Seizures And Weed

From Convulsions and Partial Paralysis to Running Around with the Kids in 30 Seconds.

By Dan Williams

It usually starts in my right leg, a tightening and tingling, then the nerves feel like I’m being zapped by a DC taser. Then it hits my spine, the left side. Then the whole body. Convulsing. I’m having a seizure. But I’m conscious, so I struggle to reach for my pipe or vape pen. I get it, take a hit, hold it in, breathe it out, one more spasm, and it’s all over. A little bit of weed stops my seizures in less than 30 seconds.

I turned 18 in Spring of 2001, tried to sign up for the National Guard. The recruiter asked about Ritalin use; I had used it for ADD between 1994 and 1997. He turned me away. October, that year, I had my first seizure.

I worked primarily at a movie theater, but I had also just started working at UPS in the mornings. It happened on my third day of work at UPS. After my 4-9 am shift, I went home, had a frosted pop tart, and worked on my car. That night I went to work at the theater. My duties that night were cleaning after the shows. I was just finishing cleaning up after Jay and Silent Bob; I was walking up the aisle, then felt a twinge and collapsed.

I lay on the floor looking up at the ceiling, for maybe 5 minutes, sore as hell. Then some coworkers came in because I hadn’t been seen in half an hour.

A month later I collapsed behind the concession stand, staying awake, I went into wild convulsions. When the EMTs arrived, my pulse was over 160bpm. And so began years of tests and medications.

I was put on Lamictal (which I was allergic to, made the Italy vacation more challenging). Later they tried Depakote, Keppra, Tetrytol, and a few others; nothing really helped, and they caused more complications than they helped. I would fall asleep in classes at college. Couldn’t do pre-calc in my sleep like I could algebra. Through the combo of meds I struggled to walk, I needed a cane and could have used a chair. Finally, I swore off the pharmaceuticals in 2006.

I didn’t have a 4th day at UPS, and I was let go from the theater at the end of December 2001. I worked at McDonald’s for a few months, but when the owner found out I was seeing a cardiologist, he took me off the work schedule until I had to quit. Then I had several other jobs, all of which ended up letting me go because my seizures affected my ability to work.

I’d often collapse into convulsions for even an hour, and then be stuck laying on the floor for another hour, unable to move much. Finally, when the pastor of the church I was working at, with my mom as my direct supervisor, said he wasn’t comfortable with me convulsing and laying on the floor of the office when people were coming in, I decided it was time to apply for Disability. I applied in March 2006, still fighting.

But, on to the point: weed.

February 2011, I was at a friend’s birthday party and started having a seizure. Someone in the party asked if I needed some weed. I decided it was time to give in and go against the DARE program I grew up on, give up my aversion of weed and drugs. I’d actually been thinking about it for a couple of years. I had a friend with seizures that used it, and it helped him. So I said yes. I took a hit, like a pro, apparently. And then the pain was gone. My body wasn’t convulsing; I could move of my own accord. I could wiggle, I could even dance! It was a party after all.

I found a friend that grew Sour Diesel and started smoking that. Every time, I kept being amazed at how quickly the seizures stopped, and how quickly I was able to recover and be human.

One day my dad was having a migraine, so I asked if he wanted any, as if it were nothing, yet I had not yet told my parents that I had started smoking weed. My dad got curious, declined, but spoke in complete support of my using it once I explained how well it worked.

I got my medical card and started buying from the dispensaries. I started researching to find out what strains would help and what would hinder. I used Leafly.com (non-endorsed plug) to look up what a strain was good for, and what it’s side effects were. I was able to coordinate with my dispensary to get strains that were higher in CBD, that seemed to work best. But it also had to have a good balance of THC as well, straight CBD takes the edge off, but it doesn’t stop the pain or bring me back to normal.

It has been a truly amazing experience and testimony to others. I’ll be out in public, start convulsing, find my way outside if needed, and light up, and suddenly be normal. I’ve had a lot of people change their opinions about medical cannabis by them just watching me from one minute to the next with the use of one or two hits.

I was even given the authorization to use an oil vaporizer in classes when I went back to school in 2015. And in 2014, I was allowed to use it on an airplane from California to Minnesota and back. Which, I will probably never take an airplane again, the noise causes bad seizures on takeoff and landing, that even oil, honey, and chocolate couldn’t stop.

I just spent a year and a half helping raise three kids, they don’t know what it is, but they know that when I’m in pain and go outside, I may come back in smelling odd, but I will be able to play and run around with them. Convulsions and partial paralysis to running around with the kids in less than 30 seconds.