Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
With their combined 50 years experience in the traditional medical field, it might be a bit unexpected that nurses Beverly Alward and Theresa Howles are known as the "cannabis ladies."
For a time they worked together and would toss around the idea of someday starting a business. Over the years they remained friends, and when Alward approached Howles with a unique idea of turning Pennsylvania's foray into the world of legalized medical marijuana into their long-dreamed-of business, Alward wasn't just trying to capitalize on a new potential industry. Rather, she wanted to combine their individual stories of struggling with medical issues in their families, their traditional medical background and their interest in the potential for medical marijuana to help people in pain.
The result is the nonprofit organization CannaMed Education Association, run out of Alward's home in Cambridge Springs.
"Our goal is to educate patients and educate on the patient level on their terms to show them there are alternatives out there," Alward says.
The concept was born when the two realized that many people were not even aware that the law legalizing medical marijuana had been passed in Pennsylvania in April 2016. C.M.E.A.'s purpose is educating the patient first as well as caregivers, law enforcement, employers and medical professionals on the possibilities and the ramifications the law creates.
"There's no bridge between the two groups," Alward says of the state and the people.
Their own eyes were opened to the possibilities of medical marijuana when they each faced medical struggles. Alward says her son's sensory processing disorder compelled her to look into the issue.
"Medical marijuana kept popping up everywhere," she says of her search for anything that might help her son with his symptoms.
Ironically, even if it was determined medical marijuana could help him – and she stresses that medical marijuana has strict rules – he could not qualify because his original doctor never officially diagnosed him in his records. Still, Alward wants to educate others on the topic.
As for Howles, her daily struggles with multiple sclerosis and the laundry list of medications she has tried leaves her hoping that one day there might be something else that can help her, maybe even cannabis. When her friend called she thought the idea was fantastic and didn't even give it a second thought.
"I want to do this. I want to help people. I want to help myself," Howles says.
Begun in January, thus far the women have conducted several seminars geared toward educating the public and law enforcement. They also have planned to work with companies to consult on how to adapt their company policy on drug use to comply with the new law, though companies will still have to obtain legal counsel. They see education as a natural extension of the teaching they already do for patients as nurses.
One of their main goals is educating and empowering people to begin conversations with their doctors.
"What we're giving them is patient advocacy," Alward says.
They do not recommend medical marijuana nor provide it. At the time of publication, Pennsylvania was just beginning the process of issuing licenses to grow and dispense the drug. It is noted, also, that Pennsylvania did not legalize plants, edibles or smokable forms, only other forms of cannabis such as pills or oils. There are many rules and regulations that must be followed.
Updated laws
On June 20, the Pennsylvania Department of Health website announced that it had given 12 companies permits to grow and process medical marijuana, which is defined as a pill, oil, gel, cream or ointment, tincture, liquid and a from that can be used in vaporization or nebulization.
Patients can apply for a state-issued medical marijuana card if a doctor certifies they have one of 17 qualified "serious medical conditions." The health department is regulating the program, which forbids smoking marijuana in dry leaf form. The website at Pennsylvania Department of Health lists the following as serious medical conditions:
-Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
-Autism
-Cancer
-Crohn's disease
-Damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity
-Epilepsy
-Glaucoma
-HIV/AIDS
-Huntington's disease
-Inflammatory bowel disease
-Intractable seizures
-Multiple sclerosis
-Neuropathies
-Parkinson's disease
-Post-traumatic stress disorder
-Severe chronic or intractable pain of neuropathic origin or severe chronic or intractable pain in which
conventional therapeutic intervention and opiate therapy is contraindicated or ineffective
-Sickle cell anemia
Alward and Howles agreed there is a lot to learn, and people don't always ask the right questions.
"We found out people had no idea, no clue, so that's how CannaMed was born," Alward says.
In their everyday lives, the women have run into skeptics, including people who say, "you are going to turn your son into a pothead." They also meet people who have suffered from chronic pain from accidents who "can't wait for it to come out."
They hope they can be a resource for people to learn more and get accurate information on the potential of medical marijuana as a "tool in the arsenal of health knowledge and treatment."
"It's coming around. I'm personally seeing more people asking questions," Howles says.
They both have received a master certification in Cannabis from the Canna Training University based in Colorado, although there are no accredited programs as of yet.
"We're filling a huge void. We just have to get people's attention," Alward says.
In their nursing careers they are used to seeing people suffer, but they never get used to it completely. Alward becomes emotional when she recounts a patient with Alzheimer's who ran up and down the hallway everyday reliving Pearl Harbor. She wonders aloud whether something like legal cannabis could have helped calm him down.
For Howles, her goal, in addition to helping others, is also personal.
"Me personally, to not have any pain for one day," she says when asked what her hopes for the endeavor are.
The two want people to know they can take a step to have a conversation with their doctor and to start taking some of their health care decisions into their own hands when needed. The two are ready to lend a helping hand to do so.
"They need to start being their own voice and be heard," Alward says.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Cambridge Springs nurses educate on medical marijuana - Entertainment & Life - GoErie.com - Erie, PA
Author: JoLayne Green
Contact: Contact - Erie, PA - GoErie.com
Photo Credit: MediReview
Website: GoErie.com: Local & World News, Sports & Entertainment in Erie, PA
For a time they worked together and would toss around the idea of someday starting a business. Over the years they remained friends, and when Alward approached Howles with a unique idea of turning Pennsylvania's foray into the world of legalized medical marijuana into their long-dreamed-of business, Alward wasn't just trying to capitalize on a new potential industry. Rather, she wanted to combine their individual stories of struggling with medical issues in their families, their traditional medical background and their interest in the potential for medical marijuana to help people in pain.
The result is the nonprofit organization CannaMed Education Association, run out of Alward's home in Cambridge Springs.
"Our goal is to educate patients and educate on the patient level on their terms to show them there are alternatives out there," Alward says.
The concept was born when the two realized that many people were not even aware that the law legalizing medical marijuana had been passed in Pennsylvania in April 2016. C.M.E.A.'s purpose is educating the patient first as well as caregivers, law enforcement, employers and medical professionals on the possibilities and the ramifications the law creates.
"There's no bridge between the two groups," Alward says of the state and the people.
Their own eyes were opened to the possibilities of medical marijuana when they each faced medical struggles. Alward says her son's sensory processing disorder compelled her to look into the issue.
"Medical marijuana kept popping up everywhere," she says of her search for anything that might help her son with his symptoms.
Ironically, even if it was determined medical marijuana could help him – and she stresses that medical marijuana has strict rules – he could not qualify because his original doctor never officially diagnosed him in his records. Still, Alward wants to educate others on the topic.
As for Howles, her daily struggles with multiple sclerosis and the laundry list of medications she has tried leaves her hoping that one day there might be something else that can help her, maybe even cannabis. When her friend called she thought the idea was fantastic and didn't even give it a second thought.
"I want to do this. I want to help people. I want to help myself," Howles says.
Begun in January, thus far the women have conducted several seminars geared toward educating the public and law enforcement. They also have planned to work with companies to consult on how to adapt their company policy on drug use to comply with the new law, though companies will still have to obtain legal counsel. They see education as a natural extension of the teaching they already do for patients as nurses.
One of their main goals is educating and empowering people to begin conversations with their doctors.
"What we're giving them is patient advocacy," Alward says.
They do not recommend medical marijuana nor provide it. At the time of publication, Pennsylvania was just beginning the process of issuing licenses to grow and dispense the drug. It is noted, also, that Pennsylvania did not legalize plants, edibles or smokable forms, only other forms of cannabis such as pills or oils. There are many rules and regulations that must be followed.
Updated laws
On June 20, the Pennsylvania Department of Health website announced that it had given 12 companies permits to grow and process medical marijuana, which is defined as a pill, oil, gel, cream or ointment, tincture, liquid and a from that can be used in vaporization or nebulization.
Patients can apply for a state-issued medical marijuana card if a doctor certifies they have one of 17 qualified "serious medical conditions." The health department is regulating the program, which forbids smoking marijuana in dry leaf form. The website at Pennsylvania Department of Health lists the following as serious medical conditions:
-Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
-Autism
-Cancer
-Crohn's disease
-Damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity
-Epilepsy
-Glaucoma
-HIV/AIDS
-Huntington's disease
-Inflammatory bowel disease
-Intractable seizures
-Multiple sclerosis
-Neuropathies
-Parkinson's disease
-Post-traumatic stress disorder
-Severe chronic or intractable pain of neuropathic origin or severe chronic or intractable pain in which
conventional therapeutic intervention and opiate therapy is contraindicated or ineffective
-Sickle cell anemia
Alward and Howles agreed there is a lot to learn, and people don't always ask the right questions.
"We found out people had no idea, no clue, so that's how CannaMed was born," Alward says.
In their everyday lives, the women have run into skeptics, including people who say, "you are going to turn your son into a pothead." They also meet people who have suffered from chronic pain from accidents who "can't wait for it to come out."
They hope they can be a resource for people to learn more and get accurate information on the potential of medical marijuana as a "tool in the arsenal of health knowledge and treatment."
"It's coming around. I'm personally seeing more people asking questions," Howles says.
They both have received a master certification in Cannabis from the Canna Training University based in Colorado, although there are no accredited programs as of yet.
"We're filling a huge void. We just have to get people's attention," Alward says.
In their nursing careers they are used to seeing people suffer, but they never get used to it completely. Alward becomes emotional when she recounts a patient with Alzheimer's who ran up and down the hallway everyday reliving Pearl Harbor. She wonders aloud whether something like legal cannabis could have helped calm him down.
For Howles, her goal, in addition to helping others, is also personal.
"Me personally, to not have any pain for one day," she says when asked what her hopes for the endeavor are.
The two want people to know they can take a step to have a conversation with their doctor and to start taking some of their health care decisions into their own hands when needed. The two are ready to lend a helping hand to do so.
"They need to start being their own voice and be heard," Alward says.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Cambridge Springs nurses educate on medical marijuana - Entertainment & Life - GoErie.com - Erie, PA
Author: JoLayne Green
Contact: Contact - Erie, PA - GoErie.com
Photo Credit: MediReview
Website: GoErie.com: Local & World News, Sports & Entertainment in Erie, PA