SGT. PATIENT: From Hopeless to Victorious

A note about the Sgt. Patient series:

One of the main missions of Hopegrown is to bring awareness to the suffering of those brave souls who have served our country at the expense of their own well-being. We want the general public to understand that responsible use of cannabis is a viable alternative to the side-effect-laden piles of prescription pills that are currently given to veterans battling PTSD.

Sharing real stories from real people who deal with this on a day-to-day basis is the best way we have found to spread awareness. 

We are thankful that veterans like Malcolm May have chosen to share their story here. When you've finished reading Malcolm's story, you might want to check out Sgt. Callahan P. Welsh's story or Mike's story. (Mike chose to stay anonymous.)

If you or someone you love has a story to share about how cannabis use has helped with PTSD, reach out to us at blog@hopegrown.org. We understand the need for discretion and offer the option of sharing your story anonymously. The most important thing is that your story be shared.

My name is Malcolm May, a 12 year Veteran with Combat PTSD, Anxiety, and Depression. My Combat experience comes from Mogadishu Somalia, from July 1993 to January 1994. 

To put it into simple terms: when I got home, I pretty much had 0 after care or mental health care to address my PTSD. For many years I went untreated and without any prescription psychological meds, and that was nearly a deadly mistake on several occasions. 

Without medication and therapy, I become dangerously angry and violent and no fun to be around. 

Finally, around 2013, I was brave enough to seek professional help from the VA. Through intense weekly counseling and some much needed trial and error with psych meds, I was able to finally start leading a semi normal life again. 

Around February 2014, my onset panic attacks had become almost unmanageable and I was desperate for relief. Through some research and a willingness to try anything, I considered Medicinal Marijuana for the first time. 

I was convinced from day 1 that MMJ was going to be paramount to any contented and useful life so, I began to experiment. 

I wanted to find what specific strains worked best for me as far as day and night, and which strains or products provided fastest relief for my onset panic attacks. 

I use a THC/CBD blend in a cartridge* for my onset panic attacks; I love the King Louie strain at night, it's an Indica that helps me sleep very well through the night; and my favorite Sativa, XJ-13, for more of an upper effect during the day. 

I'm convinced without a doubt that Medical Marijuana has been the contributing factor to the increased quality of my life. 

I would tell any Veteran thinking about trying medical marijuana but worried about the stigma behind it, I get this. 

I will tell you this: I don't have a single side effect from the use of Marijuana, and I'm glad it's available to me as Medicine.

*The cartridge Malcolm referred to is a 1:1 CBD/THC blend he's been testing for Southern California company Canatural. "It was designed by their Chemist, based off my PTSD, Anxiety, and Depression." May told Hopegrown. "We hope to get it to Market soon, to benefit the masses."

Malcolm shared on Instagram the positive results he's seeing with the new 2:1 cartridge he's currently testing: "I'm really excited to have had the pleasure of testing this 2:1 CBD/THC Cartridge, thank you Canatural of Southern California. Since I've used this product, I can document sustained periods (12 plus hours) of symptom free relief from Anxiety and Panic  Attacks. My only goal in the development of this product is to give those that suffer horribly, like I do, other faster acting options. Pretty stoked Canatural designed this discreet all metal cartridge, in this easy to carry travel case. If you have an amazing name idea for this product, please by all means drop a comment." 

Share your story with us: if you're battling PTSD and finding relief with cannabis, we want to know about it! Email us at blog@hopegrown.org to submit your personal story for our Sgt. Patient blog series. We look forward to hearing from you! 

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