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HERBALIST |
CANNABIS HELPS ATHLETE GET BACK IN THE GAME
By Anthony Accinelli
The year is 2004. The stage is Hayward Field; OSAA Track and Field Championships. There’ s a young man lined up on the triple jump runway going through his checklist. A group of college recruiters are sitting in the front row, clipboards in hand, watching his performance.
“ Step back, together, back, together, back, together, back, go!”, he accelerates quickly, takes his first jump, lands for his second, and‘ crack!’ – his lower back tenses in agony.
Two herniated discs. No more running. His dreams of a college scholarship out the door in the blink of an eye.
That young man was me.
Fast forward fourteen years to 2017. Running is still painful. I have a left hamstring injury from long jump, patellar tendinitis from high jump, a left shoulder injury from football, and of course the two herniated discs which are painful even in domestic situations.
Needless to say, I had given up on running. I’ d tried everything; physical therapy, braces, popping pills – you name it, I’ ve tried it. Nothing worked. If it wasn’ t my knee causing me to run with a limp it was my lower back causing numbness in my legs. I had honestly given up hope that I’ d ever run again.
That’ s when I discovered cannabis. It was a joke of sorts, at first. I woke up one morning( on a day off) and took a couple of hits from a vape pen – Durban Poison from Avitas to be exact. Shortly thereafter I had the urge to go on a jog around the block. Without actually realizing what I had done, I went out on what would typically be a painful, frustrating excursion.
Only it wasn’ t. It was quite the opposite. I felt great. My knee didn’ t hurt, my back felt loose, and for the first time in over 14 years I hit my stride. I ran just over 3 miles that day at a sub eight-minute pace, which for me was nothing short of a miracle. Cannabis gave me the ability to run pain free again. It’ s officially part of my morning routine now.
Since that discovery a few months ago I’ ve experimented with doses, strains, and intake methods for both pre and post workout. A couple of puffs from a 2:1 THC / CBD pen before and a highly concentrated CBD tincture after has allowed me the freedom not only to run again, but to explore other sports as well.
I’ ve started rock climbing, a sport I’ ve always had interest in, but with a bad shoulder and
back, was never able to do. It’ s a strange feeling to be at the top of a fifty-foot wall, pain free for the first time since I was a teenager.
Exercise is no longer painful. It’ s no longer a process, a chore. I can play basketball, football, throw the disc around Riverbend Park. Even better than that, I can do dishes without my back writhing in pain. I can be on my feet for an entire day. I can brush my teeth while leaning over the sink and not worry about my lower back seizing.
2017 is a year of change, and it’ s all thanks to cannabis.
HERBALIST | NEWS
BLOOM WELL RENAMES TO SUBSTANCE
Boom Well has decided to rebrand their dispensary and is now known as Substance. They have a fresh new logo and will be coming out with new apparel. What hasn’ t changed is their wide range of product and great customer service. Their friendly staff will help you find whatever form of cannabis you may desire. Whether it is a tincture, edible, vape cartridge, or good old fashion flower, they have some of the best selection in town. They carry high-quality bud from Yerba Buena, Hug Farms, Deschutes Growery, Pistil Point, Roganja and many others.
Substance- the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists and which has a tangible, solid presence. Substance has two locations. The original at, 1814 NE Division St and the new location at 20365 NE Empire Ave( next to Jimmy Johns). They can still be found at: bloomwellbend. com.