats the right foods, drinks lots of water, and exercises every day. Still, the pain is unbearable. Finally, her doctor said, "Friend, I know it's illegal and could get you into trouble, but I really think you should try smoking a joint in the morning. The effects of the marijuana will take away your pain, but still leave you fully functional. Plus, it's most likely less harmful to your body than cigarettes or alcohol. Nothing else works for you. What do you have to lose?"

My poor friend, in serious pain and with nothing else to do, found a connection and got herself some pot. Curious about how she was doing and worried that she could lose her teaching license, I called her and said, "Friend, how are you?"

With a pep in her voice I hadn't heard in months, she said, "You wouldn't believe it. After about half a joint, the pain started to melt away. I can feel it in my joints and in my muscles. I can move more easily."

I said, "Friend, aren't you worried.? You could be arrested. You could lose your teaching certificate. You could be put in jail, ridiculed, and sued by parents claiming that you were high while teaching (certainly not the case). That doesn't scare you?"

And she said, "I feel better than I have in years. Today, I sat on the floor and played with Gracie. I did my own laundry. I opened a bottle without Phil's help. I don't care if I get caught. If I do, I'll fight. I'm an adult, well aware of the effects things can have on my body. Why shouldn't I be in complete control of what goes in and out of it? I'm not hurting anyone. And for the first time in three years, I am not in pain. If my government thinks that's wrong, they are inhumane."

So I said, "Let's go to Amsterdam!"