February 6, 2025 • 39 mins
In this eye-opening episode, I sit down with Coco as she shares her courageous journey of overcoming opioid addiction with the help of cannabis. She opens up about her struggles, the turning point that led her to seek a different path, and how cannabis became a tool for healing rather than escape. Coco’s story is one of resilience, transformation, and empowerment—a testament to finding alternative paths to recovery and reclaiming one’s life. Tune in for an honest, inspiring conversation that challenges stigmas and sheds light on new approaches to healing
For those that are needing help check out these please that show love to those that accepted cannabis in their recovery
- Recovery Gone Viral
- Cali Sober Recovery 4:20 FriendlyIf you are someone that is currently using, please do feel ashamed because we innerstand the struggle. Please don't use alone and reach out to
- Never Use Alone : 1-877-696-1996
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hello, welcome to RLP is Healing.
(00:04):
I am your host Tammy and today we are going to talk about a topic that is a bit controversial.
Recovery with cannabis.
And our guest Coco, I'm really truly excited to have her on.
(00:26):
I met Coco on TikTok and we had a connection immediately because we are both in recovery.
And cannabis was a part of it.
Today you're going to hear her story and her transformation in recovery, as well as we're
(00:50):
going to talk about some different spaces that you could go if you are someone that
is in recovery and uses cannabis.
You guys have an amazing day and enjoy this episode.
Getting to be with her family and her grand babies and her husband.
(01:14):
Hey Coco, it's so awesome to see you and for us to finally get on this damn thing.
Very much so.
Thank you so much for being here.
I appreciate it.
You know Coco, why is the topic of recovery and cannabis so important for you to talk
(01:38):
about?
We both know that when you hear recovery and cannabis, the first thing people do is fucking
cringe.
Right.
I didn't think I was an addict.
I really didn't.
I was using medication.
(02:01):
I had given up crack.
I had given up meth.
To me I wasn't an addict.
I had a TIA, which is a type of small stroke that they caught on CT scan because I'm blessed
with a funny story of an inoperable brain tumor.
My husband was worried it was back and so we checked on it.
(02:24):
They caught the stroke on file but labeled me an addict for cannabis on a pain contract.
Okay, tell me more about that.
It was horrible.
I was quickly cut off of what turned out to be too many pills.
(02:50):
And that's kind of what led into my son's friend seeing me struggle with him.
And I didn't want to admit I was struggling.
I was fine.
But when I ran out, it was bad.
And he's the one, Tyler is the one that we talk about him often and cry.
(03:19):
Because sorry, my husband's trying to come in and say something to me.
Tyler was the one that got me to try cannabis.
And that's what got me labeled as an addict for cannabis on a pain contract.
(03:40):
That's what started it.
Literally I don't know how else to explain it.
The doctor started an argument with me that opened a can of worms that I don't know how
to stop.
Those are out there I'm finding that are in the same boat.
(04:02):
So Wow, you know what, it's great when we know someone and they come in and they're
like, hey, there's a problem.
Hey, you've got a challenge.
Let me help you.
So let's go into that.
Was that the moment that you realized that you actually had an addiction to narcotic
(04:23):
medication?
No.
I did not realize why it was an addiction to narcotics in general for probably about
two years.
It was 2015 before I realized I had a problem and that it was going to truly be a path of
(04:53):
using cannabis strictly and I needed good access to it that I had the problem.
You know, like being treated at every doctor's appointment like you're pill seeking when
you're only trying to get your prescription blood pressure medication, you know, is horrible.
(05:17):
Sorry.
No, it's I understand.
Take your you know, the one thing is take your time if you need it.
You know, I, I feel that being someone that was an addict myself as well.
I feel very and it sounds odd, but I feel very blessed that I actually have an allergy
(05:42):
to narcotic medication.
It makes me sick made me have a grand malice injure.
I had to get an arcane.
I was speaking with my amazing husband just yesterday and said I'm probably blessed that
I'm scared death and needles.
You know why I'm right there with you.
(06:03):
I'm and I'm not scared of needles.
I just hate them.
I'm diabetic.
Nobody wants to poke themselves.
I'm tired of poking myself.
So I'm happy and blessed.
So narcotics and so blessed because we could have been could have gone down another road.
(06:24):
It took my ex girlfriend two hours to talk me through giving myself my first shot for
diabetes.
I'm sorry I laugh because that's my mom had been taking, you know, insulin shots and she's
like okay, Kamala, you know, she called me by my birth given name.
(06:49):
I'm on this is how you do it.
So you squeeze the skin and you know what?
I am so happy that I was not an IV drug user.
Okay.
Because I probably you know what?
Maybe I wouldn't have ever even gotten high.
Like because I didn't want to poke myself but I digress on that.
(07:14):
Yeah, two hours on the phone with Keeling laughing.
Rest her soul.
I miss her.
She lost her battle with diabetes a few years back.
She never was able to make the change that she would have needed to make in order to
(07:40):
live properly.
She was an alcoholic from childhood and a diabetic from childhood.
Okay.
So she went on to the other side to check it out for us.
So hey, it's it does something to us.
You know, my younger sister, she passed and addiction was the deal breaker.
(08:05):
You know what I mean?
And that's how I refer to it.
My sister went to the other side and she's doing over there what she needs to do to support
us over here.
You know, and actually I feel that that is why I have gotten to have you on the podcast
today.
One thing that I want to talk about, I know that cannabis is coming to your life and we'll
(08:29):
get into our conversations on that because we know the power of cannabis and we've experienced
the power of it.
But I would like to know when was the rock bottom with narcotics?
Let's be honest, folks, if you are somebody listening to this podcast this morning, afternoon,
(08:51):
afternoon, in this moment, we're not trying to talk people into accepting and using cannabis.
But what we are doing today is showing people that cannabis has made changes in people's
lives.
In my life being somebody that has been dealing with multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia
(09:14):
and in Coco's life dealing with having a brain tumor.
So when you take a moment and you listen to this and you hear this, hear that some of
these medications that doctors are giving us are killing us.
I personally had a grand mal seizure in the hospital after they gave me morphine.
(09:36):
I almost died.
They had to give me Narcan to bring me out of this moment.
And I want you guys to hear what Coco's rock bottom experiences were with narcotic medication.
Coco, thank you.
I went on my damn soapbox.
You know me in that soapbox.
(09:58):
I love that soapbox.
I will let you have it.
My rock bottom, 9-11 of 2018.
I had found out that I was going to have a grand baby in October right around the time
of my son's birth.
(10:19):
And I had always promised myself I would die before I loved an October baby because of
the loss of my son.
Which is really hard when you yourself are an October baby.
But when that doctor told me that if I wanted to die, I could just die, I knew I was going
(10:40):
the pill route.
I was still sneaking the occasional Benzo in my system.
So there was that.
But the only other thing I had in my system was cannabis.
And when that doctor told me if I wanted to die, I could die, they could have my pills.
(11:09):
I had a question for whatever is out there on the other side about why he took my son.
And I was going to ask it.
But that was my rock bottom.
(11:29):
Being homeless, being considered crazy because nobody could comprehend I was processing emotions
from 1990.
And trying to learn to love each grandchild when I couldn't love my child or myself.
(11:59):
Sorry.
Oh, don't be sorry, Coco.
Guess what?
This is that space, you know, you know that it's always a safe space.
Right.
So I went home after going to that doctor and flushed every one of my pills that I could
(12:20):
that I had down the toilet.
Under dress told my husband that if I ever ask you for another one of your pills, you're
to bitch slap me.
And tell me no, which is hilarious because, you know, my husband is probably the most
(12:42):
gentle soul you would ever meet.
And in that time of being homeless and being crazy, I was losing him.
And he's my rock.
He's my support.
He is what has made me go fine.
(13:04):
I don't love myself, but we're at least friends with benefits.
See it's hey, friends with benefits is where we start.
Right.
It's where we start.
You know me.
I promise I won't get on the soapbox.
But you know how I am.
Self love romance.
Love yourself.
Oh, yeah.
I've always believed that life after death, we still have our loved ones around us.
(13:34):
And so, of course, baby Ernie would be one of them.
The hardest part of talking about Tyler being the one that brought me to cannabis is he
died in a freak accident.
And that's where I was Gary to go.
I was actually getting ready to ask you to tell me a little bit more about Tyler because,
(14:00):
you know, this was the person that he kind of and we're not I hate the word pushed, but
he's the guy he's the person that kind of drew you in to seek the help and actually
take this step with cannabis.
He was he.
He sorry my battery decided to go ping.
(14:29):
He did it in in such a way that it was a loving butch, you know, a loving thump upside the
head mom.
You've got problems.
Because that's what he called me was mom.
You know, I was mom.
He was he didn't get along with his mother.
(14:49):
Just like normal teenage stuff.
And he stayed with me.
And he always talked about family being family.
You know, you don't always choose your family, but you got to love them.
And he found out that he had gotten somebody pregnant and decided not to move to Washington
(15:18):
with us.
Because we saw I was I was set.
I was moving to Washington.
I was becoming a cannabis patient.
I was getting off and getting off of and being free from as many medications I could be from.
(15:41):
And he was hit by a car.
The killed him instantly.
As long as we would die for his baby.
He's my driving force.
(16:04):
One of them, because I always wonder if I'd make him proud.
We know he's proud.
Because you've been doing amazing work.
(16:25):
And this is just from getting to know you and knowing you more on the personal side.
And I see you doing the work.
I see you moving forward.
I see you as an advocate for cannabis.
And so let's get into the aspect of using cannabis in your recovery.
(16:49):
What are some what are some groups?
What are what are some things that you do that I use that are just amazing?
Okay.
I use recovery gone viral 2.0.
They're on Facebook at least.
But there is also can a recovery can a recovery has done it for me the day I found them I
(17:15):
went holy crap he was telling the truth he being Tyler there are people out here that
use this become better.
I love that because you also know that because of my own personal experience that I actually
am a patient as well.
(17:35):
And that's because of the mess and the fiber.
Yes.
I got mine on post traumatic stress disorder.
They finally put it in my file during the time that I had my mental break that what
they call a mental breakdown.
They being doctors.
(17:57):
I got to process the emotions of losing a baby or me.
And I was blessed with a grandson that came one day shy of 29 years apart from my my stillborn.
And so I had no choice I was going to love an October baby.
(18:23):
I mean like it was a fleeting thought that I was going to go ahead and end my life.
But he came at a time that I needed him.
And doctors finally went wait we were wrong post traumatic stress disorder can happen
(18:48):
to non military people.
And they put it in my file which gave me access to the medical cannabis.
See I and I love that telling you though.
You know one thing too that like one big net has connected us is the holistic practices
the meditation the work the mindfulness.
(19:12):
How has cannabis helped you in the area when it comes to the meta using the meditation
the mindfulness the breath work.
How do how does the cannabis work well with it for you.
Sorry has the breath work has helped my lungs become stronger.
(19:36):
I used to smoke cigarettes.
Okay.
When I had my stroke I forgot I had a cigarette habit.
That's what happened with the stroke.
That was it.
But my lungs were weak from years and years of hardcore smoking and learning to do the
(20:00):
breath work with you.
I literally now can hit the bomb better.
And you know one thing that is hilarious and I consider it hilarious because in my business
practice you already know RLP.
Yes we we do have some portions of us that do involve cannabis.
(20:26):
We have a cannabis breath work meditation class and it's where we're going to have to
have me get in that one that one would be that would be the one I need to take for sure.
And it's virtual so everybody gets to enjoy and you know one thing about even with breath
(20:48):
work without cannabis.
So breath work is something that helps your lungs.
It makes them stronger and you know it's like hearing about that.
That's so that's so awesome.
So now you feel stronger with the lungs.
So it helped.
(21:08):
So I want to know a bit more with your how does because you know some of the listeners
today may be in a place of they're like well wait a minute like is she smoking all damn
day.
How is she doing it.
So what does a routine for you look like with adding cannabis into your day.
(21:35):
When I was using strictly cannabis like Washington State legal cannabis I usually was a get up
in the morning have a couple tokes.
After lunch have a couple tokes in the evening have a couple tokes at night.
(21:55):
And now I'm talking maybe three or four tokes off of a small bowl.
At night I used a I hate the word because I can never say it properly tincture that
I had.
I made myself had made out of ever clear and cannabis.
(22:20):
I know big words like decarboxylation.
I use the small amount of that tincture every night and that would help me sleep.
I was off of all sleeping medications off of melatonin off of Benadryl.
Really the Benadryl because the Benadryl is what causes the massive nightmares nightmares
(22:48):
for me and talk about a bad reaction.
And it's to something that so many give no credit to you know like oh Benadryl it's available
over the counter.
It can't give you anything bad.
(23:08):
Well yeah it can.
So I even know you can use it to get high.
So it sorry kind of went off my point there.
Oh no hey dude you already know this is total space to be open to be you to talk about your
(23:34):
experience.
That's the thing and a lot of I feel that sometimes a lot of society they would rather
us just stay in this box.
We're supposed to be sitting in this box of this is the way that it is.
This is this and we only we are only supposed to be doing the we as little girls we want
(23:55):
to get married have the white picket fence have the two and a half kids because you got
the dog and the cat and the boy and the girl and you're working this job where you are
tirelessly working for 10 hours a day for someone that doesn't even provide you proper
insurance or doesn't take care of you as an employee.
(24:16):
So you know it's about it's about growth.
It's about you.
There are two statements that like people have said to me that have made my brain just
rewire and one of them was the one was that my best friend's wife said normal is a setting
(24:41):
on the dryer.
Boom boom like boom.
That's because I keep joking around and saying why be normal because my goals when I was
a kid was to grow up and be able to dye my hair blue and move to London because that's
(25:03):
where it was socially acceptable.
So I didn't know the world was going to fall apart in America and you know make me want
to move to London anyway.
Dude I want to go back to Germany.
I've been kicked out of Canada twice because of who I've been with so I'm kind of stuck
(25:26):
in America.
You know me too because I can't get my husband on a plane.
But let's you know let's go in to the rediscovering of yourself and you know being able to identify
yourself now beyond addiction like and teaching people that this is really our mistakes are
(25:55):
really lessons in our lives that they don't truly identify our authentic self and who
we truly are.
People think because we were addicts guess what we're going to be addicts forever.
This is the way that life is that one of my least favorite comments that I hear is once
an addict always an addict.
(26:18):
You know what I mean and really like let's talk about the life for you now after addiction.
After addiction well after becoming because I did I was moving to Washington I was becoming
a cannabis patient.
That was my goal.
(26:38):
That's where I thought my life would be amazing.
Well it's been further because I got to move to Kansas.
We are a slight drive from where my husband did his time and he is such an epitable portion
(27:00):
of my recovery.
Every little girl wants that white picket fence and that husband that worships the ground
that they walk on and I just don't have the white picket fence.
(27:21):
Life goals.
You got to realize life is always moving forward.
I never seen myself living in Kansas and because he my husband has such a strong story here
(27:44):
in Kansas I honestly believe that that's why I need to be the thorn in the side of all
the political people and do podcasts and show that life can be a recovery.
You can be in fully recovery with smoking cannabis.
(28:06):
You don't have to be abstinent because all those they require you to be fully abstinent.
They believe that you can't have anything.
But technically do they?
I'm about to throw the wrench in because you can be addicted to coffee can't you?
(28:29):
And what do you think happens in any meeting but black coffee and cookies.
But you can also be in a position where you are addicted to narcotic medication.
Yes, you can.
And I'm like here I go on this soapbox but that I found has been acceptable in the community
(28:52):
of and like let me just really quickly rephrase and not get it twisted.
AA got me to a point in my recovery where I was abstinent from drugs.
Then in that in my recovery I found out because I lost full function of from my waist down.
(29:19):
So for those of you that don't realize or know what that looks like a little bit of
what that can look like is not being able to walk or being able to use the bathroom
in your own ability like being able to hold it and walk to the bathroom.
That was not my experience.
(29:41):
Not pretty right?
But it wasn't pretty.
But when I personally began it was suggested by a neurologist because he couldn't give
me narcotic medication.
And he said hey I'm going to write you a prescription to become a patient.
(30:01):
And he did.
And I had a different experience.
I was feeling so much better.
I went three months without being able to have function full function of my own body.
But in the rooms of AA and NA and CMA I was actually scrutinized.
(30:25):
And I lost a sponsor.
I don't understand cannabis and I can't do anything to help you.
And so in that moment that's when I knew that I will forever be the sponsor that can help
people that use cannabis in their recovery.
And so when I started the business I actually had a friend reach out to me and she said
(30:47):
hey I have somebody that I think needs your help.
Do you mind if I give them your number?
And she became my first client.
She did my first thing which was recovery and Reiki.
And I remember our first conversation she's like well I use cannabis.
I said oh so do I.
(31:09):
So do I.
Hi I'm Tammy.
You know?
And in the rooms of the in our rooms they are I believe they are strongly helpful and
they can help people.
But I think that they're so closed minded.
They can be a challenge too.
Yes.
(31:30):
They're being very closed minded.
Yes.
I believe NA and AA they have their purposes.
They help some people but there's other avenues for other people.
We don't get to fit in that little perfect box.
(31:52):
And that I found I found more support in the rooms of Buddhist recovery and cannabis recovery.
You know?
And I think that one of my final thoughts and words of encouragement for any of our
listeners is hey be open minded to what works for you.
(32:19):
You know use that non-judgment when it comes to finding something for you because guess
what not everything works for everybody.
Like some people Buddhist recovery doesn't work because they have a challenge with meditation.
Some people cannabis recovery doesn't work.
Some people AA doesn't work.
(32:41):
But there's they may be the person that Christian recovery works or religious recovery works.
There's so many forms if you are someone that is new find find the space and Coco is actually
I'm about to ask her to give you guys some information on some spaces if you're someone
that's interested in cannabis recovery.
(33:03):
But first before that Coco I would like to tell me let's give our listeners your final
your final words of encouragement.
It can be done.
There's nothing magical about me and my recovery.
(33:23):
Like here's where I'm going to pat myself on the back to give encouragement.
I have 33 years off the crack.
I have 26 years off of that.
I have 12 years off of tobacco.
I have 60 years off of opiates and benzos and any cell farm.
(33:47):
And there's nothing magical about me.
I'm just a normal person.
Even though normal is setting on the dryer.
I just learned to look at blessings.
And that's the thing folks.
We all can do it.
And you know Coco you and I have talked about some really amazing resources in the cannabis
(34:14):
recovery community.
Do you mind dropping you know dropping a it is all about Canada recovery.
It's on Facebook.
It's on Tik Tok.
And it's just certainly Canada recovery.
(34:36):
You'll see capital R that helped me like with that aha moment of wait this is a reality.
This is something that people use you know.
So and that's for the cannabis.
(35:01):
I follow a doctor who does more of the holistic things and does a thing he does with hot water
to help people that are in actively in trying to work on recovery with some box and where
(35:21):
he can't the cannabis may not be an option but he tries to lead you to steps that might
that can help people that he's having good rapport with and it's called recovery gone
viral 2.0.
OK.
He he's fully aware that there are people out there that can use cannabis.
(35:45):
He tries to go even more holistic and tells you mushrooms to eat and things like that
but not fun mushrooms at least.
Those have been the two biggest resources I have ran into.
(36:05):
Wow.
Awesome.
And one thing that I want to say really quickly is folks you can most definitely take a look
in the box that gives you all the information about cocoa and you'll see some information
some shout outs to these these resources and cocoa one thing that I want to tell you is
(36:29):
number one.
Thank you.
Thank you for coming on here.
Thank you for telling your story.
Thank you for being a figure in my life that has been a beautiful piece for myself and
I want to ask if you could share one message with someone battling addiction right now
(36:52):
what would that truly be.
I love you on purpose.
You're worth it.
If you need to be in active addiction please use the hotline never use alone.
(37:24):
It's that way overdoses are helped like they're they're helping people with that resource.
They help people not pass away from fentanyl overdoses and the what other else of the crap
(37:51):
they have in the systems nowadays.
I don't remember their number right off the top of the head but they are on Facebook of
never lose use alone.
They do a lot of good things for the community.
But there's always me.
I can be reached on tick tock.
(38:12):
I can be reached on Facebook.
And I'd rather sit in the dark with somebody that's in addiction than lose another person.
Thank you Coco.
Thank you.
(38:32):
And everyone please like I said take a look at the box giving you the description because
in there I will make sure to put about can a recovery.
I will find the number for never use alone and also for this interesting medical professional
that talks about these other go through a holistic process with this again Coco thank
(38:58):
you for joining us and remember everybody we love you on purpose and take a moment to
change your mind to change your life.
Be healing.
Hello, welcome to RLP is Healing.
(00:04):
I am your host Tammy and today we are going to talk about a topic that is a bit controversial.
Recovery with cannabis.
And our guest Coco, I'm really truly excited to have her on.
(00:26):
I met Coco on TikTok and we had a connection immediately because we are both in recovery.
And cannabis was a part of it.
Today you're going to hear her story and her transformation in recovery, as well as we're
(00:50):
going to talk about some different spaces that you could go if you are someone that
is in recovery and uses cannabis.
You guys have an amazing day and enjoy this episode.
Getting to be with her family and her grand babies and her husband.
(01:14):
Hey Coco, it's so awesome to see you and for us to finally get on this damn thing.
Very much so.
Thank you so much for being here.
I appreciate it.
You know Coco, why is the topic of recovery and cannabis so important for you to talk
(01:38):
about?
We both know that when you hear recovery and cannabis, the first thing people do is fucking
cringe.
Right.
I didn't think I was an addict.
I really didn't.
I was using medication.
(02:01):
I had given up crack.
I had given up meth.
To me I wasn't an addict.
I had a TIA, which is a type of small stroke that they caught on CT scan because I'm blessed
with a funny story of an inoperable brain tumor.
My husband was worried it was back and so we checked on it.
(02:24):
They caught the stroke on file but labeled me an addict for cannabis on a pain contract.
Okay, tell me more about that.
It was horrible.
I was quickly cut off of what turned out to be too many pills.
(02:50):
And that's kind of what led into my son's friend seeing me struggle with him.
And I didn't want to admit I was struggling.
I was fine.
But when I ran out, it was bad.
And he's the one, Tyler is the one that we talk about him often and cry.
(03:19):
Because sorry, my husband's trying to come in and say something to me.
Tyler was the one that got me to try cannabis.
And that's what got me labeled as an addict for cannabis on a pain contract.
(03:40):
That's what started it.
Literally I don't know how else to explain it.
The doctor started an argument with me that opened a can of worms that I don't know how
to stop.
Those are out there I'm finding that are in the same boat.
(04:02):
So Wow, you know what, it's great when we know someone and they come in and they're
like, hey, there's a problem.
Hey, you've got a challenge.
Let me help you.
So let's go into that.
Was that the moment that you realized that you actually had an addiction to narcotic
(04:23):
medication?
No.
I did not realize why it was an addiction to narcotics in general for probably about
two years.
It was 2015 before I realized I had a problem and that it was going to truly be a path of
(04:53):
using cannabis strictly and I needed good access to it that I had the problem.
You know, like being treated at every doctor's appointment like you're pill seeking when
you're only trying to get your prescription blood pressure medication, you know, is horrible.
(05:17):
Sorry.
No, it's I understand.
Take your you know, the one thing is take your time if you need it.
You know, I, I feel that being someone that was an addict myself as well.
I feel very and it sounds odd, but I feel very blessed that I actually have an allergy
(05:42):
to narcotic medication.
It makes me sick made me have a grand malice injure.
I had to get an arcane.
I was speaking with my amazing husband just yesterday and said I'm probably blessed that
I'm scared death and needles.
You know why I'm right there with you.
(06:03):
I'm and I'm not scared of needles.
I just hate them.
I'm diabetic.
Nobody wants to poke themselves.
I'm tired of poking myself.
So I'm happy and blessed.
So narcotics and so blessed because we could have been could have gone down another road.
(06:24):
It took my ex girlfriend two hours to talk me through giving myself my first shot for
diabetes.
I'm sorry I laugh because that's my mom had been taking, you know, insulin shots and she's
like okay, Kamala, you know, she called me by my birth given name.
(06:49):
I'm on this is how you do it.
So you squeeze the skin and you know what?
I am so happy that I was not an IV drug user.
Okay.
Because I probably you know what?
Maybe I wouldn't have ever even gotten high.
Like because I didn't want to poke myself but I digress on that.
(07:14):
Yeah, two hours on the phone with Keeling laughing.
Rest her soul.
I miss her.
She lost her battle with diabetes a few years back.
She never was able to make the change that she would have needed to make in order to
(07:40):
live properly.
She was an alcoholic from childhood and a diabetic from childhood.
Okay.
So she went on to the other side to check it out for us.
So hey, it's it does something to us.
You know, my younger sister, she passed and addiction was the deal breaker.
(08:05):
You know what I mean?
And that's how I refer to it.
My sister went to the other side and she's doing over there what she needs to do to support
us over here.
You know, and actually I feel that that is why I have gotten to have you on the podcast
today.
One thing that I want to talk about, I know that cannabis is coming to your life and we'll
(08:29):
get into our conversations on that because we know the power of cannabis and we've experienced
the power of it.
But I would like to know when was the rock bottom with narcotics?
Let's be honest, folks, if you are somebody listening to this podcast this morning, afternoon,
(08:51):
afternoon, in this moment, we're not trying to talk people into accepting and using cannabis.
But what we are doing today is showing people that cannabis has made changes in people's
lives.
In my life being somebody that has been dealing with multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia
(09:14):
and in Coco's life dealing with having a brain tumor.
So when you take a moment and you listen to this and you hear this, hear that some of
these medications that doctors are giving us are killing us.
I personally had a grand mal seizure in the hospital after they gave me morphine.
(09:36):
I almost died.
They had to give me Narcan to bring me out of this moment.
And I want you guys to hear what Coco's rock bottom experiences were with narcotic medication.
Coco, thank you.
I went on my damn soapbox.
You know me in that soapbox.
(09:58):
I love that soapbox.
I will let you have it.
My rock bottom, 9-11 of 2018.
I had found out that I was going to have a grand baby in October right around the time
of my son's birth.
(10:19):
And I had always promised myself I would die before I loved an October baby because of
the loss of my son.
Which is really hard when you yourself are an October baby.
But when that doctor told me that if I wanted to die, I could just die, I knew I was going
(10:40):
the pill route.
I was still sneaking the occasional Benzo in my system.
So there was that.
But the only other thing I had in my system was cannabis.
And when that doctor told me if I wanted to die, I could die, they could have my pills.
(11:09):
I had a question for whatever is out there on the other side about why he took my son.
And I was going to ask it.
But that was my rock bottom.
(11:29):
Being homeless, being considered crazy because nobody could comprehend I was processing emotions
from 1990.
And trying to learn to love each grandchild when I couldn't love my child or myself.
(11:59):
Sorry.
Oh, don't be sorry, Coco.
Guess what?
This is that space, you know, you know that it's always a safe space.
Right.
So I went home after going to that doctor and flushed every one of my pills that I could
(12:20):
that I had down the toilet.
Under dress told my husband that if I ever ask you for another one of your pills, you're
to bitch slap me.
And tell me no, which is hilarious because, you know, my husband is probably the most
(12:42):
gentle soul you would ever meet.
And in that time of being homeless and being crazy, I was losing him.
And he's my rock.
He's my support.
He is what has made me go fine.
(13:04):
I don't love myself, but we're at least friends with benefits.
See it's hey, friends with benefits is where we start.
Right.
It's where we start.
You know me.
I promise I won't get on the soapbox.
But you know how I am.
Self love romance.
Love yourself.
Oh, yeah.
I've always believed that life after death, we still have our loved ones around us.
(13:34):
And so, of course, baby Ernie would be one of them.
The hardest part of talking about Tyler being the one that brought me to cannabis is he
died in a freak accident.
And that's where I was Gary to go.
I was actually getting ready to ask you to tell me a little bit more about Tyler because,
(14:00):
you know, this was the person that he kind of and we're not I hate the word pushed, but
he's the guy he's the person that kind of drew you in to seek the help and actually
take this step with cannabis.
He was he.
He sorry my battery decided to go ping.
(14:29):
He did it in in such a way that it was a loving butch, you know, a loving thump upside the
head mom.
You've got problems.
Because that's what he called me was mom.
You know, I was mom.
He was he didn't get along with his mother.
(14:49):
Just like normal teenage stuff.
And he stayed with me.
And he always talked about family being family.
You know, you don't always choose your family, but you got to love them.
And he found out that he had gotten somebody pregnant and decided not to move to Washington
(15:18):
with us.
Because we saw I was I was set.
I was moving to Washington.
I was becoming a cannabis patient.
I was getting off and getting off of and being free from as many medications I could be from.
(15:41):
And he was hit by a car.
The killed him instantly.
As long as we would die for his baby.
He's my driving force.
(16:04):
One of them, because I always wonder if I'd make him proud.
We know he's proud.
Because you've been doing amazing work.
(16:25):
And this is just from getting to know you and knowing you more on the personal side.
And I see you doing the work.
I see you moving forward.
I see you as an advocate for cannabis.
And so let's get into the aspect of using cannabis in your recovery.
(16:49):
What are some what are some groups?
What are what are some things that you do that I use that are just amazing?
Okay.
I use recovery gone viral 2.0.
They're on Facebook at least.
But there is also can a recovery can a recovery has done it for me the day I found them I
(17:15):
went holy crap he was telling the truth he being Tyler there are people out here that
use this become better.
I love that because you also know that because of my own personal experience that I actually
am a patient as well.
(17:35):
And that's because of the mess and the fiber.
Yes.
I got mine on post traumatic stress disorder.
They finally put it in my file during the time that I had my mental break that what
they call a mental breakdown.
They being doctors.
(17:57):
I got to process the emotions of losing a baby or me.
And I was blessed with a grandson that came one day shy of 29 years apart from my my stillborn.
And so I had no choice I was going to love an October baby.
(18:23):
I mean like it was a fleeting thought that I was going to go ahead and end my life.
But he came at a time that I needed him.
And doctors finally went wait we were wrong post traumatic stress disorder can happen
(18:48):
to non military people.
And they put it in my file which gave me access to the medical cannabis.
See I and I love that telling you though.
You know one thing too that like one big net has connected us is the holistic practices
the meditation the work the mindfulness.
(19:12):
How has cannabis helped you in the area when it comes to the meta using the meditation
the mindfulness the breath work.
How do how does the cannabis work well with it for you.
Sorry has the breath work has helped my lungs become stronger.
(19:36):
I used to smoke cigarettes.
Okay.
When I had my stroke I forgot I had a cigarette habit.
That's what happened with the stroke.
That was it.
But my lungs were weak from years and years of hardcore smoking and learning to do the
(20:00):
breath work with you.
I literally now can hit the bomb better.
And you know one thing that is hilarious and I consider it hilarious because in my business
practice you already know RLP.
Yes we we do have some portions of us that do involve cannabis.
(20:26):
We have a cannabis breath work meditation class and it's where we're going to have to
have me get in that one that one would be that would be the one I need to take for sure.
And it's virtual so everybody gets to enjoy and you know one thing about even with breath
(20:48):
work without cannabis.
So breath work is something that helps your lungs.
It makes them stronger and you know it's like hearing about that.
That's so that's so awesome.
So now you feel stronger with the lungs.
So it helped.
(21:08):
So I want to know a bit more with your how does because you know some of the listeners
today may be in a place of they're like well wait a minute like is she smoking all damn
day.
How is she doing it.
So what does a routine for you look like with adding cannabis into your day.
(21:35):
When I was using strictly cannabis like Washington State legal cannabis I usually was a get up
in the morning have a couple tokes.
After lunch have a couple tokes in the evening have a couple tokes at night.
(21:55):
And now I'm talking maybe three or four tokes off of a small bowl.
At night I used a I hate the word because I can never say it properly tincture that
I had.
I made myself had made out of ever clear and cannabis.
(22:20):
I know big words like decarboxylation.
I use the small amount of that tincture every night and that would help me sleep.
I was off of all sleeping medications off of melatonin off of Benadryl.
Really the Benadryl because the Benadryl is what causes the massive nightmares nightmares
(22:48):
for me and talk about a bad reaction.
And it's to something that so many give no credit to you know like oh Benadryl it's available
over the counter.
It can't give you anything bad.
(23:08):
Well yeah it can.
So I even know you can use it to get high.
So it sorry kind of went off my point there.
Oh no hey dude you already know this is total space to be open to be you to talk about your
(23:34):
experience.
That's the thing and a lot of I feel that sometimes a lot of society they would rather
us just stay in this box.
We're supposed to be sitting in this box of this is the way that it is.
This is this and we only we are only supposed to be doing the we as little girls we want
(23:55):
to get married have the white picket fence have the two and a half kids because you got
the dog and the cat and the boy and the girl and you're working this job where you are
tirelessly working for 10 hours a day for someone that doesn't even provide you proper
insurance or doesn't take care of you as an employee.
(24:16):
So you know it's about it's about growth.
It's about you.
There are two statements that like people have said to me that have made my brain just
rewire and one of them was the one was that my best friend's wife said normal is a setting
(24:41):
on the dryer.
Boom boom like boom.
That's because I keep joking around and saying why be normal because my goals when I was
a kid was to grow up and be able to dye my hair blue and move to London because that's
(25:03):
where it was socially acceptable.
So I didn't know the world was going to fall apart in America and you know make me want
to move to London anyway.
Dude I want to go back to Germany.
I've been kicked out of Canada twice because of who I've been with so I'm kind of stuck
(25:26):
in America.
You know me too because I can't get my husband on a plane.
But let's you know let's go in to the rediscovering of yourself and you know being able to identify
yourself now beyond addiction like and teaching people that this is really our mistakes are
(25:55):
really lessons in our lives that they don't truly identify our authentic self and who
we truly are.
People think because we were addicts guess what we're going to be addicts forever.
This is the way that life is that one of my least favorite comments that I hear is once
an addict always an addict.
(26:18):
You know what I mean and really like let's talk about the life for you now after addiction.
After addiction well after becoming because I did I was moving to Washington I was becoming
a cannabis patient.
That was my goal.
(26:38):
That's where I thought my life would be amazing.
Well it's been further because I got to move to Kansas.
We are a slight drive from where my husband did his time and he is such an epitable portion
(27:00):
of my recovery.
Every little girl wants that white picket fence and that husband that worships the ground
that they walk on and I just don't have the white picket fence.
(27:21):
Life goals.
You got to realize life is always moving forward.
I never seen myself living in Kansas and because he my husband has such a strong story here
(27:44):
in Kansas I honestly believe that that's why I need to be the thorn in the side of all
the political people and do podcasts and show that life can be a recovery.
You can be in fully recovery with smoking cannabis.
(28:06):
You don't have to be abstinent because all those they require you to be fully abstinent.
They believe that you can't have anything.
But technically do they?
I'm about to throw the wrench in because you can be addicted to coffee can't you?
(28:29):
And what do you think happens in any meeting but black coffee and cookies.
But you can also be in a position where you are addicted to narcotic medication.
Yes, you can.
And I'm like here I go on this soapbox but that I found has been acceptable in the community
(28:52):
of and like let me just really quickly rephrase and not get it twisted.
AA got me to a point in my recovery where I was abstinent from drugs.
Then in that in my recovery I found out because I lost full function of from my waist down.
(29:19):
So for those of you that don't realize or know what that looks like a little bit of
what that can look like is not being able to walk or being able to use the bathroom
in your own ability like being able to hold it and walk to the bathroom.
That was not my experience.
(29:41):
Not pretty right?
But it wasn't pretty.
But when I personally began it was suggested by a neurologist because he couldn't give
me narcotic medication.
And he said hey I'm going to write you a prescription to become a patient.
(30:01):
And he did.
And I had a different experience.
I was feeling so much better.
I went three months without being able to have function full function of my own body.
But in the rooms of AA and NA and CMA I was actually scrutinized.
(30:25):
And I lost a sponsor.
I don't understand cannabis and I can't do anything to help you.
And so in that moment that's when I knew that I will forever be the sponsor that can help
people that use cannabis in their recovery.
And so when I started the business I actually had a friend reach out to me and she said
(30:47):
hey I have somebody that I think needs your help.
Do you mind if I give them your number?
And she became my first client.
She did my first thing which was recovery and Reiki.
And I remember our first conversation she's like well I use cannabis.
I said oh so do I.
(31:09):
So do I.
Hi I'm Tammy.
You know?
And in the rooms of the in our rooms they are I believe they are strongly helpful and
they can help people.
But I think that they're so closed minded.
They can be a challenge too.
Yes.
(31:30):
They're being very closed minded.
Yes.
I believe NA and AA they have their purposes.
They help some people but there's other avenues for other people.
We don't get to fit in that little perfect box.
(31:52):
And that I found I found more support in the rooms of Buddhist recovery and cannabis recovery.
You know?
And I think that one of my final thoughts and words of encouragement for any of our
listeners is hey be open minded to what works for you.
(32:19):
You know use that non-judgment when it comes to finding something for you because guess
what not everything works for everybody.
Like some people Buddhist recovery doesn't work because they have a challenge with meditation.
Some people cannabis recovery doesn't work.
Some people AA doesn't work.
(32:41):
But there's they may be the person that Christian recovery works or religious recovery works.
There's so many forms if you are someone that is new find find the space and Coco is actually
I'm about to ask her to give you guys some information on some spaces if you're someone
that's interested in cannabis recovery.
(33:03):
But first before that Coco I would like to tell me let's give our listeners your final
your final words of encouragement.
It can be done.
There's nothing magical about me and my recovery.
(33:23):
Like here's where I'm going to pat myself on the back to give encouragement.
I have 33 years off the crack.
I have 26 years off of that.
I have 12 years off of tobacco.
I have 60 years off of opiates and benzos and any cell farm.
(33:47):
And there's nothing magical about me.
I'm just a normal person.
Even though normal is setting on the dryer.
I just learned to look at blessings.
And that's the thing folks.
We all can do it.
And you know Coco you and I have talked about some really amazing resources in the cannabis
(34:14):
recovery community.
Do you mind dropping you know dropping a it is all about Canada recovery.
It's on Facebook.
It's on Tik Tok.
And it's just certainly Canada recovery.
(34:36):
You'll see capital R that helped me like with that aha moment of wait this is a reality.
This is something that people use you know.
So and that's for the cannabis.
(35:01):
I follow a doctor who does more of the holistic things and does a thing he does with hot water
to help people that are in actively in trying to work on recovery with some box and where
(35:21):
he can't the cannabis may not be an option but he tries to lead you to steps that might
that can help people that he's having good rapport with and it's called recovery gone
viral 2.0.
OK.
He he's fully aware that there are people out there that can use cannabis.
(35:45):
He tries to go even more holistic and tells you mushrooms to eat and things like that
but not fun mushrooms at least.
Those have been the two biggest resources I have ran into.
(36:05):
Wow.
Awesome.
And one thing that I want to say really quickly is folks you can most definitely take a look
in the box that gives you all the information about cocoa and you'll see some information
some shout outs to these these resources and cocoa one thing that I want to tell you is
(36:29):
number one.
Thank you.
Thank you for coming on here.
Thank you for telling your story.
Thank you for being a figure in my life that has been a beautiful piece for myself and
I want to ask if you could share one message with someone battling addiction right now
(36:52):
what would that truly be.
I love you on purpose.
You're worth it.
If you need to be in active addiction please use the hotline never use alone.
(37:24):
It's that way overdoses are helped like they're they're helping people with that resource.
They help people not pass away from fentanyl overdoses and the what other else of the crap
(37:51):
they have in the systems nowadays.
I don't remember their number right off the top of the head but they are on Facebook of
never lose use alone.
They do a lot of good things for the community.
But there's always me.
I can be reached on tick tock.
(38:12):
I can be reached on Facebook.
And I'd rather sit in the dark with somebody that's in addiction than lose another person.
Thank you Coco.
Thank you.
(38:32):
And everyone please like I said take a look at the box giving you the description because
in there I will make sure to put about can a recovery.
I will find the number for never use alone and also for this interesting medical professional
that talks about these other go through a holistic process with this again Coco thank
(38:58):
you for joining us and remember everybody we love you on purpose and take a moment to
change your mind to change your life.
Be healing.
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