Celebrating My 32nd Birthday with Cannabis >>> How It Has Contributed to My Journey

>>>BY SARAH SCHWEFEL

Six years ago, if you would have asked me what I would be doing to celebrate turning 32, I would have never guessed I would be writing an article for Vegas Cannabis Magazine. Truth is, I wouldn’t have guessed anything, because back then I didn’t think I would live to see this year, the years between then and now, or the years ahead. Six years ago, I didn’t want a future. Six years ago, I was going to take my life because I had extreme levels of suffering and pain and every doctor I saw said there was nothing to be done and that was my forever. And then I found cannabis, and everything changed.

Let’s start from the beginning.

I have a rare connective tissue disorder, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, that quite literally can affect everything in the body. For myself, it causes wide-spread pain, constant muscle spasms, frequent dislocations, gastrointestinal issues, heart issues, many spinal injuries, and so much more. Though it is genetic, I wasn’t always sick. I had a life once without pain, a life that seems like just a dream now. When my Ehlers Danlos Syndrome started to take over every bit of my being, it was not long before I became bed bound most of my days. I went doctor to doctor, thinking there has to be something that can be done, but either I was treated like I was mentally ill or unstable because they never heard of my disease, or they said sorry this is your life and there is nothing to be done. Truth is, when I was going to end my life, I never wanted to die. I never wanted to leave my family. I just couldn’t stand living with extreme constant pain. It’s an emotional and physical war like no other and I was barely surviving.

I first found out what legal-grade cannabis could do for me in January of 2018. Myself and my now husband flew from Wisconsin to Las Vegas to get married. When we first arrived, the pain was taking over and I thought there was no way I could handle the trip. We immediately went to a dispensary. After all, I used cannabis illegally in Wisconsin and it helped some, though I learned it was nothing compared to what legal cannabis could do for me. I met a budtender who saw the tears in my eyes and asked what I needed the cannabis for. Thankfully he was educated and took the time to help me, because that man helped save my life. After about a half a joint, a wave hit me, and my body felt different. I didn’t feel the screaming pain in each step and there was a silence in my body I haven’t had in many years. At first, I thought, is this what it feels like to lose your ability to walk? With my 10 plus spine injuries and spinal instability, it is a possibility. And then I realized it was relief. I broke down on the Strip, crumbled to the ground and cried. For the first time in years, I felt relief from my constant suffering. My husband held my face and promised to move us to Las Vegas. We spent the trip living like I haven’t in years. We took videos of me walking and smiling that had my mom convinced immediately Las Vegas was the place we needed to be, despite never seeing Las Vegas herself before. Leaving felt like torture. To return to suffering knowing there is an option that could help, but I couldn’t have in my home state of Wisconsin. Though I thought we could never up and move 1,800 miles, in August that same year my husband, my mother, and myself made the 1,800-mile drive with our fur babies to our new home in Las Vegas.

Moving to Las Vegas for legal cannabis and the dry climate combined for my health feels like a dream somedays still. Though I still have pain every day, with cannabis I can live beyond the four walls of my bedroom. Cannabis gave me back my smile, laughter, and enjoyment that extreme levels of pain stole from me for many years. Cannabis gave my husband his wife back, my mom her daughter, and for myself my life back. Six years ago, I didn’t think I would live to see this year and I didn’t want to, because when every second of your day is filled with agony with no relief in sight, it’s hard to look forward to tomorrow. And now, this month I am turning 32 years old. I am excited for my future and me and my husband are working on buying our first home here in Las Vegas, planning for the years to come. Without cannabis and without moving, I would not have survived much longer living in Wisconsin. I’ve come close to saying goodbye forever, despite me desperately wanting to find a way to survive; and the way to survive was out here all along. This is why I advocate and share my story and why I study cannabis- to learn how to best medicate with the plant and to help others do the same. If one person can hear my story and find cannabis for themselves and hold on till tomorrow, then it brings a sense of purpose despite my previous senseless suffering.

I wrote this article this month to thank advocates who fight for legalization, because no one should be suffering when there is an option that could help. To thank the budtender who took the time to help me and all the budtenders who educate themselves on the plant. I promise you are changing lives. To thank Vegas Cannabis Magazine for having me as a writer, allowing me to share my journey and passion for teaching about cannabis every month. And to thank my family. Thank you for always standing by me, for up-rooting your lives and moving halfway across the country to save mine. For holding my hand through all the darkness, so we could get to the light we are in today. Love you