Mother Shares How Medical Marijuana Impacted Her Daughters Life

KEYC-TV

A key vote in Minnesota's Senate Finance Committee gets a Medical Marijuana Bill on the Senate floor.Today one woman tells the story of how it impacted her daughter's battle with terminal cancer. Some of the images in the story may be disturbing to some viewers...Fox Mankato's Carly Aplin reports. Joni Whiting doesn't see herself as an activist for the medical marijuana bill making its way to the Senate floor... she sees herself as a mother, simply telling her daughter's story. Joni Whiting says, "She had just had Jacob, her youngest son, she was diagnosed with the melanoma at his six week checkup." Joni says after months of experimental therapy she could start to see her 24 year old daughter Stephanie slip away... Joni Whiting says, "She stopped eating and she would go three four days without eating anything and I realized my daughter wasn't going to die from cancer, she was going to starve to death." Six months before Stephanie passed away, Joni says they made a difficult decision... Joni Whiting says, "We talked about it me and her and we didn't want that as an option, we didn't want to bring drugs into our lives..."But, after one of Stephanie's doctors suggested it would stop her nausea and allow her to eat again... they decided medical marijuana was their last resort. Joni Whiting says, "There was a light, she was talking, singing with the kids again as much as she could, but more importantly she was eating..." On January 14th, 2003, Stephanie lost her battle with cancer... but her mother will never forget what medical marijuana did for her while she was alive. Joni Whiting says, "I did what I had to do to ease my daughter's suffering and I would do it again, over and over again." Now, others may have the chance to do the same...If passed the bill would remove criminal penalties for patients using marijuana with their doctor's permission. But it still has a long way to go... Dr. Jeff Kotulski says, "I'm not sure legalizing it right away without exploring all the facets would be appropriate." Medical experts say there are over 250 types of illnesses that marijuana can treat...In Minnesota some of the legal uses would be for symptoms related to cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and other debilitating conditions. Dr. Jeffrey Kotulski says, "We think that it works on receptors in the brain and the marijuana binds to those receptors and provides an opiate like relief." Dr. Jeff Kotulski says he's not sold on the idea of legalizing medical marijuana in the state of Minnesota ... he says there is still a lot of research that needs to be done. Dr. Jeffrey Kotulski says, "I would not feel that comfortable prescribing that type of medication because we still don't know the ramifications of it." But Joni remembers the effects it had on Stephanie and will continue fighting for the bill... Joni Whiting says, "I'm grateful that she used it and that my mind was changed and I will forever speak for what I know to be true." Carly Aplin, the Fox Mankato News at Nine.

Date: 04/02/09