Submitted by Empress J. Living in the Kingdom of Hawaii

I am 67 years young. I am from Ayiti and live in the Kingdom of Hawaii

Cannabis is a part of my regimen of plant medicine

I have been using cannabis to deal with my mental, physical, and spiritual health throughout my adult life. I have struggled with anxiety, chronic pain, depression, and migraines. These ailments require prescribed medications. For those conditions, cannabis is helping me reduce my intake of prescribed medications while providing relief from flare-ups.

I was dependent on steroids and opioids to relieve the chronic pain caused by cervical and lower lumbar injuries

The use of trigger point injections caused me to be anxious and irritable most of the time, and the opioids increased my migraines.

I have been using prescribed medications for anxiety since age 12, valium being the first one used. As a young adult, I began moving away from valium to relying more on smoking a "joint" when I felt the onset of a panic attack, for example. Unlike valium, which tended to make me feel like a zombie, cannabis helped to reduce my anxiety without making me feel the numbing effects of the valium.

For migraine relief, nothing prescribed worked as well as cannabis did

Cannabis relieves the nausea and other symptoms of a migraine. It allowed me to rest and destress without the side effects of prescribed or over-the-counter migraine medication.

Another thing that cannabis has helped me relieve is severe depression related to chronic pain.

Several years of increased use of opioids and steroids for lower back, and sciatic pains, caused me to gain weight and lose mobility

I learned to titrate down the prescribed medications. I make cannabis formulations, such as infused honey, oils, tinctures, ointments, salves, and suppositories. I have combined this with mostly plant-based nutrition, exercise, and plenty of hydration. I am slowly reducing my dependency and use of anxiolytics, opioids, and steroids in my health regimen.

Cannabis has been an integral part of my personal, social, and spiritual way of life for over 40 years

There have been many inspirational teachers and individuals who have informed my use of the plant as medicine. Although I have used cannabis intuitively as medicine throughout my adult life, I continue to learn more about the benefits and many uses of the plant.

Through my family business, "Balm of Gilead Cannabis Health and Wellness Ministry" aka "Balm O.G. 360 LLC", I use my experience as a cannabis activist, educator, and health and wellness coach, to advocate for the decriminalization and legalization of the plant.

I also advocate for creating and passing cannabis laws that will provide reparatory and restorative justice to BIPOC communities and individuals most adversely impacted by the war on drugs.

I have a monthly Clubhouse and Internet Radio program, "Cannabis The Healing of All Nations," where I invite the experts of the industry to share their knowledge of cannabis, industry regulations, and expertise with an audience of lifelong learners such as myself.

As a RASTAFARI, I've had to struggle for the past almost 50 years with the fear of being criminalized and marginalized for any association with cannabis

For most of my adult life, I hid my cannabis use from my co-workers, doctors, or anyone who could incriminate me in connection to cannabis. My greatest concern was having my children taken away from me by the state.

So I was not as vocal about my use of cannabis as I am today.

Even though cannabis is being legalized in almost every state, it is still illegal on the federal level

The fear of being criminalized has not diminished as the playing field in this newly created cannabis industry is not leveled. We notice in the available research; Black people are still 4 to 10 times more likely than White people to be criminalized for using the plant without a license.

Black people are the least represented in the industry, making up less than 3% of business owners, while white people own 81% of the cannabis businesses. This is one of my primary motivating factors in being a cannabis activist/advocate. My children are grown with children of their own. I am inspired to change the unjust laws which continue to criminalize and exclude us from the industry.

In the mornings, to help manage chronic pain in my lower back and legs or for a migraine, I use a THCA and CBDA tincture or infused honey in a cup of ginger, turmeric, and other tea blends. Depending on pain level, the dosage will vary from 1-3 tsp of tincture or honey. These plant medicines are especially useful in managing pain during the day without using an opiate. The tincture or infused honey will last for several hours.

I also apply my ointments or salves to joints and other areas, causing pain

The pain relief allows me to walk several miles a week or to get whatever I need done throughout the day without much discomfort.

Finally, I always end my days with a nicely rolled spliff that I will take several puffs from to savor the terpene profiles of linalool, myrcene, or pinene, for example, which seems to work well in lifting my mood, reducing pain, and allowing me a good nightʻs rest.

Before incorporating cannabis for my conditions, I was dependent on using too many prescribed medications

After incorporating cannabis to address my health issues, I have exponentially reduced my use of prescribed medications. My chronic pain is much more manageable in that it impacts less on my mental health, and I can engage more in physical activities than I did while relying on prescribed pain relievers.

I walk a minimum of five miles per week. I eat primarily organic local plant-based meals. I practice daily meditation and have a better outlook on aging, which I now consider as fine wine, which gets better with age. Hence, I am referring to myself as a vintage person rather than a Senior. As I age, my health and life quality continues to improve with my intentional use of cannabis as medicine.

This is Empress’s personal story and not meant to be medical advice. It is for informational purposes.

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 Effective Cannabis Newsletter is a platform to educate on the vital role of the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) in one's health. The information is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information contained in or available through this newsletter is for general information purposes only. It is not medical advice; it is health awareness.