How One Cannabis Blunt Changed This Man's Life: From Monthly Seizures And Depression To A Holistic Lifestyle

"Nature is the source of all true knowledge." Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519)

Did you know that some 50 million people around the world suffer from epilepsy? 

Estimates say that up to 70% of people living with this neurological disease could live seizure-free if properly diagnosed and treated. For some people, an effective treatment can be found in nature. 

One such person is Michael Kerwin, marketing director for Native Sun Cannabis, a family cannabis company vertically integrated in Massachusetts. Kerwin's professional acumen was fueled by his diagnosis and research. Benzinga wanted to learn more, so we reached out to Kerwin who was more than happy to share his story to help others. 

At the age of 15, Kerwin was diagnosed with complex partial left temporal lobe epilepsy. 

"I was experiencing monthly episodes of seizures where I was either still aware but unable to communicate cognitively or I was thoroughly unconscious with tightened muscles," he shared with Benzinga. "Amongst that adversity while being a student-athlete in high school, I was receiving adverse side effects of anger and depression via my anti-convulsant pharmaceuticals, Keppra, Depakote, & Lamictal. At this point, I was interested in any alternative." 

Gateway To A Healthier Life

A bit over a year after the 2007 diagnosis, Kerwin smoked his first joint with his cousin, brother and their football buddies. What started as teenage fun, ended up being a life-changing treatment for his condition. 

"For the remainder of that day and the following couple of days, I felt very level-headed. I didn’t feel any of my pre-determining factors of having an epileptic episode." After experiencing several days of serenity, he connected the dots. Cannabis was the only thing new in his routine. That's when he began researching and soon learned that cannabis can be used to treat neurological conditions like epilepsy. 

While still skeptical about consuming daily due to "false political stigmas presented in history," Kerwin soon realized his right temporal lobe was "firing on all cylinders, making up for my lack of synapses in my left temporal, my brain’s creative and deeper thought side was working overtime." 

Determined to find relief, he continued consuming cannabis until eventually, it became a daily routine, including eating high-dose CBD-infused peanut butter for breakfast. "The results were incredible, and I was back to myself as an A & B student and varsity basketball & football player. The medication with cannabis was not only keeping me from having as many episodes per month but also relieving the side effects of anger and depression tenfold. This experience led me to introduce more of a holistic approach to life with yoga, meditation, fungi, and zero junk food. It was a true gateway to living a healthier life."

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According to Kerwin, a self-taught painter who has participated in Boston art exhibitions and created art programs at various local dispensaries, cannabis is meant to be a tool for symptomatic relief as well as a spiritual practice. 

Cannabis compounds activate the receptors of the endocannabinoid system to relieve one’s internal or external symptoms. Kerwin says that when one understands that this natural herb helps our internal systems perform best, one can begin to compute our connection with Earth. 

See Also: Army Vet Who Replaced Pills With CBD Oil For Chronic Insomnia Says ‘High’ Not Necessary For Relief

Quality Over Quantity 

Kerwin had issues accessing guaranteed safe cannabis at the time when he was trying to control his seizures. Thankfully, things have changed and there are now licensed marijuana providers in Massachusetts, like Native Sun, which prides itself on growing and producing clean quality cannabis. 

Native Sun has a state-of-the-art cultivation site in Fitchburg, MA with a team combining 70 years of experience growing the cannabis plant. Every hand-picked cannabis genetics cultivated determines when the next harvest will begin including the number of days for drying and curing the buds, Kerwin explained. 

"We have genetics flowering between 60 and 110 days, drying between 10 and 20 days and curing between 12 and 22 days, unlike the typical commercial grows where there is a strict schedule of 60-65 days of flowering time regardless of genetic lineage, and curing and dry cycles that are unfortunately overlooked. Native Sun’s goal is quality over quantity, and understanding the art behind growing, and curing your buds." 

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Kerwin warns that the lack of hemp and CBD regulation creates confusion for consumers and allows for non-regulated and potentially unsafe products to circulate. In addition to incorrect labeling, there are products in the market sprayed with non-cannabis-derived terpenes to enhance the taste. 

This leads to consumers using unhealthy products that do not provide the same relief as safely grown, non-pesticide-influenced crops, Kerwin points out. Additionally, the lack of regulations negatively impacts research studies, which otherwise would provide significant knowledge about the plant and its medical effects. 

Entourage Effect 

Before joining Native Sun, Kerwin was fortunate to have undergone successful brain surgery, relieving him of the vast majority of seizures. 

"I’ve only had four seizures since 2015, and post and prior surgery, I have been reducing my symptoms via a variety of different cannabis consumption sessions. The most relief I found was from the full entourage effect of THC, CBD, terpenes, and other minor cannabinoids working together in the same product."

He explains that a combination of THC and CBD helped him gain back the synapses he was missing. He explained that the entourage effect relieved him of pre-determining factors of stress, lack of sleep and dehydration. 

"I felt the most relieved, level-headed, and clear-minded when consuming high doses of CBD to minimal THC religiously. It allowed me to take a step back and evaluate the life I wanted to live, influencing me to meditate daily, eat healthy, hydrate appropriately, and get the right amount of sleep." 

Wanting to give back and help spread the word about the benefits of cannabis, Kerwin joined the industry in 2016 as a medical marijuana patient consultant. He shared that many people who came to him had no previous luck finding info via pharmaceutical-certified medical institutes. He said even some doctors were contacting him for advice. 

"I joined Native Sun because our visions aligned to provide that service and spread the good word about the plant’s benefits," Kerwin said. 

See Also: Study Reveals How CBD Counters Epileptic Seizures

Featured photo: Courtesy of real_content via Shutterstock