my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer when I was 15 for a whole summer while I
when I was 15 for a whole summer while I
when I was 15 for a whole summer while I visited him in Georgia
visited him in Georgia
visited him in Georgia I saw skeleton of the man that I once
I saw skeleton of the man that I once
I saw skeleton of the man that I once knew I had accompanied him to several
knew I had accompanied him to several
knew I had accompanied him to several doctors visits while I truly believed my
doctors visits while I truly believed my
doctors visits while I truly believed my grandfather tried his best just a year
grandfather tried his best just a year
grandfather tried his best just a year later he ended up passing away
surprisingly it wasn’t the cancer that
surprisingly it wasn’t the cancer that killed him
killed him
killed him my grandfather had died from an allergic
my grandfather had died from an allergic
my grandfather had died from an allergic reaction to all the cocktails of
reaction to all the cocktails of
reaction to all the cocktails of medicines that he’d been receiving treat
medicines that he’d been receiving treat
medicines that he’d been receiving treat his cancer and it pained me to lose a
his cancer and it pained me to lose a
his cancer and it pained me to lose a man that I loved and that it raised me
man that I loved and that it raised me
man that I loved and that it raised me but it hurted me even more when I found
but it hurted me even more when I found
but it hurted me even more when I found out that the medicine intended to help
out that the medicine intended to help
out that the medicine intended to help him actually Persol – in his death at
him actually Persol – in his death at
him actually Persol – in his death at around the same time I began to open my
around the same time I began to open my
around the same time I began to open my ears to the national conversation
ears to the national conversation
ears to the national conversation surrounding marijuana weed pot or
surrounding marijuana weed pot or
surrounding marijuana weed pot or whatever you may interchangeably know
whatever you may interchangeably know
whatever you may interchangeably know this plant as but it is crucial we
this plant as but it is crucial we
this plant as but it is crucial we understand a scientific name as cannabis
understand a scientific name as cannabis
understand a scientific name as cannabis sativa and our cannabis has been used to
sativa and our cannabis has been used to
sativa and our cannabis has been used to treat symptoms of cancer like nausea and
treat symptoms of cancer like nausea and
treat symptoms of cancer like nausea and I cannot say that cannabis could have
I cannot say that cannabis could have
I cannot say that cannabis could have cured my grandfather but I do know that
cured my grandfather but I do know that
cured my grandfather but I do know that after listening to countless stories
after listening to countless stories
after listening to countless stories about cannabis his medical applications
about cannabis his medical applications
about cannabis his medical applications I was only left urging more and wanting
I was only left urging more and wanting
I was only left urging more and wanting to know more and whether or not this
to know more and whether or not this
to know more and whether or not this plant could have been a safer
plant could have been a safer
plant could have been a safer alternative to the drugs that ended up
alternative to the drugs that ended up
alternative to the drugs that ended up killing my grandfather so now fast
killing my grandfather so now fast
killing my grandfather so now fast forward to present day cannabis is one
forward to present day cannabis is one
forward to present day cannabis is one of the largest growing industries in the
of the largest growing industries in the
of the largest growing industries in the nation with a projected revenue of
nation with a projected revenue of
nation with a projected revenue of twenty billion dollars by 2020
and yet there’s enough skepticism that
and yet there’s enough skepticism that this plant still remains federally
this plant still remains federally
this plant still remains federally illegal
illegal
illegal despite legalization efforts at the
despite legalization efforts at the
despite legalization efforts at the state level
state level
state level the most common concern I hear about
the most common concern I hear about
the most common concern I hear about cannabis is that we don’t know enough
cannabis is that we don’t know enough
cannabis is that we don’t know enough about it fortunately I see that as an
about it fortunately I see that as an
about it fortunately I see that as an opportunity to illuminate the shadowy
opportunity to illuminate the shadowy
opportunity to illuminate the shadowy figure of cannabis with research and
figure of cannabis with research and
figure of cannabis with research and inquiry driven by established research
inquiry driven by established research
inquiry driven by established research institutions like Brown University and
so the largest obstacle for the cannabis
so the largest obstacle for the cannabis community is securing federal research
community is securing federal research
community is securing federal research funding to fully substantiate cannabis
funding to fully substantiate cannabis
funding to fully substantiate cannabis as medical use our federal law currently
as medical use our federal law currently
as medical use our federal law currently classifies cannabis as a Schedule one
classifies cannabis as a Schedule one
classifies cannabis as a Schedule one drug
drug
drug alongside heroin if we look at the
alongside heroin if we look at the
alongside heroin if we look at the definition every Schedule one drug will
definition every Schedule one drug will
definition every Schedule one drug will see that jug with no currently accepted
see that jug with no currently accepted
see that jug with no currently accepted medical use in a high potential for
medical use in a high potential for
medical use in a high potential for abuse in response to the claims of
abuse in response to the claims of
abuse in response to the claims of canvases high potential for abuse we’ve
canvases high potential for abuse we’ve
canvases high potential for abuse we’ve seen that in waves groups such as
seen that in waves groups such as
seen that in waves groups such as veterans suffering from PTSD are
veterans suffering from PTSD are
veterans suffering from PTSD are abandoning prescription painkillers in
abandoning prescription painkillers in
abandoning prescription painkillers in favor of cannabis due to it having less
favor of cannabis due to it having less
favor of cannabis due to it having less adverse side effects researchers must
adverse side effects researchers must
adverse side effects researchers must secure approval from the DEA to have
secure approval from the DEA to have
secure approval from the DEA to have federal stays done yet the DEA and the
federal stays done yet the DEA and the
federal stays done yet the DEA and the federal government adhere to this
federal government adhere to this
federal government adhere to this paradoxical federal law
and so federal law stands in opposition
and so federal law stands in opposition to the growing support we see of medical
to the growing support we see of medical
to the growing support we see of medical cannabis states there currently 29
cannabis states there currently 29
cannabis states there currently 29 states with medical medical cannabis
states with medical medical cannabis
states with medical medical cannabis programs including our nation’s capital
programs including our nation’s capital
programs including our nation’s capital Washington DC and yet there is no
Washington DC and yet there is no
Washington DC and yet there is no medical recognition of cannabis in our
medical recognition of cannabis in our
medical recognition of cannabis in our national law and we see here a list of
national law and we see here a list of
national law and we see here a list of qualifying health conditions from
qualifying health conditions from
qualifying health conditions from different medical programs medical
different medical programs medical
different medical programs medical cannabis programs in the United States
cannabis programs in the United States
cannabis programs in the United States cancer multiple sclerosis Parkinson’s
cancer multiple sclerosis Parkinson’s
cancer multiple sclerosis Parkinson’s disease
disease
disease a wide range of health benefits but only
a wide range of health benefits but only
a wide range of health benefits but only accepted at the state level and with all
accepted at the state level and with all
accepted at the state level and with all our modern research technologies and
our modern research technologies and
our modern research technologies and capabilities
capabilities
capabilities I would hope to know more about how
I would hope to know more about how
I would hope to know more about how cannabis specifically affects our bodies
one steps towards doing that is learning
one steps towards doing that is learning about the human endocannabinoid system
about the human endocannabinoid system
about the human endocannabinoid system which is a physiological system within
which is a physiological system within
which is a physiological system within our bodies that was discovered in the
our bodies that was discovered in the
our bodies that was discovered in the 1950s specifically with the help of the
1950s specifically with the help of the
1950s specifically with the help of the cannabis sativa plant hence the term
cannabis sativa plant hence the term
cannabis sativa plant hence the term endow cannabinoid system now growing up
endow cannabinoid system now growing up
endow cannabinoid system now growing up I heard of my skeletal system I heard my
I heard of my skeletal system I heard my
I heard of my skeletal system I heard my central nervous system but I have never
central nervous system but I have never
central nervous system but I have never heard of the endocannabinoid system
heard of the endocannabinoid system
heard of the endocannabinoid system until recently and to think that the
until recently and to think that the
until recently and to think that the endocannabinoid system could be a link
endocannabinoid system could be a link
endocannabinoid system could be a link between us and the potential health
between us and the potential health
between us and the potential health benefits seen
benefits seen
benefits seen in cannabis only begs me to want to urge
in cannabis only begs me to want to urge
in cannabis only begs me to want to urge and push our society in a way that we
and push our society in a way that we
and push our society in a way that we can break barriers and engage our
can break barriers and engage our
can break barriers and engage our skepticisms with research and inquiry
now Northern Michigan University has
now Northern Michigan University has taken a monumental step towards this
taken a monumental step towards this
taken a monumental step towards this they have established the first ever
they have established the first ever
they have established the first ever medicinal plant chemistry degree now
medicinal plant chemistry degree now
medicinal plant chemistry degree now please do not be fooled this degree has
please do not be fooled this degree has
please do not be fooled this degree has 67 credits riddled with rigorous courses
67 credits riddled with rigorous courses
67 credits riddled with rigorous courses including organic chemistry and biology
including organic chemistry and biology
including organic chemistry and biology this is not the coursework associated
this is not the coursework associated
this is not the coursework associated with the lazy stoner stereotype and I
with the lazy stoner stereotype and I
with the lazy stoner stereotype and I would like to see more research
would like to see more research
would like to see more research institutions like Brown University push
institutions like Brown University push
institutions like Brown University push to illuminate our fears with this
to illuminate our fears with this
to illuminate our fears with this research and inquiry I mentioned my
research and inquiry I mentioned my
research and inquiry I mentioned my initial question was can are there other
initial question was can are there other
initial question was can are there other alternatives safer alternatives than the
alternatives safer alternatives than the
alternatives safer alternatives than the prescription pills that killed my
prescription pills that killed my
prescription pills that killed my grandfather
grandfather
grandfather I truly believe we have the ability to
I truly believe we have the ability to
I truly believe we have the ability to answer all all of our own questions but
answer all all of our own questions but
answer all all of our own questions but we must be willing to break barriers and
we must be willing to break barriers and
we must be willing to break barriers and explore the unknown thank you
”
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