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  Woman Continues To Fast for Right to Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on May 24, 2002 at 10:05:00 PT
By Ginny Merriam of the Missoulian 
Source: Missoulian 

medical Robin Prosser has not eaten for 34 days. She has lost 36 pounds, and she's weak and dizzy. But she won't stop her hunger strike until she's allowed to grow the marijuana plants that yield the only medicine that helps her, she said Thursday. She has told her friends and supporters she'll push it to the limit. She has told her daughter that if her heart stops, get it started up again so she can go on.

"I've told her, 'If I go, you'd better remember and do the same thing,' " she said. "People don't believe that one person can make a difference. But I have to believe I can."

Prosser is 45 and has lived with an immunosuppressive disorder that's one of 150 related to lupus since she was 28. She has tried every possible mainstream pharmaceutical, she said, and is allergic to most. She has lived on disability benefits for 12 years. Before that, she was a systems analyst with a national insurance firm in Chicago. She and her daughter, now 17, came to Missoula nine years ago so Prosser could study musical composition in the University of Montana's music department.

Her prized possession is a shiny black Kawai grand piano. Her reason to live is her daughter. The only thing that relieves her bone pain, muscle spasticity, irritable bowel, spinal pain, constant migraine and other symptoms is medical marijuana, which she smokes. It's illegal, which she and many others say is wrong.

"This is a medicine," she said. "This is an issue between me and my doctor. This is just not right."

Long before marijuana became the "evil weed," it had another life as a useful pharmaceutical. It was used for various ailments as long as 4,000 years ago. Between 1840 and 1940, mainstream medicine used it against migraine headaches, menstrual cramps, the spasmodic symptoms of rabies, insomnia, tetanus and other complaints. In 1937, things went awry for cannabis in the United States, and it became illegal.

Political misfortune caused that, and our view of marijuana as a moral issue rather than a medical or herbal one keeps it illegal, said Missoula neurologist Ethan Russo, a proponent of medicinal use of marijuana.

"Currently, the cannabis ban has reached retirement age, 65," he said Thursday in an interview. "And it should be retired."

The United States is falling behind the rest of the world as opinion and science evolve to include the medicinal use of marijuana in western Europe, England and Canada, he said.

Prosser does not have medical supervision for her strike. She has run through several general practice doctors who were not comfortable being associated with her medical marijuana use. She went to the emergency room at St. Patrick Hospital on Wednesday. A physician there checked her potassium level, which was OK because she has been drinking Emer'gen-C powdered vitamin C drink with potassium. She showed some irregular heartbeat, she said, which she has had before, but not enough for the physician to deem it serious. He sent her home, she said, with the prescription that she should eat.

"He said if I wasn't going to eat, what was I doing there? I'm only going to get worse," she said. "I just found it odd that they didn't think there was anything they could do to support me medically."

Joyce Dombrouski, vice president of nursing at St. Patrick's, said the emergency room staff always sends a patient home with the name of a suggested doctor. If Prosser had needed to be admitted, she would have been, she said.

"From a global standpoint, the physicians in the ER know what to check," she said. "And they would admit you if they needed to."

Prosser, pale and tired-looking in on the sofa in her Upper Miller Creek home Thursday, said she does not want to move to legally use marijuana for medicinal purposes. She wants her daughter to finish her last year of high school at home in Missoula. She doesn't want to get arrested for buying or growing marijuana. So she'll continue her hunger strike and hope for a breakthrough.

"I don't know anything else to do," she said. "I'm desperate."

Complete Title: Woman Continues To Fast for Right to Grow Marijuana

Newshawk: Ethan Russo MD
Source: Missoulian (MT)
Author: Ginny Merriam of the Missoulian
Published: Friday, May 24, 2002
Copyright: 2002 Missoulian
Contact: newsdesk@missoulian.com
Website http://www.missoulian.com/

Related Articles & Web Sites:

Cannabis Now
http://www.cannabisnow.org/

Cannabinoids in Pain Management
http://freedomtoexhale.com/drr.htm

Chronic Cannabis Use in PDF Format
http://freedomtoexhale.com/ccu.pdf

Dying for a Smoke
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12786.shtml

Growing Desperate
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12681.shtml

Missoula Woman Launches a Hunger Strike
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12650.shtml


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Comment #15 posted by Nuevo Mexican on May 27, 2002 at 14:24:07 PT
Thanks Roger, I am a Reverend now!
and I agree, as Cannabis is a sacrement, and my personal sacrement as well! I was told to do this 15 years ago, and you made it very easy. Thanks!

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #14 posted by Roger Christie on May 26, 2002 at 18:23:32 PT:

Forget medical use and go for sacrament!
Dear Friends of Cannabis,

I suggested to Robin as I suggest to all of you...drop the medical use of marijuana like it's a hot rock! Drop it!

Choose and claim cannabis as your sacrament (if you are sincere about it) and enjoy the religious freedom for it immediately! Religious freedom for herb INCLUDES the medical use! Not the other way around. Get it?

Religious enjoyment of cannabis as your 'sacrament' needs zero vote, or law, or petition, or demonstration, or note from a doctor or judge. It's in-place NOW. The only thing is... you must claim it for yourself.

Here's the drill: for cannabis to be legal as your sacrament you must:

1.) be sincere (you probably are already) 2.) be legitimate (ask me, it'seasy!) 3.) its use must be mandatory for you 4.) you must cultivate and use it in private, only.

Simple! Easy! Free! Available now to all those over 18.

Go to www.ulc.org and 'be ordained' as a minister on-line immediately. It rocks! Then join a bona fide cannabis ministry to add the key 'legitimate' component. Start your own cannabis ministry when you are ready.

The First Amendment protects our religious practices. There is zero corresponding right for medical freedom. There should be, but there isn't. Oh well...

Know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em.

We use cannabis religiously and you can, too!

Robin...are you listening?

love, Roger



[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #13 posted by paul peterson on May 25, 2002 at 22:16:00 PT:

el toonces
Sir, that is an excellent point about the medical necessity defense-In fact, the very fact that she has not been visited by the local men in blue, for being so forward about these issues, means that she has survived the initial risk (because of your very argument). Sure, they needed to make a public comment that if they "knew she was growing" they would bust. But they didn't come driving up the block to check out her house, did they? They basically don't want to know any more than they do right now. The biggest problem right now is not her being in "possession" but how to get Robin to gracefully "adjust" her quest for longevity of her "usefulness" as an advocate voice for the cause. 1) She is in need of some financial support so she can avoid having to grow her own, 2) She needs to encourage a gradual growth of media attention, which, in my opinion, would be enhanced by the "hemp" angle I have postulated. Of course, either or both concepts will need to await the SF cases we are all awaiting decisions on.

Can Robin last that long? That is the most important time consideration right now. When the decisions come down, we will all know if and when progress will come. I'm guessing that GEORGE BUSH has just done some serious dealing with Russia for airbase access for his next round of RISK. I'm guessing that the people in Europe don't want anything to do with him on this, that is why he has spent this turn's armies on Asia. If he is not willing to bend on the cannabis issue to win support in Europe, he won't care about Robin at all. The FBI thing will sting him mightily, that is why he is so hell bent on starting another war round. He is hoping that the HAWK THING will gain his people power and votes come November. I'm just glad that Federal judges are starting to use the FIRST AMENDMENT in speech more and more. It will be a long haul, but if Robin can hold on a few more months, I see some light. PAUL

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Comment #12 posted by The GCW on May 25, 2002 at 15:50:36 PT
Central hooka. Like central vac.
Go down the hall and hook a loui. (left, You know)

Then maybe we'd hear that greating sucking sound Ross Perot was talking about.

It could be hooked up the the grow room...

Now, I'm laughing. But this is serious. I don't know what to say. The government would just assume give Robin the death penalty. Would Bush just assume kill her, given the chance? Bush is the nations #1 killer, isn't he. Nobody kills like Bush. Am I mistaken?

He presently kills, with some degree of restrictions...take away those restrictions...who would he kill?

Kubby had to leave his country to stop Bush from killing him.

Why can't Robin leave? Why can't we stop Bush, from killing this woman? Is that fair to say Bush is killing this woman? Is it ok to deduce that Bush leads the charge against medical use of cannabis, solo. If it were not for Bush, there would be NO war against sick citizens using cannabis. Bush is solo.



[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #11 posted by FoM on May 25, 2002 at 15:11:28 PT
My Dream
The news is slow and I think about different things and I still hope someone somewhere plans on making plenty of old age retirement hippie homes. Wouldn't that be awesome!

When med time would come instead of all sorts of drugs the nurse would bring a pretty hooka instead.

It would be the first nursing home where the people would really be smiling and meaning it!

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #10 posted by el_toonces on May 25, 2002 at 15:10:56 PT:

Publicity and medical necessity....
I just have to add that if one goal of Robin's fast is to generate publicity, I wonder if she would get more or less of it if she just decided she, like all folks, is entitled to use cannabis and assert a defense of medical necessity, at a trial, should it be forced? It's easy to see media whores ignoring a woman literally starving to death these days, but with the added media "sex appeal" of a trial or an ugly "bust" with medical circumstances, they just might give a hoot.....

In any event, I wish her the best and hope she stays stable medically.

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #9 posted by el_toonces on May 25, 2002 at 15:05:41 PT:

65 & Out!
Ethan -- That's a great quote about cannabis prohibition being ready for Medicare, Social Security, AARP membership and, above all, MANDATORY RETIREMENT! Thanks.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #8 posted by Nuevo Mexican on May 25, 2002 at 10:09:09 PT
I like the hemp food idea!
But we should support what this person is doing as ONE person makes all the difference (that is why this is getting NO coverage), What would Jesus do? Probably the same thing, as spirit is all there is and this body is just a garment. If Robin passes over, it was her choice, and I respect that, as I respect the Buddists' that set themselves on fire in Viet Nam, bringing unwanted attention to the fact that people were soooooo desparate for the crime to stop that they would go to 'extremes'. Robin may be a martyr for medical cannabis, but isn't that what it takes? I would be upset if she left her body, but would Robin? The merging with spirit is the only thing comparable to birthing into this material world. What would Jesus do? Again, he'd probably go on a hemp seed fast as Buddha did for SIX years, one hemp seed a day! Fasting will not kill you if done correctly, and a hemp cookie, brownie, tea etc. will still be considered a fast, just not as deadly. Actually, I met a man from Nigeria, 65 years old, who is the picture of perfect health and agelessness who uses a fast of prickly pear cactus juice and does this once a year for 40 days, no problem! With shorter fasts' throughout the year. We should all be fasting anyway, and if we do it to bring attention to Cannabis prohibition, that's even better! Let's send our suggestions to Robins website and explain, she needs our support in this form, if I hear what others are saying correctly! War is over, war is over, war is over..........

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #7 posted by SoberStoner on May 24, 2002 at 23:58:49 PT:

Hemp foods would be perfect
Not only is cannabis prohibiton killing her, hemp foods can saver her life by eating those alone. What is the local Boss Hogg gonna say? "If she eats that bagel, we're gonna bust her"

dear god..we need publicity over this..has anyone forwarded this to any big media outlets yet? of course the government wont care about her, but the people will..she has a teenage daughter, is deathly ill, and wants to live in the land of the free except she cant move to Canada.

If nothing else, have her eat some hemp food so she can continue to shove her nose at DEAth saying hemp food is another form of the most dangerous thing on the plant..also i just really wanna hear someone say they'll arrest her for eating a bagel so my head can finally explode..government cannot change itself, the people must change it..we need all the fighters we can get..we already have tom and rollie, peter mcwilliams, and all the other nameless victims of this war on the american people..Robin stay strong, and please dont leave us yet, while your courage has been unbelievable, stay alive for the cause..we have already had too many die from it.

SS

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #6 posted by FoM on May 24, 2002 at 17:07:51 PT
I am speechless
I don't comment often on Robin's fast. I am torn between two different feelings. The one side of me says stop and eat and live! Don't get sick and die. I can't handle anymore martyrs. I really can't. The other side is saying in my mind. Go Robin follow your heart. We should be allowed to follow our heart so I can't tell her no.

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Comment #5 posted by freedom fighter on May 24, 2002 at 16:57:06 PT
Please eat!
I pray she will eat soon..

ff

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #4 posted by goneposthole on May 24, 2002 at 14:57:41 PT
She needs to re-evaluate her priorities
A deer will always forage.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #3 posted by paul peterson on May 24, 2002 at 12:13:46 PT:

KAPTINEMO & DR. ETHAN RUSSO
I very much appreciate both of your comments. Yes, I have asked (via e mails) for Robin to please stay alive, as we need her for a witness in Congress next year on the hearings bound to occur in the proposed leglislative efforts. Right now DC is fighting for a referendum, Oregon is considering extending their program to include at least some psychiatric uses for cannabis, California is languishing with the full brunt of DEA vengence, and there are groundfires burning all over America. The sheer volume of news coverage is expoding day by day. BUSH & COMPANY are finally seeing just how isolated their positions are on these issues, and at the very time BUSH seeks an international coalition for war, he is fully seen as "business as usual" in the war setup business.

But, be that as it may, and a major acceleration of these issues coming to a fore, I just don't see where progress can even begin in time to save our warrior from her own demise. Her focus and determination has helped to accelerate these very things. Her drive has yielded great impact already. We all respect her for these things, and I am sure that every person that she has touched so far will always appreciate her for her intended sacrifice, and will continue efforts in these regards. Right now, the time is to regroup. Tell Robin to compromise. I've got the plan. Get Robin to only eat hemp based foods. That will solidify the message that hemp foods have valid nutritional value, and here, hemp might just save a life.

Remember, that right now the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in SF is debating the merits of the DEA fight to chastise doctors for invoking their FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS (to talk with their patients). The second case is the DEA fight to ban the hemp food industry, in spite of some big NAFTA problems, etc. A trade war looms on the horizon to the north, for both of these issues. In other words, if we join these two issues together, this might just make Robin the big spokesman and standardbearer on both counts (and we all could use a strong woman's voice in these fights).

Good idea? Please respond then, to her or to me. Ethan: Would not this be a cogent plan to 1) keep her alive, 2) keep her credibility, 3) get more press, 4) extend the front line-wider & deeper & longer? KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. Paul Peterson ILLINOIS MEDICAL MARIJUANA INITIATIVE 312-558-9999

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #2 posted by kaptinemo on May 24, 2002 at 10:56:54 PT:

I fear for this woman's life
A fanatic is a man that does what he thinks the Lord would do if He knew the facts of the case. •Finley Peter Dunne

We are dealing with fanatics. What else type of person would drape Dame Liberty's bosoms in a rag when generations of Americans have had the mature sensibility to leave well enough alone?

Fanatics like that think like this:

If one permits an infidel to continue in his role as a corrupter of the earth, his moral suffering will be all the worse. If one kills the infidel, and this stops him from perpetrating his misdeeds, his death will be a blessing to him. For if he remains alive, he will become more and more corrupt. This is a surgical operation commanded by God the all powerful. - Ayatollah Khomeini

In Ashcroft and Walter's eyes, Prosser is such an 'infidel'...better off dead than 'corrupting' her children and everybody else's. Her death would mean absolutely NOTHING to these creeps. Somebody, PLEASE get this woman to take nourishment! We need live fighters, barricade bashers full of p*ss-and-vinegar, not (safely) dead saints!



[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo MD on May 24, 2002 at 10:52:57 PT:

Publicity
If any of you know people in the national media, it would be great if you would forward this story to them. Robin would like to feel that she is having more impact on the issue.

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