I was a hospice nurse when a work accident suddenly ended my career and altered my life drastically. It left me disabled with a spinal injury, limited mobility, and constant excruciating pain.

It seems so silly now, but I was so scared to try cannabinoid therapy. Even though I was taking opiates and benzodiazepines around the clock to manage the pain and muscle spasms.

It’s silly because I had already tried EVERYTHING else, including a major surgery that left me in an even worse condition. But the stigma of medical marijuana frightened me so much, and a risky surgery was more socially acceptable. Deep down, I didn’t believe a plant could help me when morphine barely touched the pain.

Finally, my mom convinced me to try medical marijuana. “You’ve tried everything else,” she said, “you have to try this.” The day I started MMJ is the day I stopped taking benzos and opiates. I haven’t needed them since, and it’s been nearly two years.

The first time I used medical marijuana, the spasms just melted away and the pain lifted. I knew at that moment, this plant could give me a bit of my life back.

Now, cannabinoid therapy is not a magical cure. It hasn’t healed my spine or returned my full range of motion. But MMJ has enhanced my quality of life on a massive scale. Cannabinoids control my pain and spasms without the harsh side effects of opiates.

I’ll never have my hospice nursing career back, but I created MarijuanaMommy.com to help others buck the stereotype and try medical marijuana because this plant is changing lives around the globe. It’s time to stop fearing it.

-Jessie