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6 Support group leader Susan Musgrove and co- leader Debi Williamson take an active yet laidback approach to running a support group. The group meets once a month at a local pizza parlor and infuses other activities throughouttheyeartoadd some variety such as a party holiday luncheon and guest speakers. The monthly meetings provide an opportunity for everyone to talk about their lives listen to each others stories and share information with the group. Susan said Lots of friendships have grown during the past 10 years from this well- established meeting. Family friends and care partners are always welcome to attend and we never turn away latecomers or early leavers. Debi and I would rather see people come even for just a little bit of the meeting than not at all. Attendance runs from eight to 40 people depending on the time of year weather and topic. The groups latest topic medical marijuana resultedinacrowdofaround35peopleassembling at the pizza parlor to hear the latest news and updates. Mitcho Thompson community outreach liaison for Peace in Medicine a local medical marijuana dispensary in Sonoma County came to speak to the group for the third year in a row. Mitchoisalivelyspeakerwhosepresentationstake the form of an educational and fun version of show and tell for adults. Susan said Mitcho brings samples to look at of the various preparations of medical marijuana. There are vaporizers tinctures oils balms and many edibles. We learned that the two main strains of medical marijuana are sativa which has more of a mental euphoric effect and indica which affects the body in a calming way. Forthosewhoqualifybutneedabitofguidance Peace in Medicine provides patient consultants whoSusansaidlistentowhatyourneedsareand point you in the right direction. Mitcho explained to the group that an interesting aspect of medical marijuana is that patient feedback has actually been responsible for providing a great deal of useful information about its efficacy with regard to treating various conditions. Susan said It can be especially effective for muscle spasms pain and sleep problems. A number of people in our MS community use medical marijuana for just those problems. In California all that is required is a letter of recommendation from a physician that you then bring to a dispensary. The letter should state that taking a form of medical marijuana may be of use for your particular condition. Mitcho also passed around samples of the different medical marijuana preparations for the show and tell portion of his presentation which were met with a great deal of curiosity Medical Marijuana and MS Sonoma County Santa Rosa MS Support Group Santa Rosa Calif.