“Weed Is The Only Thing That Helps”: Veriheal Patient on Cannabis For Trigeminal Neuralgia

On a highway in Philly, in a moment of desperation, Dylan Rogers reached for a joint. He was leaving the hospital after yet another failed attempt to just stop the pain and needed relief.

After steroids failed and pharmaceuticals made him a zombie, this surgery was a Hail Mary, a small glimmer of hope in a reality consisting of shocks of pain, of wincing when the air conditioner kicks on because the accompanying breeze feels like sharp pain with a dull object. Of getting suspicious glances because the people around him don’t know that the hood he’s wearing isn’t threatening but the only thing keeping him standing. That without it, the heat and light from the sun would cause all-encompassing agony.

So, in a moment of frustration and blinding pain, Rogers reached for something that, up to this point, was a substance he only used recreationally. From his first hit, however, Rogers felt relief that he hadn’t felt for years – all thanks to medical cannabis.

“Medical marijuana has been the only medicine that has worked and helped and allowed me to work and have a life,” Rogers noted.

How Medical Cannabis Helped Dylan Rogers Get His Life Back

Now a registered medical marijuana patient through Veriheal, he has developed a rigorous cannabis routine tailored to provide consistent effects all day long.

Until a recent change in treatment allowed him to lower the amount of cannabis he uses, Rogers would start each morning with a fast-acting topical cocoa butter and his first round of edibles, with hourly reminders on his watch to take another dose. He’d smoke joints as needed throughout the day for immediate relief and end the night with a spoonful of high-potency THC honey.

Consuming over two ounces of cannabis per week and over 500mg of edibles daily changed his life – not only relieving more pain than traditional pharmaceuticals ever could, but also impacting every aspect of it, from his career to his hobbies.
When medical cannabis use allowed him to return to work, his employers supported him to do what he needed to do. And using cannabis on the clock has allowed Rogers to change the perception of “stoners,” one customer at a time.

“People would always be shocked that you can be intelligent and know what you’re doing and keep a project going properly even while using cannabis,” said Rogers. “It’s fantastic to tell people – Guess what? I’ve been ‘stoned’ this whole time. I’m not doing it to party while I’m at work. I’m doing this so I can work, so I can function, so I can talk, so I can be outside.”

Unshackled from debilitating pain for the first time in five years, Rogers also had to “recreate his pastimes.” Activities he once enjoyed were no longer an option due to his condition.

“I grew up on a sailboat. Now, I haven’t been on a sailboat in five years,” Rogers shared. “Painting is a huge escape. It helps me to bring out the full emotion of the pain [my condition] causes, enveloping the body and the soul – and reaching toward the one thing that truly helps: cannabis, the freedom, the escape.”

About The Green Standard Podcast

The Green Standard podcast strives to elevate real, lived experiences within the cannabis industry — whether that’s testimonials from our patients and practitioners or commentary from our staff and partners. By telling these stories, we attempt to strip away the veil of secrecy, shame, and stigma that surrounds the cannabis industry with the effort of advocating for more transparent conversation and easier, more dignified access to cannabis across the globe.

Dylan Rogers’ story is a powerful testament to the life-changing potential of cannabis as medicine. To hear more firsthand accounts from patients, practitioners, and professionals within the cannabis industry, subscribe to The Green Standard: A Podcast by Veriheal.

Want to share your story with our audience? Submit your medical cannabis testimonial for consideration.