What Drives my Cannabis Passion, this is long winded.
Yesterday at The National Cannabis Festival in Washington, DC, I told one of my colleagues, the reason behind my drive. Let me say this first, some days its because of my drive that I make it thru each day. ( I had not even realized it, until i heard my story coming out of my own mouth, yesterday)
I've lived a long time, done a lot of things and experienced things that I wish were not true. Here goes... About 20 years ago, I was diagnosed with Lupus, SLE. and throw in some Lyme Disease from living in the country. At first it was a revolving door of Doctors, tests, years of up and down sickness, horrible symptoms, prednisone, and more doctor visits. With much of my own research trial and error of experimenting - I was able to get into a pretty good groove of wellness. Years of Weight training and mental focus, it was what I used to trick my mind into a reasonable pattern of being almost well for periods of time. I fought each day with food allergies, environmental sensitivities, mold toxicity and frankly things doctors nor I could explain.
It was not good for my marriage, and I tried to not let it interfere with my mothering job to our children. I fought a never ending fight of pain, episodes and depression because of the up and down illness. People were always offering wanted and unwanted advise. But for the most part, with a few supplements and a restricted diet I did it on my own and could manage and get by.
Then the unthinkable, a devastating car crash in 2012. The crash changed my world forever. All that I had done to stay healthy, the platform that was working was gone. My brain was scrambled with a Traumatic Brain Injury, and permanent spine trauma upper and lower Spine. This put me in a very vulnerable place. I was alone, I was not functioning, I was in mind blowing pain and I didnt even know how to write my name. And all i was given was Oxycodone.. no Fucking way!
Ill leave out all the details of therapy and examinations, but lets just say it was 3 years of hell, on top of learning to write again, learning vocabulary again, physical and mental therapy. Learning occupational therapy how to get by. and sooo many more doctor appointments and pills for what - to wither and exist. How messed up is that. The accident sent the Lupus episodes to go crazy which made for very dark days and nights.
I am a lifelong mild Bi-polar, something that was just part of me, what I used as fuel and embraced in my art. But now there was no more ART, my hands are either pain of Numb with neuralgia and partially paralyzed from the accident, and my legs didnt work with my brain telling them to walk. Well, this new BROKEN and handicapped me, was now my death sentence. Each day was a repeat of the one before... They were all very Dark.
SO, I prepared my Last Will and Testament, and was not in a good place. I went on Life Quest and attempted to hike the entire John Muir Trail out west. I was really thinking it would kill me. (It almost did... but the human body hangs on even when you think its over )
Once I returned home. I had a friend suggest Cannabis. I was totally resistant. Thinking I have never done it, and how could something so insignificant help. So I continued to say NO. Then one day he showed up with some grey market "WEED" in a bag. He gave it to me with a recipe for making cannabutter. Since I only trust the food I make. ( OK, so I made the butter, and i used it... I felt pretty good, I used more an more each day... ) I was beginning to feel like a person again, the fog slowly lifting. Totally amazed with this discovery... it was Not a Cure, but I was starting to walk better, think clearer - everything was improving )
Then I got even more bold, I asked for help in "The Gym" Now Ive always been in a gym... but it was so hard now with my messed up body - the pain was not like regular Gym Pain - it was like a whirling mental and physical tornado. But with Repetition and muscle memory, I started rapidly improving. ( Plus getting out, being in the gym around familiar faces, people cheering me on it helped so much my cognitive functions were improving too) That is when I taught myself how to paint in watercolors again. This was a hard nut to crack. Watercolors are hard, now with hands that dont work how was I gonna do it... but i figured out a way. Its not nearly as relaxing as it used to be - but I cant still create and that makes me happy. Creating is why I am on this planet !
Then a setback.... I started an allergic response to eating the Cannabis, I was like NO! That is not gonna happen. That is when I began Vaping CBD, and Vaping CBD & THC... and learned many other applications and ways to use CANNABIS. This step in the process was a game changer... I am now human again. YES, I still have crazy full body pain, migraines etc.. but most of my days are pretty darn good, once i get the Cannabis in me at 6 AM, and continue all day vaping and even smoking "Flower" when I dont have a handy vape.
During this process, I started researching and saw the stories of so many others" How could i get my message out there, how could I make a difference, How could I help and motivate others". I started attending Cannabis Professional meetings and as hard as it is with PTSD and social phobia from the TBI, I push myself to go - I started networking and that is when we developed the Linda Biggs Rolling Papers, and vended at the 2nd National Cannabis Festival. That was the turning point. I saw with my own eyes, so many other who use cannabis as medicine. That gave me the motivation and grit to make this happen.
#CannabisSavesLives... it saved mine. I know all along the way most of the western medicine doctors i visited, were truly practicing medicine to the best of their ability. But it did not work for me... Cannabis has saved my life, and the revolving door and train of doctors visits are no longer!
The Cannabis Journey has not been easy, but worth all the doors and roadblocks along the way.
That is why we created www.CannabisQueenRX.com We hope it inspires you to be your best self too!