Happy March everybody! We have almost made it to Spring, just a few more weeks left! With warmer weather comes all the outdoor events, parties, festivals, and fun in the sun. For some of us, warmer weather means hell. Not just temperature speaking, but physically and emotionally. Warmer weather brings on allergies and inflammations. It can trigger chronic pain and cause anxieties to rise in even the most stable of people. For me personally, warmer weather is the latter. I have more panic attacks, the heat causes migraines, and festivals, forget it! 

     What if I told you that those of us living in fear or living in pain, do not have to anymore? What if I told you that you can find healing and relief at just the press of a button? This blog post is not supposed to sell you on something, but I truly want to convert you into a CBD junkie. The best part is, you can take advantage of CBD even if you are not a medical cannabis patient in your state. 

What is CBD? 

CBD is a cannabinoid secreted by the cannabis flower that can provide healing and relief for many symptoms and ailments. CBD and other cannabinoids work in our body because humans naturally produce what is called the Endocannabinoid System. Check out the short video below from Leafly:

What CBD Means to Me

Early 2014, I was diagnosed with chronic migraines. I was already experiencing migraines lasting for more than five hours every day for the past seven years prior to my dianosis. Despite the pain I was having, I still tried my best to be a functioning human being and attend my full-time job and have a social life. It worked for a while; chewing excedrine up to 3 times a day and downing a bottle of coke to activate the caffiene helped on short notices. To keep my head above the water, I would get my hands on stronger pain killers when the excedrine wouldn't work. 

When I finally got the diagnosis and had it on paper that I am physically in pain (because the outside world does not understand invisible illnesses, especially in the corporate world, I had no choice but to seek out doctors), that was when the testing began. 

"Here try this pill."

"Oh, that one didn't work? This one will give you energy, try this one!" 

"What! It gave you worse migraines than before? Here's another pill to try."

"That one made you suicidal? How can that be?? I don't know what to do, my hands are tied."

At that point, she had sent me to a doctor who specialized in "alternative methods" and no, not cannabis. This doctor wanted to give me Botox. While I have heard amazing things about Botox completely ridding patients of migraines, I just could not go through with a commitment like that. I had many questions that were left unanswered, and the idea of sticking me with a needle multiple times all over my scalp, not just once, but up to several times a month, just turned me completely off of the idea. 
So, I walked out of that medical building for the last time ever by mid 2015. Quit all medications cold turkey. Which left me lying in pain for the next two years. Not only did the migraines debilitate me, but they added a whole new layer of PTSD and added depression. I couldn't leave my house. I was terrified I would get a migraine and get sick in public. I was scared I would become vulnerable on the street while I was nauseous and someone would rob me or hurt me. I stopped going outside. I quit my job. I stopped looking for work. I stopped everything. 

 One of the things that kept me going and feeling like a human being, was social media. I could interact with people who felt like shit just like me. We would support each other, root each other on, and tell each other everything would be okay. At this time, I was not a cannabis patient in Illinois, but I was looking in on other states as they kept legalizing medical and recreational cannabis, as we continue to do so! A lot of people I would interact with and cheer on were and still are cannabis patients in their own state. This was when I found out about CBD and the many different vendors online! One of which I was a pen-pal with even before I became a loyal customer! 

When I first met Tina, we were part of an online exchange group that was for women to help motivate and lift each other up. I was in the motions of feeling like I was on my death bed when Tina and I were paired up one month. She was extremely generous to send me so many products from her store, Soak in the Sound, just because she knew I was in a lot of pain. Everything she had sent me targeted exactly the areas I was feeling the most pain in. 
Fast forward to a little over two years later, and I wouldn't even go a single DAY without using something from Soak in the Sound. Whether it is the honey she derives straight from a local bee farm, or the whipped body butter I use on my forehead when those pesky migraines try kicking at my brain, I use a CBD product for every kind of ailment that tries to motha-fuckin' ail me. 
Really, without these products, I would not be here telling my story today. Her products, I personally believe, have reduced the migraines I would experience and have reversed the symptoms of anxiety and PTSD. I have a job now (currently looking for more work), I have friends again. I am making moves on a regular basis, and this is all because I use CBD daily. 

Favorite Soak in the Sound Products

Whipped Body Butter:
(Not pictured) I use the whipped body butter for EVERYTHING. Joint pain and migraines are my number one usage for this product. A small pea size amount of the butter is all I use and I rub into the pain site. The butter is a little greasy, but if you have dry skin like me, it absorbs quickly. I use a lavender scented butter. The lavender scent soothes migraines and eases insomnia. The consistency is very thick! Typically the whipped butter comes in a container similar to the whipped soap and it makes this easy to adjust whatever amount you want to use by just going into the tub with your own fingers! 

3-1 Whipped Soap:
The whipped soap is my go-to in the shower! Same with the whipped body butter, it is thick and packed tightly into the container. I just scoop a heavy amount on my finger and plop it onto my loofah. Add a little water, and it lathers up nice and thick with bubbles! I love using the 3-1 Whipped Soap when I am feeling extra anxious for work or for every day struggles. I definitely use the soap for just general cleansing as well! The scents are customizable, and yes, there are LUSH DUPLICATES available too! My favorite part about using the 3-1 Whipped Soap is that every now and then, you will actually find a CBD crystal in the soap. Don't let it escape, keep that guy in the soap! 
TIP: When the container is at the end and all that is left of the soap is just what is sticking to the container itself, I like to draw a bath, and rinse the container out into my bathwater. It will not add bubbles, but it will add extra moisturizer and CBD love to your bath water! 

Jelly Soap:
This is a personal favorite of mine mostly because I became obsessed with the Jelly soaps from LUSH and when I stopped shopping there, Soak in the Sound jellies became the perfect (and in most cases, better) alternative for me. The consistency of jelly is easy to cut up and take in pieces. Wonderful to use as is in a loofah or just by itself on your body. My favorite way to use Jelly Soaps is drawing a warm bath, and grabbing a plain kitchen strainer. Cut up a few pieces of the jelly soap and place it in the strainer, hold it under the running water of your bath, and watch the magic happen! Before you know it, you will have a rich CBD bubble bath! I love jelly soaps for that reason! 

CBD Tincture: 
Using the tincture requires a full regimen of daily usage for it to work. Effects will be noticeable within a week or so if using daily. For me, personally, I use a full eye dropper of a 2:1 CBD/THC ratio and drop it under my tongue. I will let it rest there for about 30 seconds before swallowing it or washing it down with coffee or juice. My regimen is every morning as soon as I wake up and take it with the rest of my daily vitamins. I have found that regimen to work the best! I would recommend starting out with just a full spectrum CBD tincture and see where you need to up the dosage or lower it. The wonderful thing about CBD is that is counteracts THC as well. So, if you ever feel that you have ever ingested/inhaled too much THC, this tincture works great to battle the feelings of over-panic. 

Siren's Sweets:
Besides the wonderful bath products at Soak in the Sound, there are also a variety of medibles listed as well! My personal favorite is the CBD Honey. I add this to my oatmeal in the morning and when I am sick, it is the first thing I go for to add to my hot tea. Beautifully made honey made by hardworking and loved bees, from a local (to Soak in the Sound) bee farm in Seattle to produce a raw and simply sweet sticky mess. 

These are just a few of the MANY products that Soak in the Sound offers. If you join all of us Sirens on the Facebook page, then you have a better opportunity at creating a perfect CBD purchase by signing up to the customs list. All products, pricing, and scents are also listed in the FILES section of the group. Also, don't hesitate to ask questions and leave comments! Everyone in the group is readily available to help and offer their own insights on the different products. You can also message Tina directly, once you are in the group, and she will be able to offer any advice or answer any questions you may have about certain products. The one thing I can tell you for sure, is that you will not be disappointed! Regardless of your purchase, you will be in love from day one! Happy Healing!! 

Important Links:

What are cannabinoids: http://medicalcannabisreport.com/cannabinoids-101-what-makes-cannabis-medicine/

Leafly: https://www.leafly.com/

Soak in the Sound: http://soakinthesound.bigcartel.com/

Join the Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/525411847668967/

Soak in the Sound on IG: https://www.instagram.com/soakinthesound/