Welcome from Our Founder

My name is Emilie Ramach, the Founder of Compassionate Alternatives, and I want to welcome each of you to our new website!

Compassionate Alternatives is a place for patients and their families, medical professionals, industry professionals, and those who would like to learn about medical cannabis and alternative medicine.

For Ohio patients, dispensaries will soon open across the state. If you or a loved one have a qualifying condition, you will have access to all the wonderful medical benefits that cannabis offers.

If you are new to the world of medical cannabis and holistic health, I know you have many questions. We want you to feel welcome here, and know that Compassionate Alternatives was made for you.

For those of you who are industry professionals, I’d like to thank you for your support of our mission. We respect your experience in the industry and welcome you to join our cause. Together, we will do what’s best for our patients. Community over competition!

Why Compassionate Alternatives?

I founded this nonprofit to give us all a voice. Our mission is twofold: We advocate and educate the public on the benefits of medical cannabis and other alternative medicines.  We charitably assist patients who can benefit from medical cannabis but do not have the means or access.

We each have our reasons informing our passion for being here. Here are the reasons for mine.

Years ago, I was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, my close friend passed away, and I met one of the most incredible people in my life—all in the span of a few weeks.

A month before my son was born, I was diagnosed with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder which primarily affects your thyroid function by causing your thyroid to become hyperactive. By the time I was able to see a specialist, he was amazed I was still alive. My resting heart rate was 120 BPM and my body was quickly shutting down. The specialist sent me in for emergency surgery to remove my thyroid.

After surgery, my body was a complete mess. I was only a couple months postpartum and was now missing a crucial organ. I was on five strong medications with severe bouts of depression, palpitations & heart arrhythmia, and fatigue.

I knew I had to find balance again.

Keep in mind that at this point in my life, I was a medical cannabis neophyte.

My Friend Kerry

A few days after my surgery, my best friend Kerry was diagnosed with very aggressive pancreatic tumors. In hopes to save my friend, I began reading everything I could about the latest cancer research, and I came across numerous articles on holistic healing. The most intriguing article to me was on the successes of Rick Simpson Oil with cancer.

I spoke with Kerry about the Rick Simpson Oil, and the successes reported in the recent studies. Kerry and I decided to give it a try. Within a week of Kerry starting this new oil regimen, I saw first-hand the healing mental and physical benefits of medical cannabis.

Kerry was himself again. He was able to travel, spend quality time with his girlfriend, and experience all the joys of life. But the most incredible part of it all, was that his tumors were rapidly shrinking.

Doctors quickly became suspicious. Kerry was terrified of losing his health insurance, his doctors, and his awesome new job in New York. He chose to stop his cannabis treatment and continued with traditional chemotherapy, and I didn’t blame him. That’s when the cancer came back even more aggressive and, within a few short months, took his life.

I visited my friend in hospice on Mother’s day. He looked at me and said with a whispered hoarse voice and tired eyes, “Emilie, you need to keep going.”

He died days later peacefully at home in his mother’s arms surrounded by family.

I saw the toll chemotherapy and radiation had on the physical and mental body. I saw the benefits that medical cannabis had in aiding his shrinking tumors and healing him.

Would medical cannabis have saved Kerry from pancreatic cancer?

Would it have saved my thyroid?

My Mentor

After we lost Kerry, I dove into medical cannabis research and began obsessively educating myself and anyone who would listen. Little did I know, that was the moment that would change my life.

Through my education process, I met my mentor. For the sake of keeping her identity sacred, let’s call her, Nancy.

Nancy helped me heal after my thyroid surgery. She gave me infused medical cannabis oils and tinctures. After about a month, I was able to wean myself off the medications the doctors had prescribed.

This phenomenal woman risked everything to teach me about medical cannabis and alternative medicine. Over the next several years, I traveled to and lived in several medical cannabis-friendly states. Nancy taught me how to cultivate (grow cannabis), process the cannabis plant and run dispensaries. Most importantly, I learned how to help heal our patients naturally—and I realized the critical need to fight for them and tell their stories.

I have seen miracles with medical cannabis and the patients who have experienced these life-changing miracles are strong. They are some of the most inspiring and determined people I have ever met.

Our Mission

With medical cannabis now legal in my home state of Ohio, I founded Compassionate Alternatives to give our patients a voice. Our mission has two major components:

Education: Our nonprofit provides educational seminars to further educate the public about the importance of medical cannabis and holistic alternatives. In the coming weeks, we will be publishing articles by scientists from around the world about some of the latest developments and insights into medical cannabis research.

  • We aim to educate and empower those who are able to be caregivers.
  • We aim to educate those who are elderly and those in nursing homes and assisted living.
  • We aim to educate individuals from all walks of life.

Financial Empowerment: In concert with our strategic partners, we financially empower those without the proper means or ability to gain access to the quality, life-saving medicine they need.

How You Can Get Involved

I’d like to personally thank all of you for being here on this journey. Here are several ways you can engage with our organization:

  • Please visit our contact page to sign up for our newsletter, to volunteer, write for our blog, or sponsor an event. We strive to fulfill any needs or questions you may have about this new and exciting industry.
  • Check out our event page for educational classes and seminars. Compassionate Alternatives also hosts bi-monthly canna network socials for you to connect with others in the industry and like-minded individuals. We strive to create a safe environment to learn from each other and find comfort.
  • Monthly donations of any amount are welcome and will financially empower families in need and help further our educational programs.

Thank you again for joining us on this mission to educate and empower our growing community. We are humbled and grateful for your support and outreach.

We are educating the world about medical cannabis—just like I promised Kerry I would do when I was watching him die. It is so others don’t have to.

Emilie Ramach, CEO and Founder

emilie@compassionatealternatives.org


Emilie Ramach

Emilie Ramach is the Founder & CEO of Compassionate Alternatives. Driven by past personal health adversity, she has been a cannabis reform activist for the past decade. Emilie has been involved with various political campaigns and committees, patient education, and legislative policy discussions. As a mother, she focuses primarily on the research and advocacy of the benefits of pediatric use. Emilie is honored to use her knowledge to educate parents, patients, and medical professionals on the many benefits of medical cannabis.