Don de Leaumont – Profile in Courage

Patient Name: Don de Leaumont
Age: 44

Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Condition/Illness: Low Spectrum Bipolar/Anxiety

Using Medical Cannabis Since: 2016

Why did you start consuming cannabis?

I have always been a cannabis smoker but never really put two and two together that it was actually helping me with my mental illness. About two years ago or so, I started getting cannabis from someone who works with medicinal patients, so I was able to actually get the specific strains that I need for my condition. Cannabis offers me a specific feeling of calmness and creativity.

Did you try other methods or treatments before cannabis?

I am currently on meds for my mental illness, but the cannabis serves as the perfect companion for the meds that I take on a daily basis.

What’s the most important issue or problem facing medical cannabis patients?

For me, it’s the social and legal stigma. Not all people who smoke or use cannabis do so just to do it. While there are recreational users of cannabis, ask just about any user, and they’ll tell you that it helps them in physically and/or mentally in one form or another. I think if other states would look at the success of states like Colorado and California, they would see that the good far outweighs the bad.

What do you say to those who are skeptical about cannabis as medicine?

I say don’t knock it until you’ve tried it, but do so responsibly. Ask around, and find folks who are using for medicinal reasons, and ask questions. Do your research. Most of all, keep your mind opened.  You may just find yourself very surprised at the results.