I am a grandmother who finds relief from medical marijuana. I am suffering from the after-effects of brain surgery. Both my sisters died of brain aneurysms, and since I had the same condition, I probably would have died as well if it weren’t for the corrective surgery I had years ago. Although this surgery probably saved my life, it also left me with chronic severe headaches, nerve damage, and a loss of my sense of taste, which has led to an eating disorder. I have been prescribed strong pain killers like OxyContin in the past, and in fact these kind of medications do reduce my pain. The problem is that not only are they hard on my liver, but they are also very addictive and powerful. I don’t want to be addicted to OxyContin; I feel like I am in a fog when I am using those painkillers, and I can’t even take care of my grandkids. I don’t use marijuana to get high, just the opposite -- I use it so I can take less of the toxic painkillers and live my life in a normal way. I’ve been participating in advocacy in support of medical marijuana legislation for over 10 years, and I just hope that people understand that this issue isn’t about getting "high," it’s about patients having the right and the dignity to use the medicine that they and their doctors have determined is best for them.