When I first got the idea for a blog, I really struggled with a name for it. A couple of my beautiful besties called me a Cannabis Angel after bringing them some of my homemade peanut budder balls (XOXO #UBBU(TM)!!) But, that was already taken for another blog. I thought about Canna-Granny. Being a grandma is the greatest joy of my life, but — yeah – there is already a Canna-Granny out there. It took me a little bit to figure it out.
During my research into medical cannabis, I came across several people who have been helped by it. Two stick out for me – Charlotte Figi – and a little girl named Savannah. Sadly, Charlotte is no longer with us. But, her family is probably the single biggest influence in changing the narrative of medical cannabis in the United States. Charlotte was the inspiration behind a strain of CBD oil called Charlotte’s Web.
Charlotte’s parents were among the first “medical refugees” to Colorado after marijuana was made legal, in a desperate attempt to bring her some semblance of a normal life. She suffered from a seizure disorder – Dravet Syndrome – which was traditional medication resistant. On medical cannabis, Charlotte went from 300 seizures a week to two or three a month. Her parents became champions of medical cannabis and began really changing the narrative. Suddenly, CBD became the big thing and medical cannabis gained more traction and doctors started looking at things objectively instead of with the tint of “Reefer Madness” (90 year old film that has been the basis of the US view on cannabis). Doctors in the US started looking at the Israeli’s research. Charlotte really changed the face of medical cannabis. Rest in Peace, Charlotte. It’s likely that COVID-19 took the bravest warrior and the face of medical cannabis for children away. Every medical cannabis patient owes a debt of gratitude to Charlotte and her family. Read more about Charlotte here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_Figi
Little Savannah – another child with a seizure disorder, SMC1A, who is also using medical cannabis. I follow her on Facebook. She’s the cutest little thing with a smile that lights up the darkest days. She’s beautiful, spunky and full of light and life. And is also a medical refugee. Her mom regularly updates her followers on her condition. And she’s not afraid to show everything. She posts videos of Savannah’s seizures, of her hospitalizations, of her being on O2 when she gets sick. Of her tracheotomy. Of Savannah on meds from #BigPharma that turned a little girl into a zombie. She wasn’t living. She was existing. Today – right now – Savannah has been free of seizures for 60 days. Vanny, as her mom calls her, is truly living as an active little girl – walking, playing, and loving and living, and has been seizure free for 60 days.
I’m not naïve enough to think she’ll never have another seizure. Seizure disorders are notoriously difficult to handle. Some people have entire lobes of their brains removed to try to stop them. Some people are on such high medication dosages that they are barely capable of moving – they just sit in a chair, or lay in a bed, never seeing anything but four walls. Vanny’s mom regularly posts pictures of her outside, playing in the sunshine, on a swing – and just being a little girl. She’s another little warrior in this fight.
Whenever I see these stories, and I did more research, and finding out that the ancient Chinese, ancient Egyptians, Netherlands, India – all used various forms of cannabis as medication. Heck, some Christians look at Genesis 1:29 as a Bible verse that they interpret as saying God wants you to use cannabis as medication.
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
Every time I read about someone else being helped by medical cannabis, the first phrase that comes to my mind is “it’s medication, damn it!” And I’ll hashtag that when I comment. And why aren’t we treating it that way? Because we’re ignorant, stupid, and set in our ways. We have been brainwashed into thinking that the only good drugs are the shit spoon fed to us by #BigPharma. A previous post mentions what gabapentin did to me – May 8, 2020. We’re brainwashed to believe that Oxycontin and fentynal are miracle drugs and cannabis is the devil’s lettuce. If that’s the case, give me the devil’s lettuce and pass the infused balsamic vinaigrette.
After thinking about it, I decided to rename this blog “It’s Medication, Damn it!” because that’s really what I want to show. I won’t say it’s 100% effective 100% of the time. Nothing ever is. But, at one point in time, I was taking 19 different pills a day. 19. I’m down to two. Sometimes three if my insomnia is really really bad. But, the cannabis is the only thing I am on for pain. I’m still on amiltryptaline for the insomnia, daily. Hydroxazine if the insomnia is really really bad (it’s an antihistamine), and Ferrous Sulfate because I am iron anemic. That has to be saying something.
And I am discovering that more people than I ever thought – in my own life – are on medical cannabis. One of my besties of over 30 years recently texted me and asked me questions about how much I am allowed per month and several other questions. It seemed a little out of the blue to me. That’s when she disclosed that her mom is now on it. And it is really really helping her. I’m so happy for her. I can’t wait for this lockdown to end so I can see her and we can really talk about it. Another one of my besties is also on it. A lot of people that I never thought would be using cannabis, prescribed or not, are. And for that, I am grateful. Why? Because I had to learn to shed the “reefer madness” thought process. I was admittedly indoctrinated by my profession. Knowing all these beautiful people in my life that are also using it makes me feel so much better about it. For me, it was a moment of desperation when nothing else worked and I didn’t want to be a #painmanagement junkie. Now, I feel like I will fully immerse myself into the medical cannabis world, and devote part of my life into promoting its use.
So, thanks for being on this journey with me. And I hope that somewhere along the way that you’ll interact with me – give me some of your best recipes to share with the world and changing the narrative on medical cannabis.
Have a High Day!
Everything Is Better With Budder! 