I am the founder of The Green Clinic and a mother of five. My oldest son, Pierce, takes medical cannabis for epilepsy and Tourette Syndrome.

Before medical cannabis, Pierce tried to control his symptoms with conventional medications – anti-psychotics and mood elevators – so he could attend school. The medications heavily sedated him and slowed his mental processing. They also caused him to gain weight. His teachers gave him an extensive IEP and put him in special education classes.

Pierce existed (suffered) like this for years. His junior year in high school, teachers advised me to start looking at group homes and prepare him for a “special needs” job upon graduation. That’s when I convinced Pierce to try medical cannabis. I was a family doctor at Olmsted Medical Center and saw the life-changing effects medical cannabis had on patients, families and caregivers.

Dr. Johnson received her MD from Mayo Medical School and worked as a family doctor at Olmsted Medical Center in Rochester, Minnesota, for 14 years before starting her private practice, The Green Clinic.

Pierce started taking medical cannabis in January 2019 and his experience was nothing short of a miracle. In only one month, he lost 30 pounds and grew an inch. He also started talking (a lot). He is now a senior in high school and no longer requires an IEP. He takes accelerated math classes instead of special education classes and is looking at colleges. Family and friends tell me they wouldn’t believe Pierce’s night-and-day transformation if they hadn’t seen it for themselves. Pierce tells me he doesn’t know what to do with all the extra brain space he has.

Medical cannabis gives Pierce the power to control his symptoms and be his best self. I am so grateful for the MN Medical Cannabis Program, I now spend my time helping qualified patients access and understand it for themselves.