Cannabis has truly worked for me, in terms of pain management, hunger inducement, treatment for sleep disorder, anxiety and as a preventative measure, possibly slowing down the replication of Chronic Hepatitis C 'C Geno-type 1a.

I was treated in 2002 with a Pharmaceutical drug called Interferon 2b as well as pills (six per day) used as an anti-viral. The drug product company Roche Pharmaceuticals called this product Rebatron. (Sounds like an X-box game.)

After seven months on this frightening product, I was told the treatment results were negative. The result sure was negative, at least for me anyway. I now have autoimmune disorder, Osteopenia, future possibility of Ischemic heart disease and maybe cancer. I truly believe that these conditions are the direct result of this medication. Of course now I have a lot more to deal with post-treatment. I believe more will be revealed as my life progresses. Though there are those whom this treatment has helped tremendously, this was not the case in my treatment with this drug. I’ve interviewed many individuals treated, a large percentage of individuals are now in therapist's offices and prescribed S.S.R.I. drugs, i.e. Prozac, Celexa, Effexor. Some are developing cancer and going for their third round of these drugs, even though they have developed cancer. (These individuals have to pay for this treatment themselves and are willing to do so.)

Pharmanet denied me any further funding for drug treatment as the drug is only given once to those of us living in poverty; if one can self-pay they will gladly give you the drug, costing $18,000.00 (C $20,000.00) with no guarantees. To me it was a blessing to me that I was unable to receive any further funding, though I tried through advocacy to sway their decision. Please see (Monday Magazine article: May 22.04. Title: Insult to Illness.)

In 2004 I began researching options of treatment for my condition via credible sites on the Internet. I became convinced that Medical Cannabis could work for me on many levels, symptom management, preventative measures and, dare I say, a potential cure (Yet to be discovered). What I can tell you is that the wasting condition I once had is gone; I’ve increased in body mass by 40 lbs! I sleep very well and can tolerate most of the pain I feel daily. My blood work is the best it's been in years. Further tests will be needed to know for sure as to the potential of what was once called the "Holy plant" of medicine. The plant has a matrix of 60 or so Cannabinoids depending on its strain. Though the Delta 8 C 9 feature in the plant helps in much symptomatic relief; it's not the whole story. What is important is that the whole plant IS the whole medicine. Even the plants roots have been used over the centuries for dissolving tumors and cancer. Yet, try to find cannabis root. Now, all this good stuff being said, in 2004 I entered into the world of compassion clubs, Doctors forms, Specialist forms, Government forms (B.C. (pwd)-disability, C.C.P. disability, The office of the M.M.A.D.) These forms might kill someone before the actual disease will. In fact just to receive nutritional supplement funding took three years of fighting for a whopping $164.00 per month. In fact, the past two years have been a go-it-alone advocacy just to survive.

Adding to all this stress is the added financial costs, creating more stress in someone combating several chronic illnesses and to keep cannabinoid levels high in my system. To obtain cannabis for medical use, I’ve needed to sell many of my belongings, obtain loans from agencies preying on the poor and destitute that must pay back these loans at a very high rate of interest and finally a small disability visa (R.B.C.) which is now over limit. I am a Medical Cannabis Licensee under the M.M.A.D. and order one half of my prescription due to economics. As well, I use my local club (The Cannabis Growers and Buyers Club) affectionately known as "Ted's" here in Victoria B.C. I'm grateful to both these agencies for providing affordable great medicine as well as going to great lengths to protect individuals with immune deficiency issues from bacteria and microtoxins and fertilizers used in commercial growing.

Yet, I ask the readers, how can someone on an income of $1044.00 afford to spend half their income on medication? And survive and stay healthy in today's economic climate. I've personally come across growers who offered me 1/5 of my prescription (which is totally illegal). One in particular, is now on city council here in Victoria trying to fund their political career of the back of the unfortunates. (What else is new?) I was prescribed Marinol, a pharmaceutical cannabis drug at $80.00 per month. This product was not funded under the Medical Services Plan of B.C., and yet the province approved Cesamet, another synthetic cannabis drug, actually its pharmaceutical name is Nabilone. The funding came in for this product, and was covered by M.H.R. at a whopping $1280.00 per month. Is there any logic to this? Of course not, it’s all about money and pharmaceutical control, later I discovered that Cesamet is not a medication for individuals with liver disease, which is my primary problem. (Baffling!).

So it all comes down to the almighty dollar once again. This is a fight for control and choice, and financial gain off the back of societies most unfortunate; the poor, sick and dying. Greedy growers, greedy politicians, greedy pharmaceutical companies, all positioning for control of what was once called the "Holy plant". A truly un-holy trinity. The cost of this medication need not be so high. Understandably; growing has costs, yet the cost might be no more than $15.00 per ounce. What I also find baffling is in a country like ours where there is nothing in the Canadian pharmacopoeia useful to helping me; I'm forced to pay almost half my income to the Federal Government for a treatment they are selling to me, via Prairie Plant Systems. Why this medication is not covered, and concessions are not made for individuals living in poverty, trying to survive just one more day, is equally as baffling. I'd like to thank those who have helped me in advocacy and thank those clubs, growers and branches of Government who are operating with integrity and compassion; you are all a rare breed indeed. As we all know, so much for "A government for the people, by the people". It truly has become a "government for the corporation by the corporation". In this case the giant pharmaceutical conglomerates that care nothing for the individual, rather, only for their quarterly profits. It’s a sad case. Many growers out there are following suit to this growing consciousness. If there are growers out there who are growing from integrity, I ask for your help, as I've nowhere else to go. To those who started this movement, I'm grateful beyond words, to those money driven and power hungry you now have become that which we thought we were all fighting together, the enemy, the establishment based of hierarchy and control. Once again I ask you, where is the compassion in all this?

D M. Victoria. B.C