Tampa comedian Steve Miller got a medical marijuana card and finally has control of his anxiety

Medical marijuana has calmed the anxiousness and much exceeded the hopes of perpetual pessimist Steve Miller.Photograph by Jennifer Seifried / Design by Jack Spatafora

The car parking zone of a Widespread Panic present, public parks, avenue corners, I’ve purchased hashish in lots of locations. The one factor these transactions all had in frequent was that they have been by no means authorized. Years in the past, I smoked so much, and I by no means obtained the attract of medical marijuana. Certain, I knew it had actual tangible medical advantages. Nevertheless, I by no means understood why we have been all pretending that marijuana was nonetheless some massive, unhealthy, scary evil. I additionally assumed medical marijuana can be an overpriced inconvenience that might be an even bigger trouble than making small speak with a chatty seller. I used to be squarely within the leisure legalization camp, hoping we may simply skip the entire medical “charade.” Years in the past, I additionally used to assume I might run a marathon, so for sure, my “years in the past” viewpoints left so much to be desired.

Any vital cultural shift takes time, and hashish acceptance isn’t any completely different. Generations of “Reefer Insanity” propaganda wanted to be undone so the cloistered residents of the ethical majority do not get their cancel culture-fearing, healthcare-withholding sensibilities in a bunch. The excellent news is that the notion of marijuana as a society eroding evil has fallen quickly. Over two-thirds of the American public are now pro-legalization, rising greater than 100% since 1969. The Florida Supreme Court docket even needed to block voters from chiming in whether to legalize recreational adult use of marijuana in 2022.

This elevated public acceptance of hashish is mirrored by its authorized standing. There are solely two states that still have full prohibition. I am taking a look at you, Idaho and Nebraska. Within the greater 48 states, marijuana is both medically or fully authorized. 

As the general public notion of marijuana began to shift in direction of legalization, my very own habits had me shifting away from hashish. After a few unhealthy experiences with edibles the place I managed to get excessive sufficient to punch a gap into the space-time continuum, I assumed that perhaps marijuana wasn’t for me. Pre-medical marijuana, I did not know the dosage of something I used to be taking. In my youthful exuberance, I persistently overindulged. If each time you drank liquor, you drank your complete bottle of Jagermeister, you’d in all probability assume that perhaps ingesting wasn’t for you. That’s exactly the error I used to be repeatedly making. One brownie makes me really feel good; two will make me really feel nice! Uh oh, time now not has which means, and I’m dropping observe of my very own being because it melts into the good ether that’s this universe. Ultimately, I turned my again on marijuana, satisfied that it was merely “not for me.”

Years glided by, I give up ingesting alcohol, and my low-level anxiousness points blossomed right into a full-blown panic dysfunction. I went to a psychiatrist, targeted on meditation, modified my weight loss plan, and tried numerous different distractions. Some have been efficient, others not a lot. If anybody desires a stack of grownup coloration books and coloring pencils, I obtained a deal for you. After a few years, issues started to normalize. I finished renewing my Xanax prescriptions and was seeing the sunshine on the finish of the tunnel. However as anybody that has ever suffered from anxiousness is aware of, it can rear its head once more at surprising instances and in surprising methods. When these instances would come, I had extra instruments to take care of it, however I might nonetheless discover myself white-knuckling my means by means of too many days. That’s after I started exploring hashish and CBD for reduction.

I had doubts; I imply, I’ve anxiousness, that sort of comes with the territory. If you happen to present me a good suggestion, I’ll discover the flaw. It is an actual deal with. So I started what I used to be positive can be a journey by means of pink tape, excessive costs, and bureaucratic delays. 

I booked my appointment with a health care provider by means of Doc MJ—a Clearwater-based firm with 29 areas throughout Florida. Jackie Rothman, COO of Doc MJ, informed CL that her firm has processed greater than 86,000 medical hashish sufferers statewide within the final 4 years.

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Considered one of their operators gave me a name and talked me by means of your complete course of. He was educated and pleasant. We spoke on a Friday, and I had an appointment to see the doc the next Wednesday. Instantly I used to be inspired. They obtained me in to see a health care provider quicker than my basic practitioner ever has. The day of my appointment got here, and the expertise was streamlined to perfection. My appointment time was 3:30 p.m., and I noticed the physician by 3:35 p.m.—remarkable! No ready room after the ready room, no lengthy delay. We talked for a bit about my experiences with anxiousness and my previous therapies. He provided me some strategies, answered my questions, and offered me with a bevy of knowledge. I used to be out earlier than 4 p.m. I finalized the method on-line at residence, despatched the state their cash, and waited. Per week later, I obtained an e-mail with my approval and my ID card, which meant I may go to the dispensary. 

Out of sheer pleasure, I drove to the closest dispensary. It was a Curaleaf location. First issues first, there was a buy-one-get-one particular. You guys, there are specials. BOGO marijuana, it was sufficient to make my 19-year-old self tear up. You recognize these actually nice bartenders or sommeliers that pay attention enthusiastically to what you want and patiently information you thru the choices to just be sure you get what you’re on the lookout for? Yeah, that was the kind of man that labored with me. We talked for some time, and I walked out with a pair Indica vape cartridges, a battery to make use of them with, and a few fast-acting hybrid edibles with actual dosages. Armed with these merchandise and steerage, I used to be in a position to take pleasure in marijuana with out having to query my existence on this universe. 

Medical marijuana has far exceeded my hopes. Lastly, I do know what works for me. I do know precisely how a lot to take, and I can handle my anxiousness successfully with no need any capsules. Certain there are unintended effects, the Grateful Useless makes extra sense to me than ever earlier than, however nothing good comes with out a few unintended effects. 

Leisure marijuana legalization looks like an inevitability, however I shall be saying mea culpas for my short-sightedness between taking puffs of Orange Kush Cake till then.

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