John Cashel Kennedy was diagnosed at birth with double delta F508, a mutation of Cystic Fibrosis – and his family was made aware of the challenges that came with his diagnoses, such as deterioration of lung function and regular hospitalizations. They were told to get used to living life going to and from doctor’s appointments. However, since trying Cannabis in the form of an edible at age 15, John has been using Cannabis to mitigate the challenges of Cystic Fibrosis. Be sure to check out his Instagram for recipes, tips, and tricks.
How has Cannabis impacted your condition?
Back when I was 14-15 I sort of first heard about Cannabis, which is also when I began to get pretty sick. I couldn’t smoke it considering Cystic Fibrosis attacks the lungs – it would’ve been horrible for my lungs. I had to find an alternative to using it. I have been cooking since age seven and found out about ways to infuse butter and oil with Cannabis. I was able to put on some healthy weight and improve the condition of my joints.
Do you share your knowledge with others in the Cystic Fibrosis community?
So I have a lot of friends and people who follow me on social media and also have CF. They always ask me alternative ways to use the medicine without smoking, such as using lotions, tinctures, and RSOs for infusions. We have a group of about 20-30 people who ask me about Cannabis and the best ways to use it.
What do your doctors say about Cannabis use with this condition?
Now they are totally accepting of it. Back when I was 14-15 they really did not like it, sort of a statement of the times. Luckily I had a doctor who was pretty cool with it, sort of under a ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ type of situation. As it went along, my doctors realized it was something they wanted me to keep doing, so they actually told me to get a medical card. I was one of the earlier ones to get my medical card between 2015 and 2016.
What products do you use in particular to help with the daily challenges you face?
I love using RSO, whether it’s just putting it on some peanut butter and swallowing it or I am making capsules. That is my best and favorite way to use it, due to its ease. I can make a whole batch of capsules in about 20 minutes. I also use a lot of trim to make butter and RSO. I began to document specific strains, terpene information, and how those flavors affected the flavor and effects of the end product.
What do you love about working at HerbaFi?
My whole team is great, I love the people here. If anyone slacks, we are all there for each other to pick up the pieces and keep each other balanced. I also live five minutes away, so when I found out I had the opportunity to work here, I was ecstatic.
What do you like to do for fun?
I love entertaining, making people laugh, and showing them new things. Creating Cannabis content is a huge passion of mine; whether it’s cooking something on Instagram, or taking a bunch of milligrams of THC and going on adventures. When I was in the hospital, I would drive scooters around Baltimore. I like to box and lift weights, and find ways to incorporate Cannabis in my life.
