The Ongoing Medical Marijuana Fundraiser For Christine Lowe and Russell Barth

Please share widely.... This is not an event you can physically go to at a location, it is happening daily, and will continue as long as needed.... Two very public figures in Ottawa, having put themselves out to the public as advocates for not only medical marijuana users' rights for over thirteen years, but for drug legalization in general, are in continuing desperate need of assistance. In March of 2014, when the MMAR was shutting down and the Allard injunction was only a "maybe", their designated growers (fearing arrest) decided to shut things down and stop supplying them with an affordable and consistent supply of medical-grade cannabis. The help they received over the years was contingent on them having an MMAR permit to grow, or have someone grow for them. Since May of 2014, they have been rationing their medicine to make it last longer, and have been relying on donations of medicine from people from across the country. Christine Lowe suffers from a rare type of epilepsy (that does not respond to, and is, in fact, exacerbated by pharmaceutical medications) and PTSD, and her husband, Russell Barth, acts as her 24/7 caregiver while also struggling with fibromyalgia, PTSD, and the addictions that often accompany those conditions. They survive on Ontario Disability Pension (ODSP), and also make a little money off a weekly live webcast called Pottawa, but buying from MMPR suppliers is out of the question, as those suppliers are overpriced, and inconsistent in regards to quality and stock. The pair first came onto the Canadian and international “Marijuana Legalization Activism" scene in 2003 with a CTV Ottawa (CJOH) appearance about the lack of a compassion club in their city. They made names for themselves by appearing in many print, TV, radio, and internet news pieces about the issue. Russell also became the most-published anti-prohibition letter-to-the-editor-writer in Canadian history (as far as he knows…), with over 830 letters published, in Canada alone, in just eight years, (http://www.mapinc.org/writer/Barth+Russell) which also makes him the fourth-most-published anti-prohibition letter-to-the-editor-writer in the world http://www.mapinc.org/lte/. The pair also uploaded two copies of a video to Youtube, in which Christine is having one of her grand mal seizures while Russell attends to her (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRZY2a2jnuw). The videos have had over 3 million views in total, making it the second-most-watched seizure video on Youtube. The first copy was taken down by Youtube after 1.5 million hits, but the second one remains, and has over two million hits and counting - at a rate of approximately 1,200 hits per day. The video has appeared on TV shows like The Doctors, a Japanese morning magazine show, and has been used by students and teachers in schools, hospitals, and jails. It was the topic of some controversy in a UK publication as well: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2008/may/19/health.internet http://www.theguardian.com/society/2008/may/23/epilepsy.youtube They also published the world’s first children’s book about Medical Marijuana, called “Mommy’s Funny Medicine” in 2003 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaGrByr8KXA) and have addressed crowds of thousands at 420 celebrations on Parliament Hill twice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwGAw74cM-Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A0J6zzkErs In 2007, with the help of marijuana and a strict diet, Russell also managed to get out of the wheelchair he was tethered to for 5.5 years, much to the surprise of his doctors. Currently, they await the government's response to the Allard ruling (http://www.lawyersweekly.ca/index.php?section=lawnetarticle&docno=388) which they expect will be another affront to their Charter Rights, leaving them with no way of acquiring a new grower or moving the address of the garden. The best way to help them at this time is to email money to Marijuana Dispensary operator Dana Larsen (http://www.cannabisdispensary.ca/contact) at [email protected].... ....WHO WILL MATCH YOUR DONATION DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR!! Donations have been coming in for over two years, but it is not enough. Russell is trying to get by on very little medicine - some days none at all, while his wife uses the minimum dose she can to avoid having more seizures. Their health is diminishing. For more on Christine Lowe and Russell Barth, see their facebook pages, or follow these links: russellbarth.ca http://russellbarthhasablog.wordpress.com/ http://russellbarthhasablog.wordpress.com/2014/08/14/saying-goodbye/ https://www.youtube.com/user/RussLBarth cannabisdigest.ca/ottawas-pied-pipers-of-pot-russell-barth-christine-lowe/ https://www.facebook.com/Pottawa-1673554192911196/