Letter to the editor re: Garyn, Joey and Little Vivian, NJ Governor Chris Christie's "Access to nothing"

Today I read an article of another family struggling with fair access to medication.  Garyn and Joey's ittle girl Vivian, and her inability to obtain medicine, even though she is a registered patient for use of medicinal cannabis.  

I am a New England native, who relocated to California in 1976, and have been involved in the cannabis awareness movement prior to medicinal legalization passing in 1996 in California.  I'm no different than you, father of 5, own my own home, and get up and go to work everyday.  I pay my taxes, and contribute to my local community.  

As a member of a local cannabis collective in Silicon Valley, CA, I find it unacceptable that New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie is not prioritizing access to medicine for this child.  It's just another typical case of government focusing on regulation first, care second.  They just don't realize there are solutions, they just need to ask for them.

As a member of a Silicon Valley Collective I have witnessed the remarkable results of cannabis as a regiment for those who suffer from some of the most debilitating diseases.

In California, we've been involved in helping patients far longer than New Jersey.  California, Washington, Colorado, and other states have a better understanding of the real benefits of this medicine.  States which are in the beginnings of medicinal legalization should reach out to states that are deeply involved in research studies, and further methods to increase the positive results of patients who were written off and terminal, and recovered or vastly improved their remaining time alive.  World studies in Israel, Spain, and other countries show positive proof the benefits of proper application of medicinal cannabis for specific diseases and/or ailments in a wide spectrum.

Our states have finally recognized the overall benefits through increased tax revenues, better patient care results, and a drop in street crime due to decriminalization.

The Governor of New Jersey, who I've been impressed with as a moderate, (remember, I live in California) I believe cares for the citizens, which he displayed during the hurricane, and his willingness to put politics aside and meet with the President for the good of the people.  This is the perfect case of the same situation, where political pressures cannot stand in the way of not only one, but any other child that suffers from disease, who may benefit from treatment.

Two recent success stories in California and Colorado, (reported by CNN), Sanjay Gupta, showed the benefits for these children who suffer, and have no alternatives left for treatment.

These 2 children were clinically hopeless, and had suffered the after-effects of being treated with hard narcotics, and other drugs, and their side effects  Let's not even start with what they were, I don't have tissue near me to wipe up the tears.  

After these 2 families finally gained access to medicine for their child within a week, these 2 young children had a new lease on life.  

As an advocate who visits with patients daily, the 2 examples above are just a fragment of real results in all sorts of cases.

I hope and pray as a fellow parent of 5 children, that the political powers in your state will put aside mid-term election worries, and pressure from the drug companies and others to allow this child access to medication.

As parents, and responsible citizens, it is our duty to look at real information and results before casting judgement on something that has changed people's lives all over the world for over 3000 years.

It's time to educate, and move forward.

Thank goodness there is someone working on the local level in government from a blurb I read here on the west coast:

Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D., Union), the prime sponsor of the reciprocity bill, said the bill did not call for legalization of the drug for recreational use, but enabled sick children to get the medicine they needed. She said Christie’s remarks showed he was “turning his back on these sick children,” whose conditions did not improve with traditional drugs.

Bless you Linda Stender, I applaud you for fighting for this child.

Governor Christie, don't turn your back on this child.  Forget the politics, and remember the humanity.  It's great that you've approved the right to a child to receive medication, so you need to put some PRIORITY on making it available to the child.  

Many not for profit organizations in California would be more than happy to assist this child, and probably at ZERO COST to the family.

This is a child's life we're talking about.

Let's get with the times, these are our children.