“Cannabis Saved My Life” – Seedsman Blog

We sent out a questionnaire to our Seedsman Community asking how and why they use cannabis medicinally as part of our #MedMarch promotion.

And while we received many stories, this one really needed to be shared.

Domonico is a part of our community, regularly sharing updates on his grows on our Facebook page. What we didn’t know was just how vital growing and consuming cannabis is for him.

This is the story of a man who almost lost his way entirely due to opiate addiction and how cannabis turned him back around.

I got my medical license so I could legally use marijuana to help with my opiate addiction. I used opiates to self medicate for anxiety, PTSD, depression, and pain from a broken back as a child. Now marijuana helps combat all of those issues, as well as any cravings for opiates. Growing my own is just as therapeutic, as it keeps me busy and gives me something to do that I enjoy and that I can be proud of. It’s really helped me get my life back. It helped me go from being homeless, strung out, and in and out of jail, to having my own family, my own house, my own car, and basically everything I’ve ever needed in life.

Domonico Padilla

What brought you to using cannabis as a medicine?

I’ve smoked weed since I was a teenager, but by the time I needed it medically, my tolerance was so high, and the quality of the weed in my town was so low I never would’ve thought I could use it in place of medicine.

It was only in the last five or so years, when the research got better, and people started to realize its wider medical uses that I began to consider it for myself as well. But it wasn’t until my fiancee got pregnant and we decided we wanted to get clean and be present in our daughter’s life that I finally had the incentive I needed to really see if it could help me medically.

Opiate medication is quick to be prescribed to those suffering from pain. Do you think there’s scope for marijuana to be used as a substitute in these instances?

Absolutely. There are instances where opiates are gonna be needed; there’s no way around that. But, I absolutely believe marijuana should be the go-to, and opiates a last resort option. Especially when it comes to long-term pain management. The amount of opiate addicts I know that became addicts because a doctor prescribed them at some point is staggering, my fiancee included.

Do you grow your own cannabis? If so, how?

Yes. I got my personal production license in November 2020, which allowed me six mature plants. My state recently legalized, though, making it legal to have 12 plants per household. So, my fiancee has her own plants now as well because she has fibromyalgia and spinal stenosis and is a recovering addict as well. We grow indoors, in soil, and have recently gone to all organic. We’ve also started making our own living soil.

Why is growing cannabis important to you?

Cannabis has been a lifesaver to me. It’s made daily anxieties virtually nonexistent, and the bigger anxieties life has thrown at us manageable. I don’t think that would be possible for me without it. Or it would definitely be pretty dark times, at least, that’s for sure.

What advice would you give to someone struggling with opiate addiction?

First of all, you’re absolutely not alone. There is help out there for you. All you have to do is want it. That’s the key, though. YOU have to want it for yourself. Trying to force yourself to get clean for someone else isn’t going to be genuine. It isn’t going to last. You have to look deep within, ask yourself the hard questions, and answer honestly. For some, it’s gonna be the first time they’ve given anyone honest answers in a very long time. But, once you can do that, the rest is absolutely possible.