Posted by Lori Ann Reese on 10/25/2021 in Cancer
There was a time when no one would go on record about using cannabis. Let alone a public figure. When even Presidents said they “didn’t inhale,” the only people that unabashedly owned cannabis use were rock stars. Because you know, pop culture dictated it. It doesn’t seem a problem for Olivia Newton-John as she fights Stage IV breast cancer.
How far we have come in the past twenty years in terms of breaking the stigma. To where international celebrities like Olivia Newton-John are being frank and candid about the use of cannabis. With Newton-John, her battle with cancer has been an opportunity to advocate for medicinal use. And tell the world how cannabis has helped her continue her fight.
Since being diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 1992, the singer and songwriter Olivia Newton-John has developed her own tinctures. The tinctures were created by her husband, John Easterling, who founded Happy Tree Microbes.
Easterling also helped develop medicinal products after founding the Amazon Herb Company in 1990, selling hundreds of millions of dollars in products. Amazon Herb Company (AHC) merged with TriVita Inc. after Easterling’s departure.
Olivia Newton-John continues to be the courageous face committed to educating about breast cancer and cannabis therapy. Her story about fighting to achieve remission and then reemergence of cancer will inspire you as it has other men and women who are looking for alternative medicines to augment conventional treatments for cancer symptoms.
There are people who claim to be experts when it comes to cannabinoids and terpenes. And then there is John Easterling, who has spent over twenty years planting and cultivating within the Amazon rainforest. His discovery and research into therapeutic plants have developed products that many feel are superior to other cannabidiol and medicinal supplements.
Easterling has had a remarkably interesting life. In an interview with Miami Community News, he shares the first time he used cannabis and how it inspired his obsession to learn about natural medicines:
“I was introduced to cannabis in 1968 and had a pleasant experience with it,” he says. “I grew my first cannabis in 1970. I always dreamed about traveling to South America, into the Highlands and the jungle, and exploring lost gold and Inca treasure cities. After graduating from the University of North Carolina, I sold my car and bought a ticket to Ecuador.”
While John Easterling was traveling through South America, he contracted hepatitis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. John was referred to a local Shipibo tribe, who healed him with their botanical preparations.
Olivia Newton-John didn’t just have breast cancer. She has been fighting pervasive cancer that has been appearing in various parts of her body. It began as breast cancer which was diagnosed in 1992. At that time, she had a partial mastectomy and reconstruction surgery. And she radically changed her life.
Inspired by her pursuit of natural medicines for cancer treatment, the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Center was founded in 1995. Located in Melbourne, Australia, other patients diagnosed with cancer can get therapies that involve herbs, marijuana and mindfulness, and meditation therapy.
In addition to being a spokesperson about breast cancer and educator, Olivia Newton-John has also participated in more than 200 clinical trials. An effort to gather more data on breast cancer treatments, specifically the impact of cannabinoid treatments on cancer.
The singer stated that she started to live a more holistic life that involved plant-based diets, whole foods, yoga, and cannabinoid therapies. She called it her own “East meets West” health plan. But by 2013, the breast cancer returned, having spread with a tumor in her shoulder. She kept it quiet and canceled events stating that she had painful sciatica.
The back pain that emerged was not due to sciatica. The cancer had metastasized to the sacrum area in the back. That is a lower area of the back next to the vertebra, and the cancer was painfully impinging on nerves in her spine. She canceled a concert tour to seek treatment in 2017. She described the state of cancer as being months of excruciating pain, where she could not walk.
Olivia fought her way from a wheelchair to a walker and then to a cane. Finally, she was able to walk again without any assistive devices. A feat she claims was helped by the cannabis tinctures she takes daily. She had been taking morphine for the pain and was able to successfully wean herself off the highly addictive medication.
Through Happy Tree Microbes, Olivia Newton John’s husband John Easterling sells a ‘Bio Harmonic Tonic product.’ It is a plant additive that home growers can use to increase the THC potency and the terpene profile of cannabis.
Working to develop new medicinal tinctures for his wife, John Easterling created several tinctures that address Olivia’s symptoms. Interviews conducted with the singer in 2021 reveal that she has gained weight, and her mood and energy levels are good despite her diagnosis of Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. The star is currently receiving hormone therapies, radiation and chemotherapy, and surgical procedures.
Specifically for her conditions, Olivia Newton-John shares that cannabis has helped her manage pain symptoms. Reduce inflammation (swelling) and many of the negative side-effects she endures from chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Olivia also credits cannabis with helping her to restore her appetite, regain some healthy weight, and sleep better.
Several animal clinical studies have suggested that cannabinoids may help reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer tumors. And cannabis may also help prevent tumor angiogenesis invasion and metastasis. Or the mechanism and trigger through which cancer starts to spread throughout the body.
Cancer is one of the qualifying health conditions to make a patient eligible for medical cannabis in every state across the country. While there is not enough research to determine how cannabinoids can help reduce cancer risks or prevent it from spreading, many patients report that cannabis can help with symptoms.
Featured Image: Eva Rinaldi Creative Commons
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