ONTARIO — Curious locals and supporters of medical marijuana were offered some nuggets of information at the U People Like Me Medical Marijuana Awareness Blitz Friday night in Ontario. The event was hosted by the Stormy Ray Cardholders’ Foundation at the Four Rivers Cultural Center, and wasn’t without it’s technical issues. Throughout the entire evening there were periodic microphone glitches.
“Someone turned off our live feed
right before we started,” said Stormy Ray, who heads up the foundation.
“It was devastating to all of us who put in our hard work.”
In spite of the difficulties,
however, the show went on in the midst of a packed house. More than 70
people attended, causing standing room only.
William Lopez was the master of ceremonies and the group raffled
off several vaporizers as well as a glass bong. Several people gave
testimonies on the benefits of medical marijuana and there was a
presentation by Eastern Oregon University assistant chemistry and
biochemistry professor, Jeremy Riggle.
Riggle spoke on the chemical compounds in marijuana that give it healing properties.
“There’s a treasure trove of
different chemicals that have different effects,” Riggle said. “All the
compounds have been shown to have benefits and we’re just barely
scratching the surface on this stuff.”
The main chunk of Riggle’s
presentation focused on the human body’s endocannabinoid system, which
regulates homeostasis within cells and inside the body, overall. This
system helps regulate things like appetite, mood, and the sensation of
pain.
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"That’s why it’s so good for fighting cancer. It tells sick
cells to commit suicide.
— Jeremy Riggle, assistant chemistry and biochemistry professor at Eastern Oregon University
Riggle explained that the
cannabinoids within medical marijuana interact with the body’s
endocannabinoid system in a large variety of ways, promoting healthy
cells and causing unhealthy cells to self-abort.
“That’s why it’s so good for fighting cancer,” Riggle said. “It tells sick cells to commit suicide.”
Chris Artiach, a student at
Treasure Valley Community College, a 2015 gold medalist in the Special
Olympics, and a veteran with PTSD, said medical marijuana is his only
medication for constant pain because he is allergic to both opiates and
narcotics.
“They say it’s bad for our
community and it will cause problems, but we’re already the second worst
in Oregon,” Artiach said. “We don’t get addicted to it. We don’t die.
We just smile.”
The event concluded with a mixer
for the audience, which packed the meeting room at the cultural center,
to mingle and enjoy live music.
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