The Misinformation About the Word Marijuana

In the early 1900’s, white supremacists began a war on cannabis in the United States despite objections form the American Medical Association.

Due to this war, there is a lot of misinformation still believed about cannabis. This includes myths like cannabis being a gateway drug, myths that it’s deadly, and even myths about the origins of the word marijuana.

Today, there are renewed calls to banish the word “marijuana”. Some cite the negative stereotype associated with this word, while others claim the word has racist roots. BUT, what most people don’t realize is that the attack on the word “marijuana” is deeply rooted in white supremacy and can be traced to the American Medical Associaton.

We can illustrate the origin of this argument because it’s officially documented in our US historical records.

READ: 8 Little-Known Benefits of Smoking Pot Regularly

The American Medical Association was Pro-Cannabis?

Yes. In 1937, the American Medical Association was pro-cannabis and against cannabis prohibition.

Before 1937, cannabis was a common medication. A variety of cannabis tinctures were available at the local pharmacy. Doctors routinely encouraged use and the American Medical Associaton wanted cannabis to remain available.

But they DID NOT want it called “marijuana”.

READ: How to Use Marijuana for Pain Relief

The AMA Attacked the Word Marijuana During the 1937 Congressional Hearings

Most people think the fight against the word marijuana is a modern-day argument, but the truth is, the argument to stop using the word marijuana, and use only the word cannabis, began in 1937 and is well-documented.

Let’s keep in mind, the country was even more blatantly racist than it is today. [For reference: This was decades before segregation ended. Black people (and women) were only granted the right to vote in 1920 (a right that wouldn’t be legally protected until 1965). Other immigrants weren’t granted the right to vote until 1943 with the passage of the Magnuson Act.]

Becuse of the social circumstances, government documented racism is not shocking.

During the 1937 congressional hearings, Doctor Woodward, representing the American Medical Association, stated, “The term ‘marihuana’ is a mongrel word that has crept into this country over the Mexican border.”

READ: Medical Marijuana and My Latina Mother

“a mongrel of a word”

This was pure racism. The position of anti-prohibitionists was racist. It’s not surprising, society was horrifically racist at the time.

Because of this, pro-cannabis doctors who wanted cannabis to remain a legally regulated medication wanted only the word “cannabis” used to describe the plant.

WATCH: Patients Are The Proof: Migraines with Pamela Hadfield

“Cannabis” Derives from Latin. “Marijuana” Derives from Nahuatl.

People who wanted the plant to remain legal, insisted only the word “cannabis” be used. Cannabis is derived from Latin. Marijuana is derived from Nahuatl (the language of the indigenous people formerly residing in what is now Mexico).

While cannabis tinctures as medicine were common in the early US, the practice of smoking of dried cannabis flowers came directly from Mexico where they called it “marijuana”. Smoking marijuana became more popular socially during alcohol prohibition (1920-1933).

Mexican immigrants brought many words to the English language – words like avocado, chili, coyote, and marijuana are some of the few remnants of the Nahuatl culture brought to the US by immigrants from Mexico.

I asked Claudio Lomnitz, Professor of Anthropology at Columbia University in the Department of Latin American and Iberian Cultures, via email about the term. He told me, “That is how marihuana has always been known in Mexico, and there is no racist or pejorative undertone or overtone in the use of the term in Mexico or in Spanish generally.”

However, in the 1930’s, anti-prohibitionists felt associating the plant with the Mexican culture was a bad image. This was colonialism and white supremacy.

READ: Cannabis for Migraines vs Traditional Medications 

Anslinger was Not So Bright

It’s been argued, the Papa of Prohibition, Henry Anslinger, intentionally used the word marijuana instead of the word cannabis, to play on the fears of racist society. But this theory gives Anslinger way more credit than he deserves.

Anslinger didn’t call it “marijuana” to be sly–he wasn’t that smart– he called it marijuana because he didn’t know it was the same plant as cannabis. This became clear in the fury of birdseed industry who only discovered “cannabis” and “marijuana” were the same plant days before the congressional hearings to outlaw it.

Some cite the spelling differences of “marihuana” and “marijuana” as evidence of racist intent, but the truth is, the illiteracy rates of the 1930’s were exceedingly high. Even the “educated”, were not very well educated or insightful. Plus, there was zero cultural awareness of pronunciation differences and google translate hadn’t been invented yet. Americans heard what someone with an accent said and spelled it however they thought it sounded.

This is similar to what happened with the surnames on the ship manifests for immigrants arriving at Ellis Island at the time. Those errored manifests were then used to create official documents and the new name /spelling was indelibly marked–these new names are still being used by descendants today. The same thing happened to the word “marijuana”.

The Trump of the 30’s

Henry Anslinger was the Trump of the 1930’s.

Trump didn’t invent the “wall” and Trump didn’t invent the “birther movement”. Instead, he found mob-like opportunities to manipulate.

This is what Anslinger did too.

Anslinger was a racist puritan who did not engage in alcohol. He was a former alcohol prohibition agent and after the failure of alcohol prohibition (which ended in 1933), inventing cannabis prohibition was his new career. He desired an all white, religious, puritan United States–these skewed ideas were popular at the time.

But, Anslinger didn’t invent the fear and propaganda surrounding cannabis–that actually began in Mexico and is closely linked to the Catholic church.

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Cannabis Prohibition Started in Mexico

The campaign against marijuana migrated up from Mexico. Much of it was related to the overwhelming influence of the Catholic church at the time on Mexican politics and society.

17 years before cannabis was outlawed in the US, it was made illegal in Mexico. Anslinger simply copied what the Mexican government had done.

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Propaganda Also Started in Mexico

People often give William Randolph Hearst credit for inventing Reefer Madness with his yellow journalism. Sure he made it extreme, but the truth is, he also simply copied Mexico.

The book, Home Grown: Mexico’s War on Drugs, cites headlines from old Mexican newspapers that profess the fear of marijuana.

Negative headlines targeting cannabis, appeared in Mexico years before the US campaigns began.

And in reality, the propaganda against cannabis (and against all natural medicines) actually began hundreds of years earlier on another continent.

The Attack on Natural Medicine Originated in Europe

In Midevil Europe, the Catholic Church determined that the use of plants in healing was the work of the devil. The penalty for it was death.

The Catholic Church controlled all of Europe at the time.

READ: 50 Cannabis Gifts for Under $20

The Spanish Conquests Brought the Attack to Mexico

From 1519-1521, the Spanish Conquests occurred. During this period, the Catholic Church sent conquistadors from Spain to North America where they murdered Aztecans, destroyed the native civilizations, and force-evangelized the remaining population.

Nahuatl, the native language of the Aztecan people, did not have a written language. Because of this much of the language and Aztecan culture was lost — including a rich medical knowledge of native plants.

The Word Marijuana Migrated North from Mexico

Oral traditions attribute the word marijuana to the Nahuatl culture, but the lack of written history combined with centuries of religious-induced stigma and propaganda make it impossible to fully trace the word.

The exact etymology of the word marijuana is filled with speculation. What we know for sure is, by the 1930’s marijuana was a common word in Mexico. It then made its way to the US, along with the practice of smoking dried cannabis flowers. The word, along with this new method of consumption, left a powerful and beautiful mark on cannabis history in the United States–despite prohibition.

READ: Every Strain of Cannabis Causes a Different Physiological Reaction

US Cannabis Culture was Built Around “Marijuana”

I imagine Anslinger hoping for cannabis to be eradicated from the earth. Fortunately, and ONLY thanks to brave lawbreakers and freedom fighters, cannabis knowledge is more abundant than ever.

But for 80 years, most users remained silent about the benefits out of fear for the stigma and law. For a long time, most users weren’t brave enough to contradict social norms by speaking out. Except for a brave few.

These few tended to be individuals who routinely ignored all standard social cues. These were the people who dressed differently, spoke differently, and behaved differently than how society demanded. These individuals were often chided as “stoners”. And because they were the only ones talking about marijuana, their refusal to follow standard social cues became linked to the plant as part of the negative stigma.

However, it’s only thanks to these brave souls that the knowledge of the plant was kept alive until today. These “stoners” protected marijuana from a government seeking to eradicate it. To them, I am eternally grateful…we all should be.

Attack the Stigma Not the History

Some believe, that if we just call it cannabis, we’ll convince more people to accept the plant, but the attack on the language is misguided.

It’s not just the word marijuana that turns people off–it’s the plant itself. It’s the shape of the leaves. It’s the smell of a joint. It’s the site of a bong. People have a negative association to ALL things associated with cannabis, not just the word marijuana.

The good news is because of neural plasticity, people are capable of changing their association to words simply by creating new positive associations—this is one of the reasons I strive to use a variety of words to describe the plant.

So, whereas I understand the negative stigma associated to the word marijuana and the challenges it presents, I will continue to use it, because I will not support a cause that was born from white supremacy. I will not support a movement that tries to bleach away culture and history because it’s inconvenient.

Instead, I’ll respectfully continue to use all the words, while thanking and honoring the cultures and people that brought them to us. And while I do that, I’ll focus on attacking the negative associations to the plant itself.

Conclusion

If you’re uncomfortable with the word marijuana, no worries, don’t use it. But PLEASE, before attacking the word, keep in mind, it’s been documented that this argument was born from white supremacy in the 1930’s and myths have been propagated to propel it.

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What is a Cannabis Family Vacation?

If you had told me a few years ago that I would need to plan a cannabis family vacation, I’d think you were bonkers. But now, as a medical marijuana patient, all our family vacations have to be planned around accessing cannabis, hence this crazy new search term: cannabis family vacation.

First, let’s be clear about what a cannabis family vacation is NOT. A cannabis family vacation is not a stoned, stupid, or irresponsible party time.

A cannabis family vacation simply means an ordinary family vacation that includes access to cannabis so that medical marijuana patients can be accommodated.

The thing is, cannabis isn’t available in most places and medical marijuana patients are not allowed to travel with their medicine.

Fortunately, there are a variety of great places that accommodate cannabis tourism. Medical marijuana patients can plan a cannabis trip to Colorado, Vermont, Washington, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, DC., Jamaica, Uraguay, Canada, and more.

Here’s a long post about our Cannabis Family Vacation to San Francisco & Santa Cruz, CA–the weed related things, and the ordinary.

If you’re visiting San Francisco, be sure to check out my Directory of Cannabis Lounges.

Cannabis Friendly Hotels in California?

Do you know an officially cannabis-friendly hotel? If so, please tell me, because I have not found a truly cannabis-friendly hotel anywhere.

Most hotels have strict no smoking policies (and I expect that includes vaping). NOTE: I would never try to smoke in a hotel, but I may have vaped in hotel bathrooms using this Smoke Buddy Personal Carbon Filter.

Knowing most hotels are not cannabis-friendly, I carefully planned and booked our accommodations MONTHS beforehand. I found an Airbnb which allowed me easy access to a place I could vape cannabis. Unfortunately, Airbnb broke my heart and ripped apart my faith when TWO WEEKS before our trip (which was booked months in advance) Airbnb CANCELED my July 4th week reservation in San Francisco.

Forced to rebook last minute, there were no reasonably priced Airbnbs available that could accommodate us during the holiday. Similar places were going for quadruple the price of what I booked. Sadly, Airbnb offered shoddy customer service and a measly $200 credit (boo Airbnb, that wouldn’t even cover the cleaning fees).

We ended up being forced into an over-budget hotel and only spent half our trip in San Francisco. For the rest, we headed south to Santa Cruz which was honestly an absolute delight!! (And I’ll never rely on Airbnb again.)

Getting Marijuana in San Francisco

Getting weed is easy for adults in CA thanks to glorious recreational marijuana laws!

Unfortunately, it’s waaaay harder for single parents to get cannabis. Poor planning on my part! So be warned!

For the first two days in San Francisco, it was just my son (age 11) and I. My daughter (age 21) joined us later.

I counted on having cannabis delivered because in CA, minors are not allowed in dispensaries. What I didn’t realize is that many places only deliver to medical marijuana patients.

Thank heaven, for NuggMD. If you need a medical marijuana card in NY or CA, I highly recommend this telehealth service! I love them so much, I’ve partnered with them to promote their service because it really saved me when I desperately needed them.

If you need a CA or NY medical marijuana card, check them out. They are fast, easy, & 100% online.

GetNugg also offers cannabis delivery which varies from dispensary to dispensary; some still only deliver to medical marijuana patients. Whereas, any adult 21 & over may purchase cannabis in the dispensary.

Unfortunately, it took hours for me to figure all of this out and I went too long without medicine. Next time I travel, I’m considering bringing opiates and valium as a backup. I haven’t needed them in over two years, since I became a medical marijuana patient, but not having access to any medication was tough. (This is a such a stupid decision patients have to make. #legalize)

Finally, at 11 pm after waiting nearly 18 hours of my muscle spasms seizing in full swing– I finally had a bag full of meds.

California Cannabis Products I Love

Lemon Tree Life Resin

These Plus gummies were my favorite!! They’re all natural, and each only contains 5 mgs of THC which makes them ideal for microdosing.

Live Resin – Strawberry Mamba

Om Edibles

Everything Kiva is amazing.

Kanha Treats by Sunderstrom

Platinum OG

1:1 Gummies by District Edibles

Family Volunteering in San Francisco

While we were in San Fransisco, we spent the day volunteering at Glide. Glide is a remarkable meal service providing food and compassion to those in need.

My son said to me, “Mom, I’m glad we went, but it seems like an odd time. Why did we volunteer on vacation?”

I explained how important it was to give back to the community we were enjoying.

And honestly, volunteering at Glide was one of the highlights of our trip. We served nearly 700 meals in less than two hours and met some amazing humans who will leave a lasting impact on our lives.

Before our trip, I didn’t realize how large the homeless population is in San Francisco. I spend a lot of time in New York City and we have a significant amount of people who are homeless…but San Francisco it’s far more tragic. I’ve read about it. But I really didn’t realize until I saw myself.

Family Things to Do in San Francisco

If you only have a day or two to see San Francisco, a Big Bus tour is an ideal way to do it! We did the two-day tour and the night tour and we really enjoyed it.

On the Big Bus, you can hop on and off at all the major tourist attractions. There’s also a recorded or live tour guide depending on the tour.

Walk up and down Crooked Street

Ride a Cable Car.

I loved the Full House House, my son watches Fuller House with me and he loved it too. My daughter hasn’t seen either show and had no idea why we were so excited about a random house.

The Big Bus offers multiple views of The Golden Gate Bridge

And the chance to drive over the bridge.

The night tour offers stunning sunset views!

After a few days in San Francisco, we headed down to Santa Cruz.

Family Things to do in Santa Cruz

The Coastal Redwoods were my favorite part of our trip. I could sit among those magnificent trees for forever.

I loved Henry Cowell State Park. We went INSIDE a giant Redwood.

We had the best time at Natural Bridges State Park.

Natural Bridges State Park has the most amazing tide pools. We could have spent hours exploring them.

Tide Pools at Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz.

We saw humpback whales on the Monterey Bay with Sanctuary Cruises.

And otters, and seals, and pelicans. 

My son’s highlight of the trip was mountain biking with Santa Cruz Bike Tours. I have not been on a bike for over 4 years since before my neck injury. The nerve damage in my neck makes it painful to ride & impossible to navigate a bike, but my son LOVES mountain biking. Fortunately, I found Marty at Santa Cruz Bike Tours.

Marty took extra care to choose a comfortable ride for me, and took us on a beautiful tour of the Redwoods that offered remarkably gentle spots for me to ride with no navigating, and also offered my son mountain biking trails to play on. Let me tell you—my kids were SO proud of me. They had little faith that I could hang! …ok honestly, I didn’t have much faith either. And it wasn’t easy. I walked that bike quite a few times, and I went downhill like a snail, and it did hurt quite a bit, but some experiences are worth the elevated pain levels. My kids loved it, it was my son’s favorite CA moment, and it was a remarkably joyful experience. I’m so grateful for CA’s cannabis laws because high-quality medicine is the only reason I was able to do this.

Visit Santa Cruz Boardwalk.

See the Pacific Ocean.

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San Francisco’s cannabis lounges are a highlight if you’re a cannabis tourist. All medical marijuana patients are cannabis tourists. Cannabis tourism can mean a variety of things. It can refer to a cannabis-centric grown-up trip to the Cannabis Cup, or it can refer to a simple, family vacation that includes access to medical marijuana. If a medical marijuana patient can’t obtain their medicine at a location, they often can’t visit.

Sometimes, even when medical marijuana patients are able to obtain meds, they still can’t find a safe place to smoke or vape cannabis while traveling.

I recently took a cannabis family vacation to California. Thanks to California’s glorious recreational laws, ample meds are available, however, public smoking is not allowed. Most hotels are non-smoking locations. Fortunately, in the city of San Francisco, there are many places where you can legally smoke or vape cannabis, in the form of cannabis lounges.

I recently reviewed over a half dozen of San Francisco’s cannabis lounges. Here are all the details and some of my faves!

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About Cannabis Lounges in San Francisco

Vaping is allowed in all cannabis lounges. Only some cannabis lounges allow smoking. Cannabis lounges must obtain a permit for onsite consumption. An open flame permit must also be obtained to allow smoking. There are regulations governing the filtration systems installed in San Francisco’s cannabis lounges.

All of the cannabis lounges listed are also dispensaries. Some of them require a purchase in order to use the lounge Others allow you to bring your own weed to smoke or vape as you please.

Some lounges require you to sign a membership agreement and/or release.

Many lounges offer dab rigs, bongs, rolling trays, or volcano vaporizers to help you consume cannabis.

Cannabis Lounge Directory – San Francisco, CA

Urban Pharm

122 10th St, San Francisco, CA 94103

Impression: My favorite. I could live here.

Website: Urban Pharm

Steampunk & super cozy. My first trip to Urban Pharm was so enjoyable I returned for a second and third…yes, even though I was visiting nearly every other cannabis lounge in San Francisco. I loved Urban Pharm that much. Maybe because it’s the spot of my first real dab, from Teagen at Urban Pham’s dab bar.

I’d vaped concentrates before but I’d never dabbed from a rig. Teagen offered tons of gentle guidance and didn’t abandon me when it took eons to finish my dab.

Urban Pharm happened to be holding “comedy night” when I stopped by. Catch it if you can; it’s highly entertaining.

Unfortunately, due to new regulations starting July 1, 2018, cannabis lounges are no longer able to sell individual dabs, however, you can purchase a concentrate from the dispensary and use it at the dab bar.

sparc – SF

1256 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA

Impression: Zen – Minimalist, Sleek – this could be my happy place. 

Website: sparc

My second favorite place was Sparc Patient Collective. Their Mission Street cannabis lounge is located in a wide airy space with high ceilings and tons of gorgeous natural light. It smells amazing.

Sparc quickly became one of my favorite lounges with its zen-esque vibe. I purchased a gram of Cherry A- 47 and I was fortunate enough to have Jeremy teach me how to use the volcano vaporizer. Jeremy was a joy, if you need a volcano tutorial, I highly recommend a visit. If my trip was a grownup trip, I could have spent hours in the sparc cannabis lounge working on my laptop and happily vaping.

Clients can use their own vapes or borrow a kit to use Sparc’s volcanoes. Leave your ID at the front desk for a kit. Sparc also features “smoking hour”. On Friday to Sunday, you can smoke cannabis after 4:20 pm in Sparc’s Mission Street cannabis lounge.

There’s no purchase required but you do have to agree to house rules and sign the membership agreement. Only the Mission Street sparc has a cannabis lounge.

Barbary Coast

Impression: Luxurious Sports Bar Vibe

952 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94103

Barbary Coast is rich and luxurious filled with leather and deep wood, it’s a gorgeous space with a sports bar sorta feel. Barbary Coast offers cozy booths that could make a nice cannabis date spot. Go here if you’re looking for a secluded nook to tuck away and smoke or vape.

I had a lovely visit with Nate who was manning the dab bar. Again, dabs are not sold at the dab bar, but you can purchase concentrates and carry them over to the rigs to use. Be prepared to sign a waiver. The budtender explained, “you have to sign a release that says if you noodle it’s not our fault.”

Harvest on Geary

4811 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94118

Impression: Ultra Lux – Leather and Chandeliers

Harvest on Geary offers an ultra-luxurious industrial chick cannabis lounge. The lounge features free wifi, outlets, and water. It’s an elegant space where clients can smoke or vape cannabis.

There’s no time limit or purchase required but you must become a member which may involve a $20.00 membership fee (but that also get’s you a 5% discount on purchases.)

Harvest does not have vapes available, but they do have rigs to loan out. Only the Geary location of Harvest has a cannabis lounge.

The Bloom Room – Vapor Only

471 Jessie St, San Francisco, CA 94103

Impression: Your friendly local lounge spot.

The Bloom Room was the most cheerful dispensary I’ve visited and it was filled with friendly locals. The decor is a bright and cheerful. Surf music plays and a dog water bowl sets by the front door. A big black lab enters and who’s clearly familiar. He heads straight to the bowl for a giant gulp. The Bloom Room is small, but it’s a great spot place to stop by for a quick vape.

Melissa checked me in and explained the house rules. No purchase is required to use the lounge at The Bloom Room, Clients can use a personal vape or use The Bloom Room’s volcano vaporizers. Melissa explained this model, “gives people a safe space” to use cannabis. The bloom room offers a TV and complimentary water. Clients have a 30-minute time limit.

Re-Leaf Herbal Cooperative

Impression: A quick stop. 

Re-Leaf Herbal Cooperative offers a small smoking lounge and vape lounge for customers only. No tobacco allowed and there are outlets available.  They used to have a dab bar but new regulations don’t allow it. If you want to dab in their lounge, you can, but you’ll have to bring your own rig or vape.

The Green Door

843 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103

Impression: Could be a fun place to smoke (when it’s open). 

The Green Door Lounge was closed during my cannabis trip. During my tour of San Francisco, I heard several locals rave about The Green Door Lounge. I stopped by and chatted with the Director of Operations, A.G. Melendez, who explained due to the new regulations they had to apply for a new permit.

There’s no ETA on the opening but when it does open, the lounge features a TV, pool table, and Pub Tables. The Green Door hosts local organization meetings and holds events.Trending Now

Do you see the pretty bong I’m holding in that billboard? That is a “medication administration device”.  It is a device used by medical marijuana patients to consume their medication. STOP acting like it’s illegal.

Thousands of NJ Residents Legally Smoke Pot

Thousands of people in NJ legally smoke marijuana and many of them use devices like these. The NJ medical marijuana program currently has over 18,000 patients and that number is about to skyrocket.

I prefer vaping, but honestly, vapes are expensive and not everyone can afford one. Besides, some patients just prefer smoking.

A bong is a perfectly delightful option for medical marijuana patients who are unable or unwilling to vape but still need immediate medication administration via inhalation.

Stop Censoring The Truth

I’m tired of being censored. In the cannabis industry, we are constantly censored for telling the truth about this plant.

Every day Facebook shuts down legitimate legal accounts of people and companies because they talk about cannabis. Plus, trying to reach a new audience via online advertising is nearly impossible.

People Need Education But Education Is Being Censored

How do we spread a message when our content is constantly censored? I decided to take out a billboard on the Turnpike in Newark, NJ to celebrate April.

Sigh, and the billboard company censored me too.

Outfront Media refused to allow my billboard because it pictured “drug paraphernalia”.  They also hassled me about the phrase, “Discover Cannabis.”

Fortunately, my remarkable designer at ShootMePeter was able to create another version that they finally accepted, changing the photo and adding additional text. (All this after they had accepted payment and we’d already discussed the concept at length prior to the photo shoot.)

Here’s the final billboard. If you’re driving South on the NJ Turnpike, watch for me.

Spread the Truth Not Propaganda

People deserve the truth about cannabis and patients deserve to feel comfortable using their medication.

Bongs Banned But Guns & Alcohol OK???

Does anyone else find this ironic? Outfront Media banned my bong but a google search makes it appear that they routinely publish images of guns and alcohol??? (Which kill tens of thousands of people each year.)

Here are some other Outfront billboards.

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“Why do you always talk about pot?”

I was recently asked by someone on Facebook about why I keep writing and talking about cannabis.  (Actually, she used the word pot.)

I belong to several online groups for sufferers of multiple sclerosis, chronic illness, and pain. I also belong to numerous cannabis and MMJ groups.  I even write about my journey with cannabis and multiple sclerosis on my blog, Boobs, Boots, & Hair with MS.

But this wasn’t a woman I knew, so she wasn’t familiar with my story.

This was an acquaintance, a friend of a friend, that I possibly met, once, years ago.

She genuinely wanted to know.

The question didn’t feel like an attack.

It didn’t seem as if she was criticizing or mocking me.  She genuinely wanted to know, “WHY? Do you always talk about cannabis?”

So here is my answer.

For years I had little to no control over my body or my mind.  My existence was dependent on doctors, their statements, and the medications they recommended which managed my long list of unbearable symptoms.

I live with chronic illness.

So, doctors told me what meds should work, how to take them, and how much to take.

I was an “obedient” patient.   I tried their recommendations and when one pharmaceutical didn’t work, I would return to the doctor’s office for a slew of new medications.

This cycle may have gone on indefinitely, except the pharmaceuticals completely stopped working.

MS causes severe pain.

As patients, many of us require heavy-duty pharmaceuticals to ease the pain and relax the muscle spasms and spasticity associated with MS.

But unfortunately, medications don’t work for everyone. For me, they stopped providing any relief.

Severe and chronic pain loomed over my life.

The pain was so deep and so all-consuming, it was all I could think about. In those desperate days, all that mattered was the pain.

Honestly, I didn’t know how I could go on.

One year ago, I  reached the end – I didn’t know how I was going to continue to live every day just simply trying to survive the pain. I’d make it to the end of the day, only to know tomorrow would be exactly the same.

I lost hope.

I couldn’t imagine anything could give me my life back.  I wasn’t dreaming of being MS free–I wasn’t dreaming of being pain-free–I just wanted hope.

I wanted something that could make me believe that things could get better.

I ditched pharma.

It took about 3 months to wean off of all the prescription drugs. I wondered if maybe they were helping a little and I just didn’t recognize it because the pain had increased.

But the pain hadn’t increased. Coming off of the medications didn’t make my life or the pain any worse. That’s when I realized the pharmaceuticals weren’t even working. 

The pharmaceuticals stopped working.

For years, I had been diligently putting toxic medications into my body and they weren’t doing a damn thing.

Coming off of them didn’t make my life or the pain any worse.

I endured terrible side-effects.

I had endured side effects like weight-gain, constipation and dry mouth–I had risked my life with potentially deadly and addictive medications–and they weren’t even helping.

Trying MMJ took courage.

I’m fortunate to live in a state where cannabis is, both medically and recreationally legal so gaining access to it wasn’t my issue. 

Even so, it took a while to muster the courage to visit a local cannabis dispensary.

I feared the stigma.

My issues were getting over the stereotypes that exist around “marijuana.”  The couch-potato stoner chick wasn’t an image I was eager to apply to myself.

I worried about others judging me, I wondered what I would tell the five teenagers that I live with, and I feared my family wouldn’t understand, or that they would view it as me trying to “get messed up” to forget about my cloud of MS bullshit.

I wish I knew then, what I know now.

I wish I hadn’t worried what others might think.

Now I know, MMJ Helps.

Now I realize, this is about me and my body and what helps.  Not what others think.

In the past year, I have written about my “MMJ Adventures.”  I have shared what I have tried, what I have learned, what I have told my children, what has worked, and what hasn’t.

To sum all of it up in one sentence:

Cannabis has been a life changer for me.

Cannabis has restored my quality of life and it has brought me hope that life can continue to get better.

You’re not alone.

When I started my blog I wanted to share my stories of living with a chronic illness.  I always aim to be open and honest and I share all the crazy shit that goes down daily when living with MS.

I have written about peeing my pants in public and wearing diapers, issues with sex, the ending of my marriage and even a naked 911 call, all in an attempt to let others know “it isn’t just them.”

If I can make even just one person feel less alone by having them think “someone else gets it, someone understands” then I feel I have accomplished something.

I want to share my experience to help others.

So when it comes to cannabis, of course I want to share, of course I want to try and explain to people that it is a legitimate medicine that is helping me live a better life.

I’m passionate about cannabis.

So, I write and talk about pot–maybe even a lot–because I am passionate about this plant and how it has helped me.

Thanks to cannabis, I am living again, rather than just existing.

Cannabis awareness is on the rise. Major media is covering it more often and people are realizing it’s not an evil substance, but as a substance with health benefits.

A plant that can help people living with a variety of illnesses and medical conditions.

I write and talk about pot to educate.

Education is key, and I hope to play a role in letting people know the truths about this amazing plant and how it has helped me find the joys in living once again.

About the author:

Meg was an active 37 year old with three young kids when she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.  Ten years have passed, her kids are no longer little and she continues to find the reasons to laugh and smile at all this disease doles out.  She believes that her kids are better people for seeing her embrace all that comes with the disease with a positive attitude.  In her blog (bbhwithms.com) she talks about the good, the bad and the downright funny shit that happens when living with a chronic illness.  She has begun to use cannabis to help with the chronic pain and is now also sharing her “MMJ Adventures” with her readers.Trending Now

The Positive Impact of Marijuana

One of the most complex topics of discussion in legal circles has centered on the discussion over the use of marijuana. But now with the push to legalize the drug across the country, it’s important to learn more about the impact marijuana can have on society.

Provides an Alternative to Opioids

Millions of people across North America are now addicted to opioids. Whether they are taking the drug as a result of a workplace accident or a long-standing medical issue, patients are finding it difficult to get away from using opioid products in their day-to-day life. Medical marijuana represents a great alternative. Studies show that the states with legalized marijuana have fewer opioid-related deaths.

Cuts Off Supplies to Drug Dealers

Criminal enterprises often produce and distribute marijuana for revenue. Legalization allows regulation of the supply chain. Marijuana legalization cuts off supplies to drug dealers and protects consumers.

Economic Influx & Tax Revenue

Legal marijuana benefits the economy bringing jobs, enterprise, and providing a rich source of tax revenue. Investopedia says, “In 2015, Colorado collected more than $135 million in taxes and fee on medical and recreational marijuana.”

Decreases Healthcare Costs

Research shows legal medical marijuana states see a significant reduction in Medicaid costs. The health benefits of marijuana are massive.

Police Departments can better utilize resources

Each year, police departments spend billions of dollars arresting people for marijuana. The NY Times says, “Arrests for possessing small amounts of marijuana exceeded those for all violent crimes last year.” Marijuana legalization benefits police departments by allowing them to focus resources on more dangerous issues.

Easier Access for Patients

Medical marijuana is saving lives and improving the quality of lives around the world. Even where legal, medical marijuana is still cost prohibitive and available only to some. Cannabis can help treat Alzheimers Disease, PTSD, chronic pain, inflammation, stress, cancer, and more.

Removes Restrictions on Hemp Production

Hemp is eco-friendly and sustainable. Hemp takes less water than cotton to produce the same amount of material. And hemp isn’t only for fabric and paper. Hemp-based plastics are impressive.

Conclusion

Millions are now experiencing the direct and indirect benefits of marijuana legalization. To learn more on the legalization process and its positive effects, take a look at our newest infographic.

In this latest infographic, our team at Toronto Defence Lawyers highlights the reasons for legalization.

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