How My Mind Changed About Marijuana

How My Mind Changed About Marijuana

Hey everyone I’m Josh. I’m a bit new to this whole medical cannabis thing, but I think that’s what it takes. It takes more people being open and saying, “You know, there really is medical value in this plant.” Now, I’m no saint, I’ve dabbled and you’ll learn more about that in my story. Truth be told, I’ve never had anything against cannabis. However, recently, my mind has changed drastically. I no longer see it as just a recreational drug that’s safer than alcohol. Today, I see it as a medication.  Here’s how it happened.

It All Started With Your Average Dabbling

As a teenager, I tried weed for the first time, as most teens do. I really enjoyed the experience and used it here and there, but never really thought about the medicinal benefits. As I watched medicinal marijuana programs pop up here and there, I got excited. But, I wasn’t exactly excited about the medicine. I was happy that I’d be able to get it easily.

As I grew up, I started to wonder, is there really medicinal quality to this, or is it just a fun recreational drug? I started to research the dangers of marijuana, medical benefits, death toll and more. The rumors seemed to be true. I couldn’t find much evidence of marijuana having negative side effects. The evidence I did find was shaky to say the least. However, I could find several documentaries telling me about the medicinal qualities. Documentaries weren’t all I found either. I found research documents; spoke with people at dispensaries, read through blogs. The bottom line is, everything showed that this plant was really something great for humanity.

Then Would Come The Best Evidence Of All

When I was 23 years old, I worked as the general manager of a fairly lucrative marketing company. One day, I went to the bathroom and saw one of my employees doubled over in pain. He was literally in tears, saying things like “I can’t take this anymore”. We sat and chatted for a little while and I learned that among other ailments, Robert had sciatica, a horrible back condition that causes shooting pain through your lower back and down your leg.

We had talked a bit about what treatments he’d tried, and how his health conditions affect him. The gist of the conversation is he’s tried everything he could imagine, but nothing seemed to help. That’s when I asked the big question. I asked, “Have you ever tried marijuana?” Robert looked up at me like he had no idea how to answer that question. There was obviously some interest in the conversation, but we didn’t have a friendly relationship. The fact of the matter is, I was his manager in a company that wasn’t too fond of fraternization.

His Answer And What We Did Next

Like me, Robert has tried marijuana on a recreational level, but never really thought about the medicinal qualities of the plant. That was the only conversation we really had about it for quite some time. Eventually, Robert had to quit his Job due to his multiple health conditions. After he quit, we really did become friends. We were such good friends in fact that I walked him through getting his card, and agreed to grow his medication for him.

When he talked to his doctor about medicinal marijuana, his doctor said he was a slam dunk patient for the treatment. He’s been diagnosed with the following…

• Fibromyalgia – This condition causes sharp, stabbing like pains in your joints. Some patients also experience burning. For Robert, he experiences the sharp, stabbing pains in his shoulders, neck, back and knees.
• GERD – This condition causes extreme nausea and acid reflux. Robert compared this condition to feeling like you have to throw up, but you can’t, creating a buildup in your throat and chest.
• Spinal Stenosis – This disorder causes more extreme pain in Robert’s back. Unfortunately, this is a progressive disorder, getting more painful with time.
• Neurogenic Claudication – A disorder that is causing Robert’s hips to slowly deteriorate.
• Sciatica – Because of his Spinal Stenosis, Robert’s spinal discs come into contact with his sciatic nerve. This causes a new problem, Sciatica. A condition which causes sharp pains in the lower back that shoot down one or both legs.

A Slow Beginning

When Robert finally got his card, it was a big weight off of both of our shoulders. We were on to the next step. Now, we ran into a new problem. We had to figure out how to grow this stuff! I always thought that it was as simple as throwing a seed in a pot, next comes water, cut, trim, repeat. Well, it’s not that easy. The fact of the matter is, we went through 6 to 8 months of dead plants, or plants that didn’t produce very much of anything good.

Finally, I got in with MednCure Collectives. After talking to one of the head honcho’s I agreed to work for knowledge. They would teach me how to grow, as I volunteered in their garden. It was a match made in heaven! My plants now look beautiful, and it’s all thanks to what I learned.

Now That The Medicine Is On Track, Let’s Get Back To Robert

Once we got everything figured out in the grow, Robert started receiving his cannabis on a regular basis. He’s tried everything from regular smoking to vaporizers, edibles, topical rubs, and more. And, my how it has changed him. Before trying out cannabis, it was rare to see a smile on Robert’s face. These days, he’s smiling all the time. In his own words…

“You know, you stop short of calling this a miracle drug, but then you think, miracle drugs cure everything. If marijuana was a miracle drug, it would cure cancer…..but then again, I wouldn’t be surprised if it did.” Following up with “You know Josh, the discomfort never goes away, but the pain was a solid 8 all the time, now it’s somewhere around a 1 or 2…I’ve got all of these conditions, but after a year of marijuana use, there’s no pain in any of these.”

Seeing It First Hand Has Made Me A Believer

You know, it’s one thing to do research, read articles, watch documentaries, etc…but it’s another to see it for yourself. Marijuana has increased a human being’s quality of life. That is absolutely amazing! That says, reform is way past due!

Reader Question

What are your experiences with cannabis on the medicinal side of the fence?

About The Author

Hey there, I’m Joshua Rodriguez. I’ve been an online publisher since 2008, but recently joined the medical cannabis movement little over a year ago. I’d love to chat with you, feel free to connect with me on Google+!

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