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SubscribeI’ll admit it, there have been times in my life where that phrase made so well-known by former First Lady Nancy Reagan – “Just say no” – was replaced handily by “Just do it” (Thank you, Nike.).
Was I breaking the law? Yes. If caught should I have been penalized? Perhaps. But that fact is irrelevant to the news that I read in this morning’s San Francisco Chronicle.
It seems that those oh-so-upstanding sons of bitches at the FDA have rescinded their previous support of a now seven-year-old study that showed clinical evidence of health benefits from the medicinal use of marijuana. (Note that I said medicinal and not recreational. That other category is another subject altogether and not the point here.)
Frankly I could give a shit about the studies, because I have seen firsthand the invaluable nature of this herbal remedy for people who are incapacitated by pain.
About a year and a half ago a friend of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her situation was such that she opted for a radical double mastectomy followed by an aggressive regimen of chemo and radiation.
Brutal experience to say the least, and as you might imagine the course of treatment rendered her nearly immobile on more than one occasion. She was vomiting, weak and barely able to function.
That is until she took a single toke of pot. Within moments of partaking not only was my friend able to eat (and thus keep up her strength helping ensure that she wasn’t hit by other illnesses due to her diminished immune capacity from the treatment), she was also able to work (and thus maintain her job and position in helping keep a business afloat and do her part to support our economy).
If the goverment had its way, she’d be punished and so would those who had helped her.
Did my friend enjoy smoking pot? Absolutely not, and as a matter-of-fact her greatest joy was the day when treatment was over, her side effects were gone and she could ditch the marijuana altogether.
And it’s my opinion that she is more likely the rule than the exception.
There are people who abuse medical mariujana. There are also people who abuse any number of pharmaceuticals; and to be perfectly frank I know far more people whose abuse of pills leads to greater problems than I do people whose use of medical marijuana leads to abuse.