Ronda Rousey speaks out (actually shouts out, if you listen to the interview below) on medical marijuana after fellow fighter Nick Diaz tested positive for marijuana. Due to his attention deficit disorder, Diaz has a medical marijuana card in California, but unfortunately, it doesn’t supersede commission policy.

Rousey fights back by saying that Diaz’s privacy is being invaded and the repercussions are severe and unfair.

“They have just as much of right to say that ‘you know what? We don’t believe that athletes should be promiscuous so we’re going to start testing for genital herpes and genital warts,’” said Rousey. “‘We’re going to start testing women for birth control because we don’t think you be having premarital sex. They don’t have a right to do it. It has nothing to do with sports.”

Nevada State Athletic Commission chairman Keith Kizer disagrees.

“The drug is banned because of the damage it does to the person taking it. It could make you lethargic, slow your reflexes, and those are dangerous things in a combat sport,” Kizer told the L.A. Times in 2009.

Call me crazy but I get the distinct impression that this man’s reflexes are just fine:

Ronda Rousey’s Interview:

Source: Yahoo!Sports

 

Beth Mann is a popular blogger and writer for Open Salon and Salon. She is also an accomplished artist with over 15 years of experience, as well as the president of Hot Buttered Media. She currently resides at the Jersey shore where she can be found surfing or singing karaoke at a local dive bar.

Contact: maryjane {at } freedomisgreen.com

Okay, so like Miley had a birthday party last week and Kelly Osbourne (a BFF) gives her a cake with a picture of Bob Marley on it, whose like some dead Jamaican rapper or something. Which was really funny and sooo Kelly. So then like, Miley makes a joke to her friends:

“You know you’re a stoner when your friends make you a Bob Marley cake.”

And like now, everyone thinks she’s a stoner! What? Come on – that’s just SO silly.

Here’s why:

A. She worked for Disney. D-I-S-N-E-Y. They’re all about family values and friendly mouses and stuff. Next thing you’ll be telling me, Tinkerbell is a crackhead. (Which she can’t be, because they don’t make pipes that small…hello!)

B. She’s a tween role model. SO many young girls look up to her. (Not like Jamie Lynn Spears who is totally slutty with a capital S.) Do you really think Miley would ruin her image by being a stoner? Celebrities have to be smart and do the right thing or helllllooo, they’d be out of a job, people!

C. Miley smokes salvia, which is much classier than pot. It even sounds classier.

D. Miley is like an uber-brainiac and only dopes smoke weed.

Let Miley tell you in her own words:

“I almost feel like people think of me as dumb…I’m like, I’m smarter than you think. You know, I understand what you’re trying to do. It’s all a mind game and what not.”

See? What did I tell you? Right from the horse’s mouth! Hardly the words of a stoner.

Well, Kelly Osbourne (BFF) sure came to her defense on Twitter:

“U guys if @MileyCyrus is not recording/filming/touring she is works everyday how could she possible do all that if she was a stoner! #think.’ (sic).”

Hello, right? OMG, I couldn’t have said it better myself, typos and all.

So y’all, give Miley a break. Cuz like she’d SO give you a break if you said something stupid.

Beth Mann is a popular blogger and writer for Open Salon and Salon. She is also an accomplished actor and director with over 15 years of experience, as well as the president of Hot Buttered Media. She currently resides at the Jersey shore where she can often be seen surfing or singing karaoke at the local dive bar.

Contact: maryjane {at } freedomisgreen.com

Other blogs:

on Opensalon.com

Hot Buttered Media

Beth Mann is a popular blogger and writer for Open Salon and Salon. She is also an accomplished actor and director with over 15 years of experience, as well as the president of Hot Buttered Media. She currently resides at the Jersey shore where she can often be seen surfing or singing karaoke at the local dive bar.

Contact: maryjane {at } freedomisgreen.com

Other blogs:

on Opensalon.com

Hot Buttered Media

After making the final four in the Miss USA competition, Alyssa Campanella answered a question about legalizing marijuana by saying she didn’t think it should be fully legalized as a solution to help ailing economies. No, wait…that’s not exactly what she said.

Let’s look at her actual answer:

“Well, I understand why that question would be asked, especially with today’s economy, but I also understand that medical marijuana is very important to help those who need it medically,” she said. “I’m not sure if it should be legalized, if it would really affect, with the drug war. I mean, it’s abused today, unfortunately, so that’s the only reason why I would kind of be a little bit against it, but medically it’s OK.”

I knew this competition was about beauty and brains. I don’t care what those feminists say. That answer was the best mushy non-answer ever! I hope she runs for office soon. Maybe then she’ll find out that medical marijuana has actually been legal in California for quite some time. But I’m glad she’s okay with it.

Beth Mann is a popular blogger and writer for Open Salon and Salon. She is also an accomplished actor and director with over 15 years of experience, as well as the president of Hot Buttered Media. She currently resides at the Jersey shore where she can often be seen surfing or singing karaoke at the local dive bar. Contact: maryjane {at } freedomisgreen.com

As part of an ongoing series, we’ll explore the great big world of herbs in general.

As you know, marijuana has numerous medicinal properties. And many of you are probably already hip to the other herbs out there that possess their own special healing and protective properties.

What you may not know is that herbs possess a more concentrated amount of antioxidants than you’ll get from fruits and vegetables alone. Not only that, but herbs often possess a wider array of antioxidants. So by integrating herbs into your diet, you are protecting your body from free radical damage in a substantial way.

So if  marijuana is part of a holistic lifestyle choice, then that lifestyle should include any ways we can return to nature as a method to heal and protect ourselves.

Last month, we explored the myriad of benefits of thyme.

This week, the spotlight is on rosemary.

 

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves. It is native to the Mediterranean region and a member of the mint family Lamiaceae. The name is derived from the Latin name rosmarinus, meaning “dew of the sea,” based on the fact that in many locations it needs no other water than the humidity carried by the sea to live.

Health Properties:

• A study published in the August 23, 2010, issue of Phytotherapy Research confirmed that rosemary does increase circulation by dilating arteries and noted that rosemary has antioxidant properties that reduced atherosclerosis risk in young healthy adults by improving serum activity.

• According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, rosemary has been shown to have antioxidant properties that can prevent free radicals from damaging cell membranes and altering DNA, which can result in cell death.

• Rosemary has been shown to increase the blood flow to the head and brain, improving concentration.

• Rosemary contains anti-inflammatory compounds that may make it useful for reducing the severity of asthma attacks.

• This herb is exceptionally rich in many B-complex group of vitamin, such as folic acid, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, riboflavin.

• The herb extractions of rosemary when applied over scalp have stimulating function on the hair-bulbs and help preventing premature baldness. It forms an effectual remedy for the prevention of scurf and dandruff. [I have no clue what scurf is but the name conjures up enough.]

• Rosemary tea is a good remedy for removing nervous headache, colds and depression. [I’m drinking this stuff now and high as a kite. It’s potent.]

• Recent research is now revealing even more benefits attached to this rosemary, including its ability to help prevent cancer and age-related skin damage, boost the functioning of the liver and act as a mild diuretic to help reduce swelling.

• Many people gargle rosemary tea to help heal mouth ulcers, sores and as a mouth wash.

Cooking with Rosemary:

Whenever possible, choose fresh rosemary over the dried form of the herb since it is far superior in flavor.

Fresh rosemary herb should be stored in the refrigerator inside plastic bags. Dried rosemary should be kept in an air tight container and placed in a cool, dark and dry place where it will keep fresh for several months.

Finely chopped fresh rosemary is used in the preparation of delicious sauteed rosemary potatoes.

Rosemary complements fatty, strong-tasting meats such as lamb, pork, duck, and game. Add to casseroles, tomato sauces, baked fish, apples, summer wine cups, cordials, vinegars and oils.

Rosemary matches well with garlic and red wine. The spicy, pungent tough leaves of late season rosemary are strongly aromatic and peppery and will add to the roasting or grilling of meat. Use rosemary sprigs to flavor grilling charcoals or use sprigs to brush olive oil on meat and poultry before roasting.

Rosemary flowers are sweetly perfumed and delicious on salads, rice, pasta, or fruit salads.

Use the branch of rosemary to skewer meat and poultry before grilling. It infuses the food with the taste.

When burned, rosemary branches give off a distinct mustard smell, as well as a smell similar to that of burning wood, which can be used to flavor foods while barbecuing.

Random Facts and Tips about Rosemary:

• In ancient Greece, the smell of rosemary was thought to enhance one’s memory. Students used to wear a sprig of rosemary behind their ear when studying and then later when taking their exams.

• In Ancient Greece, people burned rosemary branches on the altars of the gods, considering it a sacred herb. The plant was also sacred for the Romans (who gave it its name) and Egyptians (the evidence to that was finding traces of rosemary in the pharaohs’ tombs.)

• The custom of burning rosemary branches has become a practice in hospitals in France – where it has been maintained until the 20th century – and used for cleaning the air.

• The goddess Aphrodite is associated with rosemary, as is the Virgin Mary, who was supposed to have spread her cloak over a white-blossomed rosemary bush when she was resting; according to legend, the flowers turned blue, the color most associated with Mary.

• It was said to be draped around Aphrodite when she rose from the sea, and was originally born of Ouranos’s semen. [Oh, mythology, you’re so weird.]

• Rosemary tea is a popular flavor drink in Mediterranean region.

• Rosemary can be used in place of rice at weddings. It’s the herb of remembrance (good for remembering vows) and smells lovely when people walk on it.

• Throw some rosemary in the fireplace on the outer edges of the burning wood and your space comes alive with a delightful, pine-scented aroma.

Recipes:

Tattooed Potatoes with Rosemary

1/3 to 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
6 small fresh rosemary sprigs
3 russet potatoes, unpeeled, cut in half lengthwise

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Pour the olive oil into a medium-sized glass baking dish and add the salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Press a rosemary sprig or parsley leaf on the cut side of each potato half and place cut side down in the oil.

Note: A glass dish works well in this case because you can check for doneness by carefully holding the dish overhead and looking to see if the potatoes are browned. When you do this, be careful not to spill the hot oil. A metal pan will do, too, but testing for doneness will not be as easy.

Bake until the potatoes are nicely browned, 40 to 45 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, using a spatula, gently move them every now and then to keep them from sticking. When they are ready, remove them from the pan, turning them flat side up and carefully leaving the pressed herb in place. Arrange on a platter and serve immediately.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Interactions:

If you have epilepsy, don’t take medicinal amounts of rosemary. The camphor in the herb could potentially aggravate seizures.

Pregnant women and those with high blood pressure should not take Rosemary extract. (However, the amounts that typically appear in food or cosmetics pose no risk.)

Antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs (blood-thinners) — Rosemary may affect the blood’s ability to clot. It could interfere with any blood-thinning drugs you are taking, including:

• Warfarin (Coumadin)
• Clopidogrel (Plavix)
• Aspirin

ACE inhibitors — Rosemary may interfere with the action of ACE inhibitors taken for high blood pressure.

• Captpril (Capoten)
• Elaropril (Vasotec)
• Lisinopril (Zestril)
• Fosinopril (Monopril)

Diuretics (water pills) — Because rosemary can act as a diuretic, it can increase the effects of these drugs. That can raise your risk of dehydration.

• Furosemide (Lasix)
• Hydrocholorothiazide

Lithium — Because of its diuretic effects, rosemary might cause the body to lose too much water and the amount of lithium in the body to build up to toxic levels.

Diabetes — Rosemary may alter blood sugar levels and could interfere with any drugs taken to control diabetes.

Sources:

LiveandFeel.com

WHFoods

The Healthier Life

Bright Hub

What’s Cooking America

Livestrong

Harvest to Table

Urban Times

Beth Mann is a popular blogger and writer for Open Salon and Salon. She is also an accomplished actor and director with over 15 years of experience, as well as the president of Hot Buttered Media. She currently resides at the Jersey shore where she can often be seen surfing or singing karaoke at a local dive bar.

Contact: maryjane {at } freedomisgreen.com

If that dull Hallmark card with the trite and dusty expressions of motherly love is just not cutting it this year (did it ever?), consider sending this e-card, created by The Women’s Marijuana Movement.

As part of an ongoing monthly series, we’ll explore the great big world of herbs in general.

As you know, marijuana has numerous medicinal properties. And many of you are probably already hip to the other herbs out there that possess their own special healing and protective properties.

What you may not know is that herbs possess a more concentrated amount of antioxidants than you’ll get from fruits and vegetables alone. Not only that, but herbs often possess a wider array of antioxidants. So by integrating herbs into your diet, you are protecting your body from free radical damage in a substantial way.

The way I see it: if marijuana is part of a holistic lifestyle choice, then that lifestyle should include any ways we can return to nature as a method to heal and protect ourselves.

 

This week, the spotlight is on thyme.

Thymus vulgaris grows as a small, woody shrub with petite and flavorful gray-green leaves. There are up to 400 subspecies of thyme; common thyme and Spanish thyme are often used interchangeably for medicinal purposes. Thymol is the primary volatile oil constituent of thyme. It’s powerful health-supporting effects continue to unfold, after centuries of use.

 

Health Properties:

• A study at the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Milan in Italy has concluded that thymol has the ability to interfere with the formation of candida, a yeast that lives in your gut. (Candida can result in a serious condition called candidiasis, which causes a range of symptoms including chronic fatigue, thrush, abdominal bloating, depression and irritable bowel syndrome. Candida has reached epidemic proportions because of the large amounts of sugar and refined carbohydrates we typically consume.)

• In studies on aging in rats, thymol has been found to protect and significantly increase the percentage of healthy fats found in cell structures. In particular, the amount of DHA (an omega-3 fatty acid) in brain, kidney, and heart cell membranes was increased after supplementation with thyme.

• Thyme contains a variety of flavonoids (antioxidants found naturally in plants), increasing thyme’s antioxidant capacity. Combined with its status as a substantial source of manganese, thyme places very high on the list of antioxidant foods.

• The volatile oil components of thyme have also been shown to have antimicrobial activity against a host of different bacteria and fungi. Staphalococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli and Shigella sonnei are a few of the species against which thyme has been shown to have antibacterial activity.

• Thyme possesses expectorant and bronchial antispasmodic properties, making it useful in the treatment of acute and chronic bronchitis, whooping cough, and inflammation of the upper respiratory tract.

• A preliminary in-vitro study has determined the effectiveness of thymol, and other oil extracts in treating onychomycosis, the fungal infection of toe and fingernails.

• The vapors of essential oil of thyme and thymol have exhibited suppressive activity on molds from damp buildings and can be used for disinfection of moldy walls.

• Carvacrol, p-cymene, linalool, alpha-terpinene, and thymol are all ingredients derived from the essential oil of thyme and have been studied for their mosquito repellent properties (equal to, or more so, than commercial repellents).

Cooking with Thyme:

Restaurant critic Jeff Cox, a gardening and cooking guru, says if you have only one pot to use for an herb planting, plant thyme. And it’s one of the easier herbs to grow. (Trust me, I just look at plants and they wilt and die.)

Thyme, either dried or fresh, should be added near the end of the cooking process since heat can easily cause a loss of its delicate flavor.

Thyme can enhance the taste of:

• Pasta sauce
• Egg dishes
• Bean dishes
• Poached fish (place sprigs of thyme in the liquid)
• Soups and stocks
• Butters and mayonnaise

Random Facts about Thyme:

The Ancient Egyptians used thymol and carvacrol because of their ability to preserve mummies. Thymol and carvacrol are now known to kill bacteria and fungi, making thyme well suited for such purposes. (So if mummification is in your future, don’t forget thymol. Your mummy will remain fresh and clean.)

Thymol and carvacrol are extensively used in book binding because of its ability to kill spores in the books which needed to be rebound after damage from mold.

The English word “thyme” comes from the Latin thymus, derived from the Greek thymon, “courage.” It also means “to fumigate or cleanse”, possibly because of its use as an incense throughout time.

A soup recipe of 1663 recorded the use of thyme and beer to overcome shyness.

Scottish highlanders drank tea made of wild thyme for strength and courage and also to prevent nightmares.

Thymol, one of the active ingredients in thyme leaves, is still used in cough preparations.

Thyme tea can be used as a digestive tonic, for hangovers, and as an acne wash. (Good for partying teens with sensitive stomachs.)

Thymol was used as a powerful antiseptic chemical in World War I to disinfect battlefield wounds.

Thymol is one of the ingredients in the antibacterial Listerine mouthwash.

Thyme may have the ability to attract fairies. (Now that’s a real added bonus, in my opinion.)

Just as sage is often used, thyme can been burned to cleanse the air and ward off evil spirits.

Interactions:

Do not use thyme essential oil internally. For instructions on how to use thyme for medical conditions, read here.

Theoretically, thyme may decrease levels of thyroid hormone. Patients taking thyroid replacement therapy or anti-thyroid agents should use cautiously. Monitoring may be necessary.

Although not well studied in humans, thyme may interact with agents with estrogen or progesterone receptor activity. Examples of agents that may be affected include hormone replacement therapies and birth control pills.

Topical (applied on the skin) thymol may increase the absorption of 5-fluorouracil. Caution is advised in chemotherapy patients, as 5-fluorouracil is often used in cancer chemotherapy. Consult with a qualified healthcare professional, including a pharmacist, to check for interactions.

Although not well studied in humans, thyme may interact with herbs with estrogen or progesterone receptor activity. Caution is advised when combining thyme with other herbs and supplements with proposed hormonal effects, such as black cohosh.

Sources:

Sunland Herbs

Antioxidants for Health and Longevity

Integrative Practitioner

Vegetarian Nutrition Info

Health-Herbal.com

Healthier-Life.com

Beth Mann is a popular blogger and writer for Open Salon and Salon. She is also an accomplished actor and director with over 15 years of experience, as well as the president of Hot Buttered Media. She currently resides at the Jersey shore where she can often be seen surfing or singing karaoke at a local dive bar.

Contact: maryjane {at } freedomisgreen.com

UPDATE from Americans for Safe Access:

“The Maryland State Senate voted 41-6 to pass a bill today that would give an affirmative defense to qualified patients who are arrested and prosecuted for possessing or growing medical marijuana. Senate Bill 308 amends the 2003 Darrel Putnam Compassionate Use Act, which already allows for a “medical necessity” defense but still results in a misdemeanor conviction and a $100 fine. The new Senate legislation would keep patients with “clear and convincing evidence” from being convicted and from sustaining a punitive fine.

SB 308 was amended earlier this month when its House companion bill stalled in committee due to opposition from the new administration’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH). Both houses of the state legislature were prepared to pass a comprehensive bill this year that would have protected patients from arrest and prosecution altogether, and would have established a state-run production and distribution system. However, the new DHMH Director estimated the cost of such a program at more than $7 million over a 5-year period, despite a fiscal impact assessment of less than 1/10th of that amount for an almost identical bill debated last year. Advocates called this year’s fiscal impact extremely inflated, based on an inaccurate needs assessment.

“Rather than endure another failed attempt to pass meaningful medical marijuana policy in Maryland, patients have instead decided to support this stopgap measure,” said Caren Woodson, Government Affairs Director with Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the country’s largest medical marijuana advocacy group. “It’s not ideal, but the bill will help patients avoid what is now a guaranteed conviction if arrested.” ASA worked with State Senator Jamie Raskin (D-Montgomery County) to craft the amended version of SB 308, which also includes language to study the elements of a comprehensive policy change with the aim of passing such legislation next year.

SB 308 will now proceed to the House of Delegates for a floor vote and, if passed, will then go to Governor O’Malley for signature. Patient advocates have vowed to pass more comprehensive legislation next year by working with DHMH and the legislature to design a policy that not only protects patients from arrest and prosecution, but also establishes a system of licensed cultivation and distribution.”

Further information:
Text of SB 308: http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org/downloads/Maryland_SB308_Amended.pdf

Maryland is moving on bills that would legalize medical marijuana for ill residents and decriminalize possession for all adults. Both had committee hearings scheduled on March 3.

HB 291/ SB 308, the medical cannabis legislation is sponsored by Dan Morhaim, the only licensed physician in the MD Assembly.

But in a battle of the doctors current Secretary of Maryland’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH), Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein,  voiced concerns over using cannabis as medicine.

“This is not just because marijuana is a controlled substance. It is also because marijuana, unlike approved pharmaceuticals, has not been characterized, studied, and determined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to be safe and effective.”

In late February, the Maryland General Assembly also held a hearing for a bill to decriminalize the personal possession of small amounts of cannabis by adults.

HB 606 would reduce punishment for  small amount of pot to a civil citation and a nominal fine. Currently Maryland prosecutes possession of any amount as a criminal misdemeanor.

Phillip Strause, a marijuana activist local to Maryland and Virginia had this to say about HB291,

“The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene requested to work with Delegate Morhaim to ‘craft a better bill.’ The bill is currently not scheduled to be voted on for this reason. I believe political fear drives the system in MD, as few are willing to condone such a shift in policy.”

He added, “HB 606 has been heard in committee but has yet to be voted upon. I feel this is an excellent step in the correct direction but insufficient in fixing the heart of the problem, the perception that cannabis is more dangerous than it actually is.”

Ken Wolski, the Executive Director of the Coalition for Medical Marijuana—New Jersey (CMMNJ) submitted supporting testimony for MD through Americans for Safe Access saying,

“The Maryland bill closely resembles the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act that passed into law in January 2010 in the Garden State. Over one year since the NJ law passed, not a single patient has yet received legal medical marijuana in  state; there is not a single dispensary even close to opening; and not a single, legal, marijuana plant is even growing in this state.

Maryland needs to propose a bill that has at least some chance of actually getting marijuana to qualified patients. A provision for home cultivation is really the only way to guarantee this, as New Jersey’s experience proves.”

Read – Health chiefs in NJ and MD fight marijuana as ‘medicine’

Find out more about the efforts in The Free State:  http://www.mpp.org/states/maryland/

Diane Fornbacher has been a cannabis law reform activist for 15 years. She has worked with some of the top reform organizations (NORML, Drug Policy Alliance, ASA, The November Coalition). Fornbacher is the current Vice Chair of the NORML Women’s Alliance and serves on the board of The Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey (CMMNJ). When she isn’t working to change the cannabis laws, she enjoys photography and writing/performing poetry.  Contact grassroots {at} freedomisgreen.com

5/11/2011 UPDATE 4:59PM ET – A landmark hearing yesterday in Maine before the Criminal Justice Committee on a bill to tax and regulate recreational marijuana had an interesting outcome: The issue could eventually be decided by Maine residents.  If LD 1453 does pass floor votes in the legislature the bill must also pass a voter referendum to become a  law.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Diane Russell of Portland, made the referendum motion and was pleased with the hearings. She has reported a massive surge of public support for Maine’s legalization effort. The media and bloggers have also been focused on the bill, bringing in attention from around the country. For example, the hearing on LD 1453 is the top story right now at Reddit.com.

Rep. Russell said in an email to Freedomisgreen.com today, “I had no idea this would make it to the front page of Reddit literally overnight. The response has been astounding and there have been a remarkable number of interesting and good questions. Not to mention, a ton of support!”

Maine could join California and Colorado as states that are looking to end marijuana prohibition by the end of 2012 with direct participation by voters. All three would create systems of regulated cultivation, sales to adults and taxation systems.

[Editor’s Note – Original post at 4:28PM ET mis-stated that LD 1453 would go  directly to the voter referendum process.]

Maine First Facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/LegalizeMaineFirst

Questions?  [email protected]

Chris Goldstein is a respected marijuana reform advocate. As a writer and radio broadcaster he has been covering cannabis news for over a decade. He volunteers with local groups to change prohibition laws including PhillyNORML and The Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey.

Margaret Trudeau, former wife of late Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau and author of the 2010 biography Changing My Mind, which chronicles her life dominated by bipolar disorder, has been making the lecture rounds recently, talking about a topic near and dear to her: mental health (or what she likes to refer to as “brain health).

Here is an excerpt of an interview with her, regarding her past use of marijuana:

MBF [Marian Botsford Fraser]: You talk about how marijuana started out as ballast, when you were traveling in Morocco, and later, you thought it was good for you, but it became something else.

MT: It gave me focus, brought me out of my depression [and] gave me energy to get through the day. When people try to self-heal, the first thing you want to do is escape – [use] alcohol, street drugs, gambling, anything to comfort yourself, [to] get away.

To tell you the truth I’d still choose being a pothead any day over being an alcoholic. It’s natural…it seemed to be the thing. I needed it and it was part of the culture. But the truth is studies have shown recently that the PHC in marijuana can trigger you into mania, or has a propensity to do so. The jury is still out on it, and of course bipolar condition is one of the conditions that medical marijuana is prescribed for. But the marijuana that’s being smoked today is not our father’s Oldsmobile!

It’s very, very different now, and it can greatly affect your health if abused. There were times when I abused marijuana and I regret it. But it also may have saved my life.

MBF: Do you still smoke marijuana?

MT: I don’t want to now. Don’t get me wrong, I love marijuana: I’d rather have a toke than a martini any day. But why do I have to have either? It’s not part of my day-to-day life, as it was before when I was really ill and trying to escape all my pain, especially the death of my son.

I finally realized that the amount of marijuana I started using after the death of Michel [in 1998], trying to get away from my grief, in fact delayed my mourning. It kept me from facing it, dealing with it, allowing myself to be a wholly grieving person instead of desperately sad, wallowing in self-pity, with no hope left, and feeling such disappointment that life could throw such a mean, cruel blow to our family. It just rocked me, losing my little Michel.

Read more.