 This is St. Tech, Hawaii. Community Matters here. I'm Marcia Joyner, and this is Cannabis Chronicles, a 10,000-year odyssey. So tell me, Muse, of that plant of many resources which wondered far and wide the ancient plant of food, fuel, fiber, cultivated for millennial. And as we venture through the past 10,000 years, we will explore and discover the plant from which cannabis derives. The plant of many uses, hemp, cannabis, ashes, cannabis and religion, cannabis and medicine, cannabis and dear old Uncle Sam, and so our odyssey begins. Today our odyssey is not long ago and far away, it's current and in progress. And today we are going to meet a disabled veteran and we are going to talk about his venture with cannabis, how he got started, where he is in the process, and all of those wonderful things. So we want to meet Sikkim, Sikkim Butler. Now first, before we go anywhere, Sikkim, tell us about that name. What is Sikkim? What does it mean? Sikkim is actually, it's a biblical name, it's named after Shechem, which is the first capital city of Israel, and the Bible, and so it was named after that. Oh, the first capital city of Israel? Yes, ma'am. After they left Pharaoh? Yes, ma'am. Oh, very good. Do we know where that is? Does it exist anymore? I'm not sure that, I'm not sure. I do research a little. Next time, let me know. So, tell us, you are a disabled veteran. What branch of the service were you in, and how did you get to be a disabled, you're too young, you look too good, how do you get to be a disabled veteran? The branch of service was the United States Air Force, and I became disabled because of training. This is pretty much the new norm. The training change from Iraq to Afghanistan meant more climbing up hills and more physical training and more strain on the spinal cord and joints. So, you're back, what happened? During training, we have a lot of jumping off of vehicles, and with 100 pounds plus gear on our backs, so that weight on my spinal cord during training caused a lot of damage to my disc, so they had to put in screws and bolts and replace discs, I have ceramic spacers, I'm a machine, half man, half machine. My goodness, and so, this is, then you get a medical retirement, is that it? Yes ma'am, I basically had to get a lawyer while I was active duty and have a medical board evaluation in San Antonio, Texas, where they would examine my medical documents and tell me whether or not they agree that I should be retired or just separated. So, you're retired? I am retired, ma'am, yes ma'am. Oh, very good, very good, all right, now, so you mentioned when I heard you speak, I heard you at the Cannabis 101, and I heard you speak about all the drugs they gave you, and what that experience was like, so tell us about that. That experience was very overwhelming. The drugs that they gave me were hydrocodone, oxycodone, a lot of pharmaceutical narcotics that were very addictive, had very harsh effects, you know, they were very, very bad on my body, you know, so it was a very, very, very tough time. What does that do to you emotionally and mentally? I understand about the physicalness of trying to deal with pain and they give you all these things, but what's the mental experience, the emotional experience of having these heavy drugs? Emotionally, it's very tough because you go through a lot of anxiety based upon the fact that you're not feeling like yourself when you take these drugs, you're very, how do I say, spaced out and almost a zombie, like zombie-like, and you're not able to, I have children, so I wasn't able to play with my son and do normal things that I was able to do, you know, and enjoy life pretty much. How long were you on those drugs? I was active duty from 2005 to 2009, and so my injuries came about 2006, so I would say 2006 to 2009 or 2010 when I decided to completely rid myself of... So you were on those drugs at all? Yes. Physically, what did they do to you? Weight gain was the number one thing because I wasn't able to be as active as I was before, so I'm 160 pounds now and I gained, I was at 250 plus pounds. Wow. And I've never been that big in my life. And so all of that's while you were doing these? Yes. The narcotics. My God. And so they just keep giving you all of that, not one, but all of those? All of them, and I had lots of pills together that I would take, and even at one point, they had to take me off of a pill because it made me stay up 24 hours and I couldn't sleep and I had to work, and this is when I was active duty, so I had to work and I was a police officer, so I had to arm up and I was turned to work. You got a gun and you are strung out on this? Oh my God. I was actually, that day they told me I wasn't able to arm and to go home and go see my doctor again so they could take me off of that medication. So it was very, it was very strenuous. Now what about your family life? Oh, family life. During that period? It was pretty tough because, again, not being able to be active and to be happy alone with the anxiety and the stress every day of not feeling well and not being able to do things, it was pretty tough. So now how did you manage to go from all of that to cannabis? How did you discover cannabis? I discovered cannabis because, now my wife was, we were given orders to go to California and California is a medical state. Now your wife is active duty also? Yes, yes, and so, and this is when I was out of the military. I was able to go active, I was able to go to California, California is a medical state so when I got there, the first thing my doctor, medical cannabis, yes ma'am. And so when I first got there, my private physician actually told me that I should look towards cannabis because I turned him down when he tried to give me narcotics when I first got there. And so he said, well this is a medical state, you should try to get your license and that's what I did and from then on, from 2010 to now, I've been a patient. So tell us what happened, when you discovered the cannabis then how did you feel emotionally, physically, what happened? Big change, big change in my anxiety level, big change in my pain, big change in my overall living. I started to be more active, exercise more, just being in the mood to be more lively, going out with my family, playing basketball and all type of sports and activities with my son and wife, I became just a different person, much more happier. So what about all of this medical stuff in your back, what happened? That is still there, yeah, I still live with the pain, I still have to, and that's the thing I have to manage my pain now and it's better, I manage my pain better with cannabis than I did with the pharmaceuticals that they gave me. Does the cannabis help with the pain? Oh, the cannabis helps major with the pain and the great thing that I found out, I found out exactly how when I got my degree in psychology, when I moved to California, I found out that there's a connection between pain and cannabis and how it works specifically in dulling or getting rid of the pain. So oh yes. The cannabinoids. The cannabinoids, yes, the cannabinoids, the terpenes, they all work together to help alleviate pain and whether it be internal or topical, if I have say spasms or muscle aches and it works internally and on top of the skin. So do you take it internally or do you rub it on your back or? Both. Both. I do tinctures. I do topical cells. What's a tincture? It's basically a liquid form which you place underneath your tongue because you have glands underneath your tongue and when you put the medicine underneath there, it gets into your system faster and works into your bloodstream faster. So that works for spasms, aches, pains, headaches. And then you have something that you rub on your back? Yes ma'am. I have a topical lotion, a THC and CBD lotion and CBD cells that I use as well. Now so that, do you ingest the cannabis at all? Yes. I do smoke the flower. I use vaporizer pens. What's a vaporizer pen? The vaporizer pens are basically a liquid form of the cannabis and these can be purchased at dispensaries. It's basically, it's liquid, like how they do the e-cigarettes, but it's cannabis in there, it's tobacco safe medicine and it's honestly a better way of using it rather than to use the fire and smoke way, it's safer, a lot safer and easier on the lungs as well. So you don't use the smoke? Oh I do, but not as much, not all the time. I use tincture, I use variations of all because sometimes I don't want to, I'm not in the mood to so I like to take a tincture instead. Now this is very personal and if you don't, I heard and I don't know this because A, I'm not a man and B, I don't use cannabis. I heard that it affects your sexual life. Now you have a wife, so if you don't want to go there, that's okay. Oh that's perfectly fine and I actually heard the same thing and I was researching that and in my psychology book there was actually a book we had to read about this and with people in my spinal cord disorder actually have problems with those type of sexual disorders and cannabis is actually something that doesn't hurt at all, it actually helps and I have children, I've been a patient since 2010 until now and it hasn't stopped me from having children, I've had two children since I've become a patient and I'm perfectly in great health. Like I said, I'm not being a man and not having anybody to ask, so we'll put that one aside. We'll forget that, forget that. We need to take a break and we will be back in 60 seconds and then we'll talk some more about your adventures with cannabis. This is Think Tech Hawaii, raising public awareness. When I was growing up, I was among the one in six American kids who struggle with hunger and hungry mornings make tired days, grumpy days, that kind of days. But with the power of breakfast, the kids in your neighborhood can think big and be more. When we're not hungry for breakfast, we're hungry for more. More ideas, more dreams, more fun. When kids aren't hungry for breakfast, they can be hungry for more. Go to hungryis.org and lend your time or your voice to make breakfast happen for kids in your neighborhood. Hi, I'm Dave Stevens, the host of Cyber Underground every Friday here at 1 PM on ThinkTechHawaii.com. And then every episode is uploaded to the Cyber Underground, that library of shows that you can see of mine on YouTube.com. And I hope you'll join us here every Friday. We have some topical discussions about why security matters and what could scare the absolute bejesus out of you. If you just try to watch my show all the way through, I hope to see you next time on Cyber Underground. Stay safe. Aloha. I'm Marcia Joyner and this is Cannabis Chronicles. And we are visiting with a disabled veteran who is anything but disabled. And his adventures with cannabis. First, I want to play a news clip that I found. And it is one of our regular people here on Cannabis Chronicles. And in Hawaii, I think everybody knows him. And that is Paul Clink. He is a cannabis consultant. He is also a master Red Cross volunteer. He went to Houston a year or so ago when they had the major floods. Even though he wasn't well, and he's a cannabis patient as well as a consultant. But he went to volunteer there and set up the places. And then he went to Kauai with the flood. Went to the big island with the volcano. Back to Kauai. And every now and then he comes home. And now, today, he is in Virginia. So I'll ask our control room if they will run the video. From areas that have already been scorched. And this is not a movie. This is real life. These fires have killed at least 42 people making this the deadliest fire in California's history. Local news organizations there report more than 200 people have been reported missing. More than 200,000 people had to evacuate their homes. At least 370 homes have been destroyed by the flames of the fire chief estimates. That number could double once crews get into areas that are not safe yet. But somehow for those families is on the way from our area. And a story that's all new at 11, we're taking you inside the training for those Red Cross volunteers. Here's Lorenzo Hall. While thousands of families are fleeing fires in California. Four different feeding routes. One group in Fairfax is ready to go in. These are Red Cross volunteers from across the country who have witnessed plenty of disasters. From Kilauea volcano that was erupting the whole time. Florida for Sandy. We have home fires. Now they're prepping for the next mission. I'm ready to go. California. California is intimidating. Intimidating because the wildfires still aren't contained. Dozens of people have died. Many are missing and thousands are homeless. I gotta be honest with you, it's scary. While the Red Cross is known for providing food and emergency shelter, this group is gearing up for a different task. I knew it to do. These volunteers are leaders in the organization and are reviewing potential scenarios they're likely to encounter, mapping out the resources available in many towns and preparing to manage hundreds of other volunteers on the ground. Damage assessment. However, their biggest responsibility the minute they land out west. Be there to give them a hug. These volunteers say this part of their job is often overlooked, comforting people immediately after watching their home and cars turn into ashes. And all that now is gone. Every bit of it down to the last thread of carpet or floor tile gone forever. It's also the toughest part of the job. You will feel their pain. You're really good. Now these volunteers typically spend weeks of these disaster sites away from their own families. Some have already been deployed. This particular group will finish training by Thursday and then find out if or when they're heading to California. Leslie. There is so much to do there, Lorenzo. Thank you. The Red Cross is running almost all of the shelters in California for the more than 200,000 people forced from their homes. If you'd like to make a donation, there are three ways right there on the screen. By phone, by website, or by texting Red Cross to 90999. That charge will appear on your cell phone bill or it'll be deducted from your pre-prane balance. Wow. That is so hard to watch. All of those fires, my number one to number four sons mother-in-law lived in paradise California so they had to go get her. The thought of those fires is just unbelievable. Oh okay, let's get back to today with our guest, Sakeem Butler and who is telling us about his venture with cannabis now that you have it and you said that you were able to study and get your degree with much more ease. Tell us how did that work? It works actually with the cannabinoids that are inside of the plant. I was actually, with certain terpenes and cannabinoids you can actually focus better like for instance, pineene. It has molecules and cannabinoids, it's a terpene actually that helps you focus and to really concentrate on what you need to do and with that and it alleviates pain. So since I have a lot of pain and I need to focus, I would buy strains of cannabis flour that I could use as medicine and help me do these things while I would study for my degree and turn it actually worked. So you got through that much simpler than you think you would have without it? Oh, most definitely because I would not be able to even sit still, just like sitting with you right now doing this interview, I wouldn't be able to without cannabis, without being able to have it to medicate on a daily basis. I can't pretty much do anything. It's too much pain, it's uncomfortable and just it's almost impossible. Now though, how long have you been doing the cannabis? Since 2010. I've been a patient since 2010 until now and from California, the state of Oregon, I was a patient and a patient here as well. Do you see a difference from state to state? I meant the regulations, all the stuff you have to go through? Yes. There's a difference state to state in getting your license, what you need to get your license, how long it takes to get your license. For instance, California, you can get it same day and I was just educated here, they're changing it now to where you can get it and I've had my license twice here and it took quite a while. Would you have to renew it each year? Yes ma'am. You have to renew. Even though you have a long term, you're not going to get well. No ma'am. So you still have to renew it every year? Yes ma'am and I was just educated at this past event that they will change it for Hawaii so that you can have it for three years if the doctor sees that in my case your disability is not going away. So that's positive that Hawaii is changing, something like that because so could add more stress when you have to get a new card and there's a gap between getting your card in and you may run into the police or you know have some kind of or you need to get your medicine. You can't get your medicine because of your cards expired. So even though you've been buying it regularly, if the card expires, you can't. Can't purchase anymore until you get a new one. Oh dear. Yeah and that can leave you in limbo with being arrested, evicted, you know, by your landlord. So it's good that they're changing, Hawaii's changing that. But speaking of landlords now, can you smoke in your home? If your landlord says so, if your landlord does not give you the allowance, then you can't do so. You'd have to find somewhere else where you or you can use another form of medicine. Yeah, you could, what did you call it? The tincture. Tincture. Yeah. So you could all do all of those other things. Yes ma'am. And you would get the same effect? Do you think? Oh yes ma'am. Most definitely. And sometimes you get a better effect, I believe. Sometimes I, smoking cannabis sometimes can be not harmful depending on what type of, you hear smoking tobacco paper or you're smoking V because they are, there are vegan papers that you have out there. So it's not so stressful on your lungs, but it can be stressful even if you have vegan paper. If you use tinctures and or vaporizers, that can alleviate some of the stress you have on inhaling and. I would think so. Oh yes. I mean, while it's different than tobacco and the nicotine and the TARS, it's still inhaling something. Inhaling, yes. So it's kind of making your lungs expand and that can be uncomfortable. What? Now, you mentioned focusing and your brain and you think it does more for you. Have you, and I don't expect you to have an answer to this, but it occurred to me that would it help people with early stages of dementia or Alzheimer's? Do you think? Absolutely. And I've actually. Are there studies? So yes, there are studies out there that show that Alzheimer's, dementia, Parkinson's disease as well, it actually works as a neuroprotector and neuroprotector for the brain cells. Like for instance, Alzheimer's disease, it protects the brain cells, the brain cells that there's a plaque almost that forms on the brain when you have Alzheimer's. What THC does is it breaks that plaque down and gets it off of the brain. So therefore, you can have a healthier brain and your brain is not being taken over by this plaque in forming the Alzheimer's and everything that comes along with Alzheimer's. So it's a neuroprotected and it's good for your brain, absolutely. So we're going to have to find somebody that has been through that to talk to us about what they've been through with this, or I guess early stages of, what about dementia? Same. The same. It works in the brain like a clean up, clean up job, the same way with brain up with cancer. It's a clean up. It doesn't harm the healthy cells like chemo does. It only makes those unhealthy cells commit cell suicide and then recover and become healthier. So it does helpful things to our body. This has been such a pleasure talking to you and learning so much because I know when we started this, which is why it's a 10,000 year journey, and every time I talk to somebody every week I learn so much, and thank you so much for taking the time to spend with this. Thank you. And keep up the good work. Thank you, Ma'am. And we'll thank you and we'll see you next time. Aloha.