Terry Duncan started using medical cannabis about 6 months ago for help with various chronic pain and anxiety disorders; she says it’s greatly improved her quality of life.
“Within 3 days to a week I could get up and down off the floor which I hadn’t been able to do in over 10 years,” Duncan said. “My speech cleared up, I don’t have to take as many meds as I was taking before, and it’s really been a miracle, it really has. If I don’t take them, I hurt like the dickens.”
Co-Founder and Director of the Southern New Mexico Medical Cannabis Expo, Christian Maes says the main goal of the two-day event is education.
“That’s the main thing that we try to provide everyone with, some kind of knowledge,” Maes said. “Whether they didn’t know something before, we try to touch on all aspects of the industry, as far as how to obtain your card, how to grow your medicine, how to cook it and make edibles, how to grow.”
Doctors were available on site to help people get their medical marijuana cards. Physicians used medical records and questionnaires to help determine if patients were a good candidate to receive medical cannabis. Maes said they provided informational sessions for new patients.
“If they are learning that they can be a patient,” Maes said. “They need to learn the laws of how to be a patient because there are still ways to consume the product illegally, and as a patient they know these things. There is just certain places you can medicate and certain places you can’t.”
Maes says they also welcome skeptics to see the benefits.
“So learning that it really does help,” Maes said. “It really does help, that’s what I mainly want people to know. There is nothing but helping hands around here starting from myself all the way down to everyone that is at this convention, we’re all here to help in one way or another.”
Terry Duncan says she hopes more people learn the benefits of medical cannabis.
“I would recommend it to anybody,” Duncan said. “With serious mental problems, or chronic pain because it will definitely change your life.”
Christian Maes says because of the great response with the first expo they plan on holding another later this year.
