cannabisnews.com: Atmosphere 'Couldn't Be Better' 





Atmosphere 'Couldn't Be Better' 
Posted by CN Staff on June 05, 2005 at 11:58:43 PT
By Daniel Witter, Appeal-Democrat
Source: Appeal-Democrat
Calif. -- It was a relaxing moment without pain for Jeff Johnson. He sat in a folding chair wearing shorts, sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat next to his wife, Julie, and looking out over the concert at Mervyn's Pavilion in Marysville's Beckwourth Riverfront Park on Saturday.Johnson recalled numerous doctors visits and medication to relieve the pain he suffered from his degenerative disk disease. Nothing worked, he said. They only made things worse, the Marysville resident said.
Then, a few years ago, he heard that marijuana could help relieve the pain. He tried it and found that it worked. Medical marijuana became part of a lifestyle change for him, which also included eating organic foods and giving up fast food. He never looked back."Medical marijuana is better for you than what the doctors are prescribing," he said between performances at the Third Annual California Music That Matters Festival in Beckwourth Riverfront Park.The concert, which features 29 bands including the Marshall Tucker Band, began Friday and ends today. Proceeds from the ticket sales will go to the Dr. Stephen Banister Legal Defense Fund, Americans for Safe Access, and California National Organization for the Reformation of Marijuana Laws.  "This is not a pot-fest," said Melanie Sullivan, a medical liaison for the Music That Matters Concert. "We're not encouraging people to smoke pot."The concert and health fair were designed to educate people about health options, she said. The event includes a health fair in which Banister and other health experts give lectures on relevant topics.Banister is a Grass Valley doctor who was put on probation for three years for prescribing medical marijuana several years ago.Kat Thomas of Nevada County sat at her booth filled with information on Hepatitis C. She runs a support group, and said marijuana helps people with their treatments, which can be difficult. She's enjoyed the concert, which had light attendance Saturday afternoon."It's been lovely," Thomas said. "When the some goes down, people will come out."Samantha Thomas, her teenaged daughter, ran around the pavilion with her friend, Kyle Zerbel, looking at what the different vendors wares."It's pretty cool to lay out on the hill and listen to the music," said Zerbel.Victor Keithley of Auburn set up a booth for Veterans for Peace, which is an organization promoting peace as well as alternative education paths for high school students other than the military."It's got everything here to be successful," he said of the concert, pointing out the good location. "The atmosphere couldn't be better."Some people flew kites; others milled around their tents or cooked food in the camping area.Moments like this keep Johnson going."There are a lot of things that keep you going," he said. "Life is too awesome."Source: Appeal-Democrat (CA)Author: Daniel Witter, Appeal-DemocratPublished: June 5, 2005Copyright: 2005 Appeal-DemocratWebsite: http://www.appeal-democrat.com/Contact: jdickey appeal-democrat.comCalifornia NORMLhttp://www.canorml.org/Americans For Safe Accesshttp://www.safeaccessnow.org/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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