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My Own Cannabis Success Story

How 45 Years as a Cannabis User Has impacted Me; My Study of 1

By Leslie KahnPublished 6 years ago 8 min read
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I have been a cannabis connoisseur for over 45 years and counting. I have partaken of hashish in the UK, in Amsterdam, and in Morocco. I have grown cannabis in Wales which was extremely challenging. Not only is the climate not very hospitable, but we had to hide the plants from the Welsh farmers and protect it from marauding cows and rabbits who loved to snack on them.

Please note that we advocates prefer to use the term “cannabis” rather than “marijuana” which is a racist term directed at Mexicans. Sadly, in 2018, the racist and criminal stigma still exists. Many people feel they still have to remain “in the cannabis closet” and hide their usage from ill-informed friends and family. I have unapologetically never tried to hide my cannabis use, so “no cannabis closet” for me!

I have been blogging about cannabis for almost 3 years. Knowing nothing about the “Science of Cannabis,” I found it fascinating and learned on the job. I couldn’t get enough. The Endocannabinoid System and how the cannabinoids in cannabis support it is truly remarkable. I highly recommend everyone learns about it.

I had never thought to investigate why and how it all worked. I just knew it worked. Hey…I’m an old toker. I started smoking joints my freshman year of college in 1972. My first purchase was a “nickel bag” of Arkansas Red. For you youngins,’ that was an entire ounce of weed for $5. I’m positive it was subpar by 2018 standards, but it “got me where I wanted to go.” It was very helpful for controlling my anxiety which I have suffered with for most of my life. Being on my own for the first time in my life was extremely stressful.

My favorite type of blog post is what I call the “Medical Cannabis Success Story.” I interview people about their cannabis journey. This includes people who embraced cannabis for the first time after overcoming their decades-long prejudice. Once they are sold on its many benefits, they often become the biggest cannabis advocates. It also includes people who weaned themselves off of harmful, addictive opioids or other prescription medications and replaced them with cannabis. Lastly, there are people like me who have used cannabis our entire adult lives and we want to sing its praises. Researchers now recognize it has many preventative qualities as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.

I have written about babies, toddlers, young children, and adults with epilepsy who now control their seizures with CBD-rich cannabis oil. I have written about several people who cured themselves of various cancers with RSO or Full Extract Cannabis Oil. I even wrote about a man with ALS who is still alive today, after 17 years with the disease, thanks to cannabis. This is unheard of.

I decided to write this first post about myself. I consider myself to be a member of the “Medical Cannabis Success Story Club.” At age 63, I have no serious health problems, I walk 3 miles every day of my life and I only take one medication for high cholesterol. I’m sure if I lost 50 lbs, I would no longer need to take statins, but I have a 17 year living in my basement. Yes, he belongs there. He is my adorable, adopted teenage son. He is very smart and funny. He is a very large source of stress and I do find a great deal of solace in food.

Anywho, I grew up with a very anxious mother. As a result, I describe myself as a very tightly wound, Type A Personality, anxiety ridden, “always in my head” kinda gal. Since childhood, I have suffered with performance anxiety and also with depression during my teens and early 20s.

The psychotropic effects of THC, also known as getting stoned, allows me to get “out of my head.” I stop perseverating about what I need to do the next day. If I have a big decision to make that can consume my thoughts for hours, even days, I can forget about it. BTW, if you are not familiar with the word “perseverating,” it is what Donald Trump does constantly. You get an idea in your head and you cannot let go of it. From persevere…persistence taken to the extreme. A complete sense of relaxation and calmness washes over me. It is a peaceful feeling of well-being. This is the state we all strive to achieve, even if only for short periods of time.

I do have some muscle achy-ness which is to be expected in a 63 year old who walks 3 miles every day. Amirite or amirite? Cannabis helps alleviate the achy-ness in my leg muscles, my knee and ankle joints. And when I lose that 50 lbs, I know I will feel soooo much better!

You may find my next statement to be controversial or maybe you won’t….

Using cannabis has made me a better mother.

My husband and I adopted a newborn when we were 46 years old. We didn’t expect him to have special needs, but he did. He was a normal baby, even an easy baby, until he turned 19 months. Virtually overnight, he went into full-blown “demon child” mode for the next 12 years. He has a laundry list of diagnoses, most of which are incorrect, but his behavior was explosive, destructive, and very frightening. He hurt us, he hurt other children, he smashed up our house, and he even destroyed school property.

Using cannabis made me a more patient care-giver when he was out of control. It gave me the equanimity to help him calm down. It also made playing Monopoly for the 17th time in a row fun rather than tedious. Have you ever played Monopoly that many times? My son had terrible sleep problems and was afraid of the dark for years. One of us would read him bedtime stories to get him to fall asleep. We did this every night until he was 13 years old. We would finally get him to sleep, heave a sigh of relief, smoke a joint, and experience the “sleep of the damned.” BTW, he is an excellent reader as a result of being read to all those years.

Sadly, there are still millions of misinformed and ignorant people who believe the propaganda about cannabis. They have been taught that cannabis is addictive, causes permanent brain damage, causes lung damage, and will turn our country into a bunch of unproductive, couch-locked stoners. Those who oppose federal legalization of cannabis envision millions of traffic accidents caused by cannabis users. I do agree that no one should be driving a vehicle under the influence of any mind altering substance. I personally do not drive after I have consumed cannabis. It feels very dangerous to me. I do know people who are very capable of driving after medicating. These are always seasoned, long-term users who typically drive extremely carefully, staying within the speed limit.

My response to the naysayers about the supposed dangers of cannabis use is pshaw, poppycock, and balderdash. Supposedly, 9% of people who regularly use cannabis become addicted to it. I find this very difficult to believe. I have never once felt withdrawal symptoms when I stopped using cannabis. I often go weeks without it.

Yes, there is a small percentage of people who react to the THC in such a way that it causes paranoia, intense anxiety, and depression. There are people who do not like the psychotropic effects of THC. However, these days, you can get high CBD, low THC strains of cannabis that have little or no psychotropic effect with many medicinal benefits.

It not only does not cause brain damage, but is shown to regenerate brain neurons in adults. Researchers are investigating cannabis as a treatment for those with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, and ALS for which there is currently no effective treatment.

Many people are convinced that smoking cannabis causes lung disease. While smoking is to be avoided by those with pulmonary diseases, other delivery methods such as cannabis oils, vaporizing and edibles are shown to alleviate symptoms of diseases like asthma and COPD.

Researchers are now understanding the enormous role that chronic inflammation plays in the majority of diseases that afflict human beings, especially autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids in cannabis act as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. It is now recognized that lifelong cannabis usage actually acts to prevent the onset of many diseases. Some cannabis researchers have defined the cause of many diseases as an Endocannabinoid System Deficiency. This explains why cannabis relieves, controls, and even cures so many different diseases and conditions.

I have found cannabis with THC to be the best sleep medicine I have ever used. I know new cannabis users who are absolutely amazed at how well they sleep. These are people who have finally had a decent night’s sleep for the first time in years, sometimes decades!

My conclusion of my study of 1 is the following:

Cannabis controls my anxiety, relieves muscle and joint pain, is the best sleep medicine without adverse side effects and has kept me healthy and happy. As far as I am concerned, all cannabis usage is medicinal. I will fight anyone who says otherwise!

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About the Creator

Leslie Kahn

I am a Chicago native, married to a native Brit with an adopted mixed race teenage son. I am passionate about cannabis & hope to change your mind if you think we are all useless stoners. I've been a user for 45+ years. It saved my life!

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