After weeks of reading online, watching documentaries, calling dispensaries and gathering information wherever I could about medical marijuana and its cancer fighting effects, I decided that this is something we need to investigate. I also decided that we don’t have much time to fool around with dosing and titration.

As I sit here looking at this 56 year old man, who stands 6’6″ and now weighs 170 pounds (down from 220 pounds), the sudden realization that time is of the essence hits me hard. I read somewhere that taking 1 gram of THC oil is about the equivalent of smoking 40 joints. That’s pretty insane. Here is a man who has enjoyed marijuana all of his life — to the point that it interfered with his marriage, his job, his ambition, his self esteem and his relationships – and he is about to set out on a journey of  psychoactive treatment that will send him far beyond the levels of comfort or enjoyability.

Diving in head first may not be the right thing to do; however, the lack of information and documented research make the responsibility of pulling the trigger completely up to me. I’m not entirely sure if this decision falls within the job description of patient advocate anymore, but I am sure that when you are compelled, you are compelled – and you must go.

I am setting up a table to keep the journey as accurately documented as possible. I will try to include as much information as I can think of that seems helpful. We are now on Day 3 and he has been pretty stoned out of his mind for the past 48 hours. It’s sad and it’s scary and I’m worried that something else might happen along the way that I won’t pick up on (such as another episode of kidney failure, whose symptoms will be masked by the intense cannabis high); however, I do still think it is the right course to take right now.