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Long time cannabis rights activist and CFMM Exemptee & owner of - www.themarijuanamission.com
By: Tim Meehan, Cannabis Health (Canada), March/April 2004

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."