Fox’s Television Series, Bones, Introduces the Issue of Medicinal Marijuana

“The High in the Low” episode of Bones is breaking new ground. Leave it to the FOX Broadcasting Company to put the spotlight on the controversial subject of marijuana use.

Bones usually opens with a crime scene or a little something that leads to a crime scene. Although this episode’s opening was thrilling & grotesque in true Bones style, the murder investigation isn't the story of interest here. Too, the interpersonal relationship betwixt the two main characters, Dr. Temperance 'Bones' Brennan & Special Agent Seeley Booth is also true to form:  superlative! They have a strong, although awkward relationship that’s strong & authentic. Alas, I digress.

A recurring character on the series had developed Ewing's sarcoma, a deadly type of bone cancer, previously this season, & they bring the character (TC) back in this episode, aptly titled “The High in the Low.” When TC returns to the Jeffersonian laboratory after rigorous chemotherapy & other aggressive treatments, it becomes known that marijuana played/is playing a major role in the recovery process.

As the information scuttlebutts its way about the lab in one form of communication or another, all of the co-workers are open-minded & accepting. Some of the fellow lab crew members even say they’d be doing the same thing if the tables were turned. It goes without saying that Dr. Brennan took the objective, scientific stance, but I’ll leave that for the viewer to experience. TC explained how cannabis helped with the nausea & pain caused by the cancer treatments. Each character handled the issue with their own style as I've become accustom, & they all supported TC’s choice to use medical marijuana.

TC was conflicted but didn't want to lie to the boss lady, Cam, so TC came right out with it. As marijuana is a Schedule I drug in the eyes of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), it is without question a federally illegal drug. That said, Cam fired TC on the spot & without hesitation.

The initial murder investigation discusses the difference betwixt delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) & cannabidiol (CBD) & the medical research. For me, a self-made, self-taught connoisseur of Mary Jane, this was a very interesting television program. I watch Bones of my own accord, & this particular episode now holds a special place in my heart. I want to commend Emily Deschanel & all of the staff, crew, & cast of Bones along with the Fox Broadcasting Company for handling the marijuana debate in the United States with compassion, scientific evidence, personal ideals & beliefs. It covered the legal issues & how they affect the individuals that need medicinal marijuana.

Individuals that have been diagnosed with a chronic pain disorder, like Fibromyalgia, find relief using marijuana.

There are days that I wish I owned a bed that is off the floor because it certainly is easier to stand from an upright, sitting position as than trying to get off of the floor. However, being on the ground certainly makes it easier to fall since I’m already on the floor. . . Sometimes, I lay face down in the rental unit’s nasty ass carpet & pray for the pain to pass so that I might go about my day. It is during those times that I am truly grateful for the use of my limbs, toes, & fingers. When I take #mmj, I experience fewer of these days. 

In 2004, I was diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PR) & had been experiencing the symptoms for several years prior. By 2006, I was also diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, & Fibromyalgia too. Long story short. . . I’m in chronic pain. Some days the pain is more acute than others. Some days it’s a dull &/or a throbbing stiffness. My physician & the specialist assigned to me started prescribing pills for me, & I gave each one of them a fair trial period. However, the pain medications made me ill: upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, hot/cold sweats, & sometimes itchy skin. The anti-inflammatory prescriptions helped during a flare up, but not for everyday use. This was no way to live.

I would periodically smoke pot with friends before it became legal in my home state, Washington. I noticed that I had more range of motion when getting “high” (partaking). I also noticed that the spasms in my hips would subside. In my opinion, marijuana is a magical herb. It has elevated my depression to discovering my desire not to be sad & sometimes actually feeling happy. Marijuana has also lessened my chronic pain, in turn, relieving the nausea caused by physical pain. It’s rather pleasant to consume food without fearing its reversal.

Muscle relaxing medications have worked to lessen my muscle spasms, but they leave me feeling groggy. I’m not particularly fond of walking around in real fog, so having it linger in my head for more than half the day is truly annoying. I can take a few puffs off of a smoking device about 10 minutes before bedtime or eat a small portion of pot-infused edibles about an hour before, & I can fall asleep w/o a cramp. If I happen to wake up still feeling the effects of the marijuana a cup of black pekoe tea, Earl Grey, or English Breakfast will kill any remaining “stone-over.” In my experience, there are little-to-no ill-effects from marijuana.

From the information I've gathered, it’s entirely plausible that marijuana possesses medical properties humans haven’t considered, yet. How do I know this? Because there have been no documented animal, insect, & other plant interactions with the varying strains of marijuana in each of their natural habitats. We learn more through observation, especially when it comes to vegetation & whether or not it’s edible or contains medical qualities.