ALS AND CANNABIS

Dr. Allen Fink, Neurology Associates, Newark, Delaware,               (302) 731-3017       

Dr. Fink was my first neurologist and diagnosed my condition. He thought I had dementia when I first told him cannabis stopped my disease. After visiting him 20 years later, he was quite amazed no one has researched the use of cannabis and my disease. He was amazed at how well I was doing and agreed that if Walter Bradley thought I had ALS then it was so. But, he already knew that.

Dr. Fink recommended I go to the University of Penn for confirmation because I had already seen 9 neurologist and 21 students at the Christiana Teaching Hospital. He was quite abrupt and this upset my husband more that it upset me. I never believed ALS would affect me. Anyone with this disease knows that’s a joke.

After Dr. Fink thought I had dementia, I never told another doctor my disease stopped. In 1994 the doctor at the MDA Clinic was so shocked that I remained the same they asked me what I did different. I told him and he asked me to smoke when I went back for my six-month check up. I did so. He was so amazed, he told me to keep doing what I was doing and not to tell a single soul because no one would ever believe me. Little did I know he was telling the truth. This was the first doctor I smoked cannabis for.

Dr. Petrilla informed me that my use of illegal drugs would stop me from any cure from ALS if it was run by the federal government. The very next day I became an activist.

Dr. Mark Van Handle, Bradenton Neurology (Transferred to California)

This was the very first doctor who thought I may be on to something. He wrote a letter and in part it reads, "Certainly if cannibus is legalized as a prescription medication I would use it in selected cases such as Mr. Jordan’s especially in light of the incurable and devastating nature of the disease. I am hopeful that the legislature sees beyond the stigmata of this medication and approves it for medical use."

Dr. Khademi wanted me to go to Indianapolis to see a specialist he worked with. Sorry, it was too cold for me.

Monica Cox suggested I go to Naples and, once again, have my disease confirmed with a muscle biopsy. Since Naples was closer than Indianapolis, I agreed.

At first, Dr. Ertag laughed it off. Then after thinking about it he called me at home and asked me to come back and try my medicine. We were the last appointment of the day and he found it humorous that I would be back in five minutes and be doing much better. I went to the car and proceeded to smoke. I must admit I was a little nervous. There was a new show on TV called America’s Dumbest Criminals. There I was sitting in front of a building of black glass smoking a joint. My daughter-in-law said, "Don’t get paranoid now." So in we went. At this point, he was so shocked he admitted there was nothing he could give me in the way of pharmaceuticals that could do what the cannabis did. At that point, he gave me medical necessity and would go to Bradenton or Tampa but not to Tallahassee or Washington, DC. to testify on my behalf if I were ever arrested.

Dr. McElveen, Bradenton Neurology

All he said was I was wasting my time with the government. Whenever I see him he asks what I’ve been in to this time.

This was the third doctor I smoked cannabis for. At this time my husband was given a vacation from the drug war so my son, John, his wife, Karen, and Jodi James from Florida Can went to Miami. He was so reserved because he thought I was there to speak of my final days. I told him no, I was there to talk about living with ALS. I was quite adamant I was not going home and coming back to smoke. If he wanted me to, I would do it right then and there because I had not smoked yet. Jodi education him while John and I left to smoke a joint with the prescription for clinical trial on ALS. The only time I ever smoked with a document to back me. It really felt good and safe. We went back to the doctor’s office and, once again, another amazed doctor. I had to convince him to ask his nurse to come in because he did not believe any of his patients used cannabis. She came in, and as usual, she informed him we had two. I always find the head nurse knows more than the doctor. I returned one year later with my husband, went through a series of tests and evaluations, and was told I had to change the political mind set of the government.

In 2004, I attended a therapeutic cannabis conference at the University of Virginia. I had the privilege of meeting all these doctors. And actually, having a conversation they understood and I understood about cannabis. I went to meet Dr. Mushulan and asked him to study ALS. He informed me his next study with cannabis would be for alzheimer. I really tried to change his mind. He chuckled at my boldness. He said if someone was going to ask for something, they should ask for it all. He wished me good health and we parted. Dr. Sanchez-Ramos is at USF in Tampa, only 45 minutes away from where I live. Not too many people are aware of how knowledgeable he really is Dr. Bradley contacted him about ALS and wanted to do a study. The biggest fear was that we could not get 20 patients. I did that in one afternoon at my support group. Everyone raised their hands. The reality set in that it was quite impossible to get cannabis for a study. All bets were off! To this day, I regret not being arrested on January 1, 2000 because after "911" all the president had to say was anyone doing illegal drugs was supporting terrorism. I guess he doesn’t know about all the home-grown cannabis that is grown in Tampa and Miami.

To my amazement I received an MDA Newsletter saying that Dr. Carter was doing a study with Marinol. I got on the phone right away and informed him he had to be using cannabis. He kept saying, "You mean marijuana?" And I kept correcting him and saying no, I mean cannabis. At the end of the conversation he could not understand why Dr. Bradley was not doing the study. I told him I believed that in Washington state cannabis is more easily available. We had many discussions about appetite, depression, controlling saliva and just making life easier. I had him until I told him how long I had lived with my disease. And he thought I was a plant. We have not talked to each other in quite a while. But now he works with NORML.