AND HOW VETERANS & FIRST RESPONDERS CAN GET FREE CBD FROM HEROGROWN
Throwing a baseball around with your kid isn’t just about loosening up his arm. Often it’s your chance to catch up, strengthen your relationship and show that kid you still got it.
So when your son tosses you your baseball glove and says, ‘Let’s play catch,’ you do it. But when Cord Peck bent over to tie his shoes, his body froze in place. His body wasn’t working the same way it did when he was a United States Marine in active duty.
By 2008, Cord had gained 60 pounds, was plagued by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and dependent on medications to treat the condition.
“The reality of it all is, I became an overweight, lethargic, sloth-like man that didn’t really care about anything,” Cord said.
“I just woke up and slept and ate and didn’t care.”
Cord served in Operation Desert Storm. And like many veterans, he returned home suffering from PTSD. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) typically responds to cases of PTSD, chronic pain or other ailments common among American warriors by prescribing powerful antidepressants or opioid painkillers, which can have intense side effects and are known to be habit-forming.
Often he took medications to off-set the side effects of other prescription meds. This left him in a drugged-out haze, which added to his severe depression.
“I must’ve had an epiphany, I looked at my son and I started crying.” Cord admitted. “Of course, he was nervous and asked, ‘What’s wrong, Dad?’ I just told him I couldn’t play ball, I needed to get in shape and figure it out. I spent the next year after that, tapering on my own off of the medication that the VA had given me and exercising.”
“As veterans, we don’t want to be lethargic and cloudy, we want a purpose. We want a mission.”
BACK TO LIFE WITH EXERCISE & CANNABIS
So Cord hit the gym—and hit it hard. He lost nearly 60 pounds doing P90X routines. He entered weightlifting and bodybuilding competitions. But the strain of powerlifting was too hard on his joints. So he checked out a new division within bodybuilding called men’s physique.
CORD PECK BEFORE AND AFTER. As an award-winning bodybuilder, Cord ranked fourth in the nation in men’s physique division. He uses Boveda to preserve the potency of his medicinal cannabis.
In men’s physique competitions, judges gauge fitness and symmetry combined with muscularity and overall condition, according to the National Physique Committee.
“It’s about constantly changing yourself to be better, being yourself,” Cord said. “It’s not about being anybody else, it’s not about competing against anybody else, it’s about being better than you were the day before, the month before, the year before. It’s constantly trying to better yourself so you can continue to have a good healthy life.”
HOW CBD FITS INTO A BODYBUILDER’S TRAINING REGIMEN
Along with exercise, Cord builds cannabis into his healthful lifestyle to alleviate symptoms of PTSD, including:
- Smokable flower
- CBD protein powder for shakes
- Infused topicals
Many people, especially vets and professional athletes, turn to cannabis to relieve pain. VA doctors are unable to prescribe medical cannabis to vets because cannabis is still considered a Schedule I narcotic on the federal level. And paying out-of-pocket for medical cannabis and CBD products can be cost prohibitive.
Cord, however, is open about his cannabis use, and believes more athletes need to “come out of the cannabis closet.”
“Most bodybuilders that are in the community view cannabis very positively, but they’re kind of hidden about it,” Cord said. “I have no problem sitting in front of people taking CBD drops or rubbing the salve on. I find that more and more people are coming up to me in the gym to ask me about CBD, which is just great.”
Athletes and active adults have a lot to gain by using cannabis. Studies show its anti-inflammatory properties can help aid muscle recovery. But it’s the people who suffer from PTSD who will benefit the most, Cord said.
“I used to be one hell of a nasty person; I was very angry, judgmental, and hard to be around.”
“Ever since I stopped the medication and I went with CBD, I love smiling and talking to people. This medicine is a life-changer.”
ARE YOU A VET OR FIRST RESPONDER WHO NEEDS CBD FOR TRAUMA AND PAIN RELIEF?
Join HeroGrown now—membership is FREE! HeroGrown provides direct assistance to thousands of members through its CBD AirDrop program. Veterans and first responders can receive free CBD patches, CBD vape oil and CBD capsules/oil.
HeroGrown also works to stop employers, health insurers and the government from discriminating against cannabis users. And fights for their right to choose cannabis as a safe alternative to opioids.
Support HeroGrown’s mission to get CBD to those who serve our nation
HeroGrown is a 501(c)(19) nonprofit organization. Your donation is tax deductible to this tax-exempt war veterans’ organization. Boveda is a sponsor of HeroGrown.
- Donate to HeroGrown.
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www.RachelleGordon.net
Rachelle Gordon is a Minneapolis-based freelance writer and educator in the cannabis space. She has dedicated herself to informing others about the powers of plant medicine after witnessing her father’s struggle with epilepsy (and subsequent stroke) in her childhood.
Rachelle’s posts are being provided for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by Boveda of any of the products, services or opinions of Rachelle. Boveda bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of this post or links to the posts. Contact Rachelle Gordon for answers to questions regarding her content.
