Holistic Medicine VS Big Pharmaceuticals
Submitted by herbgirl on Tue, 10/18/2005 - 8:05pm.
Only recently has the importance of holistic remedies been driven home to me. All my life, my Grandmother instilled into me those silly little wive's tales, those moments when the phone rings or the lights flicker... those old unspoken wives tales that we've always heard, and been told to "not tell". I grew up in southern MO.The decendant of French immigrants. The deep south held my ancestry. Now it meant little to me growing up and moving to eastern Independence. Those Eastern European remedies never escaped my families re-telling of our history. My Grandmother who raised me taught me to read Tarot, to read leaves and how to interpret my instincts into modern day living. I know that this may turn a lot of you off....but there are those of you that know exactly what I'm talking about. The moniker "Herb girl" is no misnomer. I raise several variety of herbs and reap their bounty several times a year. I live with these plants. Maybe in some way, this MS thing coming around is a way for me to explore those very roots that brought me here.
Only recently has the importance of holistic remedies been driven home to me. All my life, my Grandmother instilled into me those silly little wive's tales, those moments when the phone rings or the lights flicker... those old unspoken wives tales that we've always heard, and been told to "not tell". I grew up in southern MO.The decendant of French immigrants. The deep south held my ancestry. Now it meant little to me growing up and moving to eastern Independence. Those Eastern European remedies never escaped my families re-telling of our history. My Grandmother who raised me taught me to read Tarot, to read leaves and how to interpret my instincts into modern day living. I know that this may turn a lot of you off....but there are those of you that know exactly what I'm talking about. The moniker "Herb girl" is no misnomer. I raise several variety of herbs and reap their bounty several times a year. I live with these plants. Maybe in some way, this MS thing coming around is a way for me to explore those very roots that brought me here.
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Unfortunately, one of the herbs that helps spasticity in MS...
...is illegal. Although the national MS society very quickly distances itself from cannibis on its web site, there are a lot of serious studies that show at least a modest benefit in MS patients that THC, even oral THC (which is usually less effective than the doobie variety), lessens the musculoskeletal spasms that plague MS sufferers. This made even fairly staid, high profile journals such as Nature. I am soooo tired of this modern day reefer madness.
Industrial hemp could be a multiply useful agricultural product in this state, and medical marijuana could be a complimentary therapy of some use until pharmaceutical derivatives could be more effectively compounded. I won't argue with the "gateway drug" theory, but will merely say, "yeah, and so's alcohol, and there's been far more damage to family values in this state from Demon Rum than there ever has been by the lowly doobie."
Can anyone imagine the relief for millions of people?
You couldn't be any more correct. The legalizing of MJ could produce windfalls for the states coffers as well. I did a research paper with my daughter on this one. Making it legal with the precautions that are in place for alcohol consumption and obtaining it could be revised and implemented to fit MJ. Profits I predict could quite possibly wipe out a LOT of red ink. The problem with the government not taking a positive stance on this is that it could go the way of cigarette taxes....uh..where exactly are those monies going anyway? Here is a natural drug that has thousands of studies whose evidence finds that it is beneficial to a myriad of illnesses. I've read those same studies. The multitude of FDA "Approved" drugs that are being introduced into our market for consumption are those that cause heart attacks, psychosis, coma, severe life threatening issues and even death. Yet, these are the ones the government gives the okay to.Big business again in another form...pharmaceutical companies. If the government would grow their own MJ (I'm sure they would need the help the real researchers and growers on this one) they could produce, package and distribute at their descretion. Much the same way that Holland and other European countries do. This is simply the wrong era to try to change the norm. No good conservative would see the benefit to the coffers with a 1,000 lb. gorilla standing in from of them : The Moral Majority. I like to call them the Moron Majority.
I'm a herbalist. I've been an herbalist all my life. It's a hobby that I enjoy but I've mostly grown these beautiful plants for culinary and medicinal purposes. I USED to obtain my seed and plants from a company that I could get anything from. Exotic Yohimbe Bark from Africa. Ephedra in it's natural form. Pennyroyal (used in old days for inducing abortion) and Valerian (the base dirivitive of Valium) I use these for teas. Well, I went to order more seed for my beloved Valerian and now I'm told that these things are on the FDA's watch list now. Along with Kava Kava, ginseng and a few harmless others. Pretty soon, I won't be able to get these for my gardens. The money being spent on this "War on Drugs" most likely is being spent to capture big thugs like myself who only wish for that nightime cup of cammomile and valerian. I'd venture to say that the misuse and abuse of LEGAL drugs bypasses anything that MJ could ever do. Including the Demon Rum. There are a lot of folks out there that smoke Miss Lovely. LOTS of them. Take a small, trusted poll with people you trust and you'll see. Melissa Etheridge just came out (no pun intentioned) and said that she used MJ to help her through the sickness that chemo brought on. What is so very frustrating is this: The disease that is now contorting my muscles into ways I never thought possible has a natural calming effect on those muscles? Yes, like the muscle relaxers that are now in my medicine cabinet that the good DR. has told me to take 4x a day along with the anti-nausea medication that I'm now to take 3x a day and then the sleeping medicine. Oh and don't forget the steroids that are to strengthen my contorting twisting muscles. My God. Piss off. Put on some Zepplin, maybe some Pink Floyd. Light the insense and let me have my pipe. If I go out, I wanna go out happy and in comfort. Not some liver-failing, Multiple Scelrosis ailing woman who's sitting in prison for trying to raise an herb garden and buying some pot.God I miss Zepplin....