How Medical Marijuana Empowers Patients to Take Control of Their
WELL-BEING
Medical marijuana is a beacon of hope for countless patients seeking physical empowerment and a greater sense of well-being. Society is demanding more holistic approaches to healthcare, which the versatile benefits of cannabis are primed to meet—from chronic pain management to mental health support.
Written by Hannah Vysoky | Edited by Andy Andersen
Wayne Justman, California’s first medical marijuana patient, picks up his compassion donation at Flore Dispensary in San Francisco.
Can medical marijuana transcend traditional treatment modalities, offering patients a newfound sense of control over their health journey? Let’s find out as we delve into the profound impact that medical cannabis is already having on patient autonomy and wellness outcomes.
Empowerment Through Healing
Medical marijuana has evolved and persisted through centuries of stigma. A profound shift in perception within the medical community has helped move us from the widespread skepticism of the 20th century to a place of broad social acceptance. As medical marijuana proliferates, so do its potential uses—empowering patients to find long-term solutions for their chronic or otherwise difficult-to-treat conditions.
Valerie Leveroni Corral, executive director of WAMM Phytotherapies in Santa Cruz, California, found relief in medical cannabis following a traumatic brain injury in 1973. After a series of pharmaceutical drugs provided insufficient relief from her seizures and brought their own debilitating side effects, Leveroni Corral’s then-husband Mike suggested she try using cannabis to help alleviate her symptoms, having read in a medical journal that cannabis showed potential in treating epilepsy.
“Over a period of time, my seizures diminished and I began to find actual, real peace,” Leveroni Corral explains. “The peace from the prison of illness, because that’s a whole other threatening lifestyle. To be ill and to be controlled outside of oneself by an illness.”
Valerie Leveroni-Corral leads a WAMM meeting at Treehouse Dispensary in Santa Cruz, Calif.
Breaking Down Barriers
With her seizures and migraines under control and a hometown where she could grow her own plants, Leveroni Corral experienced a smooth, long-term health regimen with cannabis as the key ingredient.
Until the early ‘90s, when two high-profile arrests inspired other seriously ill local patients to call her for assistance. From there, Leveroni Corral and Mike began distributing cannabis to as many patients as they could. As WAMM — the Wo/men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana — Leveroni Corral and her cohort fostered a community of healing through a grassroots approach to healthcare, where patients and caregivers collaborate on access and necessary treatment.
“We used the collective model to demonstrate the success of serving people whether they had money or not,” explains Leveroni Corral. “Everyone was treated equally. And as knowledge of our organization grew, more people, people who were marginalized, sick people, people who live in poverty were able to come, grow their own medicine and find a place they could call home.”
In 2018, new cannabis regulations prevented WAMM from continuing as a collective. But thanks to the 2020 Dennis Perron and Brownie Mary Act, which restores the ability of legal cannabis suppliers to give free cannabis to those in need, Leveroni Corral re-launched the organization as WAMM Phytotherapies: a new, licensed cannabis company focused on regeneratively grown, affordable cannabis products for those in need.
“Any one-dimensional system is a failed system. It has to have more means by which to measure success,” she admonishes. “Profit can mean the relief of suffering. It can also be in the ways in which people that work together profit individually. Not only financially, but their well-being, their happiness, their family’s security.”
Veterans meditate during a Compassionate Veterans event at Root’d in the 510 Dispensary in Oakland, Calif.
Empowering Patients to Choose
A study conducted by researchers from the University of Amsterdam revealed a correlation between harsh cannabis laws and heightened stigma in various European countries. As the global conversation on cannabis legalization progresses, breaking down these barriers becomes crucial in empowering patients to take control of their well-being.
Access to cannabis as a wellness tool not only expands treatment options for millions in need but also empowers them to participate in their wellness journey actively. Through the lens of empowerment, medical cannabis helps patients to make informed healthcare decisions with confidence and autonomy.