The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the East Coast Current.

This will be my first article, as the editor of this magazine, where I am going to get personal and share my own experience with you. It’s about CBD and how it changed my life. First, I want to be upfront and say the company I will be discussing is an advertiser. However, everything in this article is my personal experience and I was not paid to say it. My experience with CBD is too incredible to not share. As a journalist and co-owner of a publication that reaches so many people in our community, I felt it was my responsibility to share my story. 

How CBD Changed my Life

CBD has been a hot topic for a couple years now. We have published numerous stories highlighting its benefits and products, even breaking it down scientifically and explaining the difference between CBD and THC to help educate our readers. I have been a huge advocate of this “natural cure-all” and have even been known to recommend it to friends and family. Yet, when it came to my own problems, CBD wasn’t even on my radar as a potential solution. 

My “problem” is pain in my right elbow. Commonly known as tennis elbow, or in my case, computer elbow. The pain would set in every month during printing deadlines and I would manage it with aspirin and a heating pad at night. A couple months ago it changed. I started getting a shooting pain in my elbow and my pain level went from a manageable 4 to an excruciating 9. I knew I needed to make a change, so I Googled it and followed all the recommended tips. I bought a tennis brace, adjusted how I sat, changed how I held the computer mouse and even got a massage to help ease the pain. Nothing worked. 

CBD and Pain Relief

A couple days later, my pain reached an all-time high. I was holding my arm close to my chest to protect it from moving and hurting any more. I got in my car and drove to FLA420, which had just opened at 210 Magnolia Street in New Smyrna Beach. I already had a relationship with one of the owners, Kim Adams, as we have done stories on her and how CBD has helped her daughter, Zoë (pictured below). Zoë is a beautiful 9-year-old girl who was diagnosed with Sanfilippo syndrome. It’s a rare genetic condition that causes fatal brain damage and is referred to as a childhood disease because most patients never reach adulthood. 

“It was my birthday the day we found out. It was like my bones shattered inside my body but I still had to function,” Kim stated. “She is everything to us. She is perfect to us. Every day with her is a day we will treasure.”

FLA420 in New Smyrna Beach

After talking with Kim about my pain, she quickly recommended the Green Roads Muscle & Joint Relief Cream. 

She said, “The company has high standards and it shows in their products. They don’t manufacture garbage. They manufacture quality. This is exactly what you see with the pain cream. Quality. Over and over this product proves it’s one of the best.”

I asked the same questions everyone asks. Can I use too much? No. Will it have any other side effects? No. Does it have addictive qualities? No. 

I went with the 300MG lotion because of my pain level and left still not completely sold. I jumped into my car, ripped open the box and applied two pumps worth of lotion to my arm, taking the time to really rub it in to the most painful areas. The scent was pleasant and not overwhelming like most muscle creams, and there was no hot or cool feeling at all. It was like any typical lotion, or so it seemed.

I continued on my drive home and within minutes, yes MINUTES, my pain was gone. I literally couldn’t believe it! I called my husband and told him that I thought my mind was playing tricks on me and that it must be a placebo effect. How could an over-the-counter lotion possibly work that well, that fast? Well, it did. I used it one more time that night before bed, woke up the next day and cranked out over 40 pages of design – that’s about a 14-hour day at the computer. I used it once that day and finished our March deadline without any signs of pain. 

Once the realization of the benefits set in, I called Kim to let her know and then she blew my mind even further by explaining how you can take it internally to not just mask the pain, but target the problem and solve it. 

She went on to say:

“Masking pain works, but what needs to be done is getting rid of it altogether. Hemp has been used to get rid of pain for over 10,000 years – more time than these drug companies have been around. In 1992, a scientist, Dr. Mechoulam, found that the human body produced its own cannabinoid by identifying it in a plant. It is found in the stalk, flower and seeds. By taking prescription drugs you slow down your body’s natural way to fight inflammation. Taking CBD oil to reduce inflammation internally will allow your body to naturally begin making more cannabadoids. Reducing inflammation is ideal to get rid of the pain. Start with the cream and the oil. First with the higher strength oil and the next month you should be able to go down in strength. You will need less cream or none as time goes on. Don’t just mask that pain, get rid of it.”

It’s been about 30 days now and I have used it around five times, only when needed. I no longer keep the heating pad and cold compresses out, I have completely stopped taking pain medicine and I will continue to find different ways my life can benefit from CBD. 

Kim continued, 

“CBD has become my life. I love it. I live it. My family has been changed by it. To top it off, this company has allowed me to have my own store and an area for my children to be with me at work! Our family and friends come here to see us, get products and learn more. This store is my other home and I never feel like I’m working. I love being able to help people. When I get a return customer, that means this worked. That means I did my job. That means someone’s life is better. That’s everything to me.”

If you are currently living in pain, it’s time to give CBD a chance. Go to a store that is reputable, invest in high quality products and watch your life change before your eyes.