Menieres, Diverticulitis, Cancer .... enough already. Guys, meet Dr. Cannabis.

So since this thread has devolved into the FreakEars bitch thread rather than the "why do I have a sausage fest going on in my tent" thread, I'll post my activist rant of the day here.... just in case the authorities don't know that I'm still here.

So today I made the mistake of reading the news..... read about Montana wanting to try to overturn the peoples vote, and then I read about this from the AG here in MI.
"The law is an absolute disaster," Schuette spokesman John Selleck said. "It has created the No. 1 growth industry in Michigan, but these are not the kind of jobs we need. Our attorneys are looking at the issue right now to determine the best ways the law could be clarified."

So I get all pissed because he's talking about me and my lifeline so I send a hotheaded email -

Dear Mr. Schuette,

With all due respect, I'm writing in regards to your spokesman's statement as reported by the "freep" - "The law is an absolute disaster," Schuette spokesman John Selleck said. "It has created the No. 1 growth industry in Michigan, but these are not the kind of jobs we need. Our attorneys are looking at the issue right now to determine the best ways the law could be clarified."

My story -
My family has lived in Michigan for six generations. I was born and raised here.
In 1998 I was diagnosed with an illness that compelled me to seek treatments beyond my home based physicians. In seeking help from Doctors outside of Michigan I found myself as a healthcare tourist long before it was popular- traveling to meet with doctors in Canada, London, Bangkok... As it were, in 2004 I moved to California seeking treatment from anyone willing to try something, anything to improve upon or slow the deterioration of my health. I found help, help for a time, until in 2008 when I was diagnosed with a rather nasty form of head & neck cancer. While I remained in the care of UCLA for my initial treatment, it was my desire to return home so that I could seek my long term recovery or demise in the family home with my Mother and friends close at hand.
It is with this in mind that I am saddened to learn of your decision to address the voter initiated Medical Cannabis law in a negative light.

Cannabinoids inhibit cellular respiration of human... [Pharmacology. 2010] - PubMed result

You see Mr. Schuette, while I was in recovery in a UCLA cancer ward I learned about the successful palliative treatments and even remissions that are being achieved by some brave patients and doctors with Medical Cannabis. It was shortly after this time that I made the choice to investigate that course of action. I am alive today because of it.

As a significantly disabled native of Michigan compelled to live in California due to medical-care issues, when Michigan voters passed Michigan's Medical Cannabis law, I celebrated the voters wisdom and started my plan to return home to the land, friends and the family home that I love. I decided to move back ASAP, buy a new house and start a modest home based cannabis caregiver business... finish up my travel days, by writing and trying to find a way to help other Cancer patients who don't have the resources or support I have. I'm have been here full time for a few months - my cancer is already under the watch of U of M, but I have decided to wait to purchase a home or start a business.

The matter is this: The safe and simple plant my doctors and I have decided to try as medical treatment- a natural medicine that many "independent doctors" and even the AMA now claim is worthy of intense research as an anti-tumor drug, is medicine. It is not a party favor despite the fact that you think it is.
Fact is, a senior member of U of M's Oncology department told me I have been smarter about this than some of my doctors have been. That this could be the significant contribution to what is keeping my body from succumbing to the metastasis it has withstood for the past year. Thats the good news.

The bad news is it seems many of Michigan's politicians are belligerent to the law, seemingly because it was passed by the voters. Just so you know the facts, this simple plant has been part of the human races pharmacopeia for thousands of years. The majority of Americans have had enough of legislated healthcare mandates and political pandering to the healthcare industry. If a vote of the people to remedy the destructive and immoral prohibition of a plant is so scary to the current politicians of Michigan that they would use the dying and disabled as cannon fodder in overturning the will of the voters, then I'll be altering my residential plan until after the next election.

Rest assured Mr. Attorney General - I am not a boozer, or drug addict, or a criminal, and I will not be silent as any legislative body anywhere attempts to paint and cast the infirm, ill, crippled and disabled into being criminals and miscreants because of the palliative care they chose. I believe the world witnessed that approach to manipulating the public opinion of the ill and infirm in 1933, and I for one, will not let it happen again without speaking up.
Lacking a positive response in the media within the next few weeks, I'll be letting my cancer doctor, (the department-head that currently oversees my case at U of M's Head & Neck Oncology Department), that I will be moving away in the spring. That I will soon be unable to continue my chosen treatment and retirement plan here at home as Michigan's Attorney General feels I'm not a suitable resident. Apparently they don't want my type here... you know, that movie biz type.

Perhaps I'll just have to move back to San Francisco and work on the GM advertising business,.... see if I can't win them a few more marketing awards.
Better yet, I could move to Portland or Seattle or Maine or LA or Phoenix or Santa Fe or Denver or Big Sky, or any city with a growing economy and responsible, responsive, and REPRESENTATIVE government.

Seems to me that a few Michigan politicians might want to consider carefully the ramifications of telling Michigan voters that they have no idea what they are doing in the voting booth.... that only a political pundit can save us from our own stupidity. Worked out great for the Detroit Mayor.... lets see how it works out at the state level.

Good luck with your new endeavors as AG and thanks for listening to my opinion.

Respectfully,
*********** Television Producer, Cancer Patient, Menieres sufferer and 5th generation but soon to be ex-ex-Michigander.


Thats me - makin friends wherever I go. (Sadly, I do find if I run out of meds I can get cranky with folks that are giving me a hard time of it.)
...... hopefully in a few months I'll still be able to still say; I'm still here!
Peace

So after sleeping on this I figure - in for a pound in for a penny.

So rather than just poke the bear with a stick and hope a google search gets the message to his aid, I decide, what the heck, theres got to be another stick around here.

So I learn that the new Michigan AG is a supporter of The Else U. Pardee Foundation. Sounds to me like the new AG, while belligerent to Cancer patients that chose to use Medical Cannabis, must have lost a family member to cancer.
I hate to generalize, but most folks that give to Cancer Research Foundations have lost a loved one and ergo, give in that memory.

So I figure - What the heck - its time I sent the Else U. Pardee foundation an email with my Cancer/Cannabis story.... and hope they pass it on to the AG since they are close. I know it won't happen - DOW has other agendas I suspect, as does the AG. Anyway, if I'm going to be driven out of Michigan by the AG's hostility to Michigan patients and will of 60% of the Michigan voters, and I find myself moving to Shasta, I might as well speak my mind and leave a suggestion.
Here's the note -


Dear Foundation Trustee,

My name is *****. I am a two year Cancer survivor.

Due too my career and its social requirements I used cannabis recreationally from 1978 - 2004

I was diagnosed with pre-cancerous oral lesions in 1998.

In 2008 one lesion turned cancerous and became very aggressive moving from stage 1 too stage 3 in six weeks.

I was scheduled for a glossectomy and neck dissection for the oral cancer at UCLA.

Nodes from the neck dissection were positive for metastasis.

Due to metastasis I was scheduled for radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

I was warned by several doctors that the likelihood of losing my Mandible was almost certain. At best, following radiation I would lose my teeth and be on a G-tube for the rest of my life.... that life was expected to have a 60% chance of continuing for 5 years if I had the radiation, with the odds of survival dropping to 50% for 5 years if I were to not have the radiation.

Rather than live like that, I passed on the radiation and looked to alternative methods of beating this that would not leave me unable to eat, swallow, speak or be seen in public.

In time, that search led me to this study - PubMed - Error encountered.

I have been a medical cannabis patient for over one year. It allowed me to get off the pain killers, the anti-fungal drugs and helped my digestive pain and problems that I had since my g-tube became infected and had to be removed. Cannabis allowed me to get away from the anti-anxiety medication and the sleeping pills... yep. Replace it all, and heres the rub. Still no sign of the metastasis or any cancer.... oral lesions are there, loud and proud.... but to this layman it looks as if something is keeping the lesions from turning cancerous and the metastasis - well, as a senior doctor at U of M's Oncology department said the other day - "I guess you were smarter than the doctors on this one".

I thought you should hear my story. If you want to hear the details or see records or anything.... just ask and I'll provide them.

One more thing - I recently learned that one of your supporters is Michigan Attorney General Mr. Bill Schuette. I hope that if you feel there is any validity to getting Cannabis into the research labs that you would use your influence to inform Mr. Schuette that we need to support the notion of getting this miracle herb rescheduled so that we can study this unimpeded by politics.

Thank you very much for all you're doing to fight cancer. God bless you!

************* - Cancer Patient.



PubMed - Error encountered

Pot Compounds Inhibit Oral Cancers, Study Says - NORML

Cannabinoids and cancer: pros and cons of an antit... [Br J Pharmacol. 2006] - PubMed result

PubMed - Error encountered

About that Box Canyon comment and the whole herding thing I saw earlier... I'm starting to get the notion thaty we might need to look at that feeling a little closer.