The Leaf THE LEAF July-August 2019 | Page 23

Jack spent five hours educating me on the benefits of Cannabis and then suggested I join the Facebook groups “Cannabis Oil Success Stories” and the "Green Oil Machine Users Group" so I could learn more. I spent every evening reading the stories, the questions and every answer trying to absorb all that I could. When I began to experience severe hip and back pain, I referred back to my medical diary and I noticed that the pain consistently followed my Remicade treatments. Soon after, the Crohn's symptoms returned. I suspected that I had lost remission and immediately started on a dose half the size of a short grain of rice, of fully-extracted Cannabis Oil. The symptoms subsided within two hours. Four days later, my nurse of 20 years called to inform me that my blood work showed that I had lost remission. She told me I had developed antibodies to the Remicade and had to stop. The plan was to put me on Humira (another biologic). I politely refused and reminded her that my plan if the Remicade failed was to start Cannabis Oil. She was fully supportive as long as I agreed that if any symptoms returned to call her and commit to trying Humira. She then said "Cathy, I hope I never see you again." We both laughed. I have been symptom free since June 9, 2017 thanks to fully-extracted Cannabis Oil (FECO). I have given up 13 pharmaceutical meds including Prednisone, Remicade, Plaquenil, Imuran, Lomotil, Gabapentin, Demerol, Advil, Advair, Beconase, Beclaforte, Gravol and Neo Visc injections for my knees. The Cannabis is working to maintain remission from Crohn’s, control the swelling from Lupus and manage the joint and muscle pain from Arthritis and Fibromyalgia. My Asthma is also under control. I no longer have to deal with side effects of all the drugs like loss of vision and loss of hair, or worry about getting cancer. I no longer have to trade my tomorrows in order to get through today without pain. I wake up each morning feeling rested from a sound sleep. My head is clear and the brain fog is gone. My mind is sharp and I am now able to resume my passion of trading the stock market. Of course, my specialty is Cannabis Stocks! I have achieved my goal of being able to walk my dogs in the morning for one hour with the aid of a walker, for now. I even played volleyball with my friends last summer. Thanks to medical Cannabis I am getting my life back! Cannabis does not cure Crohn's and it does not cure Cancer; however it can give you the ability to maintain remission. For this I am truly grateful! I am also grateful to be a Canadian where it is legal to use my medicine. I am sad for the people I have crossed paths with in other countries who have had to choose to be “Illegally Alive” rather than to be "Legally Dead." I am sad that I am unable to travel to the United States with my medicine and loathed the idea of having to take pharmaceuticals when I travelled there recently. Cannabis should not, in my humble opinion, be a last resort for Cancer, Crohn's, Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Lupus and MS. It should be a first resort. It should also be covered through Trillium and insurance plans, and not be taxed because it is a medicine. No one should be denied their health for lack of funds. If Cannabis were a first resort for pain rather than Opiates, my sister Gail would still be alive today. After coming home from having had a brain tumour removed in hospital, my sister died from an overdose of Oxycontin. No one has ever died from an overdose of Cannabis.