Today on the Utah in the Weeds Podcast Tim and Chris talk with a medical marijuana patient who uses cannabis for Ulcerative Colitis.
Get in touch with Kenyon on his Instagram, @beehive.cannabis.culture
Tim is at UtahMarijuana.org and Chris is at the IAmSaltLake.com podcast.
Kenyon talks about his medical history and overall health [02:30]
Kenyon was diagnosed with severe ulcerative colitis in 2014. He was put on immunosuppressants, like Humira, and was okay for a couple of years. However, in 2016, he had a bad flare-up on his wedding day. He was put on steroids to control it.
To put things in perspective, Tim explains the severity of ulcerative colitis and the complications around it [03:56]
There are different levels of ulcerative colitis. The steroid prescribed is usually Prednisone, 60mg a day, which has unfortunate side-effects like water-retention. People can also have bad psychoactive responses to these steroids. Kenyon confirms that he nearly broke up with his wife, his then fiancée, because the Prednisone gave him bad paranoia.
Kenyon describes his introduction to cannabis [08:00]
Kenyon’s brother-in-law in Arizona, where Medical Cannabis was already legal, got diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and also had to have his colon removed. He found that cannabis was very effective for pain relief. On a visit to Arizona in March, just as everything was shutting down for COVID, Kenyon decided to try it as well.
What Medical Cannabis products is Kenyon using now? [12:10]
He first started using vape cartridges but now prefers flower, as he finds it most effective and the easiest way to gauge appropriate doses. He also can’t help but remember when people died of ‘popcorn lung’ as a result of counterfeit vape cartridges. He buys his flower from the pharmacies and only uses vape cartridges when flower is not readily available.
What was the discussion like with Kenyon’s wife about him starting to use Medical Cannabis? [15:20]
Kenyon admits that talking to his wife about his medical cannabis usage wasn’t easy, as cannabis (even now) is still somewhat of a taboo subject. It was a difficult subject to raise, particularly because they both belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She had the misconception, as many do, that the church was completely against cannabis use.
Does Kenyon prefer oral or inhaled methods of taking his medication? [19:34]
Obviously, inhaling takes effect a lot more quickly than ingesting, but then ingesting lasts a lot longer, so his use depends on what he needs. He’s got flower, vape cartridges, gummies, and tinctures. When he’s in a lot of pain, especially at nighttime, then he’ll take a gummy because he knows it’ll last all day and he’ll wake up feeling good.
Has Kenyon’s use increased over time, and is he beginning to find stability in his dosing? [22:44]
Kenyon says that he started with low doses because he wanted to make sure that his body could tolerate it, and needed to determine how different dosages would affect him. His usage then increased from there. However, he now only uses medical cannabis when needed, which is a few times a week.
What are Kenyon’s thoughts on recreational cannabis use? [26:09]
Whenever Kenyon tells people that he has a Medical Card for cannabis, one of the first questions they usually ask is, “what about recreational use”? Kenyon doesn’t see an issue with people who use cannabis recreationally. He thinks of it along the same lines as alcohol.
Did Kenyon ever try CBD products prior to using THC?? [27:50]
He didn’t try anything that was “pharmaceutical” grade. He had tried some CBD oil just for trying to help with pain and sleep, but he didn’t notice a huge difference. It was also so expensive that it wasn’t really worth it. It was just better to stay on the sleeping medication he was on at the time.
Kenyon talks about his overall positive experience of being a Medical Cannabis user in Utah [33:07]
His mom was apprehensive at first, having grown up in an era that viewed marijuana in a very negative light. Kenyon sent her articles that convinced her of Medical Cannabis’ legitimacy.
Time Stamp:
00:00- Kenyon talks about his medical history and overall health
03:56- To put things in perspective, Tim explains the severity of ulcerative colitis and the complications around it
08:00- Kenyon describes his introduction to cannabis
12:10- What Medical Cannabis products is Kenyon using now?
15:20- What was the discussion like with Kenyon’s wife about him starting to use Medical Cannabis?
19:34- Does Kenyon prefer oral or inhaled methods of taking his medication?
22:44- Has Kenyon’s use increased over time, and is he beginning to find stability in his dosing?
26:09- What are Kenyon’s thoughts on recreational cannabis use?
33:07- Kenyon talks about his overall positive experience of being a Medical Cannabis user in Utah
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