My name is Erin Hildebrandt, and I'm a 34-year-old wife and stay-at-home mom to five kids, ages 3 to 9. I suffer from Crohn's Disease, a disease for which there is no known cure; therefore, symptom control is the goal of treatment. Marijuana is not a panacea, but it's the only medicine I've found that controls a large number of my most debilitating symptoms. Compared to the dozens of truly dangerous pharmaceuticals first given to me by doctors, the cannabis recommended by a friend, and subsequently endorsed by my doctor, is more effective and has fewer side-effects. For me, Crohn's Disease produces severe nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, intractable pain, cramping, fever, sweating, chills, bloating, and weight loss. I can only compare it to the worst case of food poisoning I can imagine, except that it doesn't just go away after a day or two. It comes back again and again, varying in both intensity and duration. During the worst attacks, proper nutrition and exercise are an often insurmountable challenge. However, through the use of marijuana, I feel well enough to function more normally. In addition, with consistent therapeutic use, the inflammation in my digestive tract stays under control, and I'm able to bring my disease into remission.

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