How I Became a Medical Patient

Here is some background on how I became a medical marijuana patient, activist, and now President of an Organization all within a year.

I am President of Ohio Patient Action network and owner of www.mmjactionnetwork.com. I have only been in this movement approximately one year and this year has been amazing yet it’s been
alarming at what I have learned.

I am 42 and firmly believe the reason I am here is because I use marijuana as a medicine. I have no criminal record. I have a degree in legal assisting and I am a good mother, friend, daughter, and neighbour. I, however, am a domestic violence survivor and suffer from the severe spine and back injury and damage from beatings I took from my husband. I have many debilitating painful conditions from which I inherited from my family
i.e Pseudohypoparathyroidism, My bones are twisting and turning because of arthritis and I have severe adhesions wrapped around my bowel. All of which are very painful. Traditional drugs don’t work for me because I’d be like a zombie and not able to function as a productive citizen. My doctors support my use to use marijuana as a medicine and my town supports my activism.

I always knew marijuana was medicine I just never knew why or how. I now know those answers. It’s very simple. God was not a stupid God. He gave us everything we need to be okay, one being the holy herb.

I can’t walk without pain management control. So I had to find the safest for me. I am destined to have to take something the rest of my life why not allow me to use what science has proven to be safer than aspirin. Why do I have to face possible jail because I choose to use cannabis, pot, marijuana? It is all same plant,
just different words for it. Why can’t my doctor prescribe cannabis when he can prescribe morphine? Many people who suffer daily with debilitating conditions. I just knew I couldn’t hide in my little room when so many patients need a voice to be heard and so many are being treated like criminals. I just knew I had to come out of my comfort zone and do what was right. I figured I had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

I can’t change the past filled with abuse but I sure can change the future. No one heard me when I was crying out for help. When I was being beaten by my ex-husband who was a fireman, no one heard me because law enforcement had a brotherhood. Now I’m suffering from damage to my
spine and back. Severe pain at times all because they didn’t hear my cry’s
for help now I am begging my Elected officials please don’t turn me into an addict where I stand to lose my dignity by not being able to care for myself.

Help me by asking Congress to make a bill to protect me and millions of other Americans who do not want to or can’t (for whatever reason as determined by their doctor) use conventional methods of treatments. Help us by not allowing Federal law to prosecute medical marijuana patients like myself for using a plant God gave us.

I think the whole world should be allowed to use holistic therapy if they choose and their doctor supervises it. I do not want to be strung out on drugs and I will fight to my death to make life easier for the sickest of the sick. WE ARE NOT CRIMINALS. Our Government knows this yet they allow Americans to suffer.

I choose to use marijuana as a medicine. The science is there. It was in Nov 2004 I found Marco Renda Treating yourself .com and he changed my life for the better. I was so sick from taking pills for different things I had to find help. So I searched for answers. They led me to treatingyourself.com and that’s where I found my dignity. I was so sick and couldn’t afford to buy pot anymore so I had two choices beg or die I begged and learned.

He took my hand virtually and taught me about marijuana and benefits of such a treatment. I always smoked pot and knew it helped my pain. He showed me how and why it helped my pain. Then I met others on his site that were very sick with many conditions and marijuana helped them too. I made friends. It felt like family. I started asking law enforcement their views and it seemed everyone I asked had no problem with marijuana as a medicine. My doctors and every doctor I have talked to say they have no problem. Judges I have spoken with, all say their hands are tied but they wouldn’t have a problem with a medical necessity for medical marijuana… so why aren’t laws changing?

I learned that our government allows 7 people to use marijuana as a medicine. How is their pain different than mine? God bless that they are
allowed to use it, “but how can it be legal for a few and not everyone who qualifies?” Montel Williams asked when we on Capitol Hill in DC during a press conference. He’s right. Why is it different for them? Why won’t George W Bush stand up for what’s right and allow sick Americans to use marijuana if their doctors say it’s ok.

Why do I have to die an awful death either so high on drugs legally or to suffer if I choose to not take them?