Mary Gennoy -- marijuana advocate RIP

[Khephra]

Mary Elaine Gennoy, a medical marijuana activist and a ubiquitous and popular figure in the Castro, where she lived and once ran as a write-in candidate for San Francisco supervisor, died Sept. 5 from complications after throat surgery. She was 53.

Ms. Gennoy, whose mother underwent radiation treatment for cancer while pregnant, was born with multiple disabilities. She was hard of hearing, did not have forearm bones, was missing some fingers and toes, and suffered from a variety of ailments including rheumatoid arthritis. Just 4 feet 6 inches tall, she weighed less than 70 pounds.

But despite her medical struggles, Ms. Gennoy -- who loved roller coasters and women's music -- had no short supply of vivacity and nerve.

"She just enjoyed life. She never felt sorry for herself," said Dennis Peron, a fellow activist. "She said, 'This is the body I've been given, and I'm going to go with it.' "

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/09/17/BAGUV8QEVB1.DTL

[oldhat]

1. Throat problems

Mary Elaine Gennoy, a medical marijuana activist and a ubiquitous and popular figure in the Castro, where she lived and once ran as a write-in candidate for San Francisco supervisor, died Sept. 5 from complications after throat surgery.

When will medical marijuana activists admit that inhaling gallons of putrid-smelling hot tar into one's throat and lungs isn't healthy? I'm sure the fifty million joints this woman smoked over the course had something to do with the problems with her throat.

[Algorem]

2. Sshmoakatoaka?

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Sounds like smoking some pot

was the least of this woman's problems. It's amazing she lived as long as she did. Maybe the pot smoking helped?

[mongo]

5. Well actually.....

Pot Compounds Halt Spread Of Known Cancer Causing Virus, Study Says
Tampa, FL: Compounds in marijuana inhibit the spread of several forms
of herpes known to cause cancer, according to clinical findings published this week in the journal BMC Medicine.

Researchers at the University of South Florida Health Sciences Center
determined that the cannabinoid THC selectively prevents the activation and replication of gamma herpes viruses. The viruses, which can lie dormant for years within white blood cells before becoming active and spreading to other cells, have been shown to increase an individual's chances of developing cancers such as Karposis Sarcoma, Burkitts lymphoma, and Hodgkins disease.

Researchers found that THC protected cells infected with a mouse gamma
herpes virus from reactivation. Cells not cultured with THC died when the virus was reactivated. The results may "provide the foundation for the development of antiviral strategies utilizing ... derivatives of THC," authors concluded.

Scientists noted that THC did not prevent the spread of herpes
simplex-1, the virus responsible for cold sores and genital herpes.

In August, clinical data published in the journal Cancer Research
determined that pot's constituents selectively inhibit the growth of
malignant brain tumors in animals and in human tissue.

Previous research has also shown cannabinoids to selectively target
and halt the proliferation of other types of cancerous cells, including skin carcinoma, prostate cancer and breast cancer.

For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior
Policy Analyst, at [phone]. Abstracts of the BMC Medicine study are available online at:
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/2/34/abstract

[mitchtv]

6. Boy, I'm sure glad you are so certain about her medical condition

Must be you know a lot more than everyone else who read this very short post. You have no f''k'n idea what her throat problem was. Lots of things are not healthy., but what a great big leap you just took .

[KamaAina]

4. Nope, couldn't have been the prenatal radiation exposure

Ms. Gennoy, whose mother underwent radiation treatment for cancer while pregnant, was born with multiple disabilities. She was hard of hearing, did not have forearm bones, was missing some fingers and toes, and suffered from a variety of ailments including rheumatoid arthritis.

Couldn't've been that. Must've been the pot smoke. 100 percent sure, um, NOT.

Edit: Should've been response to #1. Weren't we gonna add the ability to change that as a new feature?

[mitchtv]

7. very nice post, not as mean spirited as mine

viva la mota