What Ails You Sweet Mary Kane? Part Two

The fact is simply that I am Cannabinoid deficient when I do not medicate. And if you're not using Cannabis I would argue that you are too. Evolution has not 'weeded out' the presence of Cannabinoids in mothers breastmilk. They're importance and function should not be ignored for lack of understanding.

Now let's talk about my other ailments I choose Cannabis over big pharma to treat. We'll start with PMS I have the kind of PMS that makes one go utterly mad, I'm talking like suicidal mad and the physical pain is ridiculous, as well. Since my tubal ligation my symptoms seemingly worsen with time. Rubbing on a little salve relieves cramps, of such intensity I would have been bed ridden on Percocet for two days otherwise, within minutes. When I saw a nurse practitioner seeking relief from the uncontrollable  frequent, and random suicidal thoughts that were bombarding me during my cycle I was given many samples (probably six months worth) of a drug called Geodon, from big pharma. I was told it was a mood stabilizer and sent home. I took them and drove home several times considering continuing a straight path although the road curved. Fortunately I was also a nursing student at the time, and I immediately pulled out my drug reference book to discover the truth. I had just seen the drug dealer, and she was pushing anti-psychotics on me, out of a student health care center, without a mental health professional on staff! I threw them out and got by on Percocet and bed rest for several years before discovering Cannabinoid treatment. I'm not going to lie I can still get almost split personality crazy (we even have a humorous name for her), but fortunately for me a good brownie will knock her out within 20 minutes, and I can be part of my life again without waiting it out under the covers. Works the same way with depression.

Next up Alopecia Universalis: an autoimmune disorder in which your body does not recognize hair growth as part of you and, therefore, kills the enemy. I have been totally hairless, including eyelashes/brows, ear and nose hair, etc. for just over a decade. This is a tricky one because there is not a lot of factual information out there. Being considered a cosmetic disorder only many insurance companies do not cover treatment (which unfortunately is more like experimentation). Being considered otherwise healthy in combination with our low numbers (approximately 2% of the population affected) doesn't earn us any priority on the research list either. Here, is what I do know. If you have an autoimmune disorder, you are more likely to develop a second. If you have an autoimmune disorder, your pain tolerance is extremely high. I save a ton of money on hair related expenses and can take a shower faster than anyone that I know.

As far back as I can remember I recall my complaints of pain being met with 'suck it up', 'nothing looks wrong with you', 'it's all in your head' and the like. I also remember the pain continuing to nag at my brain as I tucked it away at these remarks. Sometimes my brain doesn't recognize pain properly or sends me an improper signal, like my hip hurts, but the only thing wrong with me is a kidney infection that presented no other symptoms. If I have to go to a hospital, I am treated like a hypochondriac, drug seeker, and/or giving a "prescription bandage" and discharged swiftly.

I have no desire to attempt to regrow my hair with Cannabis. As the person experiencing this disorder and all my other symptoms, I believe that they are related to the Alopecia Universalis. And while I am not saying that Cannabis could be a cure for it, I want the right to treat my symptoms as I see fit.

I also have a whiplash injury causing a reverse cervical bend and a knee injury that I use the balm on often. I once swung to hard and strained my shoulder golfing. I could have taken four Ibuprofen and waited twenty minutes, but I opted for the Cannabis salve, and my  oldest son watched the clock waiting for me to notify him that it had worked. Three minutes. We continued to play. I put more salve on at bed time and the next day my shoulder felt just brilliant.

'Spirituality and Cannabis' is an entire blog of its own.

There are other things we could talk about. For instance when I treat my symptoms with Cannabis and am no longer pestered by incessant pain signals I am able to soak up information like a sponge. My 4.0 GPA during my college years can be credited to "Wisdom Weed". I can be creative. I can spend quality time with my children. We could go on and on, but I think I have gone on long enough for now. It's your turn.

Gratitude List

Things Sweet Mary Kane is Grateful For in Life

Having my beautiful, funny, intelligent, compassionate, resilient children.
Find my loving, honest, hardworking, fun, intelligent and passionate soul mate.
Home. With a yard, safe neighborhood, AND washer and dryer.
Beds.
Socks.
Technology.
Long distance friends.
Awesome school for my boys.
Ozma of Oz: Time Traveler Extraordinaire. (My Car)
Being a highly favored child of Earth.
My mother.
Knowing my grandparents, their parents, and my partner's parents in my life time.
Sunshine.
Green grass.
The right to vote.
The ability to walk the path of enlightenment.
Fresh flowers.
Tough Mudder.
Food enough to share.
Vegetables.
Fruit.
Tofu.
New friends.
Old friends.
Photos.
Learning.
Mountains.
Exercise.
Teaching.
People who deal with spiders for me.
Postal Service.
Reading and Writing.
Tattoos.
Love.
Progress.
Cannabis.

SWEET MARY KANE: TEE GIVEAWAY ENTRY

QUALIFYING ENTRIES

Step one: Like the SMK Shoppe page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sweet-Mary-Kanes-Shoppe/454354574615027?ref=hl and click like.

Step two: Send an email to SweetMaryKane@gmail.com

Subject: Tee Giveaway Entry Body: Must include the following –             First & Last Name             Tee style: Male /Female             Tee size: S/M/L             Newsletter: Yes/No (At this time there is no SMK newsletter in existence. Please only choose ‘Yes’ if you would like to be notified should a newsletter develop. You will have to opt in again when notified to receive the newsletter).             I acknowledge that I have read the terms and conditions available at: http://www.facebook.com/notes/mella-sweetmary-kane/giveawaycontest-terms-and-conditions/125490760938832 Postal Address (Optional): Entrants may choose to provide only if named the winner. Electronic Signature: [Full name]

Step three: Add SweetMaryKane@gmail.com to your address book to make sure you don’t miss out. You can’t win if the notification is sitting in your spam box.

Step four: Mark your calendar for December 18^th, 2012 as the winner(s) will be announced on that date.

Step five: If you won: cross your fingers that it gets there in time to stuff in Grandma’s stocking and check the fan page to see if the SMK Shoppe has opened yet. If you didn’t win this time: Check back often to for more entry opportunities and browse the SMK Shoppe as often as you’d like.

GRAND PRIZE: SMK Prototype Tee. Sweet Mary Kane is using irons to develop tee shirt designs. The winner will be mailed one of these (new/never worn) tees in the size and style indicated in their email.

WINNER DETERMINATION: Entries will be verified as qualifying and assigned a number in the order they were received. ALL ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY DECEMBER 14, 2012 TO QUALIFY. SMK will use a random number generator between December 15, 2012 & December 17, 2012, and notify the winner by email, announcing a winner on Facebook, Twitter, and any other social media at the discretion of SMK no later than December 18, 2012.

Open Letter to Colorado Springs

Saturday November 10, 2012

Colorado Springs                                                                                        
Police Operations Center
705 S Nevada Avenue
Colorado Springs, CO 80903

RE: Bob Crouse

To all whom it concerns:

I am writing to you with my concerns in the matter of Bob Crouse. It is clear that the outcome of this matter has long required Mr. Crouse’s medication be returned to him, under Amendment 20 as he was acquitted. However, most likely never having suspected an acquittal, I presume that his medication was destroyed while in custody.

I understand many people may feel blindsided by the seemingly rapid growth of Cannabis acceptance as medicine. Whether or not I was frightened of government backlash, I take personal responsibility and offer my apologies for having taken so long to, truly, begin using my voice. You see for some reason the phone seemed to weigh thousands of pounds when it came to calling your offices. The pen never having proper ink to write you either. Perhaps you were not ignoring us but rather we were not speaking up. If that be the case, please then accept this now as my official request to be heard.

While it is my opinion, as well as the majority of other Coloradoans per the passing of Amendment 64, that this is a civil rights issue and the prohibition of Cannabis must come to an end; The medical breakthroughs and evidence cannot be ignored. The people should be free to treat themselves as they see fit and the plant should be free of the unjust and irresponsible classification as a Schedule One Drug. In fact, it shouldn’t be schedule as a drug at all or regulated like alcohol, but regulated like tomatoes as it is simply a plant. However, based solely on Mr. Crouse’s medical condition, I cordially request that your return his property as ordered or settle this matter immediately with his Attorney, Mr. Black.

With all of that said I do also understand your predicament in returning these plants. As any citizen does, you certainly must take into consideration the federal risk factors. If you return those plants, you would risk putting yourself in danger of being charged with federal criminal charges. We are all still very aware of the federal risks we are taking so I understand. It is frightening, but you have to ask yourself what the next right thing to do is. You should also know that should our local law enforcement be targeted by the federal government while upholding our states constitution we will speak of our outrage for you just as we do Mr. Crouse today. The people voted on these things. You have to make it right.

I implore you, please settle with Mr. Crouse swiftly, and cease extending time frames and spending tax dollars on legal process to obstruct justice. It is of utmost importance to me that I witness both my elected officials and the police department display moral character and consideration of the public opinion.

Sincerely,

Sweet Mary Kane

What Ails You Sweet Mary Kane? Part One

Recently I was asked what kind of medical problems I have on my Facebook page. This truly isn't a easy answer type of question. It's not yes or no, and it's certainly not a straightforward answer. I suppose I could give you the quick "my recommendation is written for" answer. Migraines, as they fall under chronic and debilitating medical condition. I was thirteen years old the first time I had a migraine. It was not a fun experience in the slightest. It came on in a snap, and while my entire dome felt as though my brain would swell to the point it would fracture my skull I had to run from my desk down the hall and into a stall to vomit. Fortunately for me there were two girls at the wash sink when I burst in. They got help while I convulsed helplessly vomiting and began to sob in pain. I was pretty much useless, and people around me got me to a doctor somehow. There was a lot of testing done before I was given the diagnosis of migraine headaches.

I began experiencing migraines frequently, sometimes multiple times a week. Each time I was incapacitated with light and motion sensitivity, as well as blinding pain encapsulating my head. Having a knack for experiencing any possible negative side effects of medication I had developed the notion that it was better for me to seek natural remedies than consume pharmaceuticals. As I aged and researched via the great wide web, I complied a list of triggers to my migraines. Avoiding these triggers significantly lessens the regularity of migraine headaches for me with the only side effect being a shift in life style.

This is an incomplete list of triggers for me: alcohol; prolonged hunger; lack of sleep; strong fragrances/chemicals; withholding caffeine; untreated anxiety attacks; and dehydration.

Regardless of knowing some (and hopefully most in reality) of my triggers I continued to experience migraine headaches. In college, I experimented with a couple new prescription samples given to me by the student health center. One was ineffective and the other actually made it worse! In fact, I was forewarned the migraine would worsen  for about fifteen minutes and then it would go away. Unfortunately, for me, it just got worse. The only solution, to this day, once I have a full blown migraine is to sleep it off. Bummer is getting to sleep isn't as easy as you would hope. The good news is the proper strain of Cannabis will help with that.

If I feel a regular headache has potential to go full blown, I take one or two Excedrin Migraine pills in an attempt to head it off. This seems effective so either it's a fantastic fit for me, or that regular headache was just that.

I first began using Cannabis with a Doctor's recommendation in March of 2011. Since then I have been admitted to the emergency room one time for a migraine that was out of control. With that said that particular migraine came on while I was trying to get some much needed sleep during my oldest sons emergency surgery for a badly ruptured appendix. It was a tremendously stressful time, and I was ignoring multiple risk factors in my anxious grief and worry. I also was not properly medicated due to spending almost all my hours in the hospital with him.

For the most part, I eat Cannabis. However, I also have a balm that I rub onto my skin and will smoke for nausea or instant relief.

Now that was the short answer. Whew! Since I am me, however, I'm not going to stop there. Side note: Blood testing for a set level and slapping someone with a DUI is utterly heinous. Check out the chemistry. Someone who never "got high" but used a Cannabis balm all over their legs each night to treat MS symptoms would fail this blood test. We shouldn't let patients be labeled criminals because the science is overlooked by the lawmakers.

Now that I have that off my chest let us get to the long answer. Depending on the area of the country you're in recommendations are allowed for a set list of conditions. My migraines have diminished significantly and having access to all the various methods of medicating and researching relentlessly I've discovered so many more exciting things that Cannabis helps me with. Unfortunately, the long answer would be way too long if I went into such depth on everything. Thus, here is a list of other ailments I treat with Cannabis, to be discussed in part two.

PMS, depression, arthritic pain thought to be caused my auto immune disorder Alopecia Universalis, Adult onset ADD, nausea, muscle spasms/aches, a whip lash injury, and spiritual connectivity. I'm likely forgetting something, but don't worry. I'll be back, wink.

I Am a Federal Criminal

Before I go into details, let’s talk about the other things that I am. I recognize myself as so much more than merely a federal criminal. Just as you are not your occupations, your spouse, your election decision, your diet, or any one thing about you alone, there is more to me than this one nasty label.

The first thing I am is a mother, it's even on my business card, and it’s the only title on my business card. My children have been the biggest blessing in my life. They are a gift to me. They bring me responsibility. They show me new ways to view the world. They grant me laughter. I gain everything, and it is an honor to watch them grow into the intelligent, compassionate, generous young men that they are. Just like any other parent, I want to provide them with more than I had for myself. They will grow and know so much more than I can comprehend and I wish for nothing more than the ability to prepare them to navigate and improve upon this Earth.

Next I am a community member. I believe in the people. I am peaceful. I participate in my life and the lives of others. I show up. I put forth the effort and base my decisions on a conscious understanding of doing the next right thing. I listen. I laugh. I love. I commit time and energy to charity events from the American Lung Association to the Wounded Warrior Project. I know my neighbors. I help strangers push their cars to the station when they run out of gasoline. I smile. I share. I support. I speak out against any wrong doing I witness in the world. I value the humans and animals on our planet as a family.

I am an activist. From the moment I heard that, a plant had been outlawed such effrontery of our government has burrowed into my heart and soul calling out for my action. I am not always good at it, and I have made mistakes, but I never surrender. I post hand written letters. I make phone calls. I read laws. My contact list includes the White House, the FDA, and the senators and governors of Washington, Colorado, and Oregon. Did you know that the phone is answered "White House" when you call? I phone bank for issues that matter to me.

I could make a very very long list of all the things that I am. Chef, housekeeper, secretary, chauffeur, sister, daughter, girlfriend, woman, writer, and on forever more. However that would be an obnoxiously long blog, and I wouldn't want to do that to you.

So it is that I am also a federal criminal. I don't want to be a criminal of any sort on any level, let alone of the federal magnitude. Having once ceased use of Cannabis to comply with the federal stance I now follow the laws and regulations of a medical state. I never sell Cannabis or share it with non-patient users. I keep it out of reach and educate my children about it leaving no room for curiosity to get the better of them. I maintain current registration and strict adherence to law, policy, and procedure. I wake up in the morning, and I ask myself who I am today and what I am going to do. The answer is always that I will not be afforded a sense of me without being pain-free and so today to be me I am going to medicate. I am going to break federal law to do it. I will not choose alcohol or prescriptions which chain me to a life of parenting from my bed. I will not live in pain allowing my mental and emotional balance to be disrupted in the attempt to compensate for the physical vexation. I will never stop fighting for freedom.

You may see me flagging you down to let you know your brake light is out. You may pull up to Dutch Bros to find that your coffee has already been paid for. You may discover you're thirty cents short in the market, but there is a helping hand around to lend you the money. I am not alone. You will find my brothers and sisters out there on their journey to freedom and while you may find some who wouldn't be labeled federal criminal a lot of us choose Cannabis even if we're still in the closet.

I have considered sitting down and shutting up in the interest of my children. Then I concluded self-censorship for fear of government would be of horrendous consequence. I am a lead by example kind of parent. I must show no fear. I must stand strong and teach them preparation, education, commonality, justice, and faith. Bottom line this is a civil rights issue, and I don't dare to imagine what type of a world we would live in if our historical leaders had let terror gag their messages.