Something I've noticed as someone who requires mutual aid to get by regularly #OnHere is just how intensely puritanical this space is. Don't get me wrong, the very fact that mutual aid is so well supported here makes for a wonderful space.
But!
I've noticed that folks who put up mutual aid requests to help afford (traditionally) controlled substances like medical marijuana and opiate based medications seem to get far less traction. I've seen it with my own posts, and with countless others. The same goes for disabled people asking for help with tech/accessibility products that are seen as "non-necessary" (i.e, working digital accessibility tools like tablets & adaptive tech).
As a chronically ill person who is chronically in pain and who is vastly underserved and underrepresented by the medical industrial complex, I've spent the last decade of my life advocating for a bare minimum of care. That minimum of care does not include prescribed pain medications, as my medical team does not want to accept my need for pain management.
One thing you learn about over the counter pain medications when you have to take them every day all day is that they cause immense harm to your body if used as a constant relief. Tylenol can slowly shut down your liver if you have to take it every day. My pain (especially during the winter) sees me regularly need to medicate with maximum non-prescription doses of Advil, Tylenol, and Naproxen on a constant rotation.
The reality of my life is that if I were to solely rely on the traditional pain management regimen I have access too (shovelling OTC pain meds into my mouth every 4 - 6 hours), I would probably see significant risks of liver failure and serious complications. This leaves me with a simple choice: suffer in pain, or risk complications by taking massive doses of OTC medications.
However, CBD and THC products - things I used as an addict far more than I do now - have less significant long-term side affects, help me manage my pain in a more holistic manner, and help ensure that I can sleep & rest despite the pain. Adding marijuana into the rotation means that I rely significantly less on OTC pain medications, and is something I can access without doctors gatekeeping it from me. Moreover, my medical team and I are all in agreement that adding medical marijuana usage is far less risky than starting prescription opiate use.
So tell me why it becomes almost impossible to get the donations I need to stay medicated when I mention medical marijuana? It's a life saving drug that helps me get through my days with a modicum of enjoyment. Medical marijuana is the thing that helps me get out of bed every day, and is the fastest acting option I have to manage emergent pain (ie, dislocations and subluxations). Why should I have to conceal that I need to purchase this medication? Why should I have to pretend like it's not one of the things I need funding with?
It's just... infuriating. If I said I needed help affording my diabetes medications, people would likely donate much faster. But the moment I mention a need for a form of medication that has traditionally been a controlled substance (and is fully legalized where I live)... suddenly traction just dies.
Idunno. something to think about I guess
