Cathy Jordan, cannabis advocate and ALS patient, dies at age 74

Herald-Tribune archive

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Bob and Cathy Jordan,59, of Parrish. Cathy has ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Photographed Saturday afternoon April 4, 2009.

Herald-Tribune Archive/Thomas Bender/2009

Cathy Jordan,59, of Parrish has ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Photographed Saturday afternoon April 4, 2009.

Cathy Jordan, 62, of Parrish FL treats her illness with marijuana. Manatee County Sheriff’s Department recently seized 23 marijuana plants from her home.

Herald-Tribune Archive/Thomas Bender/2013

Cathy Jordan, 62, of Parrish FL treats her illness with marijuana. Here caregiver Adam Burnett feeds her a turkey sandwich. Manatee County Sheriff’s Department recently seized 23 marijuana plants from her home.

Herald-Tribune Archive/Thomas Bender/2013

Cathy Jordan, 62, of Parrish FL treats her illness with marijuana. Manatee County Sheriff’s Department recently seized 23 marijuana plants from her home.

Herald-Tribune Archive/Thomas Bender/2013

Cathy Jordan, 62, of Parrish FL treats her illness with marijuana. Manatee County Sheriff’s Department recently seized 23 marijuana plants from her home. Robert Jordan, 64, her husband.

Herald-Tribune Archive/Thomas Bender/2013

Medical marijuana activist and Manatee County resident Cathy Jordan, right, and Rep. Katie Edwards, D-Plantation, appear at a press conference in Tallahassee Monday, Apr. 1, 2013

Herald-Tribune Archive/Zac Anderson/2013

Cathy Jordan, an ALS patient from Parrish who relies on marijuana as her medicine, and Orlando attorney John Morgan, who is pushing to legalize the medical use of marijuana on the November ballot. The occasion was a rally Oct. 7, 2014, at the University of South Florida in Tampa at which Morgan encouraged young voters to show up at the polls in favor of Amendment 2.

Herald-Tribune Archive/Michael Pollick/2014

Keith, 80, and Jeanne Shell of Bradenton both signed the petition supporting the amendment to legalize marijuana. Marijuana activists Cathy Jordan and her husband Robert Jordon (off camera) started gathering signatures over the past weekend along Palma Sola Bay Causeway in west Bradenton, for their marijuana legalization measure, “Floridians for Freedom.” In 1986 Cathy was diagnosed with (ALS) amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and was told she had three to five years left to live. Almost 30 years later living with the disease, Cathy say’s smoking marijuana has saved her life. Sept. 05, 2015.

Herald-Tribune Archive/Thomas Bender/2015

Marijuana activists Cathy Jordan and her husband Robert Jordon (off camera) started gathering signatures over the past weekend along Palma Sola Bay Causeway in west Bradenton, for their marijuana legalization measure, “Floridians for Freedom.” In 1986 Cathy was diagnosed with (ALS) amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and was told she had three to five years left to live. Almost 30 years later living with the disease, Cathy say’s smoking marijuana has seved her life. Sept. 05, 2015.

Herald-Tribune Archive/Thomas Bender/2015

Local cannabis activist Cathy Jordan in the living room of her home in Parrish in September 2019. Jordan was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease in 1986 and credits marijuana for her longevity. Jordan passed away on July 4th, 2024 at the age of 74.