Hello kind souls,

I have been busy sending emails to TD's and Senators ahead of the press conference in Buswells Hotel on Feb 22 2022 at 12.00pm.  I will share the draft below if anyone wishes to forward to their representatives encouraging them to support our mission to end the needless suffering of 1in10. 

I am travelling from my home in Roscrea to speak at a press conference next Tuesday February 22 2022 at 12.00pm in Buswells Hotel with Patients for Safe Access highlighting the failures of the MCAP program.
 
I would imagine you are familiar with the recent tragedy of the lady in Sligo who spent years self-medicating without diagnosis and tragically overdosed on the pain killers she was using to treat the unbearable pain she was left to manage all alone.  It sparked a conversation about restricting access to over the counter meds and labelled this woman an addict.
 
The response from TDs was extremely damaging to every member of the endometriosis community and reinforced the trauma and stigma we endure when fighting for doctors and officials to believe the pain we are constantly in, every, single, day.  Newstalk covered the topic for almost a week and each and every story was more harrowing than at the last.  I'm no stranger to these horrific experiences myself and also provide one to one support for other victims on a daily basis.
 
There should have been outrage as to why this woman was left for years without diagnosis and support.  There is overwhelming evidence which is scientifically sound, peer reviewed and published to support cannabis use in endometriosis patients.  We have no specialists in Ireland to perform multidisciplinary surgery which is the gold standard treatment for Endometriosis, mostly commonly compared to cancer as it is the most aggressive benign disease there is.  1 in 10 women are battling debilitating pain and/or infertility because of this disease and we are forced to travel abroad for adequate surgery to manage the acute condition and left with very little options to manage the chronic pain long term.
 
I am not even 30 yet and have been forced to endure and trial countless medications which had significant impacts on my mental and emotional wellbeing on top of unbearable physical side affects, since the young age of 11.  
 
I am lucky not to have accidentally overdosed on all of the prescribed meds, not meds I bought over the counter.  It could have been any one of the 155,000 families of endo sufferers who were burying their loved one.  Meanwhile, there hasn't been a single death in history attributed to cannabis overdose.  Why are we continuing to lose lives needlessly and cause prolonged unnecessary suffering through pharma side affects, when we have bullet proof evidence that cannabis would put a stop to it all.
 
If this was your daughter, wouldn't you want her to be able to live in peace before everyone wishes she rest in peace?
 
Amnesty International outlines denial of medication as a form of torture and that's exactly what we are being subjected to as long as we are denied cannabis and our voices are not heard.
 
You can find more on why I am using what very little energy I have left to advocate on behalf of the thousands of chronic pain patients being mistreated, dismissed and frankly, bullied into using dangerous pharmaceuticals here.
 
https://www.patientsforsafeaccess.com/post/patients-stories-aimee-brown?fbclid=IwAR3k1kJMc5AsG5LC8vE66ol1Cb7ZgX_svOext5gKzk0F42GROQ82GTZkU28
 
I hope I can count on your support on this subject.  If not in person, any show of solidarity is welcome as we try to break the stigma for genuine patients seeking safe access to adequate medication which provides some quality of life without the pressures of prosecution or being forced to contribute to criminal enterprises to acquire what may be a substandard or contaminated product.  Prohibition is far more dangerous than cannabis itself when you look into the facts.
 
https://www.cannabisreform.ie/
 
I look forward to your response and thank you for taking the time to read this email.

If you can join us on the day - please do.  If not, share your story on socials using #whataboutus 

As always, thank you for your continued support.

Aimee