The long-time newscaster was diagnosed with cancer in 2013
Tom Brokaw has been a household name for more than 50 years. He is a long-time and highly respected newscaster that has won Emmys for his work. Always willing to provide his opinion, he is now stepping forward to support cannabis, acknowledging that he consumed the drug after having been diagnosed with blood cancer in 2013.
Brokaw suffers from multiple myeloma, a type of cancer that forms in certain white blood cells called plasma cells. The disease causes cancer cells to accumulate in bone marrow, overwhelming healthy blood cells and producing abnormal proteins that cause a number of complications. One of the most common symptoms, and one that almost never recedes, is chronic pain.
In a video created for cancer site SurvivorNet, Brokaw admitted to consuming cannabis, asserting that it allowed him to improve his quality of life. He adds, “I’m now on medical marijuana for my back for the first time, I’ve not done that before but in Florida it’s complex.”
The newscaster admits that the pain can be excruciating at times and that it can interfere with his ability to lead a normal life. He takes a chemotherapy drug to help control the cancer, but says that cannabis is the only source of relief for the pain.
Brokaw is now 79 years old and, while he most likely will never completely rid his body of the cancer, he is able to lead a more normal life thanks to cannabis.