When you go to the polls on Nov. 6, please vote Yes on 3 for the sake of families that have been touched by cancer. My son Silas was diagnosed with late stage cancer in October of 2007 when he was just 28; sadly he passed on less than 8 months later. Medical marijuana helped maintain his quality of life more effectively and with none of the sometimes harsh side effects of prescription drugs. Words cannot adequately describe what Silas went through. The chemotherapy caused incredibly debilitating nausea and weight loss. As hard as he tried, Silas could not stop vomiting long enough to gain the strength he needed to fight the cancer; medical marijuana helped him with that. If he was sick and throwing up, he would often ask to take some medical marijuana to settle his stomach. It made a huge difference in how his body tolerated the long hours of being hooked up to IV chemotherapy. Silas began enjoying food again and to gain the weight and strength he needed to continue treatments and surgeries; he also began to take pleasure in going out to various diners and restaurants . Those are memories my daughters and I will have forever.
Medical marijuana also helped to keep his anxiety at bay, considering what he was going through. It was something he could take without any negative side effects. It assisted my son with his ability to stay present, and to look toward future goals and projects, even during the darkest of times. It allowed him to enjoy more fully the company of his sisters, who helped in his daily care, as well as friends and other family members. Before you take a position on Question 3, please read this editorial in the Greenfield Recorder that I wrote about Sy’s experience: http://www.recorder.com/home/2577394-95/medical-silas-marijuana-cancer. See my story as well as the stories of patients around the state at http://www.compassionforpatients.com/videos/ who need medical marijuana to help them now.
First photo is of Silas shortly before his diagnosis; he had returned to college to study journalism
Second photo is Silas with his sisters shortly after he was diagnosed with cancer