Emma Chasen – Profile in Courage

Name: Emma Chasen

Age: 24

Condition or illness: Chronic lower back pain

When did you start using medical cannabis? Freshman year of college at 18 years old.

Did you try other methods or treatments before cannabis?

I did. My lower back pain becomes unbearable when I have my period. My gynecologist wrote me a prescription for high dose painkillers but they really didn’t help enough to justify taking them. They only slightly dulled the pain. I tried to go on birth control. Due to a gene mutation I was at risk for blood clotting and immediately had to get off the pill. It got to the point where for eight days out of every 20 days I would be in agonizing pain, unable to function. When I tried cannabis, it really revolutionized my life. Now, I blend cannabis with medicinal herb smoking blends from Prismatic Paradigm to maximize my pain relief and balance my hormones. It’s incredible how much my quality of life has improved.

What is the most important issue or problem facing medical cannabis patients?

Access. There are dying people in this country with serious disorders that could benefit from this plant. Many people are risking their freedom and their lives to buy pesticide-ridden cannabis on the black market. They are, then, extracting the plant material (a risky process) and concentrating the pesticides to dangerously high levels. Sick people and sick children are consuming this black market medicine because they have no choice! It is unacceptable. Legalization allows sick people to have access to clean, safe medicine. That is so important.

What do you say to folks who are skeptical about cannabis as medicine?

Go online and watch the videos of people with serious life threatening disorders use cannabis. Within minutes, you will see people with debilitating illnesses find relief for the first time in their lives. Their stories are powerful, and they are very real. When you are presented with clear evidence, it is hard to deny that this plant has powerful medicinal properties.