I guess I've just assumed that breast cancer organizations happily accept every donation they receive and joyfully funnel all charitable gifts into their noble endeavors. I mean, without money and research and programs and services and education, where would we be? We'd be uninformed and lagging behind the force of this disease instead of gaining momentum on its trail. That's where we'd be.

Now, I've never assumed these organizations accept money obtained through illegal measures. But I've also never assumed they'd turn away money just because it came from a group of women whose profession and means of fundraising might be considered unacceptable. I suppose I shouldn't make assumptions. Because I seem to be wrong on all accounts.

The Breast Cancer Society of Canada has officially rejected a donation from a group of Vancouver strippers because of the controversial nature of their fundraisers. Exotic Dancers For Cancer these women call themselves, and for four years they have been raising money in honor of another dancer who lost her battle with terminal cancer.

Trina Ricketts, founder of the exotic dancer website nakedtruth.ca and recipient of the letter rejecting the donation, is shocked that people consider this contribution dirty money. And she is so bothered by this unfair judgment that she has been contacting the media and outting the Breast Cancer Society of Canada's discrimination practices. Her protests are working.

In a supportive turn of events, Ricketts has been met with an overwhelmingly positive response -- and she now has several organizations willing to accept all donations she wishes to offer.

This story is not nearly as simple as presented here. It's so much more detailed and touching and moving when told by Ricketts herself -- who happens to share her inspiring journey right here.

CORRECTION: Trina Ricketts reports that she did not seek out the media to out the Breast Cancer Society of Canada.

"The decision to go public was not in the interests of outing the Breast Cancer Society of Canada, but rather to seek out charities that would be willing to accept our donations," she said.

Are we talking science -- or are we talking politics? On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration, FDA, came out and officially made its stand on medical marijuana use, by saying it opposes the use of marijuana for medical use as there are no sound animal or human scientific studies supporting the safety or efficacy for medical use. The FDA goes on to say there is currently sound evidence that smoked marijuana is harmful. However, the FDA statement contradicts a 1999 finding from the Institute of Medicine, which reported that marijuana's active components are potentially effective in treating pain and nausea, and should be tested rigorously in clinical trials.

In response to the FDA statement, Bruce Mirken, director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project, countered with, "There is abundant evidence that marijuana can help cancer patients, multiple sclerosis patients and AIDS patients. There is no scientific doubt that marijuana relieves nausea, vomiting, certain kinds of pain and other symptoms that don't respond well to conventional drugs, and does it more safely than other drugs. This isn't a scientific statement -- it's a political statement."

Let me go on the record as saying that while I did not use marijuana when I underwent chemotherapy, I do support its medical use. Having said that, let me add that chemotherapy is a gruesome experience that defies description. If marijuana can relieve any of the side-effects of chemotherapy, or reduce the physical pain of cancer sufferers, this continued stand against marijuana use in any form is absurd -- and cruel. There is something malevolent about manipulating science for a political stand.