Patient: Matt R. Johnson
Age: 27.
Condition/Illness: Anxiety, stress, sleep deprivation, body pain and headaches.
Home: Pasadena.
Using medical cannabis since: 2008.
Why did you start using medical marijuana?
I had heard a few friends talk about using it as a pain reliever and sleep aid. The other effects, such as calmness and euphoria, made for a nice package deal in one natural form. It seemed a good alternative to downing pills with all sorts of additives.
How has medical marijuana changed the quality of your life?
It always snaps me out of a negative thought process. Marijuana helps me not to stress or worry over the smaller details of life. There are so many aspects to marijuana—which make it the wonder medicine it is—that I could go on about them for days.
Did you try other methods or treatments before marijuana?
Yes, other doctors had prescribed various medications for me over a number of years. A couple of medications seemed to help lighten my moods, one made my depression and anxiety worse. In comparison to marijuana, the prior medications don’t hold a candle to the power of the plant.
What’s the most important issue or problem facing medical marijuana patients in California?
Not much anymore, it seems. New laws are in the works all the time now. Full legalization is just around the corner. The current problem is the closing of many great dispensaries, which reduces competition, but still leaves a high demand.
What campaigns, groups or advocacy organizations are you involved with?
I’m not an active member of any official organization. If you’re looking for a category to fit me into, I like to think of myself as a new age hippie, who will fight for his right to smoke a joint if I so choose.
What do you say to folks who are skeptical about marijuana as medicine?
People should try it and the benefits will become instantly clear. There are a lot of medical and scientific studies that have been done worldwide to support the health benefits of smoking marijuana, but many people in America don’t know that. (Jasen T. Davis)
Our new “Profiles in Courage” feature is intended to highlight the problems—and solutions—that Southern California’s medical marijuana patients face every day.
