Starting an international movement to promote the benefits of cannabis was never Serra Frankamp;rsquo;s intention when, in 2005, she created a simple MySpace page. The Boise, Idaho, native had been suffering from interstitial cystitis since 2002, although it took seven years to get a correct diagnosis. Interstitial cystitis is not a pretty medical condition. A chronic inflammation that prevents the walls of the bladder from expanding properly, which in turn causes them to crack and bleed, it can hurt like hell. When Frankamp;rsquo;s symptoms first surfaced in 2002, she was pregnant with her second child. Her doctor prescribed Percocet, an acetaminophen/oxycodone combination, but it failed to quell her pain. amp;ldquo;How can something so effective in controlling my pain be labeled as an illegal drug?amp;rdquo; This is the inevitable question pondered by thousands of patients who depend on medical marijuana for their quality of life. amp;ldquo;It helps with so many medical conditions,amp;rdquo; Frank says. amp;ldquo;We get people with Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, AIDS, Parkinsonamp;rsquo;s disease, Glaucoma, Crohnamp;rsquo;s disease. Some have psychological disorders like Bipolar and Schizophrenia. There are so many different people who benefit from it.amp;rdquo; When asked how marijuana can in fact improve the world, Frank shoots back with a set piece that can only be called wishful, amp;ldquo;Cannabis is a renewable, sustainable and versatile resource. It can be used for paper, plastic, fiber, food, fuel, construction, medicine, recreation and more. It can provide our world with a new crop, new biodegradable products and renewable sources of energy. It could create jobs, increase revenue, and provide new taxes that could be used for our communities and schools. It can create thousands of medicines that could help ease the suffering of millions of people and potentially holds the cure for cancer and other elusive diseases. It can help people to become productive members of our society by allowing them to become independent from our welfare systems.amp;rdquo; - The Fix
