A Texas Veteran Finds Relief with medical Cannabis

Growing up, Rodrigo always knew he wanted to be a U.S. Marine. He had the mental toughness and confidence required to be successful. Right out of high school, Rodrigo enlisted into the military and was headed to boot camp soon after he graduated in 2004. 

After three long months of boot camp and becoming as mentally prepared as possible, Rodrigo joined the infantry. He was questioned by the people around him if this was really what he wanted to do but even then, Rodrigo was confident that the infantry was where he wanted to invest his time. 

The infantry is the most dangerous job someone in the military can have. They are the ones dealing with the chaos, shooting the guns, and fighting a mental battle that most civilians can never even fathom. Rodrigo describes the military as 10% physical and 90% mental. 

Rodrigo served five years in the marines and spent a short amount of time in Iraq as a squad leader for 13 other marines. His mental and physical battles were tough and Rodrigo was diagnosed with PTSD before he even got home. 

When it was time to transition back to a “normal” life, Rodrigo struggled as many other veterans do. The emotional side of transitioning was very tough and having to explain what he went through and was going through at that time to people around him was not easy and usually did not help. 

Rodrigo was getting cared for at the VA for the following years after getting out of the military. He was talking to counselors and getting pushed a lengthy list of pharmaceutical drugs that either never helped him or made him worse. Fast forward 5 years after getting out, Rodrigo found himself desperate to find other options to help relieve his PTSD symptoms. 

This was when he was introduced to cannabis as a treatment option for his PTSD. Rodrigo began consuming cannabis and saw a huge change in his mental state. He said he was finally able to calm down and be in a relaxed state of mind. When he began to feel very emotional, he was able to work through those emotions instead of taking medications to mask what he was feeling. 

Rodrigo said that when you’re in the service, everything is going a thousand miles an hour. This constant rush to be somewhere and do something takes a mental toll on any human being. Rodrigo said that by using cannabis, he has been able to focus more on being present in the moment and calm his anxiety in certain situations. 

Medical marijuana Texas and CBD have had a huge impact on Rodrigo and his quality of life. When Texas expanded its list of qualifying conditions for medical marijuana, Rodrigo was one of our first people to be seen for PTSD. Rodrigo and Dr. Lisa Gardner met virtually to discuss his history with PTSD, the medications he had been on and came up with a plan to help Rodrigo find even more relief. 

Rodrigo said his experience during the entire process from making an appointment to receiving his product has been seamless. Right after his appointment with Dr. Gardner, he was called within 24 hours from Texas Original, a dispensary in Austin, to help him pick out what kind of products he could purchase. Shortly after, his products were on his doorstep! 

If you think you qualify for medical cannabis, give our office a call for a free eligibility consult. We will gladly answer any questions you might have about the program and get you headed in the right direction.