I Use Medical Marijuana To Treat My PTSD

Decades ago I suffered a lightning strike that left me afraid of turning on a clothes dryer for years.

At the time, I didn’t have any of the mental health problems that I do now, like depression and anxiety, so it was hard for me to put into words to my family and friends how I felt about my experience.

I was definitely traumatized by it, and my trauma manifested itself mostly in insomnia, night terrors, and the occasional random panic attack.

It would be years before I was actually diagnosed with PTSD, but long before that, in my twenties I started smoking weed for the first time — and it completely changed my life.

Back then, I had to deal with a number of shady drug dealers and the stress that went along with procuring weed illegally.

However, as soon as medical marijuana was legalized in my state eight years ago, I went straight to a prescribing psychiatrist and told him about all of my problems.

Without weed — because sometimes I would run out and not be able to get anymore for days or weeks at a time — I would wake up in the middle of the night, heart pounding, covered in sweat.

Sometimes I wouldn’t even remember what I was dreaming about, but often I would have horrible nightmares that were like something out of a horror movie, Event Horizon style.

When I had these night terrors, I wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep because my body was on high alert and my brain couldn’t shut off.

It was maddening.

Medical marijuana changed everything for me.

Although it’s expensive to renew the registration for it every year, it’s worth it because the prices and quality of the products at the dispensary are lower and better than what is on the street these days.

I never have to worry about running out of my weed and having a bad night, and I haven’t had a night terror in years.

I can’t say enough about the benefits of marijuana and the great impact it’s had on my life, and that’s why I want to write more about it, share my stories, and break the stigma surrounding marijuana in America.

Weed didn’t just relieve the symptoms of my PTSD, weed eradicated them.

At this point in time, medical marijuana is legal in 33 states, and it’s legal for retail sale in eleven states, and with the scales tipping toward medical marijuana being legal everywhere, I am even more excited to advocate for its potential benefits based on my experiences.

I am only one person with one qualifying condition, but there are millions out there who are currently benefiting from medical marijuana treatment and, unfortunately, millions more who don’t have access to what I believe is a miracle cure.

Marijuana users need to start speaking up and sharing their stories of how weed helps them so that we can end the stigma and this stupid war on drugs that have already been lost on all fronts.

This is the time for change.

Toke on, comrades.