Angie Calhoun’s life changed dramatically as she watched her 17-year-old son, Austin, go from a vibrant teenager to someone bedridden and suffering. Following the onset of focal seizures, severe joint pain, and relentless nausea, Austin lost significant weight and became increasingly withdrawn. “He stopped playing tennis and didn’t want to go out with friends anymore,” Angie recalled. “It was clear something was really wrong.” Once an active outdoorsman who loved hunting and fishing, Austin struggled to attend school, often missing classes entirely during his senior year.
Search for a Solution
Over 18 months, Angie and her husband, Brad, sought answers by visiting more than 20 doctors across Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Many times, Austin was unable to walk, prompting his mother to sometimes use a wheelchair to transport him to appointments. Eventually, a physician in Dallas tested Austin for Lyme disease, a common vector-borne illness transmitted through tick bites. Austin was diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease, which further exacerbated his health problems, including accelerated heart-rate issues.
Despite trying multiple medications—17 in total—Austin found little relief. The array of pharmaceutical treatments included drugs for various issues, from nausea to asthma, though none resolved his debilitating symptoms. “It’s unfathomable that a 17-year-old would be on that many prescriptions,” Angie said, emphasizing their discomfort with the situation. Austin himself described the experience as feeling alive but without quality, simply existing rather than living.
A New Beginning
Desperate for a solution, the Calhouns explored cannabis as a potential treatment for Austin’s myriad medical issues. “We understood that cannabis had helped with seizures and alleviated nausea in chemotherapy patients,” Angie said. “The side effects from his medications were alarming.” After introducing cannabis into his treatment plan, Austin found remarkable relief, ultimately eliminating the need for pharmaceutical drugs.
Now, seven years post-treatment, Austin continues to rely on medical cannabis. Although not fully symptom-free due to occasional flare-ups, his quality of life has dramatically improved. “When I finally got to try cannabis, it was almost instant relief. I felt like myself again,” he said. Although still grappling with the impacts of Lyme disease, he no longer experiences relentless vomiting or debilitating pain.
Legislative Challenges in Mississippi
Despite these improvements, medical cannabis remains illegal in Mississippi, despite a voter-approved initiative in November 2020. The Mississippi Supreme Court subsequently ruled the initiative unconstitutional, leaving the state among only 11 that have not legalized medical cannabis access. Austin’s need for relief compelled him to relocate to Colorado in 2015, where he could legally obtain cannabis. This move separated him from family but allowed him to pursue a better quality of life.
The push for medical cannabis legalization in Mississippi gained momentum after efforts led by state senator Kevin Blackwell in 2017, culminating in Initiative 65’s passage. However, bureaucratic setbacks have stalled meaningful reform. Lawmakers have attempted to develop a new medical cannabis bill, but executive pushback has hampered progress.
Advocacy and Future Directions
Angie Calhoun founded the Mississippi Cannabis Patients Alliance to represent those seeking access to medical cannabis in the state. She starkly underscores the financial burden many patients face due to expensive pharmaceutical medications, advocating for natural alternatives that could alleviate suffering. “We need to provide safe options for patients,” she stated. “This is about help for those in need, not just a product.”
With ongoing legislative discussions, there is hope for future developments in medical cannabis policy within the state. Nonetheless, the situation remains fluid, and patients like Austin continue to urge for reform that prioritizes health and well-being over bureaucratic hurdles.
