October 5, 2009 – Melissa Etheridge has been a force in the music industry for years because of her mix of pop, folk and rock, but her influence extends far beyond her music. Etheridge has long been a proponent of gay rights as she came out as a lesbian in the 1990s, but her newest drive comes from her battle against breast cancer, which has been her focus since she was diagnosed in 2004. Because of that experience, Etheridge has started working with the Noreen Fraser Foundation, which works to find new prevention methods and non-toxic therapies for women’s cancers. Her experience also changed her view on drug control, as she started taking marijuana for medical reasons during her battle with cancer. She says that during her cancer treatment, the marijuana relieved her nausea and chronic pain, allowing her to feel normal.

Etheridge also said that when she used it for medical reasons, it didn’t make her high. Her experience with the drug has pushed her to fight for the legalization of marijuana. Even with her busy schedule as an activist, Etheridge has found time to tour as well.

Join forces with Hard Rock, Melissa Etheridge, the Bangles, and a host of musicians around the world for Pinktober, the campaign for breast cancer awareness. Hard Rock Cafes and Hotels everywhere are hosting Pinktober parties and live music events, raising awareness and money for local, national, and international charities, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation such as The Breast Cancer Research Foundation and The Caron Keating Foundation. As well, a portion of Pinktober apparel and accessories sales go directly to breast cancer research.
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August 8, 2009 – Melissa Etheridge took medical marijuana while undergoing chemotherapy during her fight with breast cancer. Patrick Swayze reportedly takes medical marijuana during his chemotherapy treatments and daily fight with pancreatic cancer. Both Etheridge and Swayze have reported immense benefits from taking medical marijuana, with Etheridge even declaring that she believes it should be legalized in all 50 states and recognized by the federal government.

Is medical marijuana all that proponents claim it to be for patients who suffer from cancer, auto-immune diseases, HIV & AIDS and other life-threatening ailments?

The answer is yes.

According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), medical marijuana is appropriate and safe for patients to use:

“Modern research suggests that cannabis is a valuable aid in the treatment of a wide range of clinical applications…These include pain relief — particularly of neuropathic pain (pain from nerve damage) — nausea, spasticity, glaucoma, and movement disorders…Marijuana is also a powerful appetite stimulant, specifically for patients suffering from HIV, the AIDS wasting syndrome, or dementia…Emerging research suggests that marijuana’s medicinal properties may protect the body against some types of malignant tumors…and are neuroprotective.”

NORML goes on to state: “Currently, more than 60 U.S. and international health organizations support granting patients immediate legal access to medicinal marijuana under a physician’s supervision…
Marijuana is far less dangerous than alcohol or tobacco. Around 50,000 people die each year from alcohol poisoning. Similarly, more than 400,000 deaths each year are attributed to tobacco smoking. By comparison, marijuana is non-toxic and cannot cause death by overdose. According to the prestigious European medical journal, The Lancet, ‘The smoking of cannabis, even long-term, is not harmful to health. … It would be reasonable to judge cannabis as less of a threat … than alcohol or tobacco.’ ”

This reporter herself suffers from Crohn’s disease, an incurable auto-immune disease that causes inflammation and infection in the intestines, often accompanied by pain, nausea and other GI symptoms. I struggle daily with pain, nausea, and fatigue and have battled with my primary care and GI doctors for appropriate pain medication, often to no avail.

I personally believe that medical doctors who have the power to alleviate the pain and suffering of their patients and yet refuse to do so, are inhumane and medically negligent. Why were pain medications created if they were not to be utilized? A rhetorical question, perhaps…

So, is medical marijuana something that would work for me? I believe that it would, but there are a few roadblocks in my way of trying this natural pain relief.

Although California is one of 13 states that have enacted Medical Marijuana laws, these laws are not recognized by the federal government. (The 13 states with Medical Marijuana laws passed in-state are: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.)

This federal and state discrepancy leaves Medical Marijuana patients at risk for arrest and other legal nightmares. As a mother of two and the wife of a federal employee, these are risks that I cannot afford to take at this time. This is an infuriating situation–I have medical doctors who almost never prescribe pain relief medication and refuse to refer me to a Pain Management Doctor, and because Medical Marijuana is not federally legal, I cannot take advantage of its natural and safe pain relief.

What is a responsible patient with an incurable disease to do?

Perhaps if I was a celebrity like Melissa Etheridge or Patrick Swayze, I wouldn’t be so afraid. Until I either find more compassionate doctors or Medical Marijuana is legal and legitimate patients are not subject to arrest and prosecution, I will have to live my life in pain on an almost daily basis. Source.