A MISSOULA WOMAN LAUNCHES A HUNGER STRIKE FOR MEDICINAL CANNABIS

Yes I cannabis! How tragic that as the 21st century's war against
prohibition rages on, the foot soldiers on the front lines are among
society's most debilitated souls. We are, of course, talking about the
battle to allow doctors to legally prescribe cannabis to their patients as
a legitimate treatment option, especially when all other avenues for relief
have failed.

Now, before you get yourself all knotted up in a self-righteous huff and
pound out irate letters about how legalizing medical cannabis is the
foot-in-the-door for full-scale marijuana legalization, ask yourself how
many TV commercials you've seen lately for prescription pharmaceuticals
that tell you to "ask your doctor if [insert drug here] is right for you"
So we're not talking about your average Missoulian who wants to pull a few
bong hits before giggling his way through the latest episode of "The
Simpsons." We're talking about real patients with serious symptoms, for
many of whom there literally are no other treatment options.

Such is the case here in Missoula, where one woman has decided to literally
put her life on the line to demonstrate how crucial medical marijuana is
for her health and well-being -- and she's willing to starve herself to
prove it.

Robin Prosser is a 45-year-old mother in Missoula who has suffered for
years from a condition that doesn't even have a name. In Chicago, a team of
doctors told her that her illness is probably one of 150 different
immunosuppressive illnesses, similar to Lupus. Prosser can't go out in the
sun anymore and suffers from other symptoms similar to multiple sclerosis
with progressive neurological deterioration. "We just treat the symptoms as
we can, but most of the time I know now that there's nothing they can do,"
she says. Her doctors have tried dozens of medications, therapies and
treatments, but as Prosser's body grows increasingly sensitive to chemical
interference, they have found no medication that alleviates her symptoms.

None, that is, except cannabis. Prosser, like tens of thousands of other
patients across the country, has discovered that smoking cannabis relieves
her pain, nausea, stops the spasms in her muscles, her bronchi, her heart
and intestines, and gives her an appetite.

But as of April 20, Prosser has given up all food and will continue her
hunger strike until the government recognizes her need to grow her own
cannabis. She says she's never had a run-in with the law and doesn't want
to buy or grow marijuana illegally for fear of going to jail and losing her
daughter. For a time, she considered moving to another country that has
more progressive cannabis laws, but decided against it. (Last year Canada
legalized the use of cannabis as medicine and is now funding research on
its healthful effects. Likewise, Great Britain is also considering
legalizing medical marijuana use.

"This is 2002. I am not a criminal," she says. "I won't be forced to leave
my homeland to find more hospitable countries where I would be allowed to
have what I need."

Prosser's progress is being monitored by several physicians, including Dr.
Ethan Russo, one of the nation's foremost experts on the therapeutic uses
of cannabis. Prosser says she's feeling pretty energized and hasn't felt
lightheaded or dizzy since starting her hunger strike. As of press time,
she had lost 11 lbs. How long will her hunger strike last? "For as long as
it takes," she says.