MY STORY

I'm Carrie, an Arizona cannabis coach, inventor, small business owner, wife and mother of three boys. I have spent the last 20 years owning and operating an Arizona small business specializing in American muscle car restorations and parts manufacturing.

I've struggled with Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), anxiety and debilitating migraines since I was a child. My childhood was less than stellar - my mother suffered from mental illness and was very abusive to our family. The stress and trauma of my childhood took the form of severe anxiety in my early 20's. I spent most of that decade fearing what would happen if I left my "safe space". I was constantly fed antidepressants, anti anxiety, muscle relaxers and very potent migraine medications from various doctors. Sometimes my anxiety manifested itself as debilitating pain, i.e. kidney pain, ovary pain and chronic diarrhea. Finally, after one doctor suggested exploratory surgery, I had enough and decided to take control of my life.

I quit my job, ditched all but the antidepressant medication and began researching how and why I was feeling so poor. I began talking to other people with like symptoms, strangers, family members and even neighbors about my "condition". What I found out is that I was really no different from every other person trying to get by in life. . .I was just handling it differently. . .and poorly, I might add.

After that, things got better. Nothing was ever perfect but I was able to learn how to deal with my anxieties and migraines to a point where they were bearable. It was my RLS that gave me a run for my money. During my childhood and early adulthood I suffered from RLS periodically, maybe once a month, and would meditate or as a final straw take some melatonin to help me sleep (it always comes on at night). That worked until I became pregnant with our second son in 2012. My RLS went into overdrive during my third trimester and I spent several nights walking aimlessly back and forth between my bedroom and kitchen just to get some relief. It was horrible and being pregnant, my doctor would not recommend or give me anything that offered relief. I once went 4 days with zero sleep; you think new baby sleep deprivation is bad, try hugely pregnant sleep deprivation! Luckily, once I had my boy, my RLS episodes went back to their sporadic appearances. That is, until I got pregnant again! This time I knew what I was in for so I took extra precautions to try and prevent the episodes. Nothing worked and just like my last pregnancy, I spent my third trimester pacing my house and going days with no sleep. Just like before, I knew that childbirth would be the cure! Boy was I wrong. Instead of going back to my periodic episodes, my RLS stuck around after my third son was born. Talk about not having a clue what to do.

Now, anyone who has experienced sleep deprivation knows what I am talking about when I say that you literally feel like you are going crazy. Add to that the feeling that tiny little bugs are crawling all under the skin of your legs and you are ripe for a nervous breakdown. My doctor prescribed Klonopin. This was supposed to kill two birds with one stone since I still suffered from anxiety attacks. My doctor thought the Klonopin would 'relax' my extremities enough to calm the RLS. Wouldn't you know it, it actually worked. I was so happy to be sleeping at night, not getting the heebie jeebies all the time and not suffering from the anxiety that went along with no sleep and RLS. Problem solved. . . not so fast. What my doctor failed to mention is that Klonopin is super addictive - just as much as Xanax, Valium or Ativan except the side effects are much much worse. I found myself suffering from Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) constantly. So much so that it was affecting my work, my communication and my sleep. So, something I took to help me sleep was now preventing me from sleeping. Honestly, I thought I was doomed.

Along came medicinal marijuana also known as cannabis. I had gotten high a few times in high school and college but by no means considered myself a regular user. I mean, I knew what it did, how it made me feel and that I managed to live through doing it a few times. That was basically my understanding of weed. I first tried medical cannabis for my migraines. A good friend of mine had recently done a job change and was now managing a cannabis cultivation center. This is where they actually grow the cannabis that they will later sell. He urged me to try some of "his" product. I honestly did not see how getting stoned was going to help me. I mean, when I get a migraine, it is debilitating and I am stuck in bed for days. I didn't see how being stuck in bed and stoned was going to improve my schedule. But, hey, I was desperate so I got my card, purchased some edibles and a vape pen and tried it. I hated it. I got really stoned, really dehydrated, my headache was 10x worse when the cannabis wore off and I felt like I had the worst hangover of my life. I spent the next year complaining that medical cannabis is a joke and did nothing for the pain associated with my headaches. Sure, I didn't have any migraine pain when I was stoned but who cares, I was still useless and the side effects were not worth the tiny bit of relief I did get. Needless to say, I was not a fan of cannabis.

That all changed when I met Greg. Considered an industry friend, Greg was a staple in the automotive industry and chimed in on almost all of the message boards my business was a member of. Like with most internet friends, it was friendly banter back and forth, advise and updates on classic car projects. Until one day, Greg was gone. . .no more posts, no more updates, just gone. Granted it was weird but not uncommon. People get busy with their own lives and veer away from their internet ones. I didn't think much of it, until Greg came back to the message boards with a story that seemed impossible. You see, Greg had gotten sick. At first, he thought it was just the flu or a cold that just wouldn't quit but after several doctors visits he was told the most horrible news. He had liver cancer and would not live past three months. Greg thought long and hard about what he wanted to do. He did not want to do Chemo, especially since the doctors were telling him it would not cure him, only postpone his life, for another three months if he was lucky. So, Greg decided to just die.

As you can imagine, that decision did not sit well with his adult children and he was urged by his son, who had been an avid marijuana user for years, to try using concentrated cannabis oil to treat his cancer. The method he suggested is called RSO and stands for Rick Simpson Oil. This method got its name from its creator, Rick Simpson, who claims to have cured his melanoma cancer by using super concentrated versions of marijuana he made at home. It took some doing but Greg relented and agreed to the three month treatment. Needless to say, Greg is still around, ornery as ever and gives medical cannabis 100% of the credit for saving his life. As of today, there is no sign of his liver cancer and the only ailment left over from his diagnosis is the stent they placed in his liver that he has to have "cleaned out" every six months. I couldn't believe it. I mean, I really couldn't believe it. I called BS on the whole story but after reading up on RSO and scouring the internet for success stories, talking to survivors and touring a cultivation center I couldn't deny the fact that medical cannabis was working for tons of people with a variety of diseases from general pain to full blown brain cancer.

So what did I do wrong? This is where the light bulb came on for me. I spent the next year doing so much research that my head was going to literally explode. What I found was there is a ton of information out there about the benefits of medical cannabis but it is impossible to find. State dispensaries should be the end all for information but they tend to generalize people's ailments and recommend things that are too potent, too expensive or unrealistic in terms of functionality. Just like prescription drugs, medical cannabis should be tailored to each person and their symptoms. What works for me, may not work for you. Think of it like wine. . .if I asked you to name every type and brand of wine you would be completely overwhelmed by the amount of options out there. Cannabis is the same. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands different types and strains of cannabis out there and they all react differently for different people and ailments. I also learned that you don't have to get stoned or high to get relief. I figured out later, that when I tried medical cannabis for the first time I did way too much. I literally only needed 1% of what I tried to get sustainable relief and still be able to function. Now, I am a regular medical cannabis user for both my migraines and RLS and have never felt better.

After experiencing positive effects from medical cannabis, I began spreading the word. I felt that this could be the miracle everyone over 40 has been looking for. I made it my mission to educate and coach those willing to learn about the benefits of medical cannabis. Now, I counsel men and women from 18 to 80 on how to use medical cannabis effectively without the fear of becoming a drug addict or losing their minds. There is a ton of misconception out there regarding the drug and if you are part of America's senior generation, then you were bombarded with negative ads and stereotypes during the 60s-70s and 80s that portrayed cannabis as a gateway drug that is dangerous, deadly and makes you lazy and stupid. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I take great pride in helping people find the relief they deserve while educating them on the benefits of medical cannabis. The more people that know the benefits, the more people can improve their quality of life.

I can help you. Let me try.