Maximum Yield Cannabis USA August / September 2017 | Page 69

Did you use concentrated forms of cannabis, dabs for example? It’s funny you ask me that question. When the symptoms of drug withdrawal became unbear- able, I did use THC-rich dabs. They helped me sleep when I couldn’t. Sleeping during the heroin detox process is virtually impossible and dabs where incredibly helpful in that period. That was the only time I took cannabis in that form. You use cannabis on a daily basis, but have you considered giving it up or reducing the dose? I’ve thought about it, but the truth is cannabis is now part of what I am. It helps me with my daily routine, physically and psychologically. I don’t really see a reason to quit. Doctors prescribe drugs that must be taken every day and that are very harmful to health. What I do is go for a natural treatment that works better than the chemical ones and that helps me fight depression, anxiety, and backache. For me, it works much bet- ter than all the therapies I’ve tried before. So, you don’t use dabs anymore? What type of cannabis do you use and how? That’s right, I have given up extractions. I pre- fer CBD-rich strains with lower THC levels. That’s what works best for me, but it might not be the case for everyone. Do you feel you have replaced one addiction with another one? At this stage of my life, if my cannabis addiction has replaced my heroin addiction, then I’m grateful. Believe me, I wouldn’t be here giving this interview were it not for cannabis. Sleeping during the heroin detox process is virtually impossible and dabs were incredibly helpful in that period.” Do you know similar cases? People that have overcome their heroin addiction thanks to cannabis? Yes, I know people from California and Colorado. There aren’t many cases in New York because of the cannabis legislation. I believe that if the legal framework was different, there would be more cases. Cannabis for medicinal use is legal, but not for the treatment of addictions. I believe that if this option was taken into account, heroin consumption would drop noticeably. We are now working on a project that promotes cannabis dur- ing the heroin detoxification process and we are encountering many difficulties because of the legal issue. Is this method suitable for everybody or does it depend on each person’s organism? I think that if you choose the right program, the method can work for everybody. Cannabis is a very special plant that, if used correctly, really makes something change in your mind. It can benefit all opioid addicts and help them stay clean. The program itself must be very well-structured and focus on the patients’ personal situation too, not only on heroin detoxifica- tion. I think this kind of programs should educate patients on cannabis as well, and have a section on cultivation and other aspects of the plant. This kind of training could be really useful for them to find a job in the cannabis industry in the future. Precisely how did cannabis help you give up heroin? Does it really reduce the symptoms of drug withdrawal? It can’t be understood as a separate element; it is part of a process. The first thing I did when I decided to get clean was to stay away of all the people that had something to do with the heroin world. Cannabis gave me a new outlook on life. It hit something in my mind and somehow my anxiety and my heroin craving decreased. Cannabis has changed my life in many ways, not only in terms of my heroin addiction. It has been incredibly helpful both physically and psychologically. As for the second part of the question, the answer is yes. I don’t think I would have been able to endure withdrawal symptoms had it not been for cannabis. As I said before, I’ve been in many detox programs in New York, but the one with cannabis has been the only one to really help with my addiction. I worked for months in the cannabis fields of a farm in California and that made me appreciate the plant. At present, I am happy and finally free of heroin, and I’m really grateful for that. Dinafem Seeds is a feminized and autoflowering cannabis seeds company. Since its inception over a decade ago, it has created renowned varieties such as Moby Dick, Critical +, and Amnesia Auto. Dinafem is committed to maximum quality throughout its entire productive process, from the moment of harvest to the final destination in its client’s hands.  myhydrolife.com grow. heal. learn. enjoy. 67