Leah’s Success Story

At age 8, my joint pain began.  At 9, I was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis.  Fast forward through years of multiple pharmaceuticals including low-grade chemotherapy drugs, a variety of immune-supression medications and pain medicine. At 17, I was living at home in Colorado and decided to try cannabis.

The effect on my pain and anxiety was nearly immediate.  My pain wasn’t just lowered, it was gone. I hadn’t felt relief like this before. I felt energized and happy; I felt like me for the first time in years.  It was time to go home and tell my mom that I wanted to get my medical cannabis card.

My mom – who is an RN – researched medical cannabis in great depth and reached out to a prescribing physician for my appointment to be evaluated for a medical card.   As a medical cannabis patient in Colorado, I discovered lotions were my favorite. I could rub my knees, hands, and ankles and be able to regain full range of motion within minutes. My parents were thrilled.  I wasn’t in pain and life was looking up. 

Fast forward again.  Now in my mid-twenties and pursuing my undergraduate degree at the University of New Mexico.  I am successful, pain-free and able to say I have also beaten the depression that came with my diagnosis.  All with the help of medical cannabis. While my journey has not always been smooth, I stayed with it until I found what worked for me.  Now, it is my passion to educate other cannabis patients like myself who are just looking for basic quality of life. There is hope. 

related articles

Get updates on the latest products, insights and articles.