NDP Candidates: Alison Myrden

Long Time Cannabis Rights Activist And Cfmm Exemptee & Owner Of
www.themarijuanamission.com

At first glance, you wouldn't know that Alison Myrden has multiple
sclerosis. Her sunny disposition hides the severe nerve pain that ravages
her face. When she 's up and about, bounding around at events, court dates,
or even at the local Tim Horton's, you wouldn't know that her wheelchair
isn't a prop. "I have to ration my energy very carefully. One of the most
common misconceptions about chronic progressive multiple sclerosis is that
patients always look well to the uninformed," Alison told me over coffee at
her south Burlington maisonette. "Look at Montel Williams. No one knew he
had MS until the National Enquirer threatened to 'expose' him, and he beat
them to it."

While Montel only came out as a medical marijuana patient in January,
Alison has been battling this issue for almost 10 years, when she was first
diagnosed as an MS patient. "I was moonlighting as a medical secretary, and
so when I first found out that I had been ill from MS since the age of 13,
I began to use the resources around me to learn as much as I could about my
condition."

By day, Alison was a youth correctional officer and as part of her job
spent a lot of time in court. It was here where she first noticed law
professor Alan Young of York University's Osgoode Hall Law School. "I had
to sit through a lot of cases and wade through tons of paperwork. I noticed
one name coming up over and over again. I also noticed that a lot of kids
were in trouble simply because of marijuana possession."

By this time Alison had been introduced by a friend to cannabis as
medicine. "I felt strange witnessing all this commotion and court time
being used to prosecute young offenders for simply smoking a joint, while
at the same time I was doing the same thing away from work for health
reasons." However, even with cannabis, MS began to eat away Alison's
health. "I hated to leave my job, but with my energy levels getting lower,
I felt it was time."

After her retirement, Alison dedicated herself to researching the best ways
to promote health. One of the things she discovered was Omega 3 and 6
essential fatty acids. "Efamol evening primrose oil and salmon oil, taken
together in a 3:1 ratio, does wonders for me. It works to help rebuild
myelin in my nervous system. Along with certain strains of cannabis used to
control my nerve pain (William's Wonder helps her tic douloureux
tremendously) and good nutrition, I have been able to get out of my
wheelchair and have improved the quality of my life."

It's even given her political aspirations. Alison is currently seeking the
NDP nomination in Burlington, Ontario for the next federal election,
expected in May. "When I saw Jack Layton on Pot-TV, talking to Marc Emery
about legalization, cafes, and the fact that he is a social user of
cannabis himself, I began to think about other needs that people in my
position have. Affordable housing. A disability pension geared to the cost
of living. Wheelchair access. Health care waiting times. The list goes on
and on.

Alison explains that not everyone pays attention to these issues in society
until it's too late. "When you're ill, most of your energy is devoted to
making yourself well again. It shouldn't have to be used to worry about
what you're going to eat, if you 're going to be able to see a doctor, or
if you're going to have a roof over your head next month. Stress is the
number one factor in the deterioration of health in chronically ill people.
This makes me even more upset at Health Canada and their treatment of the
sick and dying as a political football."

As one of a group of people who sued the federal governmet for not
implementing a workable medicinal cannabis program, Alison is also not
taking the fight for patient's rights lying down. "Alan Rock, once he saw
the enormous benefits of medical marijuana, bent over backwards to help
people like me. However, once Anne McLellan took over, she did everything
she could to stammer and stall the program, forcing us to sue. I suppose we
shall see how Pierre Pettigrew measures up. Of course, if every Canadian
who is angry at the treatment of people like us support Jack Layton and
Canada's NDP at the polls, this would be a moot issue."

"Cannabis should be legalized across the board for medical and social
purposes, and remember, this is a former corrections officer saying this.
It's the only way to get rid of the criminal element. And it's the only way
I can make sure that I have a consistent supply of the medicine I need."