During a Sept. 19 webinar for volunteers, Ellen Lenox Smith, co-director of U.S. Pain’s Medical Cannabis program and a leading national advocate for medical cannabis, presented on access to and advocacy for this promising treatment option.
Lenox Smith discussed included the benefits of cannabis, how to find out if you qualify in your state, and how to advocate for yourself if your state doesn’t have a program or the program is limited. If you missed the webinar, you can still watch the recording or download the presentation by clicking here.
On Sept. 19 at 1 pm EST, U.S. Pain will host its bimonthly webinar open to all volunteers and members. The first portion of the webinar provides an update from U.S. Pain’s department heads. The second portion will feature a presentation by Ellen Lenox Smith, U.S. Pain’s co-director of Medical Cannabis: “Why I turned to medical cannabis: An overview of cannabis use and activism.”
“The presentation is great for anyone who is interested in trying medical cannabis, but doesn’t know where to start,” says Lenox Smith.
Medical cannabis activists had an exciting month in April: on April 19, West Virginia became the 29th state to legalize medical marijuana, and, from April 7 to 11, many activists attended the largest conference dedicated to improving access to medical cannabis: the Americans for Safe Access (ASA) Unity Conference. Ellen Lenox Smith, U.S. Pain’s advocacy director of Medical Cannabis, was among the presenters at the four-day event, which was held in Washington, D.C.
On Dec. 2, the State of New York announced it would include chronic pain as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana. The U.S. Pain Foundation actively supports legalizing medicinal marijuana for chronic pain in all states.
“Living with Ehlers-Danlos, I am always grateful to see states allowing pain patients, like me, to have the same rights as those with more commonly known conditions,” said Ellen Lenox Smith, U.S. Pain’s co-director for Medicinal Marijuana Advocacy. “Our goal is to see all states embracing the legal use of medical marijuana across the country.”