Honoring the Legacy of Michigan Attorney Zahra Abbas

The cannabis community is suffering great loss at the death of its members, but today it is with great sadness that we announce the death of 35-year-old Michigan cannabis advocate and political activist Zahra Abbas.

The Michigan Democratic Party’s Cannabis Caucus, of which she chaired, announced her death on July 28. “Without Zahra, the Cannabis Caucus would not be what it is today and the world is a lonelier place without her presence,” the caucus wrote on the internet. “Our deepest condolences go to her family and friends. We know she touched many in this great state and beyond.”

Abbas was a prominent figure who championed cannabis herself as a patient and tried to spread the word about cannabis and its medicinal benefits. “Zahra is dedicated to educating the world about the health benefits of cannabis and helping lead the action of the progressive movement to remedy the disastrous effects of the drug war,” the post continued. “Zahra was frequently let down by our healthcare system and cannabis prohibition, which sometimes denied her the only drug that could control her seizures.”

Detroit’s Metro Times reported on Zahra’s death and described an interview they conducted with her in 2017. Back then, she suffered from daily seizures that weren’t resolved by brain surgery or prescription drugs — but cannabis was a game changer for her.

“As soon as I started doing it, my seizures stopped within a few days,” Abbas told the Metro Times in 2017. “Before I started studying it for epilepsy, I was very anti-marijuana because there was so much misinformation about it. It came down to a choice between using this drug and having another brain surgery to control my seizures. … Turning to cannabis was sort of my last resort.”

She volunteered to collect signatures for the legalization ballot that appeared before voters in 2018 in the hope that others could use cannabis as she did. “I’m doing this because I think more people should have access to cannabis because it benefits all people,” she told the Metro Times. “It should be everyone’s right to use it,” she added.

But her journey into the cannabis industry had only just begun. Her advocacy grew and she later became vice chair and later chair of the Cannabis Caucus and also vice president of the Detroit chapter of Motor City NORML. She played a crucial role in the commutation of the sentence of Michael Thompson, a man convicted of a cannabis crime who survived 60 years in prison.

Fellow attorney Jamie Lowell told the Metro Times that Abbas eventually had to stop using cannabis to pass a drug test for a new job, but her seizures returned. “She soon had a severe seizure and vowed not to stop for anything,” Lowell said. “After re-admission, she was seizure-free again. That was her powerful and amazing testimony.”

Speakers at a rally with Sen. Bernie Sanders held July 29 in Pontiac, Michigan took a moment to honor Abbas’ memory. Rep. Rashida Tlaib called Abbas “an incredible warrior.” “Her heart was filled with love for the community, and there wasn’t one thing she didn’t take on… 100%,” Tlaib said. “She was one of our biggest advocates for healthcare and access to alternative approaches, including cannabis… and she never gave up the fight. She will be greatly missed. I know she is with us today.”

Also present was Dr. Abdul El-Sayeda, who previously ran for Michigan governor in 2018 and spoke of Abbas’ selfless dedication to the cause. “She took her pain and she used it to bring people together to fight for all the things that she herself was denied and realized it could have been someone else,” El-Sayeda said. “She took that pain and resolved to make the world so much better.”

“Zahra didn’t have a lot of time, but Zahra put everything into the time that she had,” he added.

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