In 1973, Valerie Corral was in an automobile accident that left her severely epileptic. She often suffered from as many as five seizures a day, She began using marijuana as an adjunct medicine. This treatment replaced a rigorous pharmaceutical regimen. With deliberate application and mindful monitoring, marijuana was to eventually become the sole medication that has controlled her seizures for well over a decade.

In 1992, Val was arrested with her husband, Mike for the cultivation of five marijuana plants. Spurred by this arrest, she became the first patient in the state of California to challenge existing law, based on the defense of necessity, and win. This victory ushered Val into the legal, political and social foreground of this health issue. Val was instrumental in changing the law of California with proposition 215, which enabled citizens to democratically express their support for those who choose marijuana as a medicine. In response to public will and dire necessity, the Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana was born. Later that year, they  were rearrested for cultivation and distribution to other patients. 

The Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM) is a collective of patients and caregivers, providing hope,  building community, and offering medical marijuana at no cost to seriously ill patients with a doctor's recommendation. This group provides safe access to a safe, organic supply of medical marijuana for the treatment of terminal and chronic illness, to relieve suffering.

WAMM has emerged as a unique model, a patient self-help alliance, and an alternative to the inflated prices of an illicit black market. Need rather than financial capability affirm the inherent value of medical marijuana. A handful of seriously ill patients has grown into a collective membership of more than 250 seriously intentioned citizens.