Michigan man wheelchairs from Detroit to DC to raise awareness of marijuana, cancer

Somewhere in Pennsylvania – Curtis Kile is a cerebral palsy patient. He is wheelchair bound. He is also in Pennsylvania, crossing into Maryland on the 27th or 28th, having ridden his electric wheelchair more than halfway from the Detroit area to Washington, D.C.

“I lost my father and sister to cancer, 12 days apart, in 2011,” Kile said. “There are people dying of cancer every day that don’t need to.”

Kile has used side roads and other surface streets to make the journey; he is accompanied by his support team, in a van equipped with a wheelchair lift. He expects to be in D.C. in time to speak to the human rights protest scheduled for July 4. He’d also like to meet with representatives of the Obama administration.

It is a superhuman effort from an individual with exceptional challenges.

“The last few days have been tough on my body,” Kile said in a telephone interview. “I average about 30 miles per day but in this heat I’m barely able to make 23 miles a day.” Cerebral Palsy affects human development and often the ability to move. Kile is scheduled to be interviewed on an Internet-only radio program, The Planet Green Trees Radio Show, at 8:00 PM EST on June 27. That program can be heard at www.planetgreentrees.com  

In a June interview on the Michigan-based syndicated radio show The Political Twist-Up Show, Kile credited his father for starting an organization called United Marijuana Smokers of Michigan in the 80’s. He has re-started the group and hopes to use it to increase awareness of cannabis’ healing properties. www.umsom.com

“I am going to be setting up United Marijuana Smokers of America,” Kile promised. “I intend to get a national movement going so it (marijuana) can just be legalized. We have to make it readily available to those who cannot afford it.“ Kile’s concern is the medicinal properties of cannabis are legally available to only a small percent of Americans that could benefit from the herb’s use.

“If doctors everywhere had access to marijuana there would be more cancer cures discovered and less suffering,” Kile said.

“Curtis is a charter member of Michigan Compassion,” said Heidi Parikh, Executive Director of that organization.

Michigan Compassion is a 501(c)(3) exempt organization who are the first medical marijuana public charity in Michigan and only 1 of 4 in the United States to have received federal exemption. Visit Michigan Compassion’s website at: www.mycompassion.org

If you can help please send your donation to: Curtis Kile 6360 Fellrath St. Taylor Michigan 48180

Media Contact:

Curtis Kile                                                                                            info@umsom.com                                         734-752-0118

Michigan Compassion: Heidi Parikh                                          Heidi@mycompassion.org                           734 931-0620

Political Twist-Up Show: Steve Greene                                  steve@politicaltwistup.com                        810 423-2350

Planet Green Trees Radio Show: Jamie Lowell                    jdlele@hotmail.com                                       734 276-6318