cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Brought Relief To My Dying Father





Marijuana Brought Relief To My Dying Father
Posted by CN Staff on December 09, 2005 at 07:31:16 PT
By J. David Drielsma
Source: North County Times 
San Diego, CA -- This is a story about a son's love for his father and the medicinal relief supplied by marijuana. Many years ago my father was diagnosed with cancer of the liver and pancreas. He was 79 and, other than the diagnosis, healthy and hardy.His oncologist was a Chinese doctor in San Clemente, and one day I accompanied my father to an appointment. My father was a strong character and accepted that his death would come sooner or later. But the chemotherapy was causing nausea and headaches and loss of appetite. It was for these undesirable side effects that my father wanted to see his doctor.
When he asked what the good doctor could prescribe so that he could feel better, the doctor, quite seriously, told my father that he would find relief by smoking marijuana. In the early 1980s this was a revelation. The next question, an obvious one, was could the doctor prescribe the drug.The doctor replied yes, he could prescribe it, but it would have to receive approval by the federal DEA and that would likely take months.Then a surprising thing occurred. The doctor knew I was a teacher.He looked at me and I knew exactly what he was going to say. "You are a high school teacher and I suppose you could find some marijuana for your father fairly quickly."This was an unexpected assignment. I did not consider, until after the fact, the moral or legal implications. If marijuana could help my father feel better, I would try to find some, and I did.And the drug had some positive effects. Of course it didn't cure my father's cancer, but his appetite improved, his headaches and nausea disappeared and, not least, his love of life and people returned. My parents' house, which had always smelled clean, now occasionally smelled like the Sports Arena after a rock concert, but that was a small price to pay.This true story has a moral. From personal experience I think it is a terrible mistake for the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to sue to overturn the initiative whereby the voters approved the medicinal use of marijuana. Instead of returning to the "Dark Ages," the board should sue the United States government to overturn its medieval policy on the use of medicinal marijuana. No young person will experiment or not experiment with marijuana because of anything the board does or doesn't do.And perhaps no son or daughter will have to risk his or her career to help a dying parent find some relief.J. David Drielsma lives in Cardiff.Source: North County Times (CA)Author: J. David Drielsma Published: Thursday, December 8, 2005 Copyright: 2005 North County Times Contact: editor nctimes.comWebsite: http://www.nctimes.com/Related Articles:County To Sue To Overturn Medical Marijuana Lawhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21363.shtmlCounty To Sue State Over Medical Marijuana Lawshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21286.shtml
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on December 12, 2005 at 14:39:59 PT
ASA Alert
DPFCA: Emergency: DEA Raids on Seven Dispensaries in San Diego ASA Alert  
**This is an emergency alert from Americans for Safe Access. **Today, Monday December 12th, federal agents raided at least seven medical cannabis dispensaries in San Diego with the help of the local police and sheriff.*If you live in the San Diego area:*We are asking all local medical cannabis supporters to rally in opposition to these raids at noon tomorrow, Tuesday, December 13th in front of the San Diego federal building, 880 Front Street, San Diego.ASA activists are also holding an emergency meeting tonight at 9:00p.m. at Twiggs Coffee House, 4590 Park Blvd., San Diego.*If you live outside of the San Diego area:*We are asking all medical cannabis supporters to rally in opposition to these raids at noon on Wednesday, December 14th in front of your local federal building. Please contact Rebecca immediately at rebecca safeaccessnow.org if you plan to organize one of these rallies so we can post the information on our website.***********These demonstrations are a vital part of our grassroots opposition to the federal crackdown. Please make plans to attend and encourage others to do so. Please check our web site or call the ASA office if you need additional information. Our web site is _www.safeaccessnow.org_ You can reach the ASA office directly at (510) 251-1856.Thank you for your active support and participation.-- Rebecca Saltzman
Field Coordinator
Americans for Safe Access
p (510) 251-1856
f (510) 251-2036
www.safeaccessnow.org
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on December 12, 2005 at 14:36:35 PT
DPFCA: Wide-Scale San Diego Dispensary Raids
 
  
  San Diego, Dec. 12th, 1:30 PM PST - Reports are that police are raiding all of the medical cannabis dispensaries in San Diego. Some 18 clubs are known in the city: 
 http://www.canorml.org/prop/cbclist.html#sdThe raids are being conducted by local LEOs, but DEA agents are also reported to be involved.    - D. GieringerDale Gieringer (415) 563-5858 // canorml igc.org2215-R Market St. #278, San Francisco CA 94114
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Comment #5 posted by joegames on December 12, 2005 at 04:02:13 PT:
Let's Counter False Propaganda With Facts
There were some great comments posted to this story at the NC Times website. There was also one comment obviously from a person influenced by their job security working for either the DEA, ONDCP, or directly or indirectly for a pharmacutical, tobacco, or alcohol company. Below find some very objective comments to follow those posted by "Aaron" http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/12/09/opinion/commentary/19_50_2512_8_05.txt- The US Government and Bush Administration are well aware of the insurmountable medicinal and economic value associated with the cannabis plant as proven by the Compassionate Investigative New Drug Program started by GW's daddy in the early 1990's. Due to an overwhelming response and obvious discontent from pharmaceutical, tobacco, and alcohol lobbies, the program was killed shortly after commencement, with 28 patients being grandfathered into the program. Seven of these patients remain alive today. They receive 300 rolled marijuana cigarettes each month directly from the federal government http://www.medicalmarijuanaprocon.org/bin/procon/procon.cgi?database=5%2dF%2dSubs%2edb&command=viewone&id=7&op=t- Hundreds of bonafide medical practitioners in 10 states across America are openly recommending smokeless vaporized and edible medical marijuana to children and adults alike, with success (www.medicalmarijuana.tv  ) - The efficacy of Medical Marijuana is spreading like wildfire in the psychiatric community as a viable natural alternative to toxic side effect ridden FDA approved, amphetamine based substances such as Ritalin, Addreall, and Concerta. - The Supervisors in San Diego County should be reminded they were placed into their positions by the same voters that overwhelmingly approved medical marijuana in the state of California nearly 10 years ago. If they are motivated to change the laws in California, they should move forward with their pursuits on their on time, and with their own dollars. Not those of the tax paying citizens who elected them into office.- The spirit and good will of Steve McWilliams is never going to allow San Diego to make any changes to what has become a very functional and friendly medical marijuana program in the state of California-     Aaron's comments below are analogous to the Iraq defense minister insisting the US Marines had not arrived in Bagdad, yet worldwide media outlets proved the exact opposite. In other words, Aaron's comments are driven by false ideology and propaganda inspired directly or indirectly by the pharmaceutical, tobacco, alcohol lobbies, and the federal government’s anti-drug watchdog agency who is failing miserably, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). The ONDCP is the agency that insists on devoting our hard earned tax dollars to run ignorant media campaigns which target marijuana rather than methamphetamine- If you are an adult, adolescent, or youth under the influence of so called “approved” harmful side effect ridden pharmaceuticals such as Ritalin, Concerta, Paxil, Welbuterin, or Zoloft, talk to your doctor about the prospect of taking advantages of the liberties of Proposition 215, which allows you to grow your own smokeless herbal medicine. This improves a person’s lifespan while placing money back into a family’s economy.- The 100+ city, county, and state sanctioned medical marijuana dispensaries scattered all throughout the state of California are helping take the Mexican drug cartel’s underground marijuana trade out of business, keeping the billions of dollars spent annually on marijuana within the confines of our local civic coffers, rather than the money being placed in the pockets of drug kingpins, which may or may not ultimately support terrorist motives-     The Chinese oncologist in San Clemente needs to crawl out from under his rock and understand his rights as a California MD to exercise better discretion when referring patients and their family members to safe access in obtaining medical marijuana (www.medicalmarijuana.tv) (www.dreidelman.com)-     The presence and acceptance of medical marijuana infringes upon the economic and political welfare of every person associated within pharmaceutical, tobacco, and alcohol lobbies. These industries and their Political Action Committee’s drive resistance against what is the most valuable asset America has to offer at this period in time.-     I was raised by an astute mother who was one of the first Mexican Americans to rise to the executive ranks within the LA Unified School before succumbing to Leukemia at the tender age of 49. She was always sick and bedridden from the chemo med’s. It’s a shame to know the medicine that was getting me through high school also could have gotten her out of bed to enjoy life before her passing. -     I call on the Marijuana Policy Project, our only bona-fide PAC in Washington DC to put pressure on the county of San Diego to open state mandated medical cannabis dispensaries by the Dec 31st deadline. Any person who believes in this cause may donate a buck or two to the MPP at www.mpp.org 
Medical Marijuana
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Comment #4 posted by Jim Lunsford on December 11, 2005 at 03:32:00 PT
Saudi Arabia: The Rule of Change
It seems that Saudi Arabia may be flexing some muscle for energy policy change as well. No longer trying to supply the world's growing demand for energy, they are apparantly trying to encourage other forms of energy use.Link: http://tinyurl.com/9esz8If enough countries put enough pressure on us, then we will have to change. After all, our comfortable lives demand so much energy that we are victims of our own greed and laziness. Perhaps we can quit fighting for oil as soon as it becomes too uncomfortable in price. Raise taxes on oil! Do it now! Please give us ten dollar a gallon gas prices. Please!So many alternatives are already here. Most are wasted. And we choose oil. How much is your congressperson making off of this war on us? Think about that for a bit.Rev Jim LunsfordFirst Cannabist ChurchUnited States: A disgrace to it's founding principles.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on December 09, 2005 at 18:02:02 PT
News Brief from World Entertainment News Network
Etheridge: 'Pot Helped Me Cope With Chemotherapy'***Marijuana was the only thing that comforted her while she was fighting cancer.Friday, December 9, 2005Rocker Melissa Etheridge inhaled marijuana fumes as she coped with the side effects of chemotherapy because it was the only thing that comforted her.The singer/songwriter, who is now cancer free after her brush with death, used marijuana to help her cope with the worst of radiation therapy on the advice of doctors - but when smoking the drug made her feel sick, she took to inhaling it.She recalls, "I bought a vaporizer to heat up the herb, which I'd inhale four or five times a day."Using the pot was the best advice anybody gave me. It relieved most of my symptoms and I got a great deal of comfort from it."Etheridge is now urging politicians to reverse strict laws that forbid people from using medical marijuana.She adds, "I'm furious that our country is denying the use of pot as pain relief. It should be legalized for medicinal purposes."I wonder if I'd have got through chemotherapy without it." Copyright: World Entertainment News Network 2005
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Comment #2 posted by Dr Ganj on December 09, 2005 at 09:53:01 PT
Marijuana Is Medicine, Supervisors
Wow, what a beautiful letter. If only the mean, cruel, insensitive San Diego supervisors realized their duty is to help the people of their community, and state, and not to go squawk to the government that our voter approved Proposition 215 should be nullified and trumped by federal law.
This is why I live in northern California, where Prop 215 & SB420 are respected, and where our supervisors assist us, instead of causing misery.
I hope the voters of San Diego show these malevolent supervisors the exit door next election.
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Comment #1 posted by Max Flowers on December 09, 2005 at 09:12:56 PT
Very good...
Thank you Mr. Drielsma, that was perfect. Can we have 100 more just like it, to other major newspapers around the country, from 100 more Mr. Drielsmas?
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