Cannabis May Help Control Anxiety; Meet Elizabeth's Story

By Lucas Góis

The ophthalmologist qualified to prescribe medicinal cannabis, Lizie Araújo, 35, works in an office in São Miguel do Gostoso, in the interior of Rio Grande do Norte. To provide an alternative for patients in situations where conventional treatment did not yield the expected results for curing certain diseases, she began to guide them on the benefits of the plant.

 “I started to reflect that I was leaving many people without help by avoiding alternative treatment. I needed to expand and bring this cannabis medicine to my patients,” Lizie said. 

Looking at home, after various experiences with patients, the doctor began to observe her mother's routine. The lady Elizabeth Dias, 68, was very anxious. In an attempt to discover the reason for her mother's “restlessness,” they went to the cardiologist. It was then that the daughter discovered that her mother's anxiety was related to elevated blood pressure.

According to the specialist doctor, the stress and daily worries were affecting Elizabeth's emotional state, and at that time, she started using controlled medications. It was from that moment that Lizie decided to prescribe cannabidiol for her own mother.

The treatment has completed two months, and Elizabeth already shows a more stable emotional state.

“Cannabis helped my mother open her mind to self-care. In addition to handling everyday problems better, there was a reduction in joint pain in her hip,” she explained.

Currently, Lizie cannot imagine her mother without using cannabidiol. "Her sleep is deeper, and she has more energy with the treatment through a mix of THC that does not stimulate but only balances," she said.

The process of acceptance for Elizabeth, who embraced the use of phytocannabinoids to control anxiety, was complicated because, living in a small town, she feared being labeled a “pothead.”

Lizie states that “cannabis is a world that people should dive into to understand the results. "In my profession, I know how important this is and how I should convey it to my patients and, especially, my mother,” she shared.

The Cannabis-Based Treatment in the Community

Today, Lizie follows up with 12 patients. She recounts that one patient was initially hesitant to start treatment for two reasons: the cost of cannabis-based products and the prejudice against the plant. However, with scientific information and satisfactory results from other treatments, her perspective on cannabis changed, and the alternative treatment became accepted by her.

According to the doctor, the use of various medications has decreased, and cannabis has become the protagonist in this patient's daily life, who has set aside her resistance to using cannabis.

“She came to me due to an acute glaucoma crisis and had already undergone several procedures, but with the use of cannabidiol, she became a different person,” she claims.

Because of the cannabis prescription, she has been nicknamed “Dr. Zé Gotinha” by the community.

Additionally, the ophthalmologist emphasizes that the denial of cannabinoid effects is often rooted in social prejudice that hinders patient access and harms the debate on the topic in the country.