Patient Review: RiverRock Wellness Raw Cannabis Juice

This last week has been pretty rough on me physically. I have had severe reactions to the 3 foods I re-introduced to my Elimination Diet during that time, and one of the reactions is still clinging to me very strong. Foods can effect us in all different ways, ways you wouldn't normally expect. Over the last week I've dealt with re-triggerings of some of my more troubling symptoms, including severe inflammation, cognitive dysfunction (memory problems, issues communicating), and sleep disorders. Something I ate yesterday caused a severe hyperactive state, and thus, I haven't yet slept. Its 8:22AM and I may be finally winding down and getting ready to crawl into bed. When I'm in the state I've been in for the last week, its almost impossible for me to write or be productive. My brain and body are so fried that just getting through the basics of the day are a great feat of will. Throw in the fact that I'm a perfectionist and a procrastinator and well, you have one hot mess on your hands!
That being said, today's post is something I worked on week before last. I will have more new work and research up here as my flare-up chills out over the next week. For now, please enjoy a review I put together on a product I would love to make myself, but don't have the space to grow the plants necessary, nor the money for the grow or a juicer. I have read extensively on the benefits of juicing cannabis, so I got really excited when I learned about this product!

*Note: I am an independent, third party patient, reviewing new products that come into the dispensary I have designated as my Primary Care Center. They highly value constructive feedback from a patient who has a genuine debilitating condition, as well as previous experience in the industry. I hope my unique and candid insights help the Medical Cannabis Industry continue to evolve in ways that always keep patient needs first.

Product Review – RiverRock Wellness “Raw Cannabis Juice” (1.75 oz, Mixed CBD/THC)

Appearance:

Dark Green, almost black. Darker than wheat grass but otherwise identical in appearance. Comes frozen. Prob best to thaw in fridge overnight if you want to “shoot” it in the morning, which is ideal. Could also be added to a “green drink” without having to thaw first. Comes in a terrible plastic container, like what you would get a side of ranch in - it is almost impossible to open and use without dribbling some of the thin juice on your coffee table and/or fingers in the process.  (see photos)

Taste:

Pretty much the same as wheat grass. Very concentrated, “grassy/leafy/green plant” taste - not for the faint of heart as a straight shooter. Would definitely be more palatable in a green drink, or with some fresh lemon or grapefruit juice. Tastes fine, or even welcoming, if you are used to wheat grass, green drinks, and such.

Smell:

Doesn’t smell like much of anything. Perhaps a faint whiff of “fresh grass” or “leaves”.

Current Primary Patient Concerns/Symptoms:

Woke up in good spirits because I am supposed to go to a show for the first time in over a year with some good friends, but I am apprehensive as well because my inflammation has been really hard to control over the last few weeks, and I’ve been having issues with chronic blood pressure, so I keep getting dizzy and heart palpitations. I am also feeling fatigued, dizzy, have really bad “brain fog”, am sore and achy all over, especially in my hips, hands, neck, and back, and to top it all off, I am having mild cramps due to ovulation. So my pain is around a Level 4 at the time of taking this juice. I am hoping it will remove some of this pain and inflammation and help keep me dancing for at least a few hours before my joints give out on me. I’m very excited to try this product because I have read about the benefits of juicing cannabis for the treatment of chronic inflammation, but not yet had the opportunity to try it for myself.

Effects:

About ten minutes after shooting the juice straight up on an empty stomach, and managing to keep from losing half of the product upon opening the poorly chosen container, I feel a slight rush of energy move through my body from the head down. I feel a wave of clarity come over me, like the “fog” is literally lifting from my mind, and my body feels like its relaxing. The energy has a warmth to it. Its almost identical to a high quality raw wheat grass shot, but with a bigger personality. This product does not “get you high”, but it does get you going! I feel inspired to soak in a much needed warm bath and do goddess things before my big night out with the girls.

About 30 minutes after shooting the juice, I am pleased with the results. My head feels really good, all the vertigo and dizziness I was struggling with earlier is gone, my sore and inflamed body is now relaxed, yet my mind is sharp and focused. Plus, it is gentle on the stomach, which is very important for those of us with compromised guts. I feel ready to eat and take on my day, and night!

Suggested Applications:

It’s a great base to the other cannabis products I use throughout the day to manage my debilitating symptoms. I highly suggest it for anyone who suffers from chronic pain or inflammation. If you are already juicing or making “green drinks” (which you should be!), then its an easy way to add the benefits of ingesting raw cannabis to your daily diet. Its best if taken in the morning on an empty stomach, and then waiting around 30 minutes before eating anything. Salud!

Critiques:

The only way that River Rock could improve their Raw Cannabis Juice, in this patient’s humble opinion, is to put the product in better containers! These plastic condiment containers are killing me. After they are empty of juice, there is still this lovely green residue stuck to the sides that I am sure is full of healing goodness, but its very difficult to get off and makes me feel like I’m not getting all my healing goodness. 

I’m wondering, if the containers were of a different material, if not so much of said goodness would stick to them. Also, I have random green dribbles all over my counter because of their shoddy design, and my house elf was given a sock by some punk kid with a scar on his forehead, so who is supposed to clean this mess up? ;)

Otherwise, in all seriousness, an excellent supplement that I see as potentially beneficial to many people, especially those with chronic illness, pain, and/or inflammation - so long as the base product and manufacturing process used is of clean and high quality, which so far I see no reason to question. 

Kudos, RiverRock Wellness. Kudos.

Many thanks to Trill Alternatives in Boulder for the sample!

What are some of your favorite Medical Cannabis products available in Colorado today?

Please, if you find any value from this blog, please consider making a donation to the PayPal link at the top right of the page. I don't create these posts expecting anything but to help/entertain others, but I am a disabled mechanic/artist who is not currently receiving SSI/SSDI and when I'm flared up it's hard if not impossible for me to get my hustle on. I'm also working on adding Bitcoin here! Many thanks for your support :) <3

Catching up with the Times - First Vlog Post! "Organic Doesn't Mean GMO Free"

Greetings All!

Apologies for dropping off, again.

Since I last posted here, I have been working through a very comprehensive Elimination Diet.

I am putting together a write-up about my experiences and discoveries thus far, but I have been detoxing in the process (yes, detoxing from food!) and so have been extra "inflamed" as I call it. Lots of pain, brain fog, and debilitating fatigue. I keep telling myself its worth it, and it is, but its the most difficult challenge I've faced yet in my life, which is saying something considering I've seen some shit.

Since writing has been challenging for me due to my cognitive dysfunctions, and crappy ergonomic chair and desk set-up, I've been playing around with the idea of starting a podcast. I don't have the proper equipment just yet for that, so for the interim I plan to post rants on YouTube.

Here is my first one, inspired by some facts I picked up this morning while browsing the Interwebs.

I hope you find it informative, entertaining, and inspiring!
After watching it a few times I've started nit-picking it to death, but we all have to start somewhere, and I am excited to experiment with different forms of media.



Thank you so much for watching! I'm eager for constructive feedback.
What topics of research are important to you as a fellow "Chronic Badass"?

Please, if you find any value from this blog, please consider making a donation to the PayPal link at the top right of the page. I don't create these posts expecting anything but to help/entertain others, but I am a disabled mechanic/artist who is not currently receiving SSI/SSDI and when I'm flared up it's hard if not impossible for me to get my hustle on. I'm also working on adding Bitcoin here! :) 

Going Stir-Crazy from being Homebound!!! (And, How to Get Over It)

There is no way for me to properly explain the loneliness and isolation that comes with being chronically ill and homebound as a result. Perhaps I’ve been feeling extra bummed out lately because of the Elimination Diet I have been working on for the last 13 days (not that anyone’s counting!). I have wanted to write about it, along with my discoveries about the Gut and Vitamin D and all these amazing things I have been experimenting with to manage my illness, plus I have a ton of old writing and poetry to go thru and post, but I have been so bogged down. Just so exhausted and “blah”, not having the energy to do anything but sleep and wallow. I'm just so freakin' sick and tired of being sick and tired!! It's making me feel like this:

The main reason why I’m homebound is due to a severe UV sensitivity, so you would think with the days finally getting shorter and cooler my mood would be perking up. Soon it will be snowy and cold and I will no longer be filled with constant pangs of jealousy and depression every time I see a beautiful woman showing off her long tan legs in short shorts or walking past my window to go sun by the community pool. Being half Mexican, I tan quite nicely, and have been a “Sun Worshiper” my whole life. I miss the sun in ways I didn’t know was possible, and even have dreams about the way it feels to stand in sunlight…the warmth of the rays as they soak into the skin, the relaxing, zen-like feeling that comes from absorbing sunlight after several minutes, the almost magical way my hair lightens and skin becomes bronze…And it’s not just sunlight. I’m sensitive to any sort of UV light now, like HID or florescent, or even glares and bright lights. If I’m not aware of my environment, I could end up dizzy, nauseous, light headed, fatigued, and aggravating my arthritis. So no more indoor grows for me (*sniffle*), and if I’m well enough to go shopping, a lot of the time I have to be quick about it, or I start to feel sick from the lights. Obviously shopping online is my ideal way now (all praise Amazon!), but again, that is just another way in which human interaction is being cut from my life. I should have spent this summer hiking and climbing rocks and getting drunk by pools and riding bicycles along the paths of Boulder and dreading going to work. Not stuck inside my apartment like some freakish, depressed, vampire watching the world pass me by. I now understand the lonely people who would call the call centers I worked at in the past just to hear someone else’s voice.
So yes, I do get excited when I think about the coming holiday season, it’s my favorite time of year and I have been dreaming up recipe, décor, and party ideas. But there’s this pit in my stomach too. Being sick for the last few years has eaten away at my social life, and I’ve fallen out of touch from so many people. It’s just so fucking hard to talk to people when you’re going through something like this. You don’t understand what’s going on with your body or your mind, you just want things to get better but they won’t, and when people ask me how I’m doing I tend to just be a depressing mess in my response. I’m afraid a few old friends have reached out to me lately and my responses were very negative. I was so ecstatic to hear from them, to know that I’m being thought of and missed, but instead of saying that, all that came out was a verbal vomit of “woe is my life”. Its so difficult not to become a resentful, bitter shell of who you once were and push everyone away because you hate them for not being sick, for having their “normal” lives and “normal” problems, you hate them for complaining about being “bored” when they have NO idea what bored is, or for commenting on the weather (“How nice that the sun came back out!”). Then you hate yourself for being bitter and resentful, because you know it’s not right, and it threatens to become a self-perpetuating cycle of isolating anguish and despair. I used to be a social butterfly, always looking for the next adventure, always the one organizing parties and linking people together…but now I have hardly any friends that I see or speak to on a regular basis. Who will I invite to my holiday gatherings this year?

Luckily, even as I type this, I know I can change this, that I can make this better. It’s up to me after all. This is my life; I must take responsibility for my happiness. It’s true that not having a phone or a car sure makes being social that much more of a challenge, especially in my case. It’s true that this whole situation sucks and that I have been desperately struggling to communicate effectively, which has made maintaining my friendships even more of a challenge. But, to quote the late, great Jim Rohn, “Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better.” I have to remember that I am so much more than my “meat vessel”, that I am divine infinite energy, and that I have work to do. There’s this voice inside that won’t let me give up, that tells me that I’m important, that even little me can make a difference. And that I shouldn’t worry about my social life, that those friends who are true will understand we all go through hard times that can make us sucky communicators, and they will still love and support me and come to any gatherings I organize. Hopefully through this blog I can help them to understand me better, and maybe I can help other “Chronic Badasses” to pick themselves off the floor as well.

And so, with that being said, I have work to do. I have friendships to patch up, a garden to water, dishes to do, a body and mind to heal, and this blog to improve. I have everything I need at my disposal. Truly, I am blessed. The Universal Search Engine makes it possible. There’s no better time to be homebound!

When I flip my attitude around, I realize how much I have to do, even if I’m too sick to work or leave my house often. I’m grateful for my garden, for my cat who acts as a lovely Companion, for my wonderful boyfriend/caregiver, my art and writing, for all the wonderful texts there are to read, more than could be read in ten lifetimes, and for the spiritual practices I’m developing. I feel like its super pertinent to have these things in one’s life, especially if you are chronically ill, disabled, and/or homebound. Another thing that helps me a lot too is creating and sticking to a “schedule” of some kind. It can be quite easy to become a complete POS who never changes out of PJ’s or puts deodorant on when you’re in this kind of a situation, and I have found that not only grosses out my boyfriend, I am nowhere near as productive, creative, or fulfilled as when I’m sticking to a sort of routine. I try to implement what Darren Hardy calls “bookends”; I try to have a routine I do every morning and every night. For me, this includes making tea, making a gratitude list and/or free writing/journaling, stretching and doing light exercise if I’m feeling well enough, creating a To-Do list for the day, and incorporating some of my current spiritual practices, like working with the Tarot. The To-Do list I have found is especially helpful; when you’re not working and you’re used to being a bread winner you can easily feel like you’re not doing anything of value. By creating a list of things I want to get done in the day, even if it seems miniscule, like checking the mail, doing the dishes, or making my Green Drink, I feel empowered and productive as I accomplish each goal and check it off the list.

Just because I’m not able to work or have a “normal” life, doesn’t mean I can’t have a meaningful, fulfilling, productive, creative, and successful experience in this Karmic Round. I just have to get off my ass and do something about it, and consistently. When I’m feeling “blah”, like I have recently, I have to turn that energy around. It’s absolutely pertinent if I want to get anything done or to feel good about myself. I do that by making myself laugh or become inspired. There’s tons of great podcasts, music, and blogs out there to help turn that frown upside down. Even though I’m not Christian (not that I have a problem with it if you are, I respect all people’s rights to pursue their own spiritual paths), this song in particular has been helping me a lot lately, and maybe it will help you too, so I’ll end this post with it, and a HUGE thank you for taking the time to read this.

I’d love to know how you make yourself feel positive and fulfilled, despite any disabilities you may have.

Love & Light


Please, if you find any value from this blog, please consider making a donation to the PayPal link at the top right of the page. I don't create these posts expecting anything but to help/entertain others, but I am a disabled mechanic/artist who is not currently receiving SSI/SSDI and when I'm flared up it's hard if not impossible for me to get my hustle on. I'm also working on adding Bitcoin here! :)