I’m a trailblazer blazing a path to recovery with the #exitdrug since 2013.

Instagram: @thesoberstoner420, @recoverywiththeexitdrug, and @recoverywithcannabis

Facebook: The Sober Stoner 420, Recovery with The Exit Drug, and Maintaining My Recovery with Cannabis: Support Group

L. Ruth Link Tree: The Sober Stoner 420

Recovery with The Exit Drug/MMRC: Support Group Link Tree

Recovery with the Exit Drug & Maintaining My Recovery with Cannabis Support Group:
Website: mmrecoverywithcannabis.org

DOC: Alcohol and Cocaine

Sober Date: 01/01/2013

L. Ruth AKA The Sober Stoner’s Recovery Story:

Today, I am alive and sober for over a decade from deadly drug and alcohol addiction with the help of medical cannabis. Speaking formally, I use cannabis as form of harm-reduction therapy and as medication-assisted-treatment (MAT). This recovery method is commonly known as “marijuana maintenance” or “cannabis substitution”. Cannabis is also referred to as the “exitdrug” by many because of its ability to create an exit strategy away from deadly substances and initiating a gateway to healing for long-term recovery.

As a child, I encountered severe emotional and verbal abuse along with multiple sexual assault incidents. I could also be described as a quintessential “daddy issues” girl. My father was absent for mostly my entire life. The few memories I do have of him are predominantly saddening and some disturbingly reprehensible. 

These traumas and other tragic events caused my reckless and addictive behaviors to begin in my early teenage years. At the time, I was also diagnosed with major depressive disorder, PTSD, chronic anxiety and insomnia. At first, I would sneak wine or cigarettes whenever I had the chance. I was also a master of secretly escaping my home by crawling out the second floor window using an extension cord as a rope to the ground to go use at late night parties.

By 15 years old, I was forced out of a promising future in soccer by fracturing my spine during a tournament. I was left with persistent chronic pain and a lost identity, which sent my substance use disorder into hyper-speed.

Before I was 16, I was already experiencing countless alcohol-induced seizures and complete black-outs. The worst black-out was a near fatal car accident that occurred when I stole my mother’s car then crashed into the same tree 5 times. How do you crash into the same tree 5 times, you ask? Witnesses to the accident saw me reverse the crashed car and press the accelerator multiple times hitting the same tree over and over until it was totaled. I was fully unaware of what was happening.

At the accident scene, I was met by multiple cop cars, an ambulance and my mother and grandfather crying tears of fear and concern. I was immediately forced into a psychiatric ward for a few weeks, followed by a 45-day young adult program at one of the states finest addiction treatment centers, then a 6-week intensive outpatient program.

At these rehab centers, I was taught that total abstinence with the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-Step Program was the only way to sobriety. Meetings and the steps did help me remain abstinent from ages seventeen to nineteen, but it failed to work for me long-term. I relapsed on cocaine and became a heavy daily user which ended quickly in a frightening accidental overdose.

After the overdose, I became desperate for an alternative path to healing. A very dear friend presented me with an idea: try replacing these deadly substances, with a safer, non-addictive medicine like cannabis.

The biggest advantage with cannabis was the fact that there was no lethal overdose. I could use it to combat my cravings, depression and pain. After many healthy lifestyle changes and cannabis, I became much more mindful of the world around me. My empathy and selflessness grew immensely. I found the determination to make my wrongs right, to be fully present for the people who loved me unconditionally and to be of assistance to those still suffering from issues similar to mine.

After noticing that alternative recovery resources were terribly limited and were weighted in serious stigma, I decided to become a public advocate and activist for medical cannabis and harm-reduction in the addiction recovery world.

In 2013, I founded a non-profit support community called Recovery with The Exit Drug. This non-profit was created for people using or interested in using cannabis as a tool in their recovery for substance use disorder. We are a non-judgmental and all-inclusive community that allows all types of recovery methods. Our goal is to remain a safe, supportive structure that cultivates positivity and acceptance, while encouraging healthy behaviors based on harm-reduction principles.

We established the very first private support forum on Facebook called Maintaining My Recovery with Cannabis: Support Group (MMRC) that aids a large following of diverse members, while also offering varied recovery support resources through our website and social media pages.

The most important thing I’ve learned about recovery and sobriety is that there is no one-size-fits-all treatment. We are all unique and deserve the right to follow whatever path that leads us into recovery. Compassion, connection and progress not perfection are major keys to success. We must all remember to support one another without judgement no matter what point of recovery we are at.

I would like to thank my wonderful mother, maternal grandparents, husband and a few close friends for their unwavering support, care, and love. Without them, I would not be here today sharing my story and helping others daily who are still struggling. 

A quote I like to remind people of is this: “You do not have to stay a prisoner of your past; it was just a lesson not a life sentence. Recovery is always possible for anyone in any situation.”

Anyone is always welcome to reach out to me online for support, resources or just a friendly chat. 

…

Best,

L. Ruth