MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — For 22 years, Cathy Jordan has been fighting.
- Cathy Jordan planned to end her life after ALS diagnosis
- Said she felt better after smoking marijuana
- Jordan, son happy with DeSantis signing bill
"If you had told me 22 years ago that this was going to take 22 years, I may have rethought it," she said through a laugh.
Jordan has been living with ALS for roughly 30 years. Shortly after receiving her diagnosis, she says she visited Florida from her home in Delaware with plans to end her life.
- RELATED: DeSantis Signs Smokable Medical Marijuana Bill into Law
- LINK: Read the bill here
- FLORIDA GOVERNMENT GUIDE:
It was on that trip she instead discovered that she felt better after smoking marijuana.
She never imagined that she would become the face and driving force behind the push to legalize medical marijuana.
"She's been this active from a wheelchair and for someone who was supposed to be dead 30 years ago, she still gets up every day and pushes," said her son, John Jordan.
Her victory came on Monday, when Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that legalized smokable medical marijuana. It marked the end to what started for them decades ago as a grass roots movement.
"Now that it's over, we're trying to figure out what's the next thing we're gonna fight," said John with a smile.
The new law is effective immediately.