by Harvest McCampbell
Kat Brewer could tell a thousand stories. The story that she is most passionate about concerns one thing and one thing only—getting the medicine to the people. Her life’s work, which is really a labor of love, is about “providing safe access, reasonable prices, and no-cost medicine to those in need.”
Like many of us, she smoked pot recreationally back in her 20’s and she experimented with other drugs. She gradually drifted into hard drug use and addiction. Then as an IV drug user, she contracted hepatitis C, a debilitating and chronic condition that causes inflammation and pain throughout the body. She knew a few people who went the interferon route to treat their hepatitis and also read what was available on the Internet. She found that while the interferon truly helped a few individuals, most people seemed to gain little benefit; while others had unpleasant and sometimes dangerous reactions.
Around the turn of the millennium Kat began hearing stories about the benefits of medical marijuana. She read a few articles in newspapers and magazines and then looked for more information on the Web. What she found sparkled with a ray of hope. While every natural remedy may not work for every person, from her personal experience she truly believes in “the power of the medicine.”
“When I would hit a cycle where the hepatitis was active, I would throw up every morning. I had mild to intense body aches, a low grade fever, I just felt crappy. I knew something was up for about ten years before I was diagnosed. Then when I was first diagnosed I went through a lot of depression. This disease is not only chronic, it can be fatal. Facing the idea of an early death is very depressing. The medical marijuana was much more helpful for all of my symptoms than anything prescribed by the docs. And it absolutely relieved my depression. Medical marijuana is the best antidepressant there is. I attribute the fact that I am still here today and that I am as healthy as I am to this medicine. Marijuana is truly the Tree of Life.”
Full Article:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/10/14/18744883.php