By Marcie Cooper MSN, RN, AHN-BC, HWNC-BC, ADS, GHNA, Sacred Passage Doula and Conscious Dying Coach

Hello 2025. I can’t believe we haven’t made more progress than this. I’ve been a hospice nurse since 2007 and a Cannabis nurse since 2011. A decade ago, in 2014, I sent an email to representatives in my home state of Tennessee, advocating for medical Cannabis. I recently found that email while looking through my old emails and thought it would be worth sharing with you, so here it is:

After moving to Colorado nearly five years ago, I found that medical Cannabis was legal here, and honestly, I was initially confused and shocked. I thought it must be a joke. However, after seeing firsthand the transformative effects of Cannabis on patients, my perspective has changed drastically.

At the Bedside: Transformative Moments with Cannabis as a Nurse

I remember my first cancer patient, who, after using Cannabis, smiled and told me he was finally hungry and said he was pain-free for the first time in years. He laughed with his family as they brought him a bowl of ice cream—something he hadn't been able to enjoy in a long time. His grandson had bought Cannabis lozenges just for him to give it a try when his appetite had dwindled. That lozenge brought him relief when nothing else could.

Another powerful memory is of a 93-year-old woman. During a visit with her husband, our hospice patient, she shared that Cannabis tinctures helped her manage her rheumatoid arthritis. She had suffered a near-fatal reaction to morphine that landed her in the ICU for two weeks. After that, her sons decided to investigate a safer treatment for her pain, and they found it for her. Now, Cannabis oil is her only pain treatment, and it enables her to continue caring for her husband, whom she has loved for over 70 years.

I also encountered a son who began giving Cannabis to his mother, who was living with him because of her progression of Alzheimer's disease. He was concerned about the adverse effects of antipsychotics on her health. He wanted something to help alleviate her symptoms without potentially causing more problems and sedating her to the point she was not functioning. He found Cannabis to be so effective for her that, over time, she was able to stop taking the antipsychotics, which came with black-box warnings. Seroquel, Risperidone, and Haloperidol are commonly used in the dementia population to control agitation despite the FDA warnings that these medications are often associated with increased risk of death within 12 months of beginning them. On Cannabis, he saw her health improve dramatically. She started eating better, sleeping soundly, and, most notably, she began to recall family members by name that she hadn't recognized in years.

From Skeptic to Advocate: Lessons from Colorado

Then there was a patient whose husband, diagnosed with prostate cancer at 50, chose to treat it with a concentrated Cannabis oil. He refused the traditional treatments that could result in impotence or incontinence, and now, two years in remission, he continues to take the oil as a maintenance dose.

In my experience as an after-hours Hospice Nurse, I have witnessed countless patients benefit from Cannabis. I remember my Mom telling the nurse in the Tennessee hospice where my grandmother was that I was also a hospice nurse and a Cannabis Nurse. The nurse exclaimed that they allow some patients to use Cannabis there. I was confused for a second before she followed up with, “Some of our doctors write prescriptions for patients to use Marinol for their appetite.” I guess that’s a step in the right direction and at least shows some promise in understanding Cannabis benefits. I’ve had patients who, despite using prescription Marinol (a synthetic form of THC) found that Cannabis helped them eat better with fewer side effects. This could be due to the entourage effect of whole-plant Cannabis. Marinol, as I explain to my patients, is only one ingredient: synthetic THC. While THC alone can still be helpful, Cannabis often works because of the combination of all of the cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. These ratios and compounds are what give many varieties their specific characteristics treating certain conditions. Many patients report paranoia or increased restlessness with Marinol because it is only synthetic THC.

I’ve worked with patients on patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pumps for chronic pain who reduced their reliance on opioids with Cannabis and minimized the side effects of narcotics. They saw the benefits of greater pain control and improved quality of life simultaneously while decreasing the number of times they needed to administer a bolus dose of opioids because they willingly increased their Cannabis use. Cannabis and Opioids can work synergistically. Adding Cannabis can allow patients the ability to taper down on their pharmaceutical medications to find that sweet spot where pain control meets quality of life.

Cannabis for Every Stage of Life: From Infants to the Elderly

I will never forget the gratitude of a patient in their final weeks of life, once unable to stay awake or interact with family more than a few minutes a day, be able to stay awake for hours, laugh and share stories after using Cannabis. Every moment that he was awake was cherished, and when he added large doses of concentrated Cannabis oil, he was able to use less long-acting Opioids. Those wakeful minutes mattered to his wife and his daughter.

There was a 17-year-old who I met with Glioblastoma. She was heavily sedated and still suffering from seizures. She finally experienced relief from seizure activity after a transdermal Cannabis patch was applied.

One of the most heartbreaking stories is of a 22-month-old who, with her mother, had to move from Tennessee to Colorado just to access Cannabis medicine. For the first time since she was two months old, this baby went an entire week without a seizure. It’s a travesty that families are forced to become refugees in another state to find life-saving treatments.

More Than Medicine: How Medical Cannabis Restores Quality of Life

Cannabis isn’t just about getting high; it’s about healing. Varieties are cultivated with specific cannabinoids for different conditions, and THC isn’t always the focus. It’s about giving people what they need to live better lives—whether it’s relieving pain, helping someone sleep, or improving their quality of life in hospice care. Side effects of laughter, appetite, pain control, and better sleep aren’t negative outcomes. Death, especially premature, with a side of poor quality of life, however, is not a therapeutic win for anyone.

Wins Worth Celebrating

While the federal government may be slow to move, people have seen the results, and they are demanding change. The time has come for all States to stop making its residents suffer or forcing them to flee their own state to get relief. The benefits of medical Cannabis are undeniable.

Fast forward more than a decade since I wrote my plea to Tennessee Representatives. We have seen progress made nationwide, including the invaluable support from the Cannabis Nurses Network in assisting Mr. Jim Bartell’s efforts to pass Ryan’s Law in California—granting terminally ill patients the right to use Cannabis in medical facilities—this work was inspired by Mr. Bartell’s own son, Ryan, who needed Cannabis for pain relief and improved quality of life. It is truly a testament of all the Cannabis advocates' work to see compassionate and reasonable laws pass and patient access improve.

Cannabis has the potential to greatly improve the quality of life for those who may not have much time left in this world. Being able to add Cannabis to their regimen can help patients use less opioids, which may help them stay awake comfortably or decrease their chances of being constipated. Cannabis may help them sleep better at night, being able to wake up without feeling hung over from sleeping medications like Trazodone or Benzodiazepines. Having pain better controlled may allow patients the opportunity to spend time with those they love. It may help them feel relaxed, alleviating anxiety and helping them to feel more accepting of their prognosis.

Stuck in the Past: Continued Inaction

Despite this progress, we must remember that some places, including my home state of Tennessee, have hardly moved forward, if at all. I consider myself lucky to live in Colorado, a state that has some protections for Cannabis patients, even though it’s far from perfect. My home state of Tennessee still doesn’t have a functioning medical Cannabis program, and this allows me the opportunity to remind every Cannabis nurse—and every Cannabis advocate—that our work is far from done.

The Fight Isn’t Over: A Call to Action for Advocates

We are needed now more than ever as the battle for access continues. People are still suffering, still being forced to leave their homes in search of the medicine they deserve. They are losing their kids, their jobs, their livelihood, and their lives. We must continue pushing for change. We must continue to educate and remove the stigma. Cannabis isn’t just helpful for dying. Cannabis is helpful for living. Just look at the science surrounding Cannabis for harm reduction (1). How are we not further along on this topic!?!?!

Please contact your lawmakers and remind them that Cannabis is a legitimate medicine, despite continued efforts to criminalize and stigmatize it. Cannabis prohibition and outdated perceptions perpetuate unnecessary suffering and limit safe access. When people are still being treated as criminals for using Cannabis, we know that our work is not done. Your voice may make someone change their mind.

References

1. Brown, William. “Cannabis as a Harm Reduction Tool.” Cannabis as a Harm Reduction Tool, Effective Cannabis Newsletter, 26 Sept. 2023, www.effectivenewsletter.com/blog/cannabis-as-a-harm-reduction-tool.  

About Marcie Cooper:

Marcie Cooper has practiced end-of-life and palliative care for nearly two decades. She attended the University of Memphis for her undergraduate degree in nursing and Tennessee State University for her master’s. She is a founding member and the Education Director of Cannabis Nurses Network (CNN). She continues to support patients who are navigating serious illness and advocates for patient access to Cannabis and entheogens for inner peace and palliation of symptoms.

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Effective Cannabis Newsletter is a platform to educate on the vital role of the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) in one's health. The information is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in or available through this newsletter is for general information purposes only. It is not medical advice; it is health awareness.