My application is in. That's it. It's kind of an anticlimactic moment. I've dreamed of this moment being a little more dramatic. However, I think it's just the way medical freedom should be. Simple. It was as simple as a patient needing medicine and her having legal access to it without worry. I took my certificate in to my doctor having all my arguments running in my head expecting he would give me push back. Nope. He said, "ok" and signed it. Once I had the certificate, I was still planning for and expecting a very complicated process to apply for the new Virginia medical cannabis program. Nope. A few clicks on the computer, they took my payment and that was it. My application is in. Now I only need to give a little wait and see what happens from here. I went through a lot to even have the freedom of registering and so many people have been working so hard before me, but it was so easy to apply that it adds to the absurdity of why cannabis is illegal.
I joined the fight for legal cannabis in January 2018. Somehow one thing led to another and I found myself testifying in front of the General Assembly in Virginia to allow CBD oil for MS patients and all other illnesses beyond the current legal restrictions for only Epilepsy. And then I testified again which was only my small part that led to a majority Republican Virginia General Assembly to vote unanimously in favor for the law change.
When I discovered CBD oil gave me relief for my chronic pain from MS, I was out of options. Nothing before it touched my charlie horse like muscle cramps up and down my arms I had 24/7. I wanted to know more about how the CBD worked. In my research, I discovered the controversy that not all CBD oils are created the same. It was not clear whether it is legal in every state. My curiosity led me to look up Virginia law to find that CBD Oil was legal, (yay!) but only for Epilepsy. It made me want to understand why it would only be allowed for one brain related disease and not another like MS. I felt a sense of betrayal and anger that the one thing that works in giving me quality of life was considered to be okay for only one illness.
I wanted to actually meet the people who fought for CBD oil to be legal in Virginia for Epilepsy to begin with! There was a new bill to expand the allowance to all other illnesses based on a patient's doctor. I told my story to committee members and the law was unanimously passed. There are so many people involved in this effort, I cannot take much credit for it passing. I am happy that I was able to do my small part to make it happen.
So I finally am at least registered to have the CBD and THCa oil in possession. I don't take this freedom lightly. I am thankful for this and will continue to seek more potential for cannabis helping myself and others.
I do believe there needs to be research into the benefits of more than CBD in the cannabis plant. I have hope that THC or one of the other hundreds of chemicals in cannabis may benefit my MS more, so I will continue to fight the injustice that this medicinal plant has been kept illegal because of petty political reasons and no research to back the claims that it is harmful.
If you would like to know more about registering for the newly opened Virginia Medical Cannabis program please visit https://www.license.dhp.
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