I’ve been a medicinal cannabis patient now for over three years. I use medicinal cannabis for chronic pain, adenomyosis, perimenopause and anxiety. My journey as a patient began after I had a shoulder injury that affected my quality of life and I was  prescribed opioids over a prolonged period of time.

The opioids were making me both physically and mentally unwell, so I kept asking for my doctor to taper me off them. However, he gave me no alternatives and continued prescribing the medications. I remember saying to him, “I feel like the painkillers are mapping a path to my brain and they told me “No, no Kyla, we have seen your scans, you definitely need these medications to manage your pain.

My father passed away as I was trying to manage my chronic pain and soon after, my mother got diagnosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma. It was a devastating time for me and during this period, I walked away from a marriage of eighteen years.

Things were very difficult during this time and it was not easy to stick to my truth for the type of treatment that worked for me.  I have always been interested in natural products, both my Nanna and Grandad have shown me a more natural way to heal, but cannabis in my limited knowledge previously, was only used recreationally. It made me super sleepy so I never thought it would give me relief for pain.

Then one day someone told me to try CBD for my pain. I did just that and realised that my anxiety was also taking a back seat. I realised that there was more to the plant than I realised.  The plant has helped me reconnect with myself, my values and who I am. From this, I  became deeply passionate about educating women on medicinal cannabis, particularly those going through perimenopause and cancer.

In trying to assist my Mum and her diagnosis, I realised how much more needs to be done in ensuring that medicinal cannabis becomes a valid form of treatment for many others. The journey she has had made me realise how little we know about the plant and that the stigma is very real, even till this day.

My core values are family, community, honesty, integrity, service, creativity and connection. I hold a strong connection to nature, the beach and the mountain anywhere that is green and lush. This experience made me more determined to educate people about the plant and to create community around the plant. To encourage other women to take what they have learned and share it with other women.