Why Cannabis is the Love of My Life
Perhaps you’re embarking on experiences with cannabis for the first time. Or maybe you already have archives of stories. Either way, you each have a unique relationship with the plant . The following is mine. This is what brought me into this business -- the good, the bad, and the ugly of that road.
Disclaimer before we start: I recognize that self-care isn’t a one-size-fits-all routine. Cannabis isn’t a cure-all. This is just a story offering insight into the plant’s potential.
Band-aids for the bullet holes
At a young age I was put on Vyvanse to manage my ADHD. I was feeling the side effects heavily. Think jitters, anxiety, headaches -- all the stimulant feels, all the time. In part to settle these, I began smoking weed a few times on the weekends when I was 13. Soon, it became an everyday habit to ease the medication’s come down. Especially when it came to restoring my appetite. There were benefits beyond the physical too. Cannabis also helped tremendously with my creativity. I would smoke and take photographs, a highly therapeutic practice. Plus, I could finally concentrate on the important things in my life.
Unfortunately, the following years of high school also brought a lot of hardship. My list of pharmaceuticals grew, largely because they were so accessible. My then-boyfriend referred me to a doctor who’d grant any request. As a result, I was on a variety of medications on top of the Vyvanse, including Lexapro, Xanax -- the works. These buried my emotions. When it was no longer effective, coke and alcohol helped numb emotions that overwhelmed me.
Making big, important changes
After graduating high school, I was ready for a major change. It was time to actually listen to my body. I stopped all mind-altering substances except for cannabis. Weaning off was too difficult and had a large margin for lingering temptation, so I chose to go cold turkey. The hardest part came next. Everything I had been avoiding came crashing down. Deep-rooted conflicts faced me head-on.
In a way, increasing my cannabis consumption was a trade off. But cannabis has benefited my health with virtually no long-term health consequences (physical or mental). So I’d still choose this path any day.
I have two pieces of advice for using cannabis as a recovery aid coming off drugs. One, prepare to take a lot of naps. And this is actually good. Withdrawal is hell. If you can sleep through it, consider that a blessing. Remember that despite how you feel on these sleepy days, you'll get back after enough rest. Second, go with the gassier strains (i.e. a sour or GMO). These are the types that will really slow your mind down, allowing you to work through the chaos.
Always go your own way
Cannabis is less harmful to the heart than a cup of coffee. It’s better for the brain than a glass of wine. All in all, that makes for a remarkably good vice. Weed can be an incredible building block to a holistic lifestyle. Right now, I feel content. I don’t have the urge to indulge in substances which are toxic to me. I feel more serotonin in my brain and a greater capacity to produce it. The fog in my mind has dissipated.
Like I said, everyone is different. For example, I’ve never had a “bad” weed experience even though most have at some point. What’s certain is that weed has a great potential for helping you cope with emotions rather than hide them. It’s a ritualistic, meditative way to work through what’s right in front of you. My recovery was spurred by cannabis. It helped me to simply do one thing towards a goal each day. Overtime, these little things grew tremendously.