Improving Quality of Life with Cannabis: A Tale of Feisty Shirley
Art Courtesy of Casey Renteria
What Does Quality of Life Mean to You?
This means something different to all of us. For those that suffer with mental or emotional struggles it can mean they make an active effort to protect their mental health and these actions contribute to their quality of life. While those of us with physical limitations this could mean a gadget, medicine, or way of thinking to just make our days a little bit less challenging. The Quality of Life Research Unit at the University of Toronto defines this as “how much a person can enjoy the valued possibilities of their lives.”
A Typical Tuesday in a Cannabis Shop
It was like any other Tuesday in a pot shop. The elderly woman, and what I assumed was her daughter, who were standing on the opposite side of the counter from me were just like the hundreds of others I have spoken with over the years. These conversations generally start with the younger of the two laying out their reasons for being there, while the older looks around in a mix of awe, disbelief, and bashfulness. Let me tell you, Shirley was not impressed and the farthest thing from bashful.
The Feisty First Encounter: Meeting Shirley
“You better not get me high! I’m not here to get high!” Shirley scolded. Trying not to feel like I was 6 years old again being yelled at by grandma, I reassured her that she did not have to get high to see if cannabis would be beneficial to her. After a satisfactory “yes” and followed by a “no” to the two most important questions in cannabis retail, “Have you spoken with your doctor about trying cannabis” and “do you take any prescriptions that have a grapefruit warning”, we got into the reason she was standing before me.
The Struggle with Prescription Painkillers
Like so many others, too many others, Shirley’s knowledge of cannabis came from a know-it-all neighbor and then a shoulder shrug from her doctor. She got her hands on someone’s homemade topical and began to apply it once a week to her shoulder in hopes that it would replace her Percocet, she had been saddled with for almost 30 years.
The Consultation: Navigating Medication and Cannabis
This part of any cannabis consultation is always difficult if you’re in it to help the patient. At some point you have to take the patient's word for it. These are adults and ultimately must be treated as such.
The CBD Solution: A Sweet Compromise
So, I let Shirley know how very important it was not to mix certain medications with cannabis as they could either make those drugs more or less potent, depending on the drug. With a dismissive wave of her hand and a nod of acceptance I explained why the topical wasn’t touching her pain and took her through her possible choices. My go-to is always a low dose of CBD with new-to-cannabis patients, even with the potential to have a tolerance due to the duration of other medications. In this case it was a sugar-free hard candy. Afterall, what seasoned lady doesn’t like hard candy? Before the package even hit the counter for her inspection, Shirley muttered under her breath that she better not get high.
The Follow-Up: A Milestone in Quality of Life
Shirley held up her end of the bargain and came back a few times to tweak the dosage and ratio and to make my day. The last time I saw Shirley, she proudly told me that she finally bought eggs and milk again. Confused, I asked her if she had been boycotting cows and chickens, as plucky women have a tendency to do. Shaking her silver curls she said, “The pain got really bad there for a while and I was so tired after grocery shopping that once I got home, I didn’t have the strength to put the groceries away. I had to stop buying eggs and milk because they would spoil by the time I could recoup and unload the trunk.”
The Power of Cannabis in Everyday Life
I was punched in the heart that afternoon. I couldn’t swallow the instant lump in my throat, all I could do was nod and keep watery eye contact. She stood taller as she said, “But today, Angie, I was able to put eggs and milk in my fridge again! Right after shopping! Can you believe it?!” Trying to make light of this very heavy statement and regain my composure, I said “Shirley! That’s really fantastic news! And in more good news, I managed to avoid getting my ass kicked in public!” With a chuckle and twin smiles between us, Shirley made her purchase with confidence and went home to bake cupcakes for her grandkids from scratch for the first time in a long time.