Weed changed my life
I've been dealing with insomnia for a long time now, I can remember it since I was 11-12, my parents would punish me for not sleeping at a certain time or not being able to wakeup in the morning for school. I obviously didn't know what the problem was, I would tell them I just can't sleep but they blamed it on video games and screens. This went on for years and years, constantly being blamed for something I couldn't control yet I didn't know what it was nor could I express it. This was early on.
Fast forward to when I was 18, since working and being in education full time and having other autoimmune conditions and not being able to sleep at all, too tired for anything, falling asleep outside or on public transport I decided to contact my GP regarding it. I vaguely knew what insomnia was but never considered it at the time.
The UK is known for being very bad in dealing with insomnia. If you browse online, millions of real people dealing with insomnia are turned away and left without medications. My grades were slipping, I was too tired to socialise, depression and anxiety worsened which at the time I didn't realise this is what could be causing it, life just felt dull and boring and I dreaded any little task or responsibility, coupled with being severely ill my mental health was in the gutter.
I was referred to a specialist right after at 18, for a year and a half no response, no updates, no medications.
A friend then offered some weed and of course I didn't hesitate to try it, I can vividly remember sleeping like a baby that night. I can honestly say that was probably the best sleep of my life, it may sound weird to remember such a mundane thing but it worked so well.
At 19 and a half after getting no help from the NHS I went to medical cannabis. Since then my life has flipped upside down. Anxiety? I don't have it anymore. Depression? I don't have it anymore. I'm 20 now and feel much more alive, my grades are back, I can work, I can go out more and socialise, I don't avoid things. It turns out, the source of all my problems was just not being able to sleep which honestly makes sense now that I look back at it.
Some people have judged me for it which I don't really care about, it's a medication that gets prescribed for me. I wouldn't even class myself as a stoner, I mainly smoke or take an edible at night and that's all. I treat it like a medicine.
I know it's not ideal, I'm aware it can have some side effects and that it doesn't put me into a deep sleep but I prefer 5-8 hours of consistent daily light sleeping instead of 1-2 days of no sleep and waking up multiple times throughout a 3 hour sleep and dealing with the myriad of other issues insomnia comes with