Support Chelsea Leyland’s medical cannabis movement

We need to support Chelsea Leyland’s medical cannabis movement, one that truly comes from the heart. Epilepsy has been a big part of Chelsea’s life, even before she was diagnosed with Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy (JME) in her early teens. Her older sister, Tamsin, also suffers from it in a more serious case. However, the sisters now fight two very different battles with the condition due to the fact that, in the U.S., Chelsea has access and ability to treat her condition with CBD; Tamsin, who lives in the UK, is still unable to access the plant due to strict laws prohibiting it. It’s a discrepancy Chelsea is dogged on correcting. Chelsea treated her seizures with prescription drugs for more than a decade. It wasn’t until a few years ago when a trusted friend and fellow advocate placed a few drops of CBD under her tongue that she embarked on a life-changing path towards discovering the healing properties of the plant.

“I actually initially thought it was fake news,” says Chelsea Leyland, whom many know as a DJ and fashion It girl, when she first watched a video about epileptic toddler Charlotte Figi, whose family was able to drastically reduce her seizures with CBD. “It was quite hard to believe that a little bit of oil could have this much impact on epilepsy as a condition.”

Since then, Chelsea has been using her voice and influence to fight for change in the medical system and promote understanding surrounding CBD as a medicine for epilepsy. She is currently in production with the documentary, Separating The Strains, and amplifying the voices of individuals who suffer from epilepsy with @cbd4epilepsy.

How did you feel after your first experience with CBD?

That evening, I forgot to take my traditional anticonvulsant medicine, which is a really big deal for me because I would never forget to take my meds. I remember feeling very calm and balanced. It was as if someone had plugged me into a power source. I had a feeling of balance. The next morning I woke up to realize that I had forgotten my medicine the night before. My initial thought was one of panic. Following that, a little spark went off in my brain. I’d forgotten to take my medicine, but the CBD actually made me feel medicated. That was the beginning of my journey exploring this molecule and different products.

How did you feel about cannabis before that?

My journey with cannabis is similar to many in that I experimented with it as a teenager and early twenties. And though I had some pretty positive experiences with it, the negative outweighed the positive. I actually became quite apprehensive about using cannabis because I had experiences where it induced mini seizures for me. I had the mindset that cannabis was something that I should stay away from. I had, through experimentation, realized that strains with higher levels of CBD and lower THC were better for me. I noticed that I felt calmer, but I could still often feel my epilepsy creeping into my brain.

What motivated you to rise as a cannabis activist for epilepsy?

It was sparked by feeling uncomfortable in my skin in terms of the version of myself that I was putting out into the world––as a DJ, as somebody that was living this very glamorous and sparkly life. I think it was because I’ve grown up with a sister who is extremely unwell and I have watched her suffer tremendously with this condition. There was a part of me that I wasn’t nourishing, and I think my inner child was really craving something with a little more meaning.

I wanted to get involved in something that was mission-driven. I went to the Glamour [Woman Of The Year] Awards and I remember leaving there feeling so inspired by some of the female speakers. Natalia Vodianova has a sibling with special needs, and I was so inspired by her story and what she was doing in that community. That night, I put something up on my Instagram that said that I am one of many patients with epilepsy. It was such a huge moment for me.

Then I started telling my story to de-stigmatize epilepsy is a condition. When it came to my experience with cannabis and how it impacted my health, which had begun to improve, it was almost like a natural progression. I think a lot of it came from the fact that I felt so grateful for the positive impact that the medical application of this plant had and how it treated me. I felt like I needed to share my story and try to help other people who were suffering. As I started learning and researching, it really was the beginning of a love affair with the plant.

Can you share your journey with Separating The Strains thus far and what’s to come?

We started Separating The Strains about two years ago now. This project really came off the back of my experience with cannabis and not having support from the medical community. I was feeling very let down by the medical system. I was of the mindset that no other patient should ever have to go down the route that I did of self-medication: unsure if the product they’re using was tested in-system, not having anyone to communicate with, and feeling unsupported. As I dove into the research and learned more about the problem, the documentary just felt like a tool that could have the greatest amount of impact.

I met Caroline Sharp, the director of our project, who was a filmmaker and also she has a background in neuroscience. I think having someone like her on board is just incredible, because not only is she such a sensitive person with my and my family’s best interest at heart, but she also has this background in science and happens to be incredibly creative. These things are hard to find.

This film explores the landscape of medical cannabis with a specific focus on epilepsy and other neurodegenerative brain disorders. We are really just hoping that this is a trusted resource for anyone looking to understand more about the plant. I hope people can begin to understand this fragmented regulatory framework that people, such as my family, are trying to navigate to gain access to this medicine.

I’m hoping that by mid next year, we will have a film together. I think right now we’re in a really exciting stage. We’re working with an incredible composer, James Williams Blades, and he is producing a new soundscape for our film where we’re actually bringing together autistic epileptic musicians to compose the score. Bringing our audience together in this sensorial way is really important to us as we try to illustrate what it’s like to live with epilepsy.

Is there a particular story or interview in the documentary that particularly affected you?

There’s nothing more powerful than being able to connect with somebody that feels the same way you do. Especially when you haven’t found anyone who’s suffering in the way you are. There was a conversation about getting words and times muddled––this is something that I suffer with every day. Just hearing that there are young women who struggle with the same issue made me feel less alone. I think it’s so beautiful when people are able to communicate honestly about the ways that they’re struggling.

Does cannabis support your life beyond treating your epilepsy?

There isn’t a day that goes past where I don’t use cannabis in some form at some point in the day. I use cannabis for my insomnia. I use cannabis as an anti-anxiety medicine. I use cannabis for managing my irritable bowel syndrome. I use cannabis for my endometriosis. And endometriosis isn’t just menstrual cramps; it’s also painful intercourse. This is something that I’m particularly interested in and actually have a plan to develop my own products that focus on the power of cannabinoids for sexual health. I believe that women deserve a safer and more natural option to the contraceptive pill and painkillers.

What can we do, as cannabis users, to support change and shed the stigma?

It’s important to ask questions and not take things at face value. A lot of it comes down to education. If you can educate yourself, then next time you sit next to someone who believes cannabis is a gateway drug, you can intelligently inform them that this is not the case. That, actually, it’s medicine. Make sure you have that knowledge so you can pass on the message.

And, finally, how do you live in High Vibration?

My default mode is wanting to help and save everyone. It’s important for me to recognize that, as to not fall out of balance, and make sure that I’m checking in with myself and putting my own wellbeing first. I can’t be a good helper if I’m not nourished. Living in high vibration is, to me, always being of service, but first making sure that I have the strength to be of service.