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If my 89 y/o grandfather's doctor called to say he could guarantee my grandfather 2 additional years of life if I gave him a lung, a kidney, AND most of my liver I would ask him how soon we could get on the surgery schedule.
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That's the baseline level of adoration I have for him. He is my heart. So when grandma called Wednesday to ask if I could bring him some "California brownies" saying "No" was not an option.
Grandpa's appetite is the first thing to go when he's unwell.
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Grandpa's appetite is the first thing to go when he's unwell.
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He has chronic GI issues & was recently hospitalized for pneumonia.
At 6'3" he weighs 120 pounds.
I've mailed Girl Scout Cookies to the house & sent a 2lb bag of his favorite candy. Doctors have given him meds to improve his appetite...but NOTHING has worked so...
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At 6'3" he weighs 120 pounds.
I've mailed Girl Scout Cookies to the house & sent a 2lb bag of his favorite candy. Doctors have given him meds to improve his appetite...but NOTHING has worked so...
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...when my SUPER Christian conservative grandma called in earnest to ask about edibles I knew she was running out of options & starting to panic.
I spent a few days talking with people more knowledgeable than I about strains & delivery mechanisms & researched
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I spent a few days talking with people more knowledgeable than I about strains & delivery mechanisms & researched
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where to find the shortlist of strains that seemed safest for him to try.
Last night I made the 3-hour drive to Chicago. I spent this morning looking for & buying edibles to improve his appetite & energy but that wouldn't get him high before making the 3-hour drive back.
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Last night I made the 3-hour drive to Chicago. I spent this morning looking for & buying edibles to improve his appetite & energy but that wouldn't get him high before making the 3-hour drive back.
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It wasn't until I got home this afternoon that I started to get angry.
The fact cannabis is STILL illegal in so many states is infuriating. I think about people like my grandfather who might not have family members who can- or will- make that drive for them.
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The fact cannabis is STILL illegal in so many states is infuriating. I think about people like my grandfather who might not have family members who can- or will- make that drive for them.
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People who can't afford to pick up a variety of options in the hopes one of them will be EXACTLY what he needs.
To personally experience someone who has exhausted all the traditional/legal medical options who needed access to illicit (in IN) options hurts my heart.
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To personally experience someone who has exhausted all the traditional/legal medical options who needed access to illicit (in IN) options hurts my heart.
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I've never been much of a drinker. I have asthma, so I've never liked smoking. For years, I was as straight-edge as you could get.
The older I've gotten the more I've accepted the fact there is VERY little in life that is all-bad or all-good.
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The older I've gotten the more I've accepted the fact there is VERY little in life that is all-bad or all-good.
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A glass of wine with dinner isn't going to turn me into my alcoholic friend. A THC infused edible to unwind after a long & stressful week isn't going to turn me into the homeless woman shooting up heroin under a bridge.
The same is true for most people.
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The same is true for most people.
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I hadn't shared with many people the reason for my trip. 99.9% of the time I am a risk-averse law-abiding person.
Since Weds when I told grandma "no problem" I've felt that same stigma & shame that always comes with talking about taboo topics that often SHOULDN'T be taboo.
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Since Weds when I told grandma "no problem" I've felt that same stigma & shame that always comes with talking about taboo topics that often SHOULDN'T be taboo.
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Tonight I decided that perhaps sharing his story would help someone to see the legalization issue from a different perspective.
Almost everything we consume can be dangerous in certain quantities. That's why we have standards & regulations to keep people safe.
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Almost everything we consume can be dangerous in certain quantities. That's why we have standards & regulations to keep people safe.
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When we create policies that take a global approach to throwing ALL the babies out with the bathwater we're saying that there is nothing worth salvaging.
That's what the federal government and many states have continued to do for far too long.
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That's what the federal government and many states have continued to do for far too long.
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We're putting on blinders & censoring research & development that could benefit society & help us progress.
For conservative states: It will likely be a while before medical (or recreational) cannabis is an issue on the ballot in your state.
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For conservative states: It will likely be a while before medical (or recreational) cannabis is an issue on the ballot in your state.
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When it is, IT MAY NOT BE AN OVERT INITIATIVE.
It may appear in the candidate who supports Evidence-Based Policy over hysteria or the financial gain of the private prison industry.
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It may appear in the candidate who supports Evidence-Based Policy over hysteria or the financial gain of the private prison industry.
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Next time you are thinking or talking about cannabis legalization don't frame it from the perspective of the stereotypical recreational cannabis user.
Please talk about my charming 89-year-old grandfather wasting away who needs a little help remembering to eat again.
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Please talk about my charming 89-year-old grandfather wasting away who needs a little help remembering to eat again.
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