Green Cross Society of B.C.

GCS Testimonials

The Green Cross Society is now in the process of collecting testimonials from its members. We want to hear about how you have been helped by medicinal marijuana and the Green Cross.

Email us your testimonial.

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To Whom It May Concern,

The purpose of this letter is to inform you of a collaborative ongoing project between the Green Cross Society and my psychiatric practice at the BC Cancer Agency begun this past year.

As a psychiatrist consulting in the Vancouver and Fraser Valley Cancer Centres, I have found there to be a great need among some of my patients for a better solution to their pain control than can be expected from the use of current opioid medication regimens. When I found Dr. Paul Hornby of the Green Cross Society was able to help people coming to his dispensary to decrease or discontinue their use of methadone by giving them certain strains of medical marijuana in an oral gelcapsule form, we thought it might also work for the cancer patients who did not like their dependence on opioid pain medication.

Since September, 2009,1 have recommended at least two dozen patients from both cancer centres to the Green Cross Society. Most of these patients have been able to reduce their opioid pain medication with a concomitant decrease in extremely undesirable side effects (increased sensitization to pain, constipation, problems with thinking clearly, sleepiness). Many of these patients are sleeping through the night for the first time since their cancer diagnosis.

Medical marijuana, when used wisely, judiciously, and thoughtfully, like other medicines, can help to decrease great suffering. If more physicians became educated in the psychopharmacology of cannabinoid therapeutics they would feel more able to compare and contrast the risks and benefits of this ancient medicine.

I appreciate any support that you can give to the Green Cross Society in, their courageous effort to help so many people who often have no where else to turn.

Respectfully,

Donna A. Dryer, MD, FRCPC

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Dear Green Cross.

My wife, Cheryl has lived with Multiple Sclerosis for well over twenty five years. During the past 22 of those years, she has suffered excruciating and debilitating nerve pain. She was often wheelchair-bound as a result of that pain.

Pain has affected her whole person: body, mind and spirit. She has tried everything the B.C medical machine offers, and found no relief. She even spent a week or more in the pain clinic at B.C Health Sciences as a patient/guinea pig, where they pumped her system full of benzodiazepines,
antispasmodics, antidepressants, and opiates galore. They even tried a temporary local nerve block! She cane home from the pain clinic in pain, and stopped all medication on her own; she was sick of being ‘out of it’ all the time. The pain was still there, so she was ‘out of it’ all the time for nothing.

Then one day about a year ago, she met another person who suffered similarly with MS. As he lit a joint up, he pointed to it and said to my wife, “You should really try this; it’s the only thing I’ve found that relieves the pain”. She tried it, it worked, and it still does and as a result for the first time in 22 years, she can actually stand, pain free, and walk.

We are tired of the social stigma that has so stupidly and so blindly been attached to Cannabis use. “It is illegal, after all”. We would like to help your organization, and other people to have access to the possibility of pain relief through Cannabis use.

Mr. & Mrs.Leeson,
Quesnel

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Dear Green Cross,

Some people stare at me when I go by. Some people turn their back when I go by. For it’s just another day in the park for you. For me I’m in too much pain to move. Severe pain that rips through my body. Every second, Of every minute, Of every day. The pain is something you could never imagine.

Until this day, pain is all I felt. I took this CannaCap™ wondering if it would work. The storm began to fade. The sun began to shine. It’s only been a few days since I took that first CannaCap™. I don’t remember a moment without that severe pain until last night. I looked at the clock it was 10 pm, I looked again it was 7 am. A full 9 hours of quality sleep that wasn’t interrupted with that stabbing, thumping, electrical piercing pain. I’ve had this terrible pain for almost 23 years now.

Thanks to the CannaCaps™ I have a new lease on life. A life I can begin to live without that severe pain. I’m on a new journey to live a life being pain free. A medicine that works for me without that negativity. If it weren’t for CannaCaps™ I wouldn’t be looking forward to living a life totally pain free.

Thank you Green Cross Society.

I’m now living life the way it was meant to be.

April 10,2009
Douglas Messmer

			Case Studies We are conducting a number of case studies plus compiling data on what herbal medicines, supplements or vitamins improves specific conditions. The data is being written-up and submitted for peer reviewed publication. If you are a member of the GCS you may be able to take part in any of the number of studies being conducted in the realm of improving our global knowledge for the efficacy of alternative cannabis medicines.

			Message from Paul Hunt, Executive Director What we are seeing, over and over, is people using cannabis as an alternative to many prescription opiates, sedatives and anti-depressants. In addition, amongst our membership we have a number of people whom have used medicinal marijuana to come off harmful street drugs such as heroin, crack cocaine and alcohol. And, they are staying off! We are not the only ones observing this. A group of doctors in California in a recent web posting have also noted the same thing occurring among medical marijuana users that they are treating. As a result of these findings we are compiling all of this data into a study that will prove statistically that indeed this phenomenon is real. We are documenting our current member's data, both retroactive and current. We have also conducted clinical-type studies to prove that medicinal marijuana can be used as a safe alternative too many prescription and street drugs. This is harm reduction at its finest! Another observation we have made is that many of our members are outcasts of the B.C. Medical system. These are people who were treated for their severe trauma or illness, but they only got sicker. Next the system brushes them off to specialists and more prescription drugs. Through this we have come to see the true benefit of institutions like the Green Cross Society. We are dealing primarily with people on disability or with marginal income. These are people who have been involved in automobile or accidents on the job, people with MS, Epilepsy, HIV/AIDS as well as people with anxiety and depression. These are the people we deal with on a day-to-day basis. For them we provide a safe, clean, haven where they can socialize, be “part of”, and even contribute to the Society by using their individual skills. Personally, I believe that there are a few members that we are keeping alive, from suicidal depression, a day at a time. And we are doing this only by being there and providing the needed sense of community, caring and belonging. Paul Hunt