Hello my fellow Steemians. Hope your day is going well. As I woke up this morning pondering a blog topic, as I am still trying to find my niche in this cyber-sphere, I thought that I would instead share a personal story with you all. My story is likely not unique but has been a major influence in where I am today and why I feel the way I do regarding some heavy-hitting topics.
It all started back in 2009 when my husband unfortunately lost is brother in a tragic pedestrian vs motor vehicle accident. This completely shook my husband to the core and he was in a state of shock for weeks. While they had been separated and brought back together a few times during childhood due to the result of divorced parents and ever-changing living arrangements, they had only recently began to reconnect and become close again in adulthood.
So after the accident, a couple of months go by and husband (Shane) develops a sinus infection. He noticed that his headache from that infection did not pass after a few days.. or a few weeks..or a few months. Doctor appointments with EENT specialists fell flat as they determined nothing related to the sinus cavity would be causing such bad headaches. This resulted in him being transferred to a neurologist for evaluation.
This is when things started to get wonky. He was prescribed multiple medications sometimes 10-12 at a time which ultimately failed, new medications were added and discontinued sometimes monthly. Some meditations worked for a short while but to no avail ultimately lost their efficacy after a short duration. This process continued for about 5 years. At his lowest point, he weighed 250 pounds ( with a 5'10" frame), was in bed for probably 18-20 hours of any 24 hour day, and depression out of this world. Who wouldn't be depressed being an empty shell of a non-functional person whose only ability to feel was to feel pain!
Around 2014 Shane had decided enough was enough. He had read many things online indicating that marijuana could be helpful with the headaches and decided to try it. While I was very skeptical because at the time I was more conservative leaning than now in my libertarian leaning, I guess what had to convince me was that the proof was in the pudding..or in the papers. :) Forgive my corny joke, this is why I am not a comedian. The improvement was not immediate. It takes some time for someone to rise from that level of dormancy to become even remotely functional again but slow it has happened and is continuing to happen.
Fast-forward to today and you have a man that smokes weed every day and is on very few prescription medications. Happy for the most part with some slight twinges of depression occasionally. Weighing in at 165 pounds and currently enrolled in a certification program for massage therapy. This is the most functional he has been in years and is excited to pick up the pieces he left off and become a productive member of society again.
Injustices
- In medicine - Forgive me, I spent a greater deal of time than I planned talking about the events leading up to my displeasure, injustices surrounding the private use of marijuana. I suppose one of them isn't so much of an injustice as it is just ignorant. Shane had to give up his long term neurologist and find a new one because the old continued to make statements such as research hasn't shown marijuana to be helpful for pain. My thoughts on this were, I don't know maybe because it's so taboo it's not even studied much clinically. He also continued to assert that my husband was just looking for a reason to get high.
My theory is that medical professionals know that marijuana is helpful and that, my friends, would be bad for business. We are in a constant game of tug of war between any 2 entities at at anytime trying to tear us apart by the limbs. Doctors ($$$ business) want us sick!. Insurance companies ($$$ business) want us healthy. These are two complimentary businesses whose likelihood of success depends on the others failure.
- In the law - I find it fascinating how greatly marijuana and it's stigma differs from state to state. I don't understand how there is any justice in a system in which some states treat it as medication, others as candy, and others as heroin. Is it just that people who need it desperately to be forced to pack up and leave everything behind to move to a new state where it is acceptable or risk being arrested. What does that do to the housing and job markets on either end of the intake and exodus states.
- In society - I feel like to the societal norm of marijuana use is becoming more balanced but there is still a long way to go. I get why people are afraid to talk about it. It is illegal in most places. I still don't even like to talk about it with my own family. It should be talked about though. The war on drugs is an epic failure and we the people are only further held captive by these unwarranted laws.
Thanks for reading!
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