At the beginning of May, the Finnish Parliament rejected a citizens’ initiative to legalize euthanasia. It was as if the decision makers wanted to apologize for the negative decision when they explained that the purpose is to focus on developing better ways for palliative care. It is strange that we consider palliative care – that is, termination of treatment at a certain stage of disease – as normal. In some countries, where human rights are less emphasised, like in China, termination of treatment is prohibited by law.
I have not delved deeper into Chinese law, and I do not know what is behind the prohibition. However, using common sense my logic says that in China, where the interests of society are above interests of an individual, diseases and patients have an important role to play in the society. Medicine can evolve and develop better treatments only by treating diseases. If every seriously ill person would like to terminate own treatment or to have mercy killing, the development of medicine would stop altogether.
People can argue, whether the interests of society should be above those of individual’s. The fact is, however, that an individual has value only in relation to the society and to the community where he/she lives. I personally had to deal with this issue 40 years ago when I had a stroke, which left behind a serious communication and physical disability. Thinking of myself as an individual it did not matter, if I continued my life, or if I committed suicide when my life seemed to have no foundation any more.
When I was thinking of myself as a member of the community, everything seemed quite different: I was unique, because no one had exactly the same experiences that I had and not exactly the same associations and connotations for things. My thinking patterns were different. This idea made me appreciate myself as an individual. I thought that no matter how negative my experience was, I wanted it to serve me as constructive building material.
In my opinion, there is not so much need to develop palliative care in our country. It would be wonderful, if policy makers get even basic and special health care up to date. They should focus on that, because there is still very much to do to ensure effective health care. The best palliative treatment would be that it would be unnecessary when people would be healthy and able to live despite of their diseases and limitations.
Wonderful Cannabis
Over 10 years ago I saw in Youtube some videos about people using cannabis to treat cancer. I even watched a tutorial, how to make cannabis oil (THC). Some people had been given permission to use cannabis as medicine and they smoked it as pain reliever.
Josh Stanley, who in 2010 was involved in drafting rules and regulations for legalizing medicinal cannabis use in Colorado State, said in his TED speech in 2013 that legalizing cannabis had side effects, such as a terrible back pain epidemic on college campuses.
For this reason, he decided with his brothers to breed a special strain of cannabis plant with no psychoactive THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) compound and with high proportion of cannabis plant’s healing, non-psychoactive compound CBD (cannabidiol). The Stanley brothers succeeded in this breeding project in January 2012. In February 2012, they decided to use the plant to treat Charlotte Figi.
Charlotte had been diagnosed with a rare and violent form of epilepsy (Dravet syndrom) when she was three months old. When Stanley brothers learned to know her, she was five years old. Epileptic seizures were at their worst, about 400 seizures a week and for that reason, Charlotte was virtually most of the time in catatonic state, was non-functional so to speak. Doctors were unable to improve the situation and parents were told to make preparations for the death of their child.
At this time, the Figi family contacted the Stanley brothers, who had just succeeded in breeding a cannabis strain without the psycho-active compound. When the brothers started Charlotte’s cannabis treatment they could see the plant’s astonishing effect. Within the first administration Charlotte’s epileptic seizures went from 400 per week to 0-1 per week and she became a viable girl.
The Stanley brothers had originally given their cannabis strain the name ‘Hippie’s Disappointment’, but after seeing its effect in Charlotte’s case, they gave it the name ‘Charlotte’s Web’. However, Charlotte is not an isolated incident, in which the plant has manifested its astonishing effects. In some cases, the effects are even better.
Inspired by the results, the Stanley brothers established a non-profit organization, the Realm of Caring, that helps to provide support, resources, education, physician-backed medical studies, as well as safe and affordable access to their treatment program.
The medical effect of cannabis has been studied very little because of the demonization of the plant. However, it is known that CBD interacts on the human innate Endo-Cannabinoid System (ECS). It supports the body’s information system and natural energy flow, and tries to restore the body’s physiological balance (homeostasis).
Our body naturally produces two cannabinoids, e.g. during meditation (bliss molecule) and our cell surfaces have receptors for CBD. This means that our body is equipped to use CBD, it is literally a natural medicine.
I wrote four years ago in my article Emotional Intelligence in Function about my experience in 1982, when I made total relaxation exercises. I did the exercises lying on the floor and practically I was in a meditative state all the time. The left side of my body is paralyzed, and at that time the right and left sides of my body felt clearly different. When I was lying on my bed one night after a week of relaxation exercises (meditation), the feeling on both sides of my body was similar.
I turned to my back and lifted my left leg, which I usually was able to lift just a few centimetres from its ground. I was amazed to see it rise lightly to a 90 degree angle. Despite the stroke and my confusion, my body’s Endo-Cannabinoid system seemed to work well.
To be continued…
Read also:
Living a balanced life on own conditions
Emotional Intelligence in Function
Videos::
The Inside Story of Cannabidiol – What are the Benefits of CBD?
Dr Michelle Bean (Silicon Valley Health Institute): Health Benefits of CBD Oil
Cannabis Is In Your DNA
Dr. William Courtney: Raw Cannabis Advantages
Josh Stanley: The surprising story of medical marijuana and pediatric epilepsy
Charlotte’s Web and Zaki’s Journey
Megan Elizabeth: What Happened To My Body | 60 Days of CBD Oil
Cannabis Changed This Autistic Toddler’s Life Forever
Man With Parkinson’s Tried CBD For The First Time
Sharon Kelly: Cannabis Killed My Terminal Stage IV Lung Cancer
Reverse Stroke | Amazing New Stroke Cure