I grew up being told cannabis was a) evil, and b) would turn you into some kind of unmotivated loser who sits in their mom’s basement and plays video games all day. I tried it a few times in college, but other than feeling guilty about using it, didn’t think much of it. Fast-forward 12-ish years, I’m struggling with a myriad of health issues despite being into fitness, eating healthy, etc.

My biggest symptom: Debilitating fatigue (mentally and physically). I’d been to half a dozen doctors—traditional and non-traditional—yet nothing would ease the crushing weight of the fatigue. It was in no small way ruining my life. My kids would ask me to play, but I was too tired to get off the couch. (Again, I’m someone who has worked in the fitness industry 10+ years and have healthy habits locked in.)

A friend told me he heard people getting symptom relief from things like this with cannabis. At this point, I was desperate, and willing to think outside of the “cannabis = evil” box I had been taught in my religious upbringing, so I gave it a try.

After using cannabis 3-4x/week for a few months, I felt SO much better. The fatigue is not ‘gone’, but for 3-4 hours following cannabis usage, I do not struggle with it. Which means on those especially hard days, or when I know there’s something going on with my family where I’ll miss out if I’m “too tired”, cannabis has allowed me to fully experience those things once again without the crushing fatigue.

The fact that religion seems hell-bent on writing this plant off as “pure evil”, and the fact that at least medicinal use isn’t legal in all 50 states is a tragedy, and a massive disservice to people who could be benefiting from this powerful plant.