There was no more need to hide who he was. ![]() Suddenly medical-grade flower, edibles, and other avenues of consumption were readily available. Luckily, Colorado was among the first states to legalize recreational. Prescribed oxycodone and morphine would allow him to go outside, while slowly killing everything he was, and marijuana was giving him back control of his life, but was isolating him even further. However, both medications came at a high cost, had a slow onset, came with a plethora of potential side effects, and neither had the same effect on treatment-related symptoms that even low-grade flower could offer. ![]() Legally available at the time was Cesamet (nabilone), a structural derivation of THC, and Marinol (dronabinol), a synthetic cannabinoid. Medical marijuana was still considered taboo among his primary care physicians, and an alternative to traditional pharmaceuticals was not offered. Doctors continued to stress the benefits of outdoor activity on his physical and mental health, but fear of being a known pot smoker kept him inside. Despite seeing the drastic improvement in his quality of life and having the full support of his family, there was the constant anxiety of being caught. At first, he did not live in an area where he could safely and lawfully purchase and consume marijuana. Unfortunately, one of the barriers Rocky initially faced on his journey was legalization. He was able to step outside of his illness and see the world as a source of beauty instead of pain, and this brought him a serenity he would then transfer to canvas. Painting gave him an “adrenaline rush of peacefulness,” and marijuana was changing his paintings to reflect this new path his life had taken. He was able to reduce his painkillers down to occasional acetaminophen, slowly found himself able to eat again, and found life was becoming more bearable. Once being introduced to cannabis, Rocky saw a dramatic change in his life. Little did he know how much this would change his life and combine with his new artistic outlet to give him a joy he had not believed he could achieve after diagnosis.Ĭlinical trials of the cannabinoids present in marijuana have been proven to assist in many symptoms associated with cancer care, including nausea, vomiting, weakness, depression, and pain, without the damaging side effects of strong opioids. Luckily, Rocky’s eldest son had been educating himself on the use of cannabis in cancer patients for pain control and pharmaceutical reduction, and on his son’s loving recommendation, Rocky tried smoking some flower. They saw his addiction, both to pills and cigarettes, and knew that something had to be done. Rocky’s children saw their father slipping away. He saw a beauty that inspired him to want to create beauty of his own, but he was still very limited by his pain and the pharmaceuticals his body had come to rely on, and at first his paintings were a dark reflection of his muted spirit. This simple yet moving piece touched something in him. However, one day while lying in a hospital bed, Rocky looked up and saw a painting of cotton. There was a disconnect upon diagnosis, a feeling as though he was no longer a part of this world, but of something foreign and entirely consuming. Narcotics, pain, and depression bred more of the same, until Rocky found himself bedridden, severely depressed, unable to find the strength to even eat, and addicted to painkillers that began to slowly destroy his kidney function. Treatments were harsh, and pharmaceuticals were harsher. ![]() By the time it was caught, it had already metastasized to the liver requiring chemotherapy, liver ablation, large bowel resection due to infection, and more. ![]() In 2013, Rocky received the devastating news that he had colon cancer, which is a malignancy affecting the large intestine. But Rocky did not always paint, and his work was not always so bright. Rocky’s chooses bright colors for his palette conveying the warm, familiar feeling of stepping into his world on a gorgeous autumn day. CANNABIS CULTURE – Pristine lakes, gentle waterfalls, sun-kissed mountain tops, and thriving conifers are some of the natural beauty that shine out through the work of painter, Rocky, from Denver, Colorado.
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